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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 12-04-1995 - X-D 1 ORANGE COUNTY f BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT MEETING DATE: December 4, 1995 Action Agenda Item # X—D SUBJECT: Final Report of Skill Development Program Board t DEPARTMENT: Economic Development PUBLIC HEARING:_Yes X No Commission ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Report: A Blueprint for Self-Sufficiency (Pages 2-14) Ted Abernathy(ext. 2325) TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough - 732-8181 Durham - 699-7331 Mebane - (910) 227-2031 Chapel Hill - 967-9251/968-4501 Purpose: To receive a report from the Orange County Skill Development Program Board Background: In October of 1994, the Board of County Commissioners created a 23-member workgroup and charged it with: 1. Identify the employment skill development needs of county citizens and how they relate to current or possible future job opportunities. 2. Develop an inventory of existing and/or potentially available training/skill development opportunities or resources and also any support systems available. 3. Identify the space, programming and equipment needs that will be required to successfully create a skill development program and also identify any barriers to training. 4. Explore all funding possibilities, including the State of North Carolina and public private partnerships with contributions of funding, equipment, or training expertise coming from businesses directly benefitting from such a program. The Board has completed the charge and provides its findings and recommendations in the report. Recommendation: The Manager recommends that the Board receive the report as information. 1 2 A BLUEPRINT FOR SELF-SUFFICIENCY CREATING OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL ORANGE COUNTY CITIZENS A Report By The Orange County Skill Development Program Board: Reverend George Allison, DSS Advisory Board Barbara Baker, Durham Technical Community College Peter Barnes, UNC-Chapel Hill Hospital Fred Battle, Joint Orange Chatham Community Action Rose Bolick, Orange County Schools Jan Brown, Employment Security Commission Doug Glasgow, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Harvey Goldstein, University of NC - Chapel Hill Joel Harper, Chapel Hill/Carrboro Chamber of Commerce Larry Haverland, Orange County School Board Bea Hughes-Warner, Chapel Hill/Carrboro School Board Onie Lea-Cameron, Orange County At-Large Howard Lee, Orange County At-Large Charles Milch, Home Health Agency of Chapel Hill Karen Raleigh, Economic Development Commission Phil Rollain, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Janice Scarborough, Private Industry Council Sophie Shiffman, Town of Chapel Hill Richard Simpson, Town of Hillsborough Pam Sullivan, Orange Enterprises Aimee Tattersall, Orange County Commission for Women Ted Vaden, Chapel Hill Newspaper Gary Wisham, Major Business Systems Ben Wolverton, Alamance Community College Orange County Staff: John Link Albert Kittrell Lucy Lewis Gwen Price Ted Abernathy Gail Walker Presented to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners December 4, 1995 3 1 INTRODUCTION In October of 1994, the Board of County Commissioners created the Skill Development Board and charged it with the following: 1. Identify the employment skill development needs of county citizens and how they relate to current or possible future job opportunities. 2. Develop an inventory of existing and/or potentially available training/skill development opportunities and resources and also any support systems available. 3. Identify the space, programming, and equipment needs that will be required to successfully create a skill development program; also identify any barriers to training. 4. Explore all funding possibilities, including the State of North Carolina and public private partnerships with contributions of funding, equipment, or training expertise coming from businesses directly benefitting from such a program. As the 23-member workgroup addressed this charge, two philosophical directions were agreed upon and used to develop this report. The first was that our county goal should be to provide adequate training and services to allow all Orange County citizens to be self-sufficient and free of all publie and private assistance. The second direction was to agree that the needs and programmatic solutions varied among distinct segments and, therefore, we first had to identify the groupings and then develop means to address their individual and, in some cases, collective needs. SECTION 1A - NEEDS OF ORANGE COUNTY CITIZENS To assess the educational and training needs of different populations, the Board divided the target audience into seven key need groups. These are: 1. Persons on public assistance 2. Under-employed 3. Unemployed 4. School dropouts/kickouts 5. High school graduates looking for work 6. Working poor 7. People lost outside the system The Board recognized that these are often overlapping populations, i.e., an Orange County 4 2 resident could be a working poor person requiring public assistance, or an unemployed high school graduate looking for work. However, there are also distinct job skill development needs for each of these groups. The following are brief summations of each need group, including a group definition, the approximate numbers (where available) of each group, and key needs. Special needs such as disabilities are included in all groups. 1. People on Public Assistance Includes persons receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children(AFDC) and Food Stamp recipients. AFDC recipients include persons with deprived children under the age of 18 due to the continued absence of one parent, incapacity, or unemployment/underemployment of the principal wage earner(working less than 100 hours per month). The majority of AFDC recipients also receive Food Stamps. Under the new Work First program, approximately 240 individuals must be placed into employment during the first year. It is possible that as many as 100 more people will require job placement and skill development assistance as early as January 1, 1996. Limited short-term training is available under Work First with day care and transportation assistance. According to Department of Social Services (DSS) figures, there are currently 811 AFDC cases (1,932 recipients). There are 898 additional cases of persons who are receiving Food Stamps but not AFDC or other forms of public assistance (Social Security, Supplemental Security Income). This is a total of 3,852 Food Stamp recipients. Needs include targeted recruitment; co-location for employment and education resources; an ESC office in the northern part of Orange County, and continuing education courses. 2. Under-Employed This segment includes employed persons where the employee's talents, skills and/or abilities exceed his/her current employment requirements, and retraining may be an option. People currently working part-time seeking full-time employment are included in this group. At present there is no accurate way to identify how many people are part of this group who are, for the most part, self-identified. Needs include a comprehensive inventory of existing skill training and degree granting institutions in one single, one-stop location; a more up-to-date on-line inventory of available jobs; and, at the one-stop location, services including vocational/interest testing, employment counseling; counseling to help with obstacles to training (transportation, child care, etc.), and benefits counseling. 3. Unemployed Includes those residents 16 and older who are not employed but are looking for work and are available to accept a job, including persons who have been laid off and are waiting to be called back. 5 3 Based on 1990 Census figures, there were 2,004 persons, or 3.8% of the Orange County population, unemployed. The most recent figure is 2.4% unemployment, according to the Employment Security Commission. (See Chart 1) Needs include employment skills; life skills training (literacy, conflict resolution, foreign language); information and referral assistance; assessment services; entrepreneurship training; financial management; and budget counseling. 4. School Dropouts/Kickouts 5. High School Graduates Looking for Work Each year the number of students from the Chapel Hill/Carrboro Schools and the Orange County schools in these categories vary. County your unemployment rates are estimated at around 10%. Without intervention, these recent students may quickly end up in one of the other categories. Recent graduates from Chapel Hill High School or Orange High School and are unemployed and looking for work. Needs include more opportunities for work experience and ongoing life skills training. 6. Working Poor This group includes those individuals who are employed but living at or just above the poverty level. There is no accurate way to identify exactly how many people are part of this group, who are for the most part self-identified. However, in 1990, the InterFaith Council Emergency Services Division served 1,454 persons of whom 26% were employed full-time and 20%were employed part-time. According to the 1990 Census, there was a 3.8%unemployment rate in Orange County while 13.0% of the population lived at the poverty level, indicating that a significant number of working persons qualified as "working poor". In Orange County, 19% of families earn less than $20,000 with an additional 30% earning between $20,000 and $40,000. The average private sector job, as of the 3rd quarter 1994, pays $20,950/year. Needs include a comprehensive inventory of existing skill training and degree granting institutions in one single, one-stop location; a more up-to-date on-line inventory of available jobs; and, at the one-stop location, services including vocational/interest testing, employment counseling, counseling to help with obstacles to training (transportation, child care, etc.), and benefits counseling. 7. People Lost Outside the System Includes persons who may not be captured in the other traditional groupings who have unique education and training needs. Subgroups include: the homeless; recovering substance abusers; older workers; displaced homemakers; persons on probation/parole; and migrant and seasonal workers. 6 4 Homeless There are approximately 600-700 homeless persons served annually at InterFaith Council (IFC) Community House who are able to, and are looking for, work. Needs include training to keep gaining skills and move to good-wage jobs. Recovering substance abusers The Orange-Person-Chatham Mental Health Center estimates that there are hundreds of recovering substance abusers who are able to, and look for, work each year. These estimates will overlap with the homeless figures. The recent IFC Employment Project served 30 persons with substance abuse support,job training and placement, and counseling. Needs include a transitional/halfway house so that Employment Project participants do not have to live in the shelter to receive assistance; an expanded program to serve twice as many persons; well- integrated and intensive support services; and training to keep gaining skills and move to good- wage jobs. Older workers There are no available estimates of the number of older workers who want to work but are unable to find employment. This group includes those 65 and older who need part-time employment to supplement their income, and those workers (particularly 50 and older) who have been terminated or took early retirement due to downsizing and have been unable to get back into the job market. Over 13% of seniors in Orange County live in poverty. Needs include information about and access to jobs in northern Orange County, and ongoing training opportunities. Employers also need to be educated about the advantages of hiring older workers. Persons on probation or parole There are approximately 600-700 persons on probation at any one time with 25-30%unemployed and looking for work, according to estimates from Orange County probation officers. Needs include job-seeking skills, including assistance with filling out applications and interviewing; transportation; and access to good-wage jobs. Migrant and seasonal workers There are approximately 400 seasonal workers- workers who live in the community and earn at least 50% of their income from farm work- in Orange County, based on the Employment Security Commission Rural Manpower figures. There are approximately 200-250 migrant workers in Orange County- workers who work at least 25 days in farm work and are transient - based on the Employment Security Rural Manpower figures. Needs include expanded English- as-a-second-language assistance provided with flexible hours, and transportation. 7 5 SECTION 1B - ECONOMIC OUTLOOK The overall economic outlook for Orange County and the Research Triangle area of North Carolina has been, and, for the near future, will continue to be positive. New job creation is rising about 4% per year. From 1989 to 1993, total jobs in Orange County rose from 39,834 to 46,051 (16%), while average wages rose from $21,185 to $24,799 (17%). The projections for the region are for 3% growth through the year 2000. Regionally, projections show slow growth in blue collar jobs and job losses in the agriculture sector, with the strongest overall gains in service jobs and the professional and technical areas. In Orange County, trade, government, and service jobs have been steadily increasing over the past 2 decades; over 80% of our jobs are now in those 3 sectors. Even more telling is that 50% of the jobs are in 3 sub-sectors: state government, eating and drinking establishments, and health services. (See Chart 2) For our region some of the fastest growing occupations through the turn of the century are projected to be: 1. Teachers (Elementary& Secondary) +5,733 jobs 2. Retail Salespersons +4,441 jobs 3. Janitors and Cleaners +3,709 jobs 4. Cashiers +3,249 jobs 5. Registered Nurses +3,103 jobs 6. General Clerks +2,866 jobs 7. Waiters&Waitresses +3,100 jobs 8. Top Executives +2,599 jobs 9. System Analysts +2,044 jobs 10. Secretaries +2,035 jobs 11. Food Preparation Workers +2,014 jobs The Triangle J Region is expected to add almost 150,000 new jobs by the year 2000. The growth is divided as follows: Agricultural&Forestry - 1% Clerical& Administrative Support + 16% Managerial& Administrative + 8% Production, Construction&Materials + 19% Professional&Para-professional —27% Sales &Related + 11% Service Occupations +20% Compensation for these jobs varies widely, but, one area for concern is the concentration of jobs 8 6 at the lower end of the pay pyramid. Sales persons,janitors, cashiers, clerks, and food preparation workers all average under $8 per hour in wages. SECTION 2 - SUMMARY OF EXISTING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES In May 1995, an inventory of existing training/skill development programs was conducted by the Skill Development Program Board. Although not inclusive of all public and private organizations, this inventory serves as a representative offering of the types of training opportunities for Orange County residents. Respondents to the survey included: Chapel Hill High School, Durham Technical Community College, Alamance Community College, Joint Orange-Chatham Community Action Agency, InterFaith Council, the Women's Center, and Orange County Department of Social Services. Specific descriptions of available training/skill development programs are in Appendices I-VII. Chapel Hill High School (CHHS) CHHS provides a variety of community-based instructional offerings which include apprenticeships, Cooperative Vocation Education, Tech Prep-Dual Enrollment, and Vocational/Applied Technology courses. Although many vocational options are available, the majority of students select a track of curriculum courses that will prepare them for college. Orange High School(OHS) OHS promotes vocational and technical education opportunities for students to meet high academic and skill standards for further learning and productive employment. Internships, Tech Prep, Youth Apprenticeships, Shadowing, Cooperative Education and School-Based Enterprises/Live Projects are offered in the curriculum. Durham Technical Community College (DTCQ DTCC college credit, adult and continuing education enrollment figures indicate that Orange County residents represent 3,043 or 24% of their 12,679 student body. Since Orange County is in the DTCC service area, an array of courses are available at DTCC's satellite centers in Hillsborough and Chapel Hill. Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools provide classroom space in the evenings for the numerous courses. Many residents also travel to the DTCC main campus in Durham for classes. Alamance Community College (ACQ ACC enrolled 1,335 Orange County students in curriculum and continuing education classes during fiscal year 1993-94. This represents 9.3% of the 14,355 student body. All classes were located on Alamance County campuses. Joint Orange-Chatham: Community Action Agency (JOCCA) 9 7 JOCCA's employment and training opportunities allow individuals to master occupational skills in the classroom, the employer's site, or a combination of both. On-the-job training, pre- employment skills, employment exploration, placement, and re-adjustment assistance are designed to provide immediate employment to participants. InterFaith Council(IFC) IFC offers comprehensive job training programs to very low income and homeless individuals in recovery from drug and alcohol abuse. The program supports participants in living independently, maintaining employment, and sobriety. The Women's Center The Women's Center provides career assistance services for women. Job Listing and Resource Notebooks, along with career choices, and survival skills for women workshops are the primary support services available. Department of Social Services (DSS) DSS, although not a direct provider, offers training/skill development assistance to individuals on AFDC through Job Opportunities Basic Skills Program(JOBS). JOBS serves 145 families and offers a range of training including high school, community college, 4-year degree programs,job readiness, and work experience. JOBS participants are in training programs throughout the Research Triangle Area. Center for Employment Training (CE7) CET is a nationally recognized agency that began its NC operations June 1995, in the Research Triangle Park. The mission of CET is a philosophy of self-determination. CET promotes human. development and education of low-income people by providing them with marketable skills training. The private, nonprofit agency has a contract with the State to provide job training to 91 individuals receiving public assistance from the three Triangle counties. Orange County Department of Social Services has 20 individuals in this program. The Orange County Literacy Council The Orange County Literacy Council, with Learning Centers in Carrboro and Hillsborough, provides one-to-one tutoring and small group classes for adults throughout the county. Instruction is learner-centered; students often pursue goals related to writing, spelling, math, filling out forms, reading instruction manuals, passing professional license exams, passing the driver's license test, and many other employment-related issues. Scheduling and location are flexible, thereby eliminating many barriers created by transportation and child care needs. Orange Enterprises, Inc. Orange Enterprises is a non-profit community rehabilitation program which provides vocational evaluation to assess an individual's current skills and needs. An evaluation consists of standardized testing as well as observation in different work settings. Vocational training is provided according to the individual's needs and may include job skills training, assistance finding 10 8 a job, on the job training, assistance finding transportation, short or long term follow-up, and a support system for the employee and employer. Vocational Rehabilitation provides vocational assessment and evaluation of an individual's ability, skills, and interests. Guidance, counseling, and assistance are available to assist an individual in reaching their vocational goals. Assistance may include: on-the-job training, vocational or technical schooling, work adjustment training, medical services,job development and placement, and support services (such as - transportation assistance, supported employment, rehabilitation engineering consultation for home or work). Summary The inventory of existing training/skill development opportunities indicates that programs are available for Orange County residents, but are not necessarily located within the county. Training programs are offered by different agencies and institutions which may not coordinate services. Currently, residents are unable to access the training opportunities from one single portal of entry. Assessment to determine appropriate training is also unavailable in a centralized location. Support services such as daycare and transportation are available, but not easily accessed. The inventory supports co-location of training programs. SECTION 3 - RECOMMENDATIONS The Skill Development Program Board recommends the following: A holistic approach to coordinating skill development and job search services to the citizens of Orange County The individual who needs, or seeks, skill development and job search services should be counselled as to the options available for dealing with his/her current situation, realizing there are factors outside of the availability of training that influence an individual's ability to seek that training and employment. Services such as interest and aptitude testing, child care referral, transportation, public assistance, financial aid for training, career counseling, assistance in dealing with lack of physical access to facilities, etc., should be focused on the individual seeking to increase their capacity to be self-sufficient by building their skills for the workplace. The County should make every effort to break down the barriers citizens face in seeking skill development and integrate these services to assist everyone in finding a job. A "one-stop" information center for skill development and employment services A communication service to function as a clearing house for information and a network of training, education and job placement providers should be established as a location, a telephone service, and/or an on-line computer service to ensure citizens of Orange County can easily access and take advantage of job search and skill development services. Such an information service should be able to answer questions about specific training options as well as recommend other 11 9 services where clients might obtain counselling or assistance in pursuit of their own skill development. Personnel should be dedicated to this endeavor to ensure citizens have access to knowledgeable individuals who understand the needs of the citizens and who can be liaisons to the service providers. The one-stop information center can be the entering point for citizens seeking to access the various services available to prepare them for and help them find a job. Establishment of formal linkages between currently existing transportation and other services and skill development opportunities Formal agreements and linkages should be established between agencies to ensure those seeking work have access to vital support services such as transportation, child care, assessment, financial aid, etc. Skill development for individuals is dependent upon their ability to take advantage of training while fulfilling other obligations. Every effort should be made to ensure Orange County citizens have access to services to support their need for skill development and employment. Permanent, consistently available spaces for training Space needs to be allocated to offer job development opportunities at convenient locations in the County, during both day and evening hours. Durham Technical Community College, JTPA, JOCCA, and others currently offer skill development opportunities for adults at various locations throughout the county, but often find a need to recommend that potential students seek educational sites outside the county where specialized laboratories and training facilities are available. Designated spaces for training would allow for the expansion of existing services and the addition of educational opportunities to meet the specific needs of business and industry in Orange County. Information and communications technology should be incorporated into training spaces to reach further into the community to offer convenient skill development opportunities. Extension technologies - telecourses via public broadcast and local access cable channels - and emerging technologies such as wireless broadcasts and courses via computer networks offer additional opportunities for offering skill development to the citizens of Orange County. Training developed to better match emerging jobs and include but go beyond the basic 3 R's Entrants in the workforce in the nineties and beyond will be faced with the challenge of utilizing fundamental skills and advanced understanding of service delivery and technology. Most will agree that basic skill levels in math and reading are absolute requirements and are, in fact, the building blocks for future learning. These two skills are accompanied by the requirement to be able to communicate in written and oral forms. While there may be some debate about the proficiency level that one may require in order to be employed, there is no debate that the fundamentals must be taught and retained. A program that reinforces the basic skills is a certain requirement. Potential employees must be able to demonstrate the application of these skills in such a manner that employers will be able to provide job-specific training that will directly benefit both the employee and the employer. Job training programs that are skill-based and that are general 12 10 enough to develop a wide variety of skills may be necessary. Any course-work that delivers the three basic skills referenced above must also be applicable in a complex and competitive environment. Trainees will be expected to handle both entry level tasks as well as gradually more complex tasks. Training programs should focus not only on the basic skill being taught, but should also focus on methods of learning and proficiency development. Certainly, the employer base of Orange county has needs for trainees who are capable of being trained and retrained to a skill level that matches emerging jobs and services. The impact of technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation will make such skills as critical thinking, use of judgement and independence, and multi-modal communication very likely requirements for the successful training program. Employees will be expected to master an array of skills and be able to fill in as needed throughout an organization. Most employers will establish minimal levels of proficiency for every employee. The use of technical manuals, data, and computerized tools will be an expectation. Computer-aided devices and equipment will be found at nearly every workplace; therefore, emerging job skills that enhance troubleshooting, tool selection, and technical skills will be essential. Employers who deliver human services and customer services will expect good oral communication and verbal skills. Potential employees will be expected to ascertain customer needs, determine the best approaches to meet these needs and communicate these needs to team members and customers. Emerging job skills that encompass assessing human needs, determining safety limits, performing critical thinking, and managing priorities will be useful. Coping - world of work skill training The workplace requires skills that are based in social and behavioral realms. Employees are expected to understand the values and norms of others and to respect diversity and difference. Tasks are generally accomplished by teams and workgroups. Such an environment requires that employees understand the value of dialogue, conflict management and resolution, and tolerance for ambiguity. Coping skills are important components of the work ethic, and as such, should be used to prepare potential employees for workplace challenges. Basic skills that advance team work include understanding supervision, acceptance of responsibility, and cooperative assistance with others. The recognition of cultural diversity and the influence of culture on individuals is a prime requirement for this region of North Carolina. Orange County employers will serve a wide variety of customers, and an understanding of tolerance and respect for diversity are skills that even entry-level employees will require. Employees must also understand limits of acceptable behavior, expectations for job attendance, dependability, and timeliness. Basic skills in following instructions, giving directions, and communicating issues and data will be a benefit to employers. Listening skills are often the basis for customer service; they are essential in team work. The ability to follow simple and often complex instructions should be present. All of these coping skills may be assumed to be in place for the successful employee, but the absence of any or a combination of these skills will surely affect the employee's success. 13 11 Incentives for employers Employers are being expected to assume greater risks when they employ unskilled or untrained employees. The expense of training and developing skills adds economic pressure and costs to products and services. Therefore, it is practical to provide employers with incentives that reward a willingness to participate in training programs and skill development. Employers should be given the opportunity and encouragement to develop reward systems that facilitate skill development and also assure a sharing of costs and risks. Money directed to human services and training programs should be made available to employers who participate in skill development. Subsidies that can offset additional training costs will motivate employers to participate in non- traditional training and mentoring opportunities. A direct outcome will be the acceptance of these potential employees and a recognition of partnership between human service agencies and employers as they move toward the mutual goal of beneficial employment. Partnerships that produce successful programs can be highlighted and replicated in other settings. Employers will be challenged to monitor employment outcomes and they will be able to control their levels of participation as needs and resources fluctuate. A marketing plan for making citizens and employers aware of skill development opportunities Citizens of the County will have to be made aware of new and existing opportunities available to them. In addition, employers will have to interact with any system that is created to ensure that they have input into the type of development being offered, and access to a new group of potential employees. A plan for outreach to citizens and establishing partnerships with businesses for the purpose of sharing information will ensure the successful implementation of the recommendations of the Skill Development Program Board. SECTION 4 - NEXT STEPS Finally, we recommend that the Board of County Commissioners take the following actions. Immediate: 1. Accept this report and incorporate the recommendations into BOCC Goals, with appropriate charge to responsible parties to insure that goal and strategies are achieved. Specifically seek State funding through Governor's Job Preparedness Task Force. 2. Ask the appropriate staff to develop an action plan and timetable to accomplish these goals or enact these efforts. Short-Term (12-18 mos): 3. Lease space as necessary to accommodate identified skill development/training components. 14 12 4. Redistribute and mobilize resources as necessary to accomplish program objectives. This should be closely coordinated with the County's response to welfare reform. Action by the Federal and State governments will place a greater priority on service recipients obtaining employment. Greater responsibility and, hopefully, additional flexibility will be conveyed to county government in this realignment of the human service delivery system. Skill development and training will be elevated as essential locally developed components to this new human service paradigm. Long-Term (2-3 years): 5. Based on the identified needs and target populations, additional, permanent space will be needed to accommodate the skill development program. This may be new or existing space, such as High School Career Information Centers; stand-alone or added-on to present buildings. In any case, additional funds will be needed. The BOCC needs to strongly consider this need when addressing the County's Capital Improvement Plan. In particular, the BOCC should consider the capital needs for adult training and education at the same time that the need for additional space for the school systems is addressed in future bond referenda.