Career Access Network: Effective Coordination for Integrated WIA Service Delivery

Presentation Overview  Introduce NCAC  Discuss CAN (Work Incentive) grant  Review service coordination  Review of global coordination issues

What is NCAC?  Metro Agency  Receives Federal employment related funding  Operating entity LWIA9, a 4 County region

Successful Coordination from the system’s perspective  Identify partners  Train on rules and regulations governing those services  Understand the outcomes that they are trying to reach  Look for areas of integration  Formalize the processes: Whose job is it to do what? Clear contracts, MOUs, etc.  All partners review processes for quality

Successes of coordination  “High touch” Staff to an open ended system for the hard to serve  Unorthodox connections to harder to serve job seekers for WIA, e.g. Drug Court, TANF, Public Housing residents  Connection to Youth programs

Lessons Learned:  Do not assume for system changes, you must make them happen on paper and through process  Education/communication is critical between One stop staff and contract staff to facilitate integration  Appreciate the strengths/weaknesses of all partners involved  Find the shared vision