Title
Department of Human Services recommending the Board:
1) Approve the amended boilerplate On-the-Job Training Contract which reflects an increase in the allowable reimbursement rate, as authorized by the U.S. Department of Labor, to businesses who employ Department of Human Services Workforce Investment Act On-the-Job training program participants; and
2) Authorize the Director or Assistant Director of Human Services, or successors, to sign on behalf of the County the amended On-the-Job Contract, including any future amendments thereto, contingent upon County Counsel review and approval, with various community businesses enabling individual eligible clients to participate in the Department's Workforce Investment Act Program On-the Job training program.
FUNDING: 100% Federal Workforce Investment Act Funding.
Body
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost: No change.
Federal Workforce Investment Act funds for job training activities are included in the department's FY 2010-11 budget and will be included in requested budgets in future fiscal years. This funding requires no County match.
Background:
On September 7, 2005, the Golden Sierra Governing Board approved the establishment of El Dorado County as the first Consortium Operator under the Local Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Program, effective July 1, 2006. On June 20, 2006, the Board of Supervisors approved establishment of a budget and approved Human Services staffing for implementation of Workforce Investment Act Program (WIA) activities effective July 1, 2006 and the El Dorado County Department of Human Services has been the One Stop Operator for El Dorado and Alpine counties since that time. As an Area Partner Consortium Operator of the Golden Sierra Job Training Agency Consortium, El Dorado County uses the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds to provide job training services, leverage additional federal and state funding and help strengthen the One Stop system whereby the multiple needs of El Dorado and Alpine County unemployed individuals and businesses can be met.
On June 30, 2009 the Board of Supervisors approved the use of five WIA program boilerplate agreements (including the On-the-Job Training Contract) and authorized the Director or Assistant Director of Human Services, or successors, to sign on behalf of the County said agreements and associated documents with various governmental and community entities enabling individual eligible clients participating in the Department's WIA program activities to gain training and/or paid work experience to improve their employability in the open job market (File #09-0895).
Reason for Recommendation:
The Department of Human Services (DHS) administers Workforce Investment Act (WIA) programs on behalf of the County. The On-the-Job Training (OJT) program provides WIA participants training necessary to gain occupational skills with the expectation of permanent employment at the end of the training period. During the OJT training period a participating entity employs the OJT participant as a regular employee, pays the participant's wages and then receives partial reimbursement from the WIA program for those wages. The hourly wage and training period are established in the OJT Contract. As authorized by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, reimbursement to the employer has been 50 percent of the participant's hourly wage for the extraordinary costs of providing training and additional supervision related to the training. On June 30, 2010 the U.S. Department of Labor granted the State of California a waiver to permit an increase in employer reimbursement for on-the-job training through a sliding scale based on the size of the business. This waiver is granted through June 30, 2011. Under this waiver, the following reimbursement amounts are permitted: (1) up to 90 percent for employers with 50 or fewer employees, (2) up to 75 percent for employers with 51 - 250 employees, and (3) up to 50 percent reimbursement for employers with more than 250 employees. The amended OJT Contract reflects the changes in the allowable reimbursable amounts to employers and adds standard County language not previously included in the Contract.
Action to be taken following Board approval:
Human Services to utilize and have the Director or Assistant Director sign the referenced OJT Contract for provision of WIA program services.
Contact: Daniel Nielson, 642-7275
Concurrences: County Counsel and Risk Management