pathways to careerS: Summer Earn and Learn

DISCUSSION PAPER

Background

On January 31, 2017, the Texas Workforce Commission (Commission) approved the Pathways to Careers (PCI) initiative for students with disabilities. PCI includes five strategies designed to improve the quality and availability of pre-employment transition services to Texas students with disabilities. The source of funding for the initiative is the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Basic Grant allotment for the provision of pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) to students with disabilities[1]. Pre-ETS places particular emphasis on the provision of work-based learning opportunities, such as paid work experience and internships.

The first PCI strategy is Summer Earn and Learn,is a work-based learning program to be conducted in partnership with Local Workforce Development Boards (Boards) and their employer partners. Summer Earn and Learn is a statewide strategy that supports the Texas Internship Challenge, a joint partnership between the Commission, Texas Education Agency and the Higher Education Coordinating Board to promote the challenge for industry and employer partners to offer paid internship opportunities to students. Summer Earn and Learn includes employability skills training and a minimum of five weeks of paid work experience for students with disabilities. It will be offered in each Local Workforce Development Area (LWDA) this summer, in coordination with local TWC VR staff.

Issue

The Commission approved a funding distribution of $5.4M to Boards for Summer Earn and Learn. The distribution to each Board was based on US Census disability estimates and Texas State Data Center population estimates, and on staff estimates that Summer Earn and Learn would serve 2,000 students in FY 2017 at an average cost of $2,700 per student. Staff noted that the final cost per student for the program would be specified in Board contracts, and provided an estimated range of $2,500 - $3,000 per student. On March 14, 2017, TWC issued Workforce Development Letter (WD) 17-11 to provide guidance to Boards about the implementation of Summer Earn and Learn, including opportunities for local flexibility to ensure that the program meets the needs of each LWDA. Boards then submitted a program description and cost detail worksheet to describe how they will implement both the required components of the program as well as those in which there is opportunity for local flexibility.

Boards were asked to notify TWC in their program descriptions if they identified a needfor additional funding to implement their proposed program model or to serve more students. Two Boards have requested additional funding: Workforce Solutions Panhandle and Workforce Solutions Borderplex:

  • Workforce Solutions Borderplex is requesting an additional $20,029 to serve 10 more students with disabilities. Their initial funding distribution of $183,800 was based on serving 68 students. Workforce Solutions Borderplex is proposing to serve 78 students at a cost per student of $2,580, for a total funding distribution of $203,829.
  • Workforce Solutions Panhandle is requesting an additional $5,054. Workforce Solutions Panhandle estimates a total cost of $82,854.00 which exceeds the funding distribution of $77,800 by $5,054. Workforce Solutions Panhandle prepared a budget for the project with the lowest projected costs; however, the Panhandle WDB covers a large area and Workforce Solutions Panhandle expects to require both Board and Contractor staff to travel extensively to recruit employers, initially meet with students, and to monitor program participants. Based on these estimated costs Workforce Solutions Panhandle has estimated a cost per student of $2,857, thereby requiring additional funds.

Attachment 1 shows the initial funding distribution approved by the Commission in January and the revised proposed funding distribution.

Recommendation

Staff recommendsthat the Commission approve the additional funding requested by Workforce Solutions Borderplex and Workforce Solutions Panhandle. In addition, staff recommends that the Commission authorize staff to approve additional increases in funding up to 3% of the amount received by each Board, as may be requested by other Boards based on their actual costs of providing the services or on their ability to serve additional students. Pre-ETS funding is available for this purpose.

DP Pathways to Careers Summer Earn and Learn.docx

Agenda Item: 05/23/17 Commission Meeting

Attachment 1

DRAFT
Texas Workforce Commission
Pre-ETS Funding Formula Distribution for 2017 Summer Work Experience Initiative
LWDA # / Local Workforce Development Area (LWDA) Name / 2017 Population Estimate of Age 14-22 with a Disability by LWDA* / Proportion of Age 14-22 with a Disability / Equal Base Amount (0.2% per LWDA) / Amount Based on Proportion of Age 14-22 with a Disability (Rounded to Nearest $1,000) / Proposed Funding Distribution Amount / Est. Number Served (assumes $2,700 avg. cost to serve)
1 / Panhandle / 2,920 / 1.32% / $ 10,800 / $ 67,000 / $ 77,800
$ 82,854 / 29
2 / South Plains / 5,012 / 2.26% / $ 10,800 / $ 115,000 / $ 125,800 / 47
3 / North Texas / 1,604 / 0.72% / $ 10,800 / $ 37,000 / $ 47,800 / 18
4 / North Central / 19,912 / 8.99% / $ 10,800 / $ 458,000 / $ 468,800 / 174
5 / Tarrant County / 14,620 / 6.60% / $ 10,800 / $ 336,000 / $ 346,800 / 128
6 / Dallas / 13,914 / 6.28% / $ 10,800 / $ 320,000 / $ 330,800 / 123
7 / North East / 2,737 / 1.24% / $ 10,800 / $ 63,000 / $ 73,800 / 27
8 / East Texas / 6,863 / 3.10% / $ 10,800 / $ 158,000 / $ 168,800 / 63
9 / West Central / 2,707 / 1.22% / $ 10,800 / $ 62,000 / $ 72,800 / 27
10 / Upper Rio Grande (Borderplex) / 7,512 / 3.39% / $ 10,800 / $ 173,000 / $ 183,800
$ 203,829 / 68
78
11 / Permian Basin / 4,218 / 1.90% / $ 10,800 / $ 97,000 / $ 107,800 / 40
12 / Concho Valley / 1,477 / 0.67% / $ 10,800 / $ 34,000 / $ 44,800 / 17
13 / Heart of Texas / 2,506 / 1.13% / $ 10,800 / $ 58,000 / $ 68,800 / 25
14 / Capital Area / 7,840 / 3.54% / $ 10,800 / $ 180,000 / $ 190,800 / 71
15 / Rural Capital / 10,002 / 4.51% / $ 10,800 / $ 230,000 / $ 240,800 / 89
16 / Brazos Valley / 3,141 / 1.42% / $ 10,800 / $ 72,000 / $ 82,800 / 31
17 / Deep East Texas / 4,332 / 1.95% / $ 10,800 / $ 100,000 / $ 110,800 / 41
18 / Southeast Texas / 4,110 / 1.85% / $ 10,800 / $ 95,000 / $ 105,800 / 39
19 / Golden Crescent / 2,060 / 0.93% / $ 10,800 / $ 47,000 / $ 57,800 / 21
20 / Alamo / 23,632 / 10.66% / $ 10,800 / $ 544,000 / $ 554,800 / 205
21 / South Texas / 3,125 / 1.41% / $ 10,800 / $ 72,000 / $ 82,800 / 31
22 / Coastal Bend / 5,635 / 2.54% / $ 10,800 / $ 130,000 / $ 140,800 / 52
23 / Lower Rio Grande / 12,160 / 5.49% / $ 10,800 / $ 280,000 / $ 290,800 / 108
24 / Cameron County / 3,305 / 1.49% / $ 10,800 / $ 76,000 / $ 86,800 / 32
25 / Texoma / 1,789 / 0.81% / $ 10,800 / $ 41,000 / $ 51,800 / 19
26 / Central Texas / 4,255 / 1.92% / $ 10,800 / $ 98,000 / $ 108,800 / 40
27 / Middle Rio Grande / 1,505 / 0.68% / $ 10,800 / $ 35,000 / $ 45,800 / 17
28 / Gulf Coast / 48,719 / 21.98% / $ 10,800 / $ 1,119,600 / $ 1,130,400 / 418
Grand Total / 221,612 / 100.00% / $ 302,400 / $ 5,097,600 / $ 5,400,000 / 2,000
*Population Age 14-22 is based on US Census disability estimates and TX State Data Center population estimates

DP Pathways to Careers Summer Earn and Learn.docx

Agenda Item: 05/23/17 Commission Meeting

[1]29 U.S.C. §730(d)(1)