SUFFOLK COUNTY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD
MINUTES OF THE APRIL 12, 2018MEETING
Members Present:Matthew Aracich
Building Trades of Nassau-Suffolk Counties
Gerard Cairns
F.R.E.E
Roger Clayman
LI Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
James DiLiberto
Island Drafting and Technical Institute
Adrian Fassett
Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc.
Sal Ferrara
Electrical Training Center, Inc.
Tricia Folliero
SMM Advertising
Vincent Frigeria
PSEG Long Island
Jay Fund
Hunter Business School
Michael Kahrer
Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Diana Kubik
New York Label and Box Works
Jeffrey Kuhr
The Home Depot
Elvira Lovaglio-Duncan
Urban League of Westchester County, Inc.
William Mannix
Town of Islip Economic Development
Elizabeth Morgan
UWLI/YouthBuild
Frank Nardelli
S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing & Consumer Affairs
Reverend Roderick Pearson
Suffolk County Youth Bureau
Corinthia Price
Workforce Career Readiness
Tammy Torelli
CHP International, Inc.
Youth Standing Members:Shirley Coverdale
Family Community Lifer Center Project of Riverhead
Barbara Egloff
Eastern Suffolk BOCES
Gail Lamberta
St. Joseph’s College
Reverend Roderick Pearson
Suffolk County Youth Bureau
Sandra Townsend
Youth Advocate
Disability Standing Members:Gerard Cairns
F.R.E.E
Timothy Carew
S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing & Consumer Affairs
Janet Draffin
S.C. Dept. of Social Services
Barbara Egloff
Eastern Suffolk BOCES
Sal Ferrara
Electrical Training Center, Inc.
Jennifer Forni
Suffolk County Community College
Frank Krotschinsky
Suffolk County Office for People with Disabilities
Reverend Roderick Pearson
Suffolk County Youth Bureau
Representatives:Henry Daisey
NYSDOL
Amy Lowth
NYSDOL
Brian McIlvain
Suffolk Independent Living Organization
(Representing Joseph Delgado)
Guests:Ben Berman
Christine Costantini
Chris Freddo
Steven Haedrich
Brian Monks
WDB Staff:Kristen Peldai
Jennifer Stavola
SCDOLLCA Staff:Marc Bossert
Maureen Gobris
Diane LaChapelle
Stacey Lesko
Raymond O’Rourke
Vanessa Pugh
CALL TO ORDER
The Suffolk County Workforce Development Board (WDB) helda breakfastmeeting on Thursday,
April 12, 2018 at New York Label & Box Works, 50 Oval Drive, Islandia, NY. Chair Jim DiLiberto called the meeting to order at 9:15 a.m.He welcomed everyone and thanked Diana Kubik for allowing us to hold the meeting at New York Label & Box Works.
Steven Haedrich, President of New York Label & Box Works, gave a brief overview of New York Label & Box Works. Mr. Haedrich explained they are a packaging, printer, label company and specializes in brand protection packaging. He stated they have never had a lay off and the average management team tenure is over 25 years with the company which ties in with the company’s philosophy which is to give people joy in work. He also spoke of their management’s philosophy as well which follows the Deming Philosophy to improve quality, lower costs, improved productivity, capture market shares, stay in business and provide more jobs. The core of their company philosophy is about quality, making clients happyand providing long term, good paying jobs.
Chair DiLiberto announced that if any member would like to host an upcoming meeting to please contact Jennifer Stavola or Kristen Peldai.
He announced that the Board Staff have been working on some important items. WIOA requires MOUs between the Partner agencies for services and infrastructure funding. The Services MOU was signed and fully executed in the fall of 2017 and the Board staff is currently working with the Partners on the Infrastructure MOU. This MOU should be fully executed this spring.
Under WIOA all Comprehensive and Affiliate One-Stop Career Center in each Local Workforce Development Area are required to be certified. Certification must occur at least once every three years beginning in Program Year 2017. The Executive Committee approved Board staff to complete the review for the Hauppauge and Patchogue locations on behalf of the Board. On March 20, 2018 the Certification paperwork was submitted to the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) as required. The resolution approving the Certification signed by Chair DiLiberto was included in the meeting folders.
Board staff completed the Local Plan required by NYSDOL and after the members had a chance to review, it was submitted in October and officially approved in February. A resolution approving the Local Plan was included in the meeting folder. Staff also worked with the two Nassau Boards on the Regional Plan which was formally submitted and approved on March 1, 2018. The Regional and Local Plans have been posted on the NYSDOL website.
Lastly, the New York State Education Department published an RFP for WIOA Title II and Welfare Education Program Funding. One of the requirements of the RFP was to have the Local Board review Attachment 5 of the Title II applicant’s proposal and determine if it aligns with our local Workforce Development Plan. The Board’s Executive Committee had the Board Staff review a total of 13 applications to determine alignment. All reviews were returned to the applicants by the
March 23, 2018 deadline.
MEMBERSHIP CHANGES
Currently the Suffolk County Workforce Development Board has 36 members – 19 businesses and 17 non-businesses. The following changes in the Board membership since the last meeting are: Dick O’Kane has recently left the Board as he has retired as the President of the Building Trades of Nassau-Suffolk Counties. Chair DiLiberto thanked him for his contributions to the Board and wished him well. He welcomed Matthew Aracich who has replaced Dick as the President and will be officially on our Board pending NYSDOL nomination process.
APPROVAL OF THE FEBRUARY 23, 2018MEETING MINUTES
Chair DiLiberto asked for a motion to accept the Minutes of the February 23, 2018 WDB Regional Meeting. Jeffrey Kuhr made the motion to accept the Minutes and Gerard Cairns provided the second.
DISABILITY STANDING COMMITTEE REPORT
Chair Gerard Cairns gave an update on disability programs. The Committee last met on October 4, 2017.
Chair Cairns reported Committee member, Tim Carew, gave a summary about the Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) Program and other activities related to serving individuals with disabilities at the One-Stop Employment Center. Mr. Carewadvised that the DEI Program which started in 2014 has ended as of September 30, 2017. During that time, over 760 individuals were screened and over 360 individuals enrolled into the program. Over 58 individuals were referred for training with DEI funding and 46 of those individuals completed training. Thirty-eight Ticket-to-Work tickets were issued and 13 of those ticket holders have entered into employment. The Ticket-to-Work Program is a free and voluntary program that can help Social Security beneficiaries go to work, get a good job that may lead to a career, and become financially independent. Although the DEI Program has come to an end, Tim will continue to work at the Suffolk County Department of Labor with individuals with disabilities.
The guest speaker for the meeting was Rosemary Claus from the NYS Office of Mental Health at the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, Rehabilitation Services Department. She gave a presentation on the New York State Employment First Initiative and shared the services presently available at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center. The facility offers services to individuals with mental health challenges along with any type of substance abuse and/or a justice background. The clients are being introduced to the various services they might need in their recovery process such as housing, employment and support groups. Ms. Claus spoke of the partnership with the Suffolk County Department of Labor where clients can come into the One-Stop Employment Center for employment related services. There is a program for peer specialists where individuals who have successfully gone through the recovery process come back to be mentors. Support services including a mobile crisis intervention team and an assertive community team are available for clients.
Mr. Cairns announced the next Disability Standing Committee meeting will be held sometime in May.
FINANCIAL REPORT
Maureen Gobris, Assistant Finance Director for the Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs, gave an update of this Program Year’s funding and expenditures.
Enclosed in the folder was a chart of the Program Year 2017 Funding Availability. Ms. Gobris reported that from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 the total available funds to spend is approximately $7.7 million. For PY 16, a total of $7 million has been spent and there is $47,000 remaining to be spent in 2018.All of the PY 16 funds including the carry over funds will be spent by June 30, 2018. For PY 17, 80% of the funds ($5.2 million) must be spent by June 30, 2018. The department is on target to reach all the requirements. Ms. Gobris reported that NYSDOL announced early planning estimates which indicate that we will have an increase of approximately $160,000 for PY 18. This represents a 2.4 % increase from PY 17.
WIOA PROGRAM UPDATE
Marc Bossert, Assistant Administrative Director over the One-Stop Employment Center in Hauppauge, gave an update on WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs. The SCDOLLCA was awarded $98,575 for CFA 7.0 which will train individuals for nurse assistant jobs. Sixty individuals will receive training. Mr. Bossert gave an update on the Linking to Employment Activities Pre-Release (LEAP) grant by the United States Department of Labor and Training Administration. This grant runs from October 2016 through September 2018. There arefour to fivestaff members located in the Yaphank and Riverhead jail to engage young people ages 18-25 while they are in the facilities and provide them with counseling. They are offered an assessment and have a plan in place while waiting for their release and then when they are released they come to the career center. The goal is to provide the individuals training while they are in the facility so when they get released they have a skill.
Mr. Bossert spoke about the audits that the department has had and introduced Henry Daisey from NYSDOL to the members. He thanked Mr. Daisey and his staff for all their help during the audits.
YOUTH STANDING COMMITTEE REPORT
Chair Revered Roderick Pearson gave an update on youth programs. The Youth Standing Committee last met on November 16, 2017. The guest speakers were Donna Spotton and Nicole Helf from the Berkshire Union Free School District who gave a presentation about the Community Specialist Initiative. Stacey Lesko, Director of Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs Youth program gave a report on the year round In-School and Out-of-School Programs as well as the 2017 Summer Youth Employment Programs.
At the meeting, Ms. Lesko reported there were 711 youth enrolled into the TANF Summer Program along with 40 Out-of-School Youth who were placed in the 70 worksites throughout Suffolk County during the 2017 Summer Program. The youth worked 25 hours per week for seven weeks from July 5, 2017 through August 18, 2018 earning $10 per hour. The Summer Youth Awards occurred on September 27, 2017. Supervisors at the worksites were asked to nominate youth who did an outstanding job over the summer. The youth who received awards were invited to the ceremony along with their families, their worksite supervisors and the Suffolk County Executive, Steven Bellone.
Chair Pearson reminded the Board members there are two other important youth employment programs. The year round Out-of-School Youth Employment Program is open to young adults up to the age of 24 years old and the year round In-School Youth Program is for youth who are currently in school and between the ages of 14-21.
The guest speakers, Donna Spotton and Nicole Helf from the Berkshire Union Free School District gave a presentation about the Community Specialist Initiative. They won a five year grant from the New York State Department of Education to improve post-secondary outcomes for students with disabilities. They enhance the knowledge of ACCES-VR services and post-secondary options for students with disabilities and to prepare the students if they are college bound. They collaborate with the vocational rehab counselors that are assigned to each school district to provide the information needed for the students to receive the services from ACCES-VR.
The next Youth Standing Committee meeting will be held in the spring.
GUEST SPEAKERS
There were three guest speakers at the meeting. Chris Freddo, Vice President at New York Label & Box Works, Christine Costantini, Quality Control Manager at New York Label & Box Works and Brian Monks, Vice President and Chief Security Officer at Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Chris Freddo started the presentation by demonstrating counterfeit products. He discussed how much of a problem counterfeiting has become. The counterfeiters are producing products that are identical to the real product that even the companies of the real products can’t tell the difference. He spoke about how in the 1980’s companies started having products manufactured in China due to the cost savings and this started the counterfeiting problems. The large companies here would go to China for bids on products for production and provide the samples needed and this would lead to someone copying the product and selling for a lot less. Mr. Freddo also spoke about third shifts in manufacturing where extra quantities of products are being made and sold illegally. He explained how New York Label & Box Works got started in anti-counterfeiting. He spoke about brand protection technology and how they work with companies in developing advanced technology to protect the consumers.
Christine Costantini gave a presentation on the different packaging technology options.New York Label & Box Works has developed packaging that assists companies in protecting its’ brand through advanced packaging technology. Ms. Costantini spoke about the different options available. The overt level is what you can see with your eyes and uses QR Codes, holograms, alpha numeric and tamper evident/proof technology on the packaging. The covert level is invisible with the naked eye and uses ultra violet, micro-text and scratch off technology. Lastly, the forensic level is the microscopic level and uses taggants and plant based DNA technology.
Brian Monks discussed the impacts of counterfeiting in the United States. The company’s mission is public safety. Mr. Monks said at UL they test over 23 billion products each year. He explained how he works with U.S. Custom Border Control and seizescounterfeit products that arrive into the U.S. from overseas. He spoke about how the laws need to change and become stricter for counterfeiters. The money from illegal counterfeiting supports human trafficking overseas as well as terrorism. He explained that using technology against the counterfeiters such as smarter labels to make it more difficult helps in the fight against counterfeiting. It is estimated that counterfeiting amounts to $600 billion a year in products. Each country has its own specialty counterfeiting that it is known for, such as in India they are known for counterfeit software and in Russia it is cigarettes and liquor. Mr. Monks shared some videos highlighting the dangers in counterfeit products. They hope to educate and inform the public through their global partnerships.
MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS/MEETING CLOSURE
Chair DiLiberto thanked all the speakers and a special thanks to WDB member Diana Kubik and New York Label & Box Works for hosting today.Guest Ben Berman from UBS Financial Services announced what services his bank offers such as investment banking and capital markets, research, equities, foreign exchange, and tailored fixed income services in rates and credit through its two business units, Corporate Client Solutions and Investor Client Services.
Chair DiLiberto thanked everyone for attending. He asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting.
Reverend Pearsonmade the motion and Elvira Lovaglio-Duncanprovided a second. The meeting was adjourned at10:50 a.m.
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