What’s Happening Newsletter
December 20, 2016
Christmas is a time for gratitude, thankfulness and giving. Exceptional leaders however, reflect and give thanks every day. In the words of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy; "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." Although I may not always show it, I am grateful for:
· The opportunities our clients provide us to work with them.
· The many lessons I've learned from so many other people.
· The life-long friendships I have with many past and current business associates.
· The values instilled in me by my parents. The support and sacrifice of my family to let me do what I love to do.
Let’s always be mindful of JFK's words and recognize the opportunities to routinely demonstrate genuine heartfelt gratitude, thankfulness and giving at home and at work.
As the New Year begins, our Workforce Development Board will continue to lead our region to fully implement WIOA. Steps will begin with:
· Certification of Job Centers- Sheri will be appointing board members to conduct on-site reviews of local Job Centers. Next step will be to recruit two Southeast Teams to go outside our region and certify Job Centers in adjoining regions. This will be completed by March 2017.
· Each WDB Committee will meet and begin plans/projects to set our course.
WIOA Compliance Update
The Southeast Region Youth Action Network will be meeting on December 21, 2016 at the WDB office to discuss the conclusion of the 2016 summer youth program outcomes and prepare for the 2017 summer youth programs.
The PY2015 final WIA performance totals have been released. Below you will find the final State performance (All Providers) and the final Southeast Regional Performance for PY2015. You will see that the State did achieve 90% or above in every measure with the exception of WIA Youth Literacy and Numeracy as did the Southeast Region. With the start of WIOA in July 2016, PY2015 was used as a baseline for performance targets during PY2016. As always, if you would like additional information on WIA and/or WIOA performance please notify Gretchen Morse at the WDB office.
Park Hills Job Center-WIOA Youth Program November 2016
Ste. Genevieve County has 9 active clients, 8 clients in follow up, with one new enrollment. One young adult continues Work Experience while working on completing HSE classes. We have 2 young adults attending HSE classes regularly and 1 young person attained their HSE credential in October. A workshop was offered this month in the Ste. Genevieve office with 2 young adults attending. The Partnership with Mineral Area College continues to bring new opportunities to our young adults. A representative with the MoStemWins program presented to the AEL students this month giving them information on new programs offered through the college. Our office served 6 people not enrolled in the WIOA Youth Program at this time. Two young adults were referred to the Park Hills Job Center to complete Work Keys testing. We also have two young people completing steps to enrollment in the WIOA Youth program. Stacy Snider, Transition Specialist
St. Francois County has 11 active clients and 3 clients in follow up. There were no new enrollments for the month of November. There are 5 enrolled young adults attending HSE classes at this time. Workshops are offered through the St. Francois Job Center each month. We are currently partnering with the St. Francois County Juvenile Detention Center providing assistance with workshops for job readiness. We had the opportunity to provide information about the WIOA Youth program during the St. Francois County Job Fair and a meeting with Children’s Haven. There were 4 young adults served from our office not currently enrolled in the WIOA Youth Program.
One Young Man who has entered follow up has a great success story. He enrolled as an 18 year old in-school youth needing additional assistance. Due to his lack of work experience and attending High School he was unable to support himself. With the assistance from the WIOA Youth Program and MERS/Goodwill he has attained his High School Diploma, completed the Culinary Courses at Unitec, and completed all work readiness workshops offered. After evaluations and assessments it was discovered he enjoyed the culinary world. He was able to complete a work experience at Parkland Health Center in the dietary department. He stated this gave him an opportunity to gain culinary skills needed for his Career Path. He is now working full-time at Wal-mart as a deli assistant. He states his appreciation for the assistance he was provided through the WIOA Youth Program and MERS/Goodwill to give him the opportunity to successfully follow his career path. We will continue to follow up with the Young Adult. Angel Pickens, Transition Specialist
Iron County has 1 active young adult and 0 in follow up. There were no new enrollments for the month of November. We met with the Director of Ozark Valley Community Services, a supported living program in Iron County. We are working to establish a partnership with Ozark Valley Community Services and MERS/Goodwill Youth Program to provide services for their clients with completing HSE certification and job skills. Our focus for the coming months is to recruit new enrollments for the WIOA Youth Program in Iron County. Angel Pickens, Transition Specialist
Madison County has 4 active young adults and 2 remain in follow up. There were no new enrollments for the month of November. One young lady continues WIOA work experience as she works towards developing job skills for employment. She states she is interested in part-time employment at this time as she works towards completing HSE Certification. Angel Pickens, Transition Specialist
Cape Girardeau Job Center-WIOA Youth Program November 2016
Cape County has 11 active clients 4 clients in follow up. There is 1 new enrollment to report for the month of November. A total of 4 young adults in the WIOA Youth Program remain employed at this time with an addition of one more employment starting the first of December. One is attending Post-Secondary Education, while other young adults continue to gain needed work skills and job search for employment that will grow into a Career of their choice. As we continue to travel into the WIOA youth program, more opportunities become available to touch the Young People in our Counties. This month we were able to gain new partners with Perryville Missouri Options and Perryville High School as well as the JAG instructor in the Farmington High School. This was made possible through our new Pilot Transition Specialist program. We will continue to build strong partnerships throughout the counties we serve.
An update from last month’s narrative success story: Our young lady spent most of November living in a hotel with her three children. All the while attending college and fervently job searching in her spare time. We are happy to announce that with support from her family, MERS Goodwill and financial support from her family and the local WDB she has been able to secure a home for herself and her three children. She has also completed the requirements to begin employment as night auditor for one of the local hotel chains. It is a continual pleasure to watch her grow and build a great future for her family. Pam Williams, Transition Specialist
Perry County has 2 active clients and 3 clients in follow up. There were no new enrollments for the month of November. The young man enrolled in WIOA Work Experience has completed his hours and has been offered part-time employment with the Pharmacy. This will continue to be next steps as he begins Pharmacy Tech Training at the Perry Higher Education Center through the MoStemWins program at Mineral Area College. Stacy Snider, Transition Specialist
Bollinger County has 1 active and 4 young adults in follow up. There were no new enrollments for the month of November. Steps to enroll 2 new young adults have begun with anticipation of enrollment completion the first week of December. Both of the potential enrollments feel they have a clear career path, however are unsure of how to continue after they have attained their HSE. They will be able to take advantage of the services the WIOA Youth Program offers to ensure a bright future.
The Young Ladies who entered follow-up continue to make positive steps to success. Both are in attendance at SEMO University and both are working part-time. We are sure they will be happy to see Winter Break.!
We continue to partner with AEL to provide HSE classes in the MERS/Goodwill office. Having classes within the same office as the Youth Program give each partner great opportunities to serve the youth in Bollinger County. Sara Vise, Transition Specialist
Sikeston Job Center-WIOA Youth Program November 2016
Mississippi County has 6 active clients and 1 client in follow up. There are 0 new enrollments to report for the month of November. One young adult in the WIOA Youth Program entered into employment. There are two young adults preparing for HiSet testing in December. One young man attained his HSE through Job Corps in Kansas City. We are gearing up for Spring College enrollments. One young man has completed steps to begin classes at Three Rivers Community College in January. Another young man will be serving his Country as a United States Marine. He is enlisted and will leave for basic training on December 5th. A Financial Literacy Workshop will be offered in December to all Young Adults enrolled in the WIOA Youth Program. We will also continue to provide workshops for job readiness for young adults to gain skills needed in the workplace. James Hollywood, Transition Specialist
New Madrid County has 9 active clients and 3 clients in follow up. There were no new enrollments for the month of November. Three young adults entered into employment this month. There are 2 young adults preparing to take the HiSet test and one continues to attend HSE classes. The Sikeston Job Center provided Work Keys testing for 4 young people in the month of November. Two more enrolled young people have completed the steps to begin college in the spring semester at Three Rivers Community College. New Madrid County had the opportunity to serve 4 young people in our offices, not currently enrolled in the WIOA Youth program. James Hollywood, Transition Specialist
Scott County has 7 active young adults and 6 in follow up. There were no new enrollments for the month of November. One young adult has entered into full time employment. Two young people completed work keys testing in preparation for employment. One young lady will complete her first Semester at SEMO University. Another young adult has completed the steps to begin classes full time at Twin Rivers Community College. One young lady has moved out of area and is interested in the MoStemWins programs through Mineral Area College. We will be working closely with her to assist in completing the steps required to enroll in the Pharmacy Tech program offered. James Hollywood, Transition Specialist
Stoddard County has 7 active young adults and 1 young adult in follow up. Two young adults have entered into employment. We have one young adult attending HSE classes. One young man completed his HiSet Testing and earned his HSE certification. His next step is to begin college. Our focus this month has been on building referrals and job developing in Stoddard County. The WIOA Youth Program has been well received by several employers in this County. Sara Vise, Transition Specialist
Kennett Job Center-WIOA Youth Program November 2016
Dunklin County has 11 active clients and 4 clients in follow-up with 1 new enrollment for the month of November. One young adult has entered employment. We currently have 5 enrolled youth attending HSE classes. A financial literacy workshop was offered through the Missouri Extension Office at the Kennett Career Center. The WIOA Youth were offered the opportunity to attend. Six young adults took advantage of this educational opportunity.
Our highlight Young Adult of the month is a young lady entering the WIOA Youth Program unemployed and without a High School Diploma or HSE. After visiting the Kennett Job Center workshops, participating in tutoring and obtaining assistance with employment opportunities with the assistance of the MERS/Goodwill WIOA Youth Program she is now on her way to a great future. She passed her HiSet Test and has attained her HSE credential as well as finding employment with a local home health agency. Her next steps in her Career Path have been completed as she has applied and has been accepted to Three Rivers Community College. She will start college in the Spring Semester to pursue a degree in the medical field. This young lady is just one of 5 WIOA enrollments scheduled to begin Spring Semester classes at Three Rivers Community College. Valerie Smith, Transition Specialist
Pemiscot County has 11 active clients and 2 clients in follow up. There were no new enrollments for the month of November. There are 3 enrolled young adults attending HSE classes and one young person has attained their HSE Credential. We were given the opportunity to serve 7 young adults who did not qualify for the WIOA Youth Program.