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HGJTI Grants: Learning from the past, preparing for the future Adrian Barrett, Federal Project Officer Implementation Experiences & Lessons 1. Introduction 2. Establishing and maintaining partnerships 3. Project start-up, development, and design 4. Targeting and reaching trainees 5. Management and meeting federal grant requirements 6. Things to Watch Out For Introduction z z z z z Between 2001 and 2006, more than 150 grants were awarded Healthcare grantees = 21 % Advanced Manufacturing grantees = 21 Biotechnology = 10% Remainder in other targeted sectors The average grant award - $1.9 million. Establishing and maintaining partnerships z z z The right partnerships are critical to success! Partners should share a similar vision. Multiple partners from industry and the public sector to best address workforce challenges. Buy-in from Partners - financial or in-kind contributions Establishing and maintaining partnerships z z z z z Agreement regarding respective roles and responsibilities of each organization Agreement on realistic goals and expectations of the project Consensus about how to recruit, assess and train participants If trainees are currently working, whether the firm will pay wages while workers are in training. Hiring project staff with recent industry experience How hard has it been to find the right staff for your projects? Establishing and maintaining partnerships z z z Projects operating across large areas, such as in rural locations, face special issues regarding partnerships. Added logistical challenges and costs Such costs should be anticipated and budgeted for during the planning stage What have been some of the challenges? Project start-up, development, and design z z z Recruiting and retaining staff with the necessary occupation-specific skills. Need highly trained instructors with: up-to-date equipment, knowledge of the latest industry technology, and flexibility to adapt quickly to employer needs. Project start-up, development, and design z z z Effective training programs should have a strong front-end assessment and recruitment procedures in place. It is critical to assess potential trainees carefully to make sure they are able to handle the curriculum. Difficulty finding enough qualified trainees? z Remedial education, tutoring, and mentoring with training assignment. Targeting and reaching trainees z When serving disadvantaged populations and dislocated workers incorporate supportive services: z z child care, transportation assistance, or referral for family services. What are some ways that HGJTI grantees are reaching their disadvantaged populations? . Targeting and reaching trainees z Recruiting and retaining participants is a major activity for training programs, and a particular challenge when targeting widely varying populations such as: z Entry-level workers z Incumbent workers, z the unemployed, z dislocated workers What recruitment tools are grantees using to reach participants? Sustaining Projects after the End of the Grant Period z z z It is important to begin to focus on post-grant sustainability well before grant funds are exhausted. Those who started early seemed to be having the most success. No-Cost Extensions What is your plan after the grant has expired? Sustaining Projects after the End of the Grant Period z z z z z z z Continuing with WIA funds, Employer contributions Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) Pell Grants for training, College and private investments, State workforce investment discretionary funds, and Private foundations. Things to Watch Out For z z z Keep track of matching funds. The close-out of an award does not end the Department’s right to disallow costs. Set / Reset clear performance goals and objectives in re: z z z z training and placement goals; product completion; product delivery and required tracking of outcomes. Things to Watch Out For Examples: Grantees did not meet their training and placement goals. For example, one grantee was required to place at least 2,500 job seekers, but could only demonstrate that it placed 1,443 or 58 percent of the required number. Things to Watch Out For Examples: Two grantees did not complete products required by their grant agreements. In one instance, the grantee did not provide a bilingual web portal that was to assist Hispanic job seekers train for employment as skilled automotive technicians. Things to Watch Out For Examples: One grantee never provided ETA its finished product, a training process to upgrade worker skills for advanced manufacturing jobs. This occurred despite the fact that ETA conducted on-site monitoring of the grantee and had completed the close out process. Things to Watch Out For Examples: Two grantees did not track the outcomes of the participants as required by the grants. For example, one of these grantees was required to track student completion rates in pre-LPN classes designed to better participants’ chances of success in the LPN program. However, since the grantee did not track outcomes, ETA did not obtain potentially useful information about how to improve student outcomes for the LPN program. References z Implementation Analysis of High Growth Job Training Initiative (HGJTI) Programs (2007 and 2008) z WRITTEN TESTIMONY OF ELLIOT P. LEWIS ASSISTANT INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR AUDIT OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee September 23, 2008