State of California

Workforce Investment Act

Local Plan Review Checklist Summary

June 7, 2000

Workforce Investment Area: NoRTEC

Overall comments/questions:

The criteria for awarding grants for youth activities was very thorough and the definition regarding the sixth youth eligibility criterion was particularly good in this plan.

The plan needs the following:

1.

The plan needs to include the names and description of CEO(s); (I.A., page 2 of the plan).

The membership of NoRTEC's Governing Board, formed by a Joint Powers Agreement, includes one member of the Board of Supervisors from each of its member counties: Butte, Del Norte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity. A chairperson is elected by the Governing Board, from among its members, to serve as the signatory authority for NoRTEC and conduct joint NoRTEC WIB/Governing Board meetings, in conjunction with the WIB Chairperson.

2.

The designation of the One-Stop Operator seems to be a selection of partners under the One-Stop Grant. Please demonstrate how the requirements of WIA were met (V.B., page 11 of your plan).

NoRTEC One Stop Operators were designated by the NoRTEC WIB and CEO (Governing Board) in accordance with Section 121(e) of the ACT, as the existing operators of a One Stop delivery system in place prior to August 7, 1998. In conformance with the DOL Interim Regulations, Sec. 662.400, all the NoRTEC One Stop Operators:

(a)(3)

are private, nonprofit organizations (community-based organizations);

(b)

are a single entity operating one or more One-Stop centers; and

(c)

were designated by the local WIB and CEO to coordinate service delivery within the One Stops and to provide the WIA Title I Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs within the center.

In conformance with the DOL Interim Regulations, Sec. 662.430, (and WIA section 121(e)), the NoRTEC One Stop delivery system met the requisite circumstances to be certified by the NoRTEC WIB and CEO, and the Governor of California:

(a)

The NoRTEC One-Stop delivery system is consistent with the scope and meaning of the term in WIA section 134(c) - providing core services and access to intensive and training services, including Wagner-Peyser labor exchange and those offered by the other local partners, through a network of physical centers, which existed in the local area prior to August 7, 1998; and

(b)

The certification is consistent with the requirements of:

(1)

WIA section 121(b) - co-located partners in the One Stops include JTPA/WIA, EDD, Welfare, Welfare-To-Work, Older Worker, and Education (adult, literacy and Carl Perkins); and

(2)

the NoRTEC Memorandum(s) of Understanding containing the local partner agreements for program and service delivery, referral agreements and One Stop management; and

(3)

the "sunshine provision'' in WIA section 117(e) that the certification be made publicly - which NoRTEC did through public meetings, through postings on the publicly accessible NoRTEC and NCEN Web sites, and in the locally advertised, publicly accessible NoRTEC Five Year Plan.

3.

The MOU needs partner signatures, not signatures of the WIB and CEO (V.S., page 12 of your plan).

The NoRTEC MOUs require the signatures of all the mandated partners, as well as the NoRTEC WIB and CEO (Governing Board).

4.

The plan needs an explanation why the Department of Rehabilitation failed to negotiate the MOU.

At the time the NoRTEC Five Year Plan was submitted, the California State Department of Rehabilitation (Rehab) would not enter into MOU negotiations with NoRTEC. Subsequently, negotiations have been initiated between the Regional Rehab Director and the NoRTEC Director. For the purpose of this plan, NoRTEC will consider the negotiations with the State Department of Rehabilitation to be in progress.

5.

How services will be coordinated is unclear (V.D., page 12 of your plan).

Services will be coordinated through the utilization of MOUs written between the local board and the one stop partners [WIA, Section 121(c)(2)]. The MOUS will contain provisions (or reference other documents) describing: (a) the services to be provided through the one-stop delivery system; (b) how the costs of such services and the operating costs of the system will be funded; (c) the methods for referral of individuals between the one-stop operator and the one-stop partners; for appropriate services and activities; and (d) the duration of the memorandum and the procedures for amending the memorandum.

6.

The plan needs to describe how services will be connected to the One-Stop system (VI.B., page 19 of your plan).

The providers of services to youth under WIA are co-located, full-time, in One-Stop Career Centers throughout the nine county area of NoRTEC. They are an active partner to the local MOU, and will provide services in compliance with Section 664.700 of the regulations which inlcudes linkages to the job market and employers, and acess to the information and services required in order for eligible youth to access the ten program elements outlined in WIA Section 129(c)(2) and Section 664.410 of the Regulations.

7.

The plan needs to provide information as to how services are being provided (VI.E., page 20 of your plan).

Per WIA Section 112(b)(18)(A), youth providers in NoRTEC will provide comprehensive services to eligible youth, particuarly those eligible youth who are recognized as having significant barriers to employment. Youth will be recruited that have one of more of the following significant barriers to employment [WIA Section 101(13)]:

• Is deficienct in basic literacy skills
• Is a school dropout
• Is homeless, runaway or foster child
• Is pregnant or parenting
• Is an offender
• Is an individual who requires additional assistance to complete an educational program, or to secure and hold employment.

A minimum of 30% of the funding will be expended on eligible youth who also meet the definition of Out-of-School, as oulined in WIA Section 101(33).

Each indiviudal youth will be provided with an objective assessment that meets the requirements of WIA Section 129(c)(1)(A), and includes a review of the academic and occupational skill levels, as well as the service needs of each youth. Based upon this assessment, an individual service strategy for each youth will be developed that meets the requirements of WIA Section 129(c)(1)(B), and incorporates elements of the youth program that are appropriate and practicable for each youth.

In the development of these individual plans, other relevant resources in the area (foster care agencies, welfare, education, probation, etc.) will be consulted to assure a coordination of available benefits that will best meet the needs of each youth.

8.

Question: Which element of NoRTEC is the grant recipient? (VII.C., page 22).

NoRTEC is a special district formed by a Joint Powers Agreement among the eight member county Boards of Supervisors of NoRTEC. This special district is the grant recipient.