W. Va. Code R. § 76-03-3
Action and Coordination with Other Programs
West Virginia's statewide SCSEP network includes the State Grantee and one National Grantee operating in WV. Communication with this network is accomplished through email and teleconference as needed throughout the Program Year. The State Grantee is the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services, which provides a multitude of services for older Americans in West Virginia under the Older Americans Act (OAA). As the designated State Unit on Aging, the Bureau administers all OAA services throughout the 55 counties that are tailored to Older West Virginians. The Bureau maintains contracts with each of the 55 County Aging Programs, three (3) Statewide Aging & Disability Resource Centers and four (4) Area Agencies on Aging. The Bureau's mission is to be West Virginia's premier advocate for the provision of in-home and community-based services for the state's seniors and others served by our programs and to be a faithful steward of the federal and state monies entrusted to our care for the provision of services throughout West Virginia.
Through a Memorandum of Understanding, the WV Statewide SCSEP network, a mandated partner, partners with the local Workforce Investment Boards operating the American Job Center (AJC)/ One-Stop Centers. The mission and vision between the AJC and WV SCSEP are to empower area employers, individuals and communities to prosper and grow the region's economy through a workforce development system that is inherently customer-centered, seamless and effective. The mission is to establish a workforce system that provides data-driven and employer-validated talent solutions through the integration of education, workforce and economic development resources across the systems. Its vision is assisting individuals in obtaining employment.
West Virginia's American Job Centers (AJC's)/One-Stops are currently located within the local Workforce centers in West Virginia. All SCSEP information is disseminated throughout the AJC for other programs and to the general public. The WV Statewide SCSEP network will continue to work closely with the AJC's to utilize the partners' resources that are tailored to SCSEP's target audience by co-enrolling and by providing SCSEP's program eligibility requirements, priorities and training slots availability. SCSEP will continue to have a weekly presence at the AJC/One-Stop. The Statewide SCSEP network will continue to require enrollment of SCSEP enrollees into the Local Workforce to ensure that enrollees are abreast of employment opportunities in their areas. The network will also continue to utilize all trainings and job fairs that are offered at the Local AJC's and will also participate/relay information from other resources outside of the AJC's One-Stop Partners. The WV Statewide SCSEP network will also encourage enrollees who are approaching their durational limit to enroll in other training programs to ensure a continuous improvement of skills that enrollees receive. As needs become prevalent, the WV Statewide SCSEP network will encourage AJC's to become Host Agencies and/or consider enrollees for employment opportunities.
One of the barriers with the AJC's/One-Stop Centers in West Virginia is that they are underutilized. A solution to improve coordination with the One-Stop delivery System would be to coordinate data information sharing with local Workforce West Virginia offices to obtain information on age-eligible persons who visit the AJC.
The Bureau is a member of the Interagency Collaborative Team (ICT), which is comprised of leadership representing workforce target groups. One of the primary goals of this group is to enhance communications, resource sharing and program standardization. Additionally, the Bureau sits on the WV Workforce Development Board, which is comprised of key state players within the workforce arena, including legislators, members of the Governor's Cabinet, labor leaders and corporate representatives. The main purpose of this group is to approach the system-based issues that require changes in law or formal regulations pertaining to workforce initiatives. As stated, these entities are comprised of private and public key stakeholders. The WV Statewide SCSEP network will continue to maintain relationships and participate in meetings and events to guarantee that SCSEP is considered for program partnership, employment opportunities for enrollees and ultimately remains relevant in discussions regarding barriers to employment. The Bureau will remain an advocate for Older Workers in these groups.
Partnerships will be increased with organizations that provide resources on how to alleviate employment barriers throughout the state, such as transportation, age discrimination, fear of health care being discontinued due to program participation, fear of losing subsidized housing benefits, just to name a few. The Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) who contract with county aging providers continue to be utilized and researched to determine what additional employment barriers seniors in rural/urban counties might face. Furthermore, the Bureau will take a more active approach with reaching out to AAA's to also determine additional resources and/or training opportunities that may be available in covered areas.
The WV Statewide SCSEP network will continue to utilize the Labor Market Information (LMI) data that is county specific to ensure that enrollees are receiving the most updated training to warrant eligibility for those high demand occupations in growing industries as discussed in the "Economic Projections" of this report. Ultimate goal for enrollees is that when they leave the program, they will be better off than when they entered. Workforce WV provides quarterly information regarding the job market, as they are the clearing house of employment opportunities for State, Private and non-profit sectors. This information will be researched by the Grantee to ensure that Sub-Grantees are providing enrollees with the essential tools needed to be marketable. Also, resources such as O*net Online will be utilized to determine the necessary skills needed for different occupations that enrollees may be interested in.
Long-Term Strategy to Engage Employers to Place Participants in Unsubsidized Employment
West Virginia's local SCSEP projects will continue to recruit public and non-profit organizations in the communities that are covered. Local Projects will continue to advocate for older workers through presentations, brochure dissemination, poster dissemination, job fair and community events participation and increasing awareness of program vision and mission to community stakeholders. We will also utilize social media as a resource to engage employers by showcasing SCSEP enrollees' skills.
Local SCSEP projects train participants to help develop the skills and experience necessary to be competitive in the current labor markets. Due to the longevity of organizations that participate as Host Agencies, local SCSEP projects have built a rapport with current Host Agencies and past Host Agencies where they consider enrollees for employment opportunities within their organization. They have established cooperative relationships with the local AJC and public and private employers as well. Coordination and co-location of services at the AJCs help to identify suitable job openings in high demand occupations. Local SCSEP projects will continue to build strong rapport with the communities they are in.
Long- Term Strategy for Serving Minorities under SCSEP
West Virginia will continue its recruitment efforts in serving and recruiting eligible minority individuals and other eligible individuals. SCSEP projects will continue to locate offices in culturally and ethnically diverse neighborhoods (i.e., Community Centers). The SCSEP Network will continue to have a presence at events such as the West Virginia Minority Business Expo, Juneteenth Celebration and Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs Listening Tours to target minority audiences throughout the state. Per the United States Census, West Virginia's 55+ Older American population during 2010 represented 30.4 % of the overall population. Table 7a illustrates West Virginia demographics categorized by age, while 7b illustrates the overall race population in West Virginia.
Table 7
(Source: 2010 United States Census, https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_DP_DPDP1&prodType=table) |
Even with the overall population of minority demographics representing 5.5 % of the entire state, WV Local SCSEP projects are able to capture a high percentage of minority representation. Table 8 illustrates the minority representation currently in the program, captured from the SPARQ database.
Table 8
(Source Info SPACE, Grantee by Dimension, Race, PY 2018 Final)
Community Service Needs
SCSEP has a two-fold approach: helping Older Americans reacclimate themselves back into the workforce with the skills and training needed to be more marketable in the workforce and helping the communities that the program is in. The participant training hours support social services and other services provided in communities throughout the State.
West Virginia's top occupations per the West Virginia Workforce, Labor Market Information (LMI) 10-year projections of high demand occupations that require minimum education that fit our SCSEP participants' education and training levels include the following:
* Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity
* Customer Service Clerks
* Social and Human Service Assistants
* Community Health Workers
* Animal Caretakers
* Post-Secondary School
* Personal Care Aides
* Home Health Aides
* Rehabilitation
* Janitors
* Counter Attendants
With these projections, Host Agency (H.A.) training site recruitment will focus more on entities that will develop skills for these high demand jobs. Also, to ensure that SCSEP's two-fold approach is being accomplished, local SCSEP projects will continue to research non-profits and Government agencies in the counties that are covered to asses if there is a need. Recruitment of entities such as the West Virginia Department of Agriculture where they have programs such as Veterans and Warriors to Agriculture and Rural Rehabilitation programs that need participants will be utilized.
Recruiting of Host Agencies (H.A.) is currently accomplished by relationships with past and current H.A., great rapport with the American Job Centers (AJC'S), attending meetings, community events, job fairs, health fairs and presenting on behalf of SCSEP. Other avenues of recruitment include marketing campaigns, where Project Directors market SCSEP services and the skills of job ready participants to organizations. Word of mouth is also utilized to recruit host agencies.
Local SCSEP projects will continue to utilize Senior Centers, Aging & Disability Resource Centers (ADRN), OAA programs, AJC's, and one-stop partners to determine the need in the counties and will continuously refine the strategy for job development to guide employer outreach and participant readiness.
Long-term Strategy to Improve SCSEP Services
* The strategy to improve SCSEP services within the State is to do the following:
* Marketing Campaign- not only disseminate information regarding SCSEP but also promote the program at key meetings to educate organizations of the Mission and Vision
* Reach out to hiring entities to discuss SCSEP
* Exchange information regarding eligible Older Workers with AJCs
* AJCs become H.A.
* Encourage cross training in training opportunities for enrollees
* Inclusion within the WIOA State Plan
* Provide more incentives, such as drug screenings, criminal background checks for hiring entities Develop relationship with State DHHR to improve requirements for SCSEP target audience (i.e. Medicaid allotment of income)
* Revise goals with DOL to reflect actual program funding
* Increase funding to provide more trainings for enrollees Increase H.A. recruitment for a variety of training opportunities
These recommendations will strengthen the SCSEP program within the State, affording not only potential and current enrollees' opportunities, but also strengthening the organizations that work with the program.
Regarding the long-term changes in the use of grantee and program operators to better achieve goals, the SCSEP network, with its sub grantees, continuously refines its expertise on the basic elements of job development by staying abreast of the many barriers that eligible enrollees face. By trying to alleviate these barriers, Sub-Grantees are continuously assessing skills of participants, revamping Individual Employment Plans, offering additional resources, preparing for exit, resume revamping through workshops and offering one-on-one interaction with SCSEP Staff. As new barriers arise, grantee staff will adapt and provide resources.
Strategy for Continuous Improvement in Entered Employment of Performance
The entered employment performance goal continues to be a challenge. During PY 18, the Core Performance measures were revamped from being measured as Common Measures Entered employment and Common Measure Employment Retention to now Employment Rate 2nd and 4th quarter after exit. This major change came about with the Interim Final Rule (IFR) SCSEP Performance Accountability that was issued by USDOL/ETA on December 1, 2017. The purpose of the New Core Measures appears to be an alignment of SCSEP performance data with Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) performance data to provide usable data comparisons between the programs. Prior to the adjustment, the rate of meeting the projected goals fluctuated. Table 9 reflects the variance during each PY.
Table 9
(Source: Infospace, Core measures, entered employment Sub-grantee)
After the modification of the goals, it was evident that the employment goal/retention needed much improvement and was a barrier that the program faced. During PY18, the target goal that was set forth by DOL during the 2nd quarter after exit was 41.7% and the 4th quarter after exit goal was 35.6%. Table 10 reflects the performance during the final quarter of PY 18.
Table 10
Measure | Goal | Rate | % of Goal Met |
Employment Rate 2nd Quarter after Exit | 41.7% | 14.3% N= 5 D=35 | 34.3% |
Employment Rate 4th Quarter after Exit | 35.6% | 8.0% N=2 D=35 | 22.5% |
(Source: Quarterly Progress Report. PY18 Final)
Due to the performance during PY18, our approach moving forward is to ensure that the program, specifically the employment aspect of the program, has continuous improvement. The following strategy must be implemented:
* Ensure that Sub-Grantees are aware of the LMI high-demand positions
* Provide adequate training for enrollees
* Increase accountability of job search log of enrollee
* Continue and increase partnerships with hiring entities to ensure that enrollees are being considered
* Increase H.A. sites to provide a variety of training opportunities Collaborate with other employment programs Increase program outreach and program resources
* Revamp individual employment plan (I.E.P) of individuals to ensure job search complies with employment plan
Another barrier that was identified is the majority of SCSEP's target audience have supplemental insurance, reside in subsidized housing, and/ or receive Social Security Benefits, and because of this factor, the likelihood of them obtaining employment at the completion of the program is very slim. This is due to the fear that benefits will be lost and adjusted. Another strategy would be educating enrollees regarding employment and their current benefits. Eligible seniors want to work but are apprehensive.
W. Va. Code R. § 76-03-3