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Plan: Missouri PYs 2016-2017
Combined Plan C

Section: WIOA State Plan Common Elements

Narrative: III. a. 2. B.

Published
Located in:
  • III. Operational Planning Elements
    The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an Operational Planning Elements section that support the State’s strategy and the system-wide vision described in Section II.(c) above. Unless otherwise noted, all Operational Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs. This section must include—
    • a. State Strategy Implementation
      The Unified or Combined State Plan must include—
      • 2. Implementation of State Strategy
        Describe how the lead State agency with responsibility for the administration of each core program or a Combined Plan partner program included in this plan will implement the State’s Strategies identified in Section II(c). above. This must include a description of—

III. a. 2. B. Alignment with Activities Outside the Plan

Describe how the activities identified in (A) will be aligned with programs and activities provided by required one-stop partners and other optional one-stop partners and activities provided under employment, training (including Registered Apprenticeships), education (including career and technical education), human services and other programs not covered by the plan, as appropriate, assuring coordination of, and avoiding duplication among these activities.

Current Narrative:

Missouri has established teams such as Service Design and Delivery, Business Engagement, Technology, Data and Outcomes, Youth Services, and One-Stop Certification to focus on aligning the activities described in Section A. These teams include representatives from the core and mandatory partners as well as additional partners such as the USDOL Registered Apprenticeship Program, Department of Corrections, the Division of Mental Health and United Way, to assist in carrying out our vision and goals.

The core, mandatory and other essential partners are collaborating to apply for the Apprenticeship USA grant, which will necessitate participation both at the State and local levels. These partners include Missouri Chambers of Commerce, AFL-CIO, Missouri Community College Association, United Way, Missouri Department of Corrections and various unions and businesses.

The local regions have also extended their partnerships beyond just the core and required partner involvement. More than half of the local regions have already established disability or special population standing committees to address individuals with barriers. Several local regions have sponsored specific hiring and employer events targeted to the hiring of persons with disabilities.

The St. Louis region has developed a unique partnership focused just on serving youth. The St. Louis Youth Interagency team incorporates many agencies which touch youth including VR, Job Corps, the Division of Youth Services, the Division of Workforce Development, the Department of Mental Health, Youth Build, and Paraquad, which is the local Center for Independent Living. This group focused initially on asset mapping and resource sharing but have evolved into cross training, job shadowing and replication to both another urban and rural location in Missouri.

The new strategic framework for Missouri’s Workforce System includes the following:

Activity 1: Engage More Businesses, Improve Business Services, and Link with Economic Development.

Local Boards will work with partners to:

• Develop strategies to actively engage businesses and seek the workforce intelligence needed to develop effective, demand-driven services for workforce system customers;

• Customize and disseminate labor market information that will contribute to the human resource planning for businesses and information needs of economic development partners;

• Coordinate with state, regional, and local economic development partners in recruiting, retaining, and expanding businesses for vibrant local economies;

• Ensure that Job Centers offer customized comprehensive recruitment services that help businesses find the workers they need through easy access to the full range of workforce system talent, services, and partners;

• Support entrepreneurial skill development to help individuals start and grow businesses to help local economies thrive;

• Regionally target key economic sectors, convene those sectors, map talent pipelines, and develop career pathways to ensure businesses have available the qualified workforce they need to grow and prosper;

• Continuously seek alignment of the workforce system and Job Center services with the identified needs of the targeted sectors.

Activity 2: Creating Effective Referral Activities.

Missouri will align with partners outside of WIOA by using a central hub model.

• Hub Model - In order to meet the requirement to provide a direct connection from the MJC to each required partners’ services, DWD will hold all MJC staff accountable for knowing enough about each available service in order to give an individual the information they need to make an informed choice as to whether or not to access the services. We plan to accomplish this through the development of local resource guides for each Job Center and significant staff training. The local resource guide developed by MJC staff will be shared with each of the 19 required partners in order to facilitate referrals to the MJC for direct access to any service in the system.

Policy will require MJC staff to document every referral including the method of referral and subsequent follow-up. Each referral must include an initial assessment (to the degree information can be shared), listing of services already planned, and the service requested of the organization receiving the referrals. Any applicable partnerships that are created between local partners that are not in the local resource guide will be reported to the nearest job center for addition to the guide.

• Title I has dedicated phone lines for UI claimants to file a claim and/or resolve issues related to a claim.

• The Childcare Program has worked with Job Centers to accept childcare applications and submit them to the Family Support Division for processing.

• Title IV: To provide services for people with disabilities, VR partners with organizations outside the workforce system such as community rehabilitation providers, Centers for Independent Living, and local education agencies.