Narrative: III. a. 2. C.

The Mississippi Works Smart Start Career Pathway Model (described above in "State Strategic Vision, Goals, and Strategies") provides the blueprint for Combined Plan Partner coordination, and the Mississippi Works Common Intake and Reporting Module provides the information technology infrastructure required to ensure that all provided services are aligned to the blueprint.

MDES plays a key role in the creation of this coordinated system, taking the lead in developing the Mississippi Works Common Intake and Reporting Module and in training One-Stop Center and Youth Providers to use the MDES case management system, the Mississippi Works Labor Exchange.

Within the Mississippi Works Smart Start Career Pathway Model itself, MDES-affiliated One-Stop Centers or Youth Providers are the key coordinating entities that receive a referral for workforce assessment. These coordinating entities will contact each participant and set up an appointment so that each participant will execute a full workforce system registration in the Mississippi Works Labor Exchange, generate a Work-Ready Report Card that aligns the participant’s expectations to the local labor market, and finalize his or her Individualized Success Plan to choose an initial pathway. If the initial pathway is the Smart Class Pathway or the Career Tech Pathway, the One-Stop Center or Youth Provider staff member will create a referral to the partner responsible for the pathway. If the initial pathway is the Work-Ready Pathway, the staff member will coordinate the activities that will be delivered by the designated MDES-affiliated One-Stop Center or Youth Provider responsible for the Work-Ready Pathway in that local area.

Once a participant meets the exit criteria of a given pathway, he or she will be referred back to the MDES-affiliated One-Stop Center or Youth Provider for further evaluation. Staff will reevaluate the participant’s Individualized Success Plan, administer any relevant assessments, and either refer the participant to another pathway or designate an exit strategy such as transitional employment or enrollment in an educational institution.

In addition to referrals to pathway programs and exit strategies, MDES-affiliated staff may create referrals to other partners to coordinate supportive services as needed. Because each service enrollment comes from a Common Service Catalog, staff will know whether the participant is already receiving supportive services in a particular category such as childcare or transportation. The Individualized Success Plan itself contains a living list of participant barriers to employment along with prescribed remedies for these barriers through supportive services.

The WIOA services that MDES administers will address the workforce and training needs of every eligible individual. Through Wagner-Peyser services, MDES provides job search, referral, and placement services to all eligible Mississippi workers. MDES funds adult training programs administered by local workforce development boards based on the needs of each local workforce development area. To serve dislocated workers, MDES coordinates Rapid Response services that assist employers and employees affected by layoffs or plant closures. MDES serves youth through specially trained Youth Providers who connect youth to targeted youth programs, other eligible core programs, and education and training opportunities based on the specific needs of the individual. In addition, there are two employment outreach groups: Local Veterans Employment Representatives (LVER) and Disabled Veteran Outreach Specialists (DVOP). To fill job openings, LVER staff work directly with businesses, and DVOP staff work directly with unemployed or underemployed veterans.

MCCB: Coordination, Alignment, and Provision of Services to Individuals

MCCB’s Adult Basic Education (ABE) services play the key role in establishing and conducting the Smart Class Pathway in the Mississippi Works Smart Start Career Pathway Model. This class will consist of 120 hours of intensive career development, assessment, and basic skills development. Career enrichment activities will be oriented toward in-demand, middle-skill occupations. MCCB will work with the State Workforce Investment Board to establish the Smart Class Pathway curriculum and establish pathway exit criteria that may include certain assessment score levels. After participants meet exit criteria from ABE classes or complete the Smart Class Pathway, MCCB’s ABE providers will refer participants to a One-Stop Center or Youth Provider to perform workforce evaluation or workforce reevaluation.

As the administrative/fiscal agent for WIOA Title II Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) services, MCCB will solicit service providers to provide services to eligible individuals who are 16 years old, are not enrolled or required to be enrolled in secondary school under the MS Compulsory School Attendance Law, are basic skills deficient, do not have a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, or are English language learners. ABE courses will likely serve as the Combined Plan Partner entry point for individuals who lack basic skills such as literacy. ABE remediation is offered at 15 community college campuses, nine public schools, one community-based organization, one university, and all correctional facilities. ABE providers will go through a determination process prior to enrollment in classes to identify the most appropriate starting point for the participant. Once a participant has enrolled in ABE services, ABE provider staff will refer participants to a One-Stop Center or Youth Provider to conduct a workforce assessment and develop the participant’s Individualized Success Plan.

MDRS: Coordination, Alignment, and Provision of Services to Individuals

MDRS works with the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) and Jobs for Veterans State Grants (JVSG) to serve clients with disabilities and leverage resources to serve more clients. MDRS does not operate a specific career pathway, but its local offices will often be the entry point for Mississippi workers who require vocational rehabilitation services to access the labor market. As appropriate in the rehabilitation process, MDRS will refer the participant to a One-Stop Center or Youth Provider to perform a workforce assessment and direct the participant to an appropriate career pathway.

MDRS provides supportive services that will be included explicitly in Individualized Success Plans and coordinated with supportive services offered by other partners to avoid duplication.

MDHS: Coordination, Alignment, and Provision of Services to Individuals

MDHS serves individuals and families through several economic assistance programs that address barriers to work such as food security, transportation, and childcare.

The TANF program, a Combined Plan Partner program, provides benefits for families with needy children under age 18. The TANF program is designed to help needy families achieve self-sufficiency through employment and training activities provided by the TANF Work Program (TWP). TANF supportive services, such as assistance with childcare and transportation expenses, are available to help adults in the family prepare for employment and to promote self-sufficiency. These supportive service enrollments will be transmitted to the Mississippi Works Common Intake and Reporting Module to ensure that no other Combined Plan Partners provide overlapping services.

The SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) program, a Strategic Partner program, was created to provide access to the necessary skills, training, or experience to increase an eligible recipient’s ability to obtain gainful employment. The services provided by the SNAP E&T program include a career assessment by a career and technical advisor, assistance with grant and scholarship applications, enrollment in career education and training programs, assistance with eligible tuition expenses not covered by federal or state grants or scholarships, and other education, training, work, and employment services.

MDHS also administers the Community Service Block Grant that provides core funding to reduce poverty, revitalize low-income communities, and empower low-income families to become self-sufficient.