Narrative: III. a. 2. E.

In West Virginia, our workforce development system begins with the secondary school system which includes career and technical schools through post–secondary education which include community colleges and the higher education system. All core programs work on a regular basis with all sectors of education—in particular, CTEs and CTCs. Our goals are to work even closer in the future and develop stronger relationships.

As employers and the workforce system develop career pathways, the core programs will work with the education system to support them. WorkForce West Virginia is already partnering with the CTE in their simulated workplace program. We wish to expand this program to include older youth in the near future.

The workforce development system and CTC have a significant collaboration on the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant. We work closely with them on various other projects and grants. The core partners will continue to strengthen ties with the educational community.

The core partners understand the importance of having a recognized postsecondary degree from the perspectives of both employers and job seekers. The state has always strived for quality, career– based employment outcomes for its consumers, when appropriate. In this aim, the state has a long history of providing consumers with the necessary training that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential. In FY 2015, over $11 million in DRS funding, representing over half of all case services expenses, went toward training. Of this amount, the majority was for four–year college/university and junior/community college tuition. Core partners have a liaison with postsecondary institutions across the state including 44 colleges, universities, community and technical colleges. Furthermore, cross–training between agencies is routinely conducted at state meetings and conferences. HEPC is an example of an agency that cross–trains with the core partners. HEPC develops and oversees a public policy agenda for West Virginia’s four–year colleges and universities.

West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services (specific)

Since the enactment of WIOA, West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services has begun to focus on providing services, particularly pre–employment transition services (PETS), to high school students with disabilities starting in the 10th grade. To accomplish this, West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services assigned 44 counselors to work solely with high school students with disabilities. Pre–employment transition services are mandated under WIOA and include the following: • Job exploration counseling • Work–based learning experiences, which may include in–school or after school opportunities or experience outside the traditional school setting (including internships), that is provided in an integrated environment to the maximum extent possible • Counseling on opportunities for enrollment in comprehensive transition or postsecondary educational programs at institution of higher education • Workplace readiness training to develop social skills and independent living • Instruction in self–advocacy, which may include peer mentoring

In addition to PETS, West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services debuted the POWER (Positive Outcomes within Education and Rehabilitation) program in 2015. POWER is a job shadowing program that offers transitioning students, who may be having a difficult time choosing a career path, the opportunity to experience an occupation by spending time with a professional working in the students’ vocational goal/career field of interest, including STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). The POWER program allows the student the opportunity to experience an occupation prior to committing to training. It guides the student to take a serious, realistic look at the occupation, allowing the student to make a more informed choice.

Another West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services activity is the Student Transition to Employment Program (STEP). This program utilizes school personnel to facilitate a more seamless transition from high school to post–secondary activities (employment or training) for students with disabilities. By allowing the student to continue working with an individual who has provided them with classroom instruction and/or transition services while in high school, they are working with people who are most familiar with their interests, skills, and barriers to employment. In addition, STEP will also include the use of science and math teachers to provide appropriate students with further career exploration opportunities in STEM fields. These teachers may also provide college preparation activities, such as ACT test preparation, and work–based experiences.

By engaging high school students earlier and providing them with activities such as PETS, STEP, and POWER, West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services expects recipient students will have a better understanding of the labor market and the value of obtaining a postsecondary credential. Students with disabilities that are eligible for VR services may, in accordance with their IPE, receive assistance from West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services in obtaining postsecondary training.

In 2016, West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services will partner with Community Access, Incorporated to implement a program to support the design and implementation of programming and outreach while addressing the new direction mandated by WIOA. Specifically, the program will address the five mandated PETS for high school students with disabilities through an expansion of the STEP program. The project will assist school districts by offering training and technical assistance in setting up community–based work experience programs for students with disabilities. The project will help level the playing field between resource–rich metropolitan areas and isolated rural settings that often have few services available. In addition, a strong statewide outreach to teachers, parents, students, and other VR stakeholders will be a component of the project. A concerted effort will be made to include historically under–served groups including students in the foster care system, those returning from out–of–state placements, and those students on the Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) track. The project has the following goals:

(1) To assist school districts in setting up community–based Work Exploration programs.

(2) To develop statewide parent training network utilizing the Parent Community Resource Centers.

(3) To develop a network of specialists to work with West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services, WorkForce West Virginia, and WVDOE staff.

(4) To develop a statewide cross–sector outreach program with a strong emphasis on traditionally underserved populations.

West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services also assists WVDOE with Graduation 20/20, a West Virginia initiative that uses a data driven intervention framework developed by the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC–SD) to address issues that have negatively impacted school completion. Graduation 20/20 utilizes the innovation configuration on evidence–based transition practices and predictors of post school success to guide professional learning which was published by the Collaboration for Effective Educator, Development,Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center. The program, using tools from NDPC–SD and CEEDAR, trains local school–based teams and team leaders to diagnose the causes of dropout and develop site–specific improvement plans and strategies.

The three core partners will meet on a monthly basis to discuss all aspects of the system. Based on future directives from federal guidelines and procedures developed by the State Workforce Development Board, the other mandatory partners will enter into MOUs at the local level as to how they will coordinate and provide services to customers at the local level.