To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marla Stuart, Employment and Human Services Director
Report Title: Accept a High Road Training Partnership (HRTP2) Grant from the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) in the amount of $500,000.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
RATIFY the HRTP2 grant application; and APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Employment and Human Services Director, or designee, to accept funding in the amount of $500,000 and execute a contract agreement with the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), and any extensions or amendments thereof, pursuant to HRTP2 program guidelines, with the Employment and Human Services Department Director or designee for the term April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT:
$500,000: 100% State, of which $125,000 is budgeted in FY 23/24 and $375,000 is budgeted in FY 24/25. No county match required.
BACKGROUND:
On August 9, 2022, the Board of Supervisors approved a HRTP grant award totaling $1,000,000 for the Workforce Development Board (WDB) to develop the EMT/Paramedic Apprenticeship program, with a strong emphasis on prioritizing the inclusion of under-served communities of color. The program partners included Mt. Diablo Adult School, Contra Costa Community College, the Bay Area Health Workforce Partnership, American Medical Response (AMR), and Contra Costa Economic Partnership (CCEP). The WDB has effectively established an Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) Pre-Apprenticeship to Paramedic Apprenticeship program, prioritizing under-served communities of color for participation.
The goal of the HRTP2 initiative is to further collaborate with healthcare providers to enlist them as apprenticeship employers for additional medical career programs. Utilizing the HRTP2 funds, WDB will persist in its efforts to support underserved populations and foster pathways for job advancement in Nursing, Behavioral and Mental Health fields. In addition, the planning efforts will focus on constructing career pathways for entry-level occupations, allowing both new entrants and incumbent workers to excel in the healthcare sector.
CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:
The services provided under this contract support all five of Contra Costa County’s community outcomes: (1) “Children Ready for and Succeeding School”; (2) “Children and Youth Healthy and Preparing for Productive Adulthood”; (3) “Families that are Economically Self-Sufficient”; (4) “Families that are Safe, Stable and Nurturing”; and (5) “Communities that are Safe and Provide a High Quality of Life for Children and Families” by providing training and employment opportunities for in-school and out-of-school youth.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Without approval, participants in certain grant programs will not have access to classroom instruction and job trainings that lead to self-sufficiency, which would adversely impact these participants; local businesses will have fewer qualified candidates for positions, and the local Workforce Development Board will be out of compliance with HRTP by not meeting the financial agreement requirements.