To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marla Stuart, Employment and Human Services Director
Report Title: Apply for and Accept the American Association of Retired Persons Foundation Grant for WISE: Workforce Integration for Skilled Experience
Recommendation: Recommendation of the County Administrator
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RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Employment and Human Services Director, or designee, to apply for and accept a grant, including any amendments or extensions thereof, pursuant to the grant guidelines, in an amount not to exceed $750,000 from the American Association of Retired Persons Foundation for older adults workforce services for the period January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2028.
FISCAL IMPACT:
If awarded, County will receive funds not to exceed $750,000 from the American Association of Retired Persons Foundation. This is 100% grant funding. No County match is required.
BACKGROUND:
The proposed project funded by this grant—the American Association of Retired Persons Foundation Grant for WISE: Workforce Integration for Skilled Experience—will address the unique needs of lower-income older adults at the system level. The Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County (WDBCCC) has extensive experience in cross-sector workforce development and is engaging partners to form a steering committee and identify gaps in existing services. While employment and economic services are available, fragmentation among providers can make these resources difficult to access and navigate.
Using a human-centered design approach, WDBCCC will bring together public agencies, community-based organizations, employers, and older adults to identify barriers, strengthen referral pathways, improve information-sharing, and build a more accessible, age-inclusive workforce system. This work is especially important as grant-funded programs such as Senior Community Service Employment Program draw to a close.
Expected outcomes include improved interagency coordination and referral pathw...
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