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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Award of a Professional Services Agreement with Biocom California Institute in an amount not to exceed $285,000, at $95,000 per year from January 1, 2024 to January 29, 2027.
1. Motion to approve executing a Professional Services Agreement with Biocom California Institute in an amount not to exceed $285,000, at $95,000 per year from January 1, 2024 to January 29, 2027, to increase employer engagement and provide technical assistance to colleges serving underserved populations, in establishing biotechnology career technical education for the Board Foundation grant; and authorize the City Manager, or a designee, to execute all agreements, certifications, and documents necessary to accept and implement the funding.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Consent Calendar
Approved for March 26, 2024 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Broad Foundation Grant was awarded to the Verdugo Workforce Development Board (VWDB), in partnership with Biocom California Institute (Biocom), an industry association representing 150 BioScience businesses in the Los Angeles Basin. The purpose of the project is to expand the Biocom Technician Certification (BioTC) across the Los Angeles Basin, focusing on underserved communities.
The VWDB will oversee the project and manage the grant funds. The Verdugo Jobs Center (VJC) will provide career counseling and job placement assistance to students representing underserved populations in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) including, low income, adults with disabilities, people of color, and women.
The $600,000 Broad Foundation grant will be allocated in increments of $200,000 per year, from October 17, 2023, through January 29, 2027. To assist the VWDB with grant deliverables, the VWDB will enter into contract with Biocom in an amount not to exceed $285,000 from January 1, 2024, through January 29, 2027. 2{{section.number}}c
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Contract amounts with Biocom, including $285,000 of The Broad Foundation funds do not exceed $574,204 as approved and recommended by the VWDB.
RECOMMENDATION
For City Council to:
(1) Approve executing a Professional Services Agreement with Biocom in an amount not to exceed $285,000, at $95,000 per year, for January 1, 2024, through January 29, 2027, to increase employer engagement and provide technical assistance to colleges serving underserved populations, to establish biotechnology career technical education; and authorize the City Manager to execute all agreements, certifications, and documents necessary to accept and implement the funding, and
ANALYSIS
The VWDB is the planning and policy body for the Verdugo Consortium. The Verdugo Consortium is a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) comprised of the cities of Glendale, Burbank, and La Cañada Flintridge. The purpose of VWDB is to provide employment and training programs within the three cities and to allocate and award all Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds and general grant funds toward its goals.
Through the JPA, the City of Glendale is given responsibility for the administration of all Consortium activities, including acting as the recipient of WIOA and all other general grant funds received by the VWDB. As the administrative entity for the Verdugo Consortium, the City of Glendale and the Glendale City Council must approve all contracts and funding awards recommendations by the VWDB, which includes WIOA and non-WIOA funds.
In 2019, the VWDB accepted the first grant in the amount of $150,000 from the California Workforce Development Board to develop and implement a regional biotechnology industry-valued credential. As a result of this grant, the BioTC was developed and piloted for the Los Angeles Basin. In 2021 the VWDB approved the acceptance of $650,000 from the State of California Employment Development Department (EDD) to fully implement the BioTC, and another $650,000 was accepted in 2023 to continue the implementation across the region.
Led by Grifols Biologicals Inc., an assessment instrument was designed by VWDB, two BioScience instructors from local community colleges and six additional companies:
Amgen, Takeda, Prolacta, Gilead, Kite and Neutrogena. The assessment instrument was administered to students who graduated from a BioScience program in the Los Angeles Basin. Students who received a 70% score or higher earned a BioTC. Los Angeles Mission College (LAMC) was selected as the “hub” for administering the assessment to 3{{section.number}}c
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students and generating the digital credential to students. All credentialed students were entered into a job matching portal designed by Biocom for easy access to the qualified and credentialed pool of candidates by the hundreds of BioScience business members.
The BioTC Collaborative was established to continue the implementation of digital credential and develop a centralized pool of qualified candidates that can be hired by BioScience companies to fill their entry level technician positions. The BioTC Collaborative is comprised of representatives from Grifols Biologicals, Gilead, Prolacta, Biocom, LAMC, Glendale Community College, Citrus College, VJC and VWDB.
On October 17, 2023, The Broad Foundation notified the VWDB that the application for funding had been approved in the amount of $600,000 over the next three years ($200,000 per year). The funds will be used to assist eight community colleges in the Los Angeles Basin to launch biotechnology career pathway programs and enroll 60 underrepresented students for those programs. The BioTC Collaborative is currently assisting four community colleges to develop their BioTechnology programs and will be targeting an additional four over the next three years for a total of eight colleges and programs launched with the Collaborative’s assistance. Services will include the support needed to ensure the 60 students successfully complete their programs, earn their BioTC and are connected to Bioscience companies for employment.
To accomplish these goals, funding will be allocated to Biocom to assist with increasing business engagement from their member employers and to hire an educational consultant dedicated to assisting the eight colleges. The contract amount with Biocom for the Broad Foundation grant services shall not exceed $285,000 over three years, at $95,000 each year. An additional consultant will be hired by the VWDB to assist the students in successfully completing their programs and entering full-time permanent employment in an amount not to exceed $213,000 over three years, at $71,000 each year, in accordance with grant requirements and as approved and recommended by the VWDB.
In addition to the $285,000 of Broad Foundation funds, Biocom currently holds a contract with VWDB for $102,625 in WIOA BioPharma funds ending on December 31, 2024. The VWDB also approved entering into contract with Biocom for an amount not to exceed $186,579 in Regional Equity and Recovery Partnership (RERP) grant funds to assist with distributing incentives to BioTechnology students for participating in Biotecnology classes and for taking the assessment exam, ending on October 31, 2025. Therefore, Biocom will hold three contracts, which includes the Broad Foundation grant, with the City of Glendale/Verdugo Workforce Development Board for a total amount of $574,204 as approved and recommended by the VWDB. Each funding allocation requires a separate contract because each grant has different term dates and scope of work. As such Biocom will exceed the $150,000 vendor limit to accomplish grant goals. As an industry association, Biocom’s partnerships with BioScience companies in the region is critical to the success of all BioScience focused grants.
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STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
The BioTC Collaborative represents BioScience businesses, education and workforce stakeholders. The Collaborative will target low income; women; people of color; and English Language Learners, including immigrants, refugees and asylees, to enter BioScience programs available at community colleges. The Collaborative will continue providing technical assistance to colleges in the Los Angeles Basin that are in the process of developing a BioScience program.
FISCAL IMPACT
The contract with Biocom California Institute will cost $285,000, which was approved as a part of the FY 2023-24 budget. No new appropriation is being requested at this time.
The City Council approved funding is outlined below:
Existing Appropriation
Amount Account String Funding Source
$285,000 43110-2060-CSP-0020-P0000
CSP01119AG
Workforce Fund
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
Because no possibility exists that the activity in question (expanding BioTC project) may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA review under the commonsense exemption set forth in 14 Cal. Code Regs. § 15061(b)(3).
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1: Do not authorize a new Professional Services Agreement that would prevent services being provided under The Broad Foundation grant.
Alternative 2: The City Council may consider any other alternative not proposed by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Onnig Bulanikian, Director of Community Services & Parks 5{{section.number}}c
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Prepared by:
Judith Velasco, Workforce Development Administrator
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit 1: Minutes of the meeting of the Verdugo Workforce Development Board, November 1, 2023.
Exhibit 2: Minutes of the meeting of the Verdugo Workforce Development Board, September 26, 2023.
Exhibit 3: The Broad Foundation Award Letter