Exhibit 2
Request for Approval
America’s Job Center of CaliforniaSM
Adult and Dislocated Worker
Career Services Provider
Local Workforce Development Board
Verdugo Workforce Development Board
Local Workforce Development Area
Verdugo Workforce Development Area
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) allows Local Workforce Development Boards (Local Board) to be an Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider with the agreement of the Chief Elected Official (CEO) and the Governor.
This application will serve as the Local Board’s or administrative entity’s request for Governor Approval to be an Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider within a Local Workforce Development Area (Local Area) under WIOA. The application must be submitted to the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) by March 1, 2025, through the following method:
Email [email protected]
Subject line Career Services Provider Application
If the CWDB determines the request is incomplete, it will either be returned or held until the necessary documentation is submitted. Please contact your Regional Advisor for technical assistance or questions related to completing and submitting this request.
Judith Velasco
Contact Person
(818) 937-8031
Contact Person’s Phone Number
2/28/2025
Date of Submission
Verdugo Workforce Development Board
Name of Local Board
1255 S. Central Ave.
Mailing Address
Glendale, CA 91204
City, State, Zip
Request for Approval
Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider
Local Chief Elected Official Statement
A Local Board or administrative entity that seeks approval to be an Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider within an America’s Job Center of CaliforniaSM must provide a statement from the local CEO indicating his/her request as well as responses to the following questions.
Please provide responses to the following items on a separate document:
1. What factors guided the Local Board’s or administrative entity’s decision to submit this application to be an Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider within the Local Area?
The Verdugo Workforce Development Board (VWDB) has provided Adult and Dislocated Worker career services for more than 35 years through its Verdugo Jobs Center (VJC), as such, the VWDB considered several factors in making its decision to submit this request for approval to remain the Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider within the Verdugo Workforce Development Area (VWDA) without a competitive bid process.
Historically, the VWDA’s environmental landscape has driven the VWDB to strategically plan and implement its workforce development system to address the unique needs of the community .
This is a fundamental factor which has guided the local board to submit the application to be the Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider within the local area.
A comprehensive analysis is completed and reviewed every four years in conjunction with the development of the Local Workforce Development Plan, and every two years along with the modification of the local plan. Analyzing the barriers that residents of the VWDA experience such as unemployment rates, poverty levels, educational gaps, and English language limitations, supports the creation of innovative programs developed by the VJC to specifically address these barriers. The local area also focuses on the im pact of the layoffs and closures occurring in the VWDA and on the local economy. As a long-time provider of services, the VJC is the most qualified to continue meeting the needs of our tri-city community.
The VWDA is small in comparison to the other six Local Boards that comprise the Los Angeles Basin Regional Planning Unit (LABRPU), with a population of 309,343 as of 20 23 and 49,621 businesses as of 2019. While our VWDA is small, our economy is unlike any other region in the state with its mix of highly specialized industry niches. The VWDB has historically assumed the leadership role in the region in targeting and obtaining funding and resources related to regional
sector initiatives that include key regional partners from industry, education, community organizations and labor, among others. The fact that the VWDB has been awarded more than 100 competitive grants in the past dozen years with many of them being regional grants, is strong testimony to the role as well as the fact that education partners in the region rely on the VWDB to lead efforts for specific sector funding opportunities.
For instance, the VWDB has initiated and led the most significant industry training initiatives in the region. The VWDB partnered with three early childhood care employers: Pacific Clinics, Families Forward, and Bright Minds, and launched a training program to address the shortage of Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher aides. This program targeted English language learners and low-income individuals who were primarily, recipients of public assistance. The business led partnership designed a customized training program that combined classroom training provided by Los Angeles Mission College (LAMC) and 150 hours of work experience (WEX) at the employer worksites provided by the VJC. Upon completion of the training, participants were hired by one of the employers. To date, the partnership has increased by two additional employers: Foothill Families and Volunteers of America.
The short -term vocational training offered by LAMC, but paid by VWDB was designed by the employers and consisted of the required six units to qualify as a teacher aide. These six units are comprised of two courses which students complete: Infant and Toddler Development, and Child, Family and Community. LAMC provides students with program on-boarding, tutoring, counseling and support throughout the customized training which is over 16 weeks. Prior to completion, the students begin their paid work-based learning for 150 hours which is required to be permanently hired by their employer. The 150 hours of work -based learning is completed with one of the partner employers dedicated to interviewing and hiring the students. Currently, the VJC is working on the second cohort of this project alongside the businesses and community college.
The VWDB was also awarded a State Apprenticeship Expansion, Equity, and Innovation (SAEEI) grant t hrough the Division of Apprenticeship Standards in partnership with Early Care & Education Pathways to Success (ECEPTS), a project of The Tides Center. ECEPTS is a non -profit organization administered by the Tides Center and dedicated to implementing apprenticeships to expand the number of Early Childho od Education (ECE) teachers and teacher aides which in turn, expand the childcare and ECE opportunities for ch ildren of our communities. While the SAEEI is a statewide project, the VWDB and VJC staff have worked with ECEPTS over the past two years to design apprenticeship programs that can be implemented in the Verdugo Region and partnered with this organization to serve as the administrative and passthrough entity for the SAEEI grant.
While the VWDB takes the leadership role, convening the industry leaders and partners, it is the talent of the VJC professional staff who implement the programs, assess, prepare, case manage and place the specialized workforce. Any career service provider for the VWDA must have the same extensive knowledge of our economic landscape as well as our industry niches in order to effectively serve our businesses and job seekers.
Demonstrating its leadership with sector initiatives, the VWDB was approached by neighboring community colleges and Grifols Biologicals to coordinate the first business led, designed industry- valued credential for the BioTechnology Technician occupation. The VWDB was awarded a Workforce Accelerator Fund 7.0 grant and partnered with six additional companies to design the credential including: Gilead, Amgen, Takeda, Prolacta, Neutrogena and Kite, along with Biology instructors from Los Angeles Valley College and Los Angeles Mission College. The BioTech Team worked together to design the assessment instrument to measure the competencies of graduates from any BioScience program in the Los Angeles Basin. Any graduate that earns a 70% score or higher, earn s a digital badge/credential and an interview with one of the seven companies. These companies are at the forefront of developing therapeutics and vaccines for the COVID-19, making this project a priority for the VWDB. The project was fully launched in March of 20 22 and added Biocom California Institute , an industry association representing 150 BioScience businesses in the Los Angeles Basin , as a partner . A BioPharma, WIOA Additional Assistance Grant was awarded by the State of California Employment Development Department (EDD) and the partners branded the project as The Biocom Technician Certification (BioTC). This project continues to be led by business with Prolacta currently in the leader position.
Due to the VWDB’s proven record of success in the BioTech project, The Broad Foundation awarded a grant to VWDB, in partnership with Biocom . The purpose of the project has been to expand the BioTC across the Los Angeles Basin, focusing on underserved communities. The VWDB oversees the BioTC project and manages the grant funds. The VJC provides 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 VWDB is assisting eight community colleges in the Los Angeles Basin to launch biotechnology career pathway programs and enroll 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 students succ essfully complete their programs, earn their BioTC certificate and are connected to Bioscience companies for employment.
The VWDB is a recognized force in the sector initiatives and career pathways of the VWDA; however, this recognition is due to the delivery of services from the VJC staff who have the expertise to carry out the vision and leadership of the VWDB. Innovative approaches developed by VJC staff include the complete reimagining of the intake process to expedite the determination of eligibility, enrollment into career services, and issuance of supportive services. VJC has converted to an online application process, adopting a pre -application strategy to expedite eligibility determination, implementing Adobe Sign for electronic signatures, and adopting the system capability for participants to upload identification and other backup documentation to process enrollments.
Additionally, the VJC staff have been focusing on the trends in the labor market and have continued to hold a number of successful job fairs, recruitments and career fairs with partners, resulting in high number of turnouts. On average, events hosted by VJ C in relation to client, business and industry needs yield ed over 300 attendees. These VJC innovations are driven by customer-focused staff anticipating the needs of participants and implementing immediate changes to processes, policies, and procedures to address those needs.
The economic landscape, industry niches, strategic partners and the need for career services staff with the expertise to respond to the unique needs of the VWDA, are the foundation of the analysis to determine whether the VWDB should seek approval to remai n the career services provider. Using this foundation, the VWDB analyzed these factors:
a) Efficiency: The possibility that there may be cost savings if a competitive bidder can provide services at a lower cost.
b) Firewall: Using a service provider increases the firewall between VWDB and Operations.
This increases transparency and integrity.
These factors were analyzed to determine the impact of each factor on the organization, customers, partners, and employees. The results were as follows:
Factor 1: There is a possibility that there may be cost savings if a competitive bidder can provide services at a lower cost.
Result of Analysis for Factor 1: The VWDB staff concluded that while there is a possibility of a lower cost provider, the threat to the organization is that a lower cost provider may result in lower quality of services. The VWDB would essentially pay for the quality of that lower cost when considering the related facts:
Fact 1: Because the City of Glendale is the administrative entity and the career services staff are City of Glendale employees, the City leverages indirect costs associated with Technology support, Finance, legal services, processing of Individual Training Accounts (ITA) for participants, and Human Resources (HR) services. These indirect costs total an estimated $257,000 per year which the City of Glendale absorbs on behalf of the workforce development system. This support would not be provided to an external pro vider. The selected service provider would need to allocate funds from its awarded Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) budget to cover those costs. Typically, an organization charges a federally approved indirect cost rate which may range from 11% to 19% based on the provider’s federally approved rates (both profit and non -profit).
Organizations without a federally approved indirect cost rate may charge up to a 15% de minimis rate to cover the expenses. These indirect costs would, most likely, offset any cost savings from using a lower cost provider.
The City of Burbank also provides financial support to Job Connect, the Affiliate to the VJC located in Burbank, which provides Basic Career Services to Burbank residents, linking them to the VJC for Individual Career and Training Services. The VWDB allocated $145,500 for the 2024-2025 Program Year (PY) for Adult and Dislocated Worker Basic Career Services and the City of Burbank provides the facility, furniture, technology, supplies, equipment and other resources. This support would not be provided to an e xternal career services provider. The Verdugo Local Area would lose the benefit of financial support from the Cities of Burbank and Glendale if an outside agency is procured to provide the Career Services.
Fact 2: Currently, only 10% of the WIOA funds are spent on administrative costs. As described in Fact 1, the City of Glendale absorbs the indirect costs at $ 257,000 per year.
This ensures that 90% of funds are used for direct services to participants. With no other provider being able to secure indirect cost absorption by a separate entity, the cost absorption by the City of Glendale is a direct strength that is unmatched against other competitive bids.
Fact 3: Costs incurred from procurement will exceed any potential cost savings from a lower-cost bidder. The costs to operate a competitive bid process, conduct a bidder’s conference, recruit objective reviewers, process applications, complete approval process from the VWDB and the administrative entity, are all costs that the WIOA budget would need to bear. These are funds that could be used to serve participants instead. The procurement of Career Services Provider(s) may be cost effective and necessary in large WDA that needs multiple AJCCs to serve a larger population or reach residents in remote areas. However, VWDB serves a smaller community, making procurement an unnecessary expense. Yet, the location of the Verdugo communities necessitates a dedicated VWDB to serve its re sidents who would otherwise have an extensive commute to AJCCs located in other WDAs. With an approval from the Governor, the VWDB would not need to incur this significant expense.
Fact 4: The VWDB also considered the impact to personnel. There are about 15 to 20 staff that are governed under associations which stipulate the process for layoff. This process requires approval from City Council, Personnel Commission, City Manager and City Mayor before layoffs can occur to contract with another agency. The time it ta kes to follow the required process and attain approvals, conduct exit process for these employees, costs for unemployment insurance benefits, and benefit payouts, will exceed any potential cost savings from selecting a lower cost provider. Furthermore, salaried staff will use their bumping rights to remain employed, causing an employee in another department to be laid off. Costs associated with layoffs would decrease and possibly eliminate any potential savings from a lower cost provider.
Fact 5: The VWDB may acquire risks associated with a provider that has lower costs. The VWDB has a well -educated, degreed staff, with 73% holding a Bachelor’s Degree. Of the 73% holding Bachelor’s, 40% hold Master’s Degrees. The average length of seniority is nine
years with 4 0% of employees having 10 or more years’ seniority. A lower cost provider would likely pay lower salaries that would not attract the more highly qualified staff that our customers have come to expect. In researching other providers, the VWDB identified case manager wages as low as $1 9 per hour and few holding degrees above a high school diploma. Moreover, as City of Glendale employees, the VJC staff has gone through a rigorous vetting process prior to onboarding that includes background checks, drug testing, and disclosure of conflict of interest review. The disclosure forms are updated annually to ensure integrity. The complex needs of our participants and businesses require qualified educated staff to effectively address the needs of VWDB customers.
Conclusion for Factor 1: Considering the five facts identified as a result of the analysis, the VWDB concludes that the costs of a procurement process, including the loss of financial support from the Cities of Burbank and Glendale, the potential impact to personnel and the potential decrease in service excellence to customers, outweigh any potential benefit of procurement in our VWDA.
Therefore, the VWDB concludes that it would not be a prudent decision to proceed with a procurement process.
Factor 2: Using a service provider increases the firewall between VWDB and Operations. This increases transparency and integrity.
Result of Analysis for Factor 2: The VWDB assessed Factor 2 carefully, considering the importance that the members place on accountability, integrity and transparency. The following facts were identified as a result of its analysis:
Fact 1: Integrity and transparency are unmatched with the City of Glendale as the VWDB’s administrative entity. The City of Glendale can directly access data, including financial data because it uses a single network system across all departments. Stringent controls are in place that limit the VWDB from handling funds. All account payables and receivables are reviewed and approved internally and then entered by the contractor for processing; however, actual processing is conducted by the Finance Department following stringent, multi-layered approval protocols for increased transparency . A service provider will have its own private access to the system for tracking fiscal transactions and will submit fiscal reports to the VWDB. The VWDB would need to rely on their reports until they are audited to validate their financial performance. Another consideration:
a) VWDB has a history of zero audit exceptions and has never had a disallowed cost or debarment. Internal and external audits are conducted by City, County, State and Federal agencies. Moreover, with the City’s access to and control of the finance system, as well as the limited functions of VWDB staff in the system, there is no opportunity for inappropriate use of funds to occur.
Fact 2: There is a distinct separation between administrative staff and operations staff.
VJC staff provides direct services to customers and report directly to the VJC Manager. VJC staff does not conduct any administrative functions. The administrative staff does not
provide direct services to customers and reports directly to the Executive Director.
Administrative staff conducts internal monitoring on a n annual basis and submits reports directly to the Executive Director to demonstrate the firewall between administration and operations. Supporting the firewall between administration and operations, the VWDB procures its One -Stop Operator (OSO). The OSO reports to the VWDB Executive Director, coordinates the AJCC partners and ensures the AJCC MOU is met, among other responsibilities to maintain the firewall.
Conclusion for Factor 2: The VWDB concluded that using a service provider does not increase integrity and considering the stringent policies and protocols of the City, including internal and external audits annually, it provides the firewalls, accountability, transparency and integrity that the Board members rely on as the overseers of the organization. Furthermore, there is a distinct firewall between administrative staff and operations staff. Operations staff reports to the VJC Manager while the administrative staff reports to the VWDB Executive Director.
Based on the analysis and the factors and facts considered, the VWDB ascertains that there is no need to conduct a costly procurement process. There is no tangible benefit that can be determined based on this analysis. The result would be costly, high risk to the organization, and a significant impact to customers.
2. How would participants be better served by the Local Board or administrative entity acting in this role rather than through the awarding of contracts? Participants would be better served by the Local Board remaining as the career services provider.
Should another provider be awarded the contract to provide career services, there are several factors that would impact service to participants as follows:
a) Disruption in Services: The disruption in services to transition caseloads from one case manager to another in a different organization would significantly impact our customers, many of whom are people with disabilities, recipients of public assistance, are homeless, English Language Learners and veterans, all who are vulnerable to change and transitions.
Consistency is crucial when serving special populations.
b) Commitment to Serve Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities: The VJC is the only America’s Job Center of California (AJCC) that specifically targets individuals with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities. For example, the Lanterman Regional Center has been co -enrolling participants in VJC programs for many years primary for our dedication and support for helping all individuals looking for career services.
c) Role Models: The VWDB and the VJC have been recognized as role models for the services they provide and the performance they achieve including: Implementing one of the first Disability Employment Accelerator grants providing services to participants with disabilities and being the first Workforce Development Board in the nation to receive
Work Incentives Program Assistance (WIPA) grant from the Social Security Administration (SSA). The VJC has also been recognized for its leadership in strategic co -enrollment, resulting in a Slingshot grant to lead the Los Angeles Basin Regional Planning Unit (LABRPU) in implementing a strategic co -enrollment system. This system facilitates co- enrollments across workforce boards, offering greater opportunities for participants to access career pathways available throughout the LABRPU. The VWDB is also a well-known leader in the biotech Industry business leaders. In the fall of 2024, the VWDB Executive Director was invited to participate in a panel presentation at the World BioScience Forum held in San Diego. She provided her expertise on workforce solutions for the BioScience industry sector. No workforce developm ent professional had ever been invited to speak before this world-renowned forum prior to the VWDB.
d) Special Populations: In addition to serving people with disabilities, other special populations we serve include English Language Learners. The Verdugo region is home to a large population of immigrants, asylees and refugees, many of which come from middle eastern countries. As such, many of our participants speak Armenian, Russian, and Farsi.
Some of our staff serve as Armenian , Russian and Farsi translators and understand the culture of this special population which helps build trust when providing services. Many staff members live in the Verdugo community and therefore, not only empathize with customers, but also have a vested interest in the economic vitality of our community. We also serve the dislocated workers from various industries , with a significant number coming from the entertainment and tech sectors. Many of these individuals are highly educated, but skills rapidly become outdated, requiring them to retrain in order to re- enter the work environment continuously. Our customer feedback during focus group s recognized the expertise that staff hold in serving dislocated workers from the entertainment industry.
e) Business Services: Our staff has long-standing relationships with our business community which has come to rely on the single -point-of-contact service. These customer relationships have been established over many years of service provision. Many of our staff have been provi ding business services in the VWDA for more than ten years and these relationships cannot be replaced without great disruptions to service. The VJC staff focus on providing high quality recruitment events for high level paying positions, such as having an annual Healthcare and Tech job fair where over 300 clients are in attendance each year. The staff also strategizes the types of industry re cruitments they offer based on the labor market information and training that VJC provides to their clients.
f) Partnerships: Our staff has strong partnerships that cannot easily be replaced.
Partnerships with Glendale Community College (GCC), State of California Employment Development Department (EDD), Department of Rehabilitation, Adult Education, School Districts, labor, as well as all other key partners, are all essential to customer service. Our partnership with GCC is another role model that has been featured in multiple conferences, in both the wo rkforce and education systems. With many local workforce boards having difficulty partnering with their local community colleges, VWDB’s
integrated partnership with GCC is showcased as a best practice for others to emulate.
Further, a VWDB staff member serves as the Coordinator for GlendaleLEARNS, the California Adult Education Program (CAEP), and supports the GlendaleLEARNS Director in this capacity. In addition, the VWDB Executive Director serves as a member of the GlendaleLEARNS Consortium Board of Directors, further enhancing the integration of the two systems. Another key partnership is the one the VJC staff have established with VWDB members, accessing their expertise to expand partnerships and to gain insights on business and industry changes. These relationships have been established over many years of working together at the staff and leadership levels alike and are crucial in developing career pathways that meet the needs of our participants.
g) History of Performance Excellence: The VJC holds a long history of meeting or exceeding performance measures for its formula allocations (Figure 2) and performance goals for all other grants. The VJC continuously seeks to improve its programs and services to meet the evolving needs of participants, resulting in increased performance. Continuous improvement strategies are assessed by the VWDB through its AJCC Certification process.
Performance reports for all grants are included in monthly reports to the VWDB’s Executive Committee and quarterly reports to the full Board, to ensure accountability and transparency. The VWDB received a status of High Performing Workforce Board on July 31, 2023 based on criteria that includes demonstrating that performance measures are exceeded. A history of performance is further validation of the successful services provided to participants that result in transforming lives through the dignity of work.
3. Describe the Basic and Individualized Career Services the Local Board or administrative entity will provide as well as their past experience providing these services.
The VWDB and VJC have emerged as leaders in developing innovative programs to serve business and special populations. Most noteworthy is VJC’s success in serving people with disabilities , English Language Learners, individuals who are homeless, and low-income residents.
The VWDB oversees the full-service VJC located in the City of Glendale as well as the Job Connect (JC), an affiliate located in the City of Burbank. The JC, which is located at the Burbank Central Library and has two portals located at the Buena Vista Branch Library and Northwest Branch Library, expands access to residents of Burbank as well as residents in the surrounding area who may find the Job Connect a more convenient location. Although it is an affiliate site, because it is located in the library, it is a highly active center offering Basic Career Services, Rapid Response and Business outreach services. Job Connect has a proactive approach to reaching customers , both job seekers and business es. The Job Connect also serves as an on ramp to the VJC for comprehensive services, training and career pathways. VJC staff are out stationed at the Job Connect for workforce services at least once per month for the convenience of customers.
In addition to the Job Connect, the VJC staff are out stationed at GCC and Burbank Adult School, and Glendale libraries to outreach students who need assistance. During the pandemic, the VJC
established a virtual system to connect with students and provide them with orientations to the services available including all virtual services.
Through its comprehensive VJC, the VWDB provides the education and training necessary to create the competitive human capital required for business sustained growth and industry leadership. Based on its experience and business acumen, services are strategically developed to support the local business’ visionary leadership , as well as the intelligent risk -taking needed to compete in the global marketplace today.
Our Basic and Individualized Services are extensive; however, the unique feature is the partnerships which are well integrated, and co-enrollment across partners, including non-WIOA funded partners, is a daily occurrence as opposed to an afterthought. We are one of two Workforce Boards in the state that enroll students who are funded with CAEP Grant funds into CalJOBS and co-enroll into WIOA as well. A complete list of our Basic and Individualized Services for Adult and Dislocated Worker customers are detailed in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Verdugo Jobs Center Product Box for Basic and Individual Career Services Basic Career Services Individual Career Services
➢ Outreach, intake, orientation
➢ Determination of eligibility for all AJCC programs
➢ Initial assessment of skills, aptitudes, abilities
➢ Labor Exchange Services
➢ Referrals to other programs & Services in the
community
➢ Assistance in establishing eligibility for non -WIOA
programs
➢ Labor Market Information
➢ Information on program cost
➢ Information on Supportive Services
➢ Unemployment insurance benefit information
➢ Virtual job seeker services: resume builder,
interviewing, cover letter (CalJOBS)
➢ Comprehensive, specialized, diagnostic assessments
& in-depth interviewing
➢ Service/career plan development
➢ Group counseling
➢ Individual counseling
➢ Career planning
➢ Career exploration
➢ Short-term prevocational services
➢ Internships/ Work experience (WEX)
➢ Financial literacy
➢ Out-of-area job search
➢ Contextualized English language acquisition
➢ Citizenship (CAEP)
➢ Immigration/cultural workshops (CAEP)
➢ Work readiness workshops
➢ Guest speakers: employers
The VJC was the first career services provider in California to be awarded funds by the SSA and operate the Employment Network. Under this grant, the VJC provides and coordinates services to Social Security disability beneficiaries. This allows the VJC to provide these non-WIOA supplemental services to participants with disabilities.
Our VJC Business Services Team (BST) was developed with our EDD partner to increase job opportunities for our participants as well as to serve the business community. The group has expanded to include additional VJC partners who collaborate on various hiring events throughout the year. The BST coordinates and implements hiring events, participates in or hosts job fairs on a quarterly basis, staffs open positions for employers, and provides labor market information in addition to other business services. The BST was established under the Integrated Service
Delivery framework; however, the success of the team is due to the partnership developed over years of working together. With almost half of the VWDB staff having ten years’ seniority or more, this consistency in staffing allows for successful partnerships to be developed and maintained.
Business Services include Rapid Response services for those organizations that are faced with the difficult decision to layoff employees due to downsizing or closures. As members of the BST, Rapid Response staff track indicators of potential reductions, at risk business, and notifications submitted to VJC and/or EDD, including those submitted to meet the Worker Retraining and Notification (WARN) Act. The goal of Rapid Response services is to outreach business and provide intervention services to avert any p otential layoff or closure. As City of Glendale staff, VJC staff have easy access to all support services available throughout the city such as economic development department, public works, transportation, police and more to assist with business needs and requests by providing valuable resources the city offers. For those organizations that must proceed with layoff, a full array of services are available including orientations to affected workers, counseling and guidance to affected workers and management, and transition services to VJC services or alternative employment. Rapid Response services have also been converted to a virtual platform and staff proactively outreach to business and their affected workers.
Integrated Career Pathways is a success model for the VWDB and VJC that has also been featured in several conferences. Integrated Career Pathways begin with the employer partnership to identify human capital needs. Skills and competencies are defined in pa rtnership with our community college partner and the technical training is designed with the employers. Because of the populations we target, Vocational English as a Second Language, Adults Secondary Education and Basic Education are infused in the technic al training curriculum. Technical training includes certificated programs for immediate employment preparation as well as stackable credentialed programs for advanced training or higher education. The industry-valued credential is developed and incorporated for graduates to ensure skills and competencies have been achieved.
Work-based learning is also incorporated for students to apply their newly acquired skills in the workforce environment, while continuing to develop those skills with training and guidance from the employer. Work -based learning is paid time to allow studen ts to begin earning as soon as possible, contributing to program retention and success. Transition assistance and support is provided to enter permanent full -time employment and continues to ensure job retention and higher education goals are achieved. Cas e management and supportive services are provided throughout the enrollment to assist with retention and transitions. This strategy is based on the model implemented for the VWDB’s Computer Numeric Control Machinist Academy which combined adult education with technical training, work -based learning and job placement to complete the career pathway. The design of the pathway and the target population assists the VJC in identifying the partners that need to be brought in for co -enrollment of p articipants enrolled in the career pathway.
These innovative programs and services are the result of the VJC staff’s expertise and long -term partnerships that have been developed and maintained over many years. The longevity of VJC staff is a primary reason for the successful partnerships. Partners hips often decline due to staff
turnover; however, with the consistency of VJC staff, partnerships can be maintained even if partners experience turnover. A new career services provider would require partnerships to be developed again with new staff which would take years to reach the le vel they are with current VJC staff. This partnership disruption may jeopardize the innovation leadership that has become synonymous with “Verdugo”.
4. Provide the Local Area's performance outcomes for each of the last two Program Years (PY 20-21 and 21-22) and evidence that the Local Board or administrative entity is qualified to provide Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services, including testimonials that speak to the effectiveness and efficiency with which the Local Board or administrative entity has provided or can provide those services.
Figure 2: Verdugo History of Performance 2020 – 2022
PY 2021-2022 ADULT DW YOUTH
Employment Rate 2nd Quarter After Exit 67.6% 76.7% 69.6% Employment Rate 4th Quarter After Exit 58.2% 53.8% 61.4% Median Earnings 2nd Quarter After Exit $7,976 $8,190 $3,900 Credential Attainment 4th Quarter After Exit 78.0% 92.5% 78.0% Measurable Skill Gains 90.6% 89.5% 56.8%
PY 2020-2021 ADULT DW YOUTH
Employment Rate 2nd Quarter After Exit 57.2% 55.0% 85.4% Employment Rate 4th Quarter After Exit 63.0% 60.3% 81.9% Median Earnings 2nd Quarter After Exit $6,640 $9,444 $4,733 Credential Attainment 4th Quarter After Exit 78.2% 77.5% 89.9% Measurable Skill Gains 86.7% 91.1% 95.5%
The VWDB has a history of stellar performance relative to the negotiated performance measures established by the State. Results for the past two program years are shown in Figure 2, Verdugo History of Performance 2020 – 2022.
Evidence that the VWDB is qualified to provide Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services includes: 1) history of excellent performance; 2) integrated partnerships that braid resources and assist the most vulnerable populations; and 3) numerous testimonia ls from our partners, stakeholders and customers commensurate with our qualifications.
a) History of Performance: The VWDB has served the Verdugo communities for more than 35 years, establishing its leadership with innovative sector pathways in the entertainment
and healthcare industries, and earning more than 100 highly competitive grants to successfully implement the programs. Considering that the VWDB is one of the smallest, receiving significantly less funding allocations than five of the remaining six Boards located in the LABRPU, this history of performance is key evidence of our qualifications.
b) Integrated Partnerships: The VWDB has successfully established partnerships with education, labor, business and community organizations over the past 3 5 years. These long-term partnerships are the basis of our integrated service delivery model that includes co -enrollment of shared customers. We capitalize on our partnerships by integrating services and braiding resources as demonstrated through out many of our projects.
Our successful partnerships allow the VWDB and VJC to take the intelligent risks that create the innovative programs that provide opportunities for participants, including those with disabilities, to reach their full potential. Implementing the first manufacturing career pathway for people with autism, is an example of our innovation and successful partnerships. These long-term partnerships coupled with industry leadership, innovation and risk taking is a formula for success that makes the VWDB irreplaceabl e in providing career services in the Verdugo community.
Testimonials: Supporting our qualifications, the VWDB submits letters of testimony from our participants, partners, and business customers. The letters are included in this application packet under Attachment II: Support Letters and Customer Testimonials section.
5. Attach documentation (signed and dated letter) that the members of the Local Board and other relevant parties (e.g., Board of Supervisors) reviewed the information provided in the application and approved the request in a public meeting.
The letter signed by the Chair of the VWDB is included in Attachment II: Support Letters and Customer Testimonials along with the letter signed by the Chief Elected Official, Elen Asatryan, Mayor for the City of Glendale that will be received after the City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 1, 2025 . We have also included the application Signature Page and all relevant VWDB agendas, action items, and minutes in Attachment I: Verification of Approvals.
6. Attach documentation of internal controls, conflict of interest, and firewall policies.
The VWDB has an established policy, guidelines and requirements to avoid real and perceived conflicts of interests (Attachment III: VWDB Conflict of Interest Policy ). These requirements are met through disclosures of conflicts of interests, established internal controls, and firewalls. The organizational structure assists in ensuring these internal controls and firewall are maintained (Figure 3). The organizational structure illustrates the relationships and firewall between the local board, the WIOA Administrative Entity, the AJCC One -Stop Operator, and the current
Adult/Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider. The relationships begin with the three cities which are partnered under a Joint Powers Agreement for the Verdugo Workforce Development Area (VWDA). The City of Glendale Mayor is the Chief Elected Official (CEO) on behalf of the VWDA.
The City of Glendale is also the administrative entity for the VWDA and the Executive Director reports to the VWDB as well as the City of Glendale Community Services and Park s’ Director which provides fiscal and managerial oversight of the workforce development services. The City of Glendale Fiscal Department conducts audits of the workforce development system’s fiscal management and reports directly to the Mayor (CEO) and Cit y Council to maintain a stringent firewall (red line in Figure 3).
Figure 3: Organizational Structure with Firewalls
The external audits are conducted on an annual basis which are reported directly to the Mayor and City Council to ensure fiscal integrity. A significant benefit of using the City of Glendale as the administrative entity for WIOA funds, is the robust electronic financial system, stringent controls and firewalls, oversight, and comprehensive processes to ensure integrity of the funds expended.
The Glendale Finance Department uses a customize d MUNIS financial system . VWDB staff has access to the MUNIS system for viewing status on transaction and generating reports but cannot make changes to the system. Entries are completed by VWDB staff; however , the entries go through multiple layers of approvals to ensure accuracy. The division of duties and approval requirements ensure that the firewall and internal controls are maintained . Processing of Individual Training Accounts (ITA), supportive services, staff travel reimbursements and expense reports, and other financial requests, require multiple layers of review and authorization prior to
being processed in the MUNIS system. All back-up documentation is uploaded in the system and all transactions are recorded to facilitate tracking and reporting. Other documents such as contracts, must be reviewed and approved by the City Attorney and City Purchasing Administrator prior to being approved by the VWDB Executive Director and signed by the Director of the Department of Community Services & Parks. Contracts that are $50,000 or more, require approval and signature from the City Manager and contrac ts of $150,000 or more, also require City Council approval.
The Executive Director maintains daily management and oversight responsibility on behalf of the VWDB and the administrative entity. The Executive Director directly manages the VWDB administrative staff, the VJC Manager, and the OSO. While the Executive Director supervises the VJC Manager, she does not provide direct services to customers in order to maintain the firewall between administration and operations as depicted by the red line between these two functions (Figure 3). Administrative staff support the VWDB, write grants, conduct strategic planning, provide accounting support, write grants, convene partners and businesses to support VJC services, coordinate AJCC certification process, develop and implement procurement, as well as other administrative functions. While administration responsibilities such as grant writing support the VJC and convening partners , the administrative staff do not provide services to customers.
The VJC staff report to the VJC Manager and participant tracking is completed in CalJOBS for real- time reporting of activities. Authorizations for ITAs and supportive services are approved by the VJC Manager. Services to participants are provided as needed and as funding allows without requiring administrative approval to ensure that the VJC Manager and staff are able to provide the services that participants need in a timely manner. There is also a red line firewall that is maintained between AJCC Partners which represent operational services and the VWDB as well as administration (Figure 3). The partnerships are joined through the MOUs that exist between the partners and the VWDB.
Another red line firewall exists between the OSO and operations to ensure objectivity in the coordination of partner services. The VWDB release s the Request for Proposals (RFP) for OSO services every three years. The OSO contract delineates role and responsibilities as outlined in the EDD Workforce Services Directive (WSD 22-13). In accordance to WSD 22-13, the contract describes the OSO’s responsibility for coordinating service delivery among all AJCC partners and service providers within the VWDA. By havi ng the OSO act as the local service delivery coordinator, the VWDB can focu s on strategic planning , oversight, policy development and creating partnerships at the local and regional level. The contract also describes the role of the OSO as follows:
▪ Coordinating the service delivery of required AJCC partners and service providers. ▪ Ensuring the implementation of partner responsibilities and contributions agreed upon in Memorandums of Understanding.
▪ Reporting to the VWDB on operations, performance, and continuous improvement recommendations.
▪ Implementing policies established by the VWDB.
▪ Adhering to all applicable federal and state guidance.
The OSO selection process is conducted through an open and competitive RFP process. All procurement regulations and requirements are maintained during this process including the City of Glendale’s Procurement Policy, EDD Directive (WSD 12-10) and the Office of Management and Budget’s Uniform Guidance (§200.318-200.326) and Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR 200).
Signature Page
By signing below, the local CEO and Local Board chair request approval from the Governor to be an Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider. Each party certifies that this application submission was reviewed and demonstrates that the Local Board or administrative entity will meet all the requirements as an Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider under WIOA law and regulations.
Instructions
The Local Board chair and local CEO must sign and date this form. Include the original signatures with the request.
Local Workforce Development Board
Chair
Local Chief Elected Official
Signature Signature
Ara Aslanian Elen Asatryan
Name Name
Board Chair, Verdugo Workforce
Development Board Mayor, City of Glendale
Title Title
Date Date
Attachment I
Verification of Approvals
Attachment II
Support Letters and Customer Testimonials
Attachment III
VWDB Conflict of Interest Policy