CED Committee December 12, 2023
AGENDA REPORTTO:Jestin D. JohnsonFROM:Sofia NavarroCity Administrator Interim Director, Economic and Workforce Development DepartmentSUBJECT: Workforce Development Prison to Employment (P2E) $100K Grant Agreement With Mandela Partners For FY 23-25 DATE:November 27, 2023City Administrator Approval Date: RECOMMENDATION Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Accepting and Appropriating One Hundred Twenty-Two Thousand Nine Hundred One Dollars and Twenty-Four Cents ($122,901.24) From The Alameda County Workforce Development Board (ACWDB) And Authorizing A Grant Award Agreement With Mandela Partners To Provide Prison to Employment (P2E) Workforce Services To Justice Involved Individuals For A Total Amount Not To Exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) For Fiscal Years (FY) 2023-2025. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Alameda County Workforce Development Board (ACWDB) was awarded $639,758.12 for the East Bay Regional Planning Unit (EBRPU) Prison to Employment 2.0 (P2E) program from the State Workforce Development Board, with ACWDB serving as the fiscal agent for delivery of services under this grant. The Oakland Workforce Development Board (OWDB) is a mandated partner in this initiative and has been awarded $122,901.24 to support the implementation of reentry services with the goal of providing high-quality and effective workforce services to the City of Oakland (City) reentry population. Staff is recommending entering into an agreement with Mandela Partners, which was selected as a provider in a competitive process, in an amount not to exceed $100,000, to engage 15 justice-involved individuals in comprehensive training and support services. The remaining $22,901.24 will be used to support City project management and oversight. This initiative is anticipated to take place from July 1, 2023, through December 31, 2025. BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY The EBRPU is comprised of four Workforce Development Boards including Alameda County, Contra Costa County, the City of Richmond, and the City of Oakland. These boards were
Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: Workforce Development Prison to Employment (P2E) $100K Grant Agreement With Mandela Partners For FY 23-25 Date: November 27, 2023 Page 2 CED Committee December 12, 2023
established under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and designated by the California Workforce Development Board. The ACWDB was awarded $639,758.12 for the EBRPU Prison to Employment 2.0 (P2E) program from the State Workforce Development Board, with ACWDB serving as the fiscal agent for delivery of services under this grant. The ACWDB will serve as the fiscal agent for delivery of services and the OWDB was awarded $ $122,901.24 of this grant to support the implementation of reentry services as a mandated partner in this initiative. The OWDB intends to leverage successful partnerships established during the previous P2E 1.0 program and utilize service providers experienced in assisting reentry and justice-involved individuals. The service provider contract recommendation of Mandela Partners reflect the results of a system-wide Request for Proposals (RFP) process issued in March 2022 to competitively procure contracts to provide Citywide workforce development services for FYs 2022-2025 and approved by Resolution No.89309 C.M.Sadopted on July 5, 2022.Mandela Partners' Re-Gen Program creates pathways to employment with local food businesses by providing paid kitchen and culinary training for community members facing barriers to employment, with a focus on the reentry population. The 12-week kitchen training program connects system impacted residents to food jobs with competitive pay, positive work environments, and growth opportunities. ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES Adoption of the proposed resolution advances the Citywide priority of housing, cultural and economic security by continuing the critical work of the OWDB and workforce system partners that provide employment and education support to the City’s adult residents and workers by developing the necessary skills and requisite knowledge, providing access to the resources needed to thrive in careers, and providing employers with the skilled workers needed to sustain and competitively grow their businesses. The recommendation proposes entering into an agreement with Mandela Partners, in an amount not to exceed $100,000, to engage 15 justice-involved individuals in comprehensive training and support services. This initiative is anticipated to take place from July 1, 2023, through December 31, 2025. Mandela Partners will provide paid work-based training to 80% of individuals enrolled in P2E 2.0, with 80% of those enrolled successfully completing their training program, and 50% of those completing training being placed into internships or employment. All clients in P2E 2.0 will receive individualized case management support to address additional barriers to stability and employment, including housing and legal supports. Mandela Partners' Re-Gen Program creates pathways to employment with local food businesses by providing paid kitchen and culinary training for community members facing barriers to employment, with a focus on the reentry population. The 12-week kitchen training program connects system impacted residents to food jobs with competitive pay, positive work environments, and growth opportunities. The Program entails: 1) a 4-week paid hands-on culinary and kitchen training covering the fundamentals of food safety, knife skills, customer service, and self-advocacy; 2) an 8-week internship at partner food businesses, giving participants live kitchen and food service experience that builds off the curriculum they learned in the preceding training; Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: Workforce Development Prison to Employment (P2E) $100K Grant Agreement With Mandela Partners For FY 23-25 Date: November 27, 2023 Page 3 CED Committee December 12, 2023
3) gaining long-term employment at business internship sites, or will be provided with support and resource connections to gain employment through Mandela’s broader workforce network. Recruitment efforts will primarily focus on individuals residing in East Oakland, West Oakland, and the Fruitvale neighborhoods, with emphasis on priority zip codes: 94621, 94603, 94605, 94601, and 94607. It is important to note that the individuals to be served by P2E 2.0 are from historically disadvantaged communities, including African American and Latinx males. FISCAL IMPACT The proposed program includes an agreement with Mandela Partners, allocating a budget not to exceed $100,000. The remaining $22,901.24 will be used to support City project management and oversight. Funds will be appropriated in State of California: Other Fund (2159), Workforce Development Org (85311), and Project (TBD). PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST OWDB meetings are publicly noticed and there is an active public participation in both committees and full OWDB meetings. Prior to issuing the RFPs for developing the workforce system, the OWDB staff met with community stakeholders to inform the policy principles and conceptual frameworks for service models. COORDINATION Service providers were competitively procured through the FY 2022-25 RFP process supported by the Department of Workplace and Employment Standards. Additionally, Workforce Development staff within the Economic and Workforce Development Department also worked closely with the City Attorney’s Office and the Budget Bureau for counsel and advice on matters such as proper noticing, board process, agenda report and resolution review, and conflicts of interest. SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES Economic: Oakland’s Workforce Development system provides qualified workers, including youth, for Oakland businesses and prepares Oakland residents for gainful employment and career paths leading to family sustaining jobs Environmental: There are no environmental impacts related to this program. Race & Equity: Oakland’s Workforce Development system prioritizes services to targeted populations (African American and Latinx) and geographic areas of Oakland (East and West), that have the highest numbers of residents who face disproportionately high levels of unemployment focusing services in the zip codes of 94621, 94603, 94605, 94601,94607.
Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: Workforce Development Prison to Employment (P2E) $100K Grant Agreement With Mandela Partners For FY 23-25Date: November 27, 2023 Page 4 CED CommitteeDecember 12, 2023
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCILStaff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Accepting and Appropriating One Hundred Twenty-Two Thousand Nine Hundred One Dollars and Twenty-Four Cents ($122,901.24) From The Alameda County Workforce Development Board (ACWDB) And Authorizing A Grant Award Agreement With Mandela Partners To Provide Prison to Employment (P2E) Workforce Services To Justice Involved Individuals For A Total Amount Not To Exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) For Fiscal Years (FY) 2023-2025.For questions regarding this report, please contact Sofia Navarro, Interim Director of Economic and Workforce Development, at 510-238-3474. Respectfully submitted,SOFIA NAVARROInterim Director, Economic & Workforce DevelopmentPrepared by: Honorata Lindsay, Administrative Services Manager IIEconomic & Workforce Development