June 8, 2000
STRATEGIC FIVE-YEAR
STATE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT PLAN
FOR
TITLE I
OF THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT
OF 1998
(WORKFORCE INVESTMENT SYSTEMS)
AND
THE WAGNER-PEYSER ACT
FOR THE
For the period of
JULY 1, 2000 TO JUNE 30, 2005
FULL PLAN
I.
Plan Development
Process 4
II.
State Vision and
goals 6
III.
Assessment 12
A.
Market Analysis 12
B.
State Readiness
Analysis 15
1.
Leadership 15
2.
Services 26
3.
System
Infrastructure 28
C.
Assessment of
Strengths and Improvement Opportunities 32
IV.
Strategies for
Improvement 35
A.
Leadership 35
B.
Services 37
C.
System
Infrastructure 50
V.
Performance
Management 59
VI.
Assurances 62
VII.
Program
Administration Designees and Plan Signature 65
Attachments: A Timeline
for WIA Implementation
B Tables for Montana’s Title I Core
Indicators
C State Board Executive Order
D State Board Membership List
E State Board Conflict of Interest
Policy
F State Procurement Procedures
G Local Workforce Areas Map
H Waiver Request
I Secretary’s Agreement in regard
to Services to Veterans
J Agricultural Program Services Plan
K Revised Tables for Montana’s Title
I Core Indicators
The enactment of the Workforce
Investment Act of 1998, as the first wholesale reform of the nation’s job
training system in more than 15 years, provides unprecedented opportunity for
major reforms that will result in a reinvigorated, integrated workforce
investment system. Montana’s vision for
its workforce investment system is based upon two long-term goals: 1) promoting a diverse economy by providing
skilled workers to emerging Montana industries, specifically those in
information and advanced technology, health services, value-added agriculture,
and communications; and 2) promoting continual skill development, increasing
wages, and an enhanced standard of living for all Montanans while preparing Montana’s
youth with the knowledge and behavior skills necessary to enter and succeed in
high skill, high wage careers. These
two objectives are guided by five key principles. That our workforce investment system be: 1) accountable to the
people we serve; 2) customer driven to meet individual needs and choices; 3)
accessible to all; 4) efficient in providing services to guarantee maximum
impact; and 5) focused on promoting personal responsibility.
In 1998, Montana received its One-stop Implementation Grant. The foundation of that process was a
collaborative one. Local Management
Teams (LMTs) were organized in regions – areas within one hundred miles of a
community that offers workforce development services. Those LMTs included all mandatory and many optional
partners. Under the guidance and
support of the Private Industry Councils and the State, those LMTs began the
process of preparing for initial One-stop certification. The State Board has asked the local boards
to incorporate the planning work of the LMTs when possible in the hope of
maintaining the foundation of collaborative relationships built to date.
Because of Montana’s rural nature, a strong component of our workforce
investment system is information technology.
We must share our resources because we don’t have any to spare. We must deliver our services in innovative
ways because huge distances separate many of our citizens from in-person
access. And, the workforce investment
system must model the economy of the future which is based upon ever expanding
information technology. The population
of Montana, less than 900,000, and the extremely large geographic area dictates
that funding for all programs is stretched very thin. Service delivery points may be few and far between and neither
the State Board nor the Local Boards want to reduce access into the Workforce
Investment System. Service delivery is
dependent upon partnerships, referrals and collaboration to ensure all
Montanans have access to information and services.
Montana’s State Workforce Investment Board was newly created in response
to the WIA. One of their first tasks
was to certify the local workforce investment areas. Moving quickly, the locally elected officials named the local
workforce investment boards and the State Board certified their membership in
September, 1999. The State and Local
Boards worked simultaneously to create Montana’s vision of a workforce
investment system. The State and Local
Boards will efficiently and effectively administer publicly funded workforce programs
and will work collaboratively with private partners. Mandatory and optional partners will collaborate on the planning,
delivery and evaluation of their programs.
Montana’s vision encompasses at least one JobLINC Center
(Montana’s name for One-stop Centers) in each local workforce area supplemented
with a network of associated providers.
These providers will be the first point of contact by resident and
non-resident employers seeking to fill job vacancies, seeking labor market or
other information regarding workforce issues.
Based on employers current and emerging needs, the Local Workforce
Boards and JobLINC Center System will be a major source for supplying or
influencing the supply of qualified workers to fill employer needs. Montana’s JobLINC System will be the first
call by job seekers seeking employment or labor market, education, and training
information for personal career development.
Customer choice will be maximized by an extensive list of eligible
training providers with demonstrated, high performance ratings offering
competency-based curricula developed with input from area employers that
prepare individuals with appropriate employability and occupational
skills. Expansive, high quality, integrated youth services will ensure broader choices
for youth completing, or otherwise leaving, secondary school. The Local Boards, with input from the Local
Councils and the State Board’s Youth Committee, have prepared a Request for
Proposals for WIA Title I youth services and will select providers based on the
highest standards; contracts will in place by July 1, 2000. The State Board Youth Committee will
continue to work with the System to develop linkages and coordination
strategies between and among multiple youth programs.
A. Describe the process for developing the
State Plan (including a timeline) that ensures meaningful public comment.
Montana began looking
at the issue of program integration in late 1995. Governor Marc Racicot replaced the State Job Training
Coordinating Council with a Human Resource Investment Council, called Montana
Workforce Preparation Coordinating Council (WPCC). The WPCC was organized in expectation of block grants replacing
some of the silo-funded programs. While
that didn’t occur, the WPCC did continue its work recommending ways for system
integration to provide business and workers with seamless access to government
services. In addition, the WPCC
conducted a comprehensive review of the current programs with recommendations
for ways to strengthen the ties between job preparation and job creation.
Meanwhile, Montana
applied for and received a planning and development grant for the one-stop
system. Planning in those early years
centered around relationship building within communities. When Montana received its One Stop
Implementation Grant in March of 1998, we set about the collaborative process
in earnest. Local Management Teams
(LMTs) were organized within regions around the state; each LMT came forward
with an initial certification plan.
Those initial certification plans outlined the steps necessary to move
toward establishing One-stop centers.
When the Workforce Investment Act passed in August of 1998, Montana
still had no One-stop centers certified.
WIA has affected the manner in which we have proceeded so that our
one-stops will be in compliance with federal law and regulation. At the same time we are maintaining and
building upon the collaborative work already done in communities by the Local
Management Teams and their partners.
Workforce Investment
Act information sharing began in October 1998.
The Department of Labor and Industry, in coordination and conjunction
with the staff from the Service Delivery Areas’ administrative entity, Montana
Job Training Partnership, Inc. (MJTP), initially provided information to State
and Local Job Training Councils and service providers at the JTPA Annual
Planning Session. Several breakout
sessions were held with State and Local JTPA administrative entity staff
providing information and gathering feedback from the attendees.
An interagency
Steering Committee was formed as a result of the Annual Planning Session. Membership was made up of staff from State
agencies including education, commerce, public health and human services, vocational
rehabilitation, unemployment insurance, employment service, employment and
training, labor market information, state council staff and the Governor’s
liaison for workforce development.
Local private industry councils were represented on the committee by
their administrative entity staff (MJTP).
The Steering
Committee developed a joint roles and responsibilities document and a separate
timeline for Workforce Investment Act planning and implementation. Those documents along with the committee
minutes were distributed to State and Local Workforce Investment Boards and
other interested persons. The roles and
responsibilities document delineated responsibilities for local workforce
areas, the State Board, the one-stop and workforce center system project and
the Governor’s duties.
The Steering
Committee established task forces and provided oversight of task force
activities. The task forces convened in
February 1999 with the responsibility of providing policy and procedure
recommendations on how to deliver services through the workforce center
system. The task forces were given four
months to deliberate issues and deliver recommendations designed to streamline
the decision- making process for the State and Local Boards.
There were five task
forces: Youth, Adult, Dislocated Workers, Individual Training Accounts (ITA’s),
and Performance Measures/Participant Transition. The members included private employers, State and Local Board
members, representatives from education, vocational rehabilitation, office of
public assistance, community based organizations, Native American groups, and
JTPA service providers. The Governor
appointed the task force members.
The task force
process was very extensive; state and local administrative entity staff
facilitated the meetings and the task force members deliberated issues and
offered recommendations. Meetings were
open to the public and minutes and recommendations were widely distributed for
review and comment. Task Force
recommendations are detailed and are on file in the Department of Labor and
Industry for review.
At the same time that
the Steering Committee and Task Forces were organizing, the Governor appointed
Montana’s State Workforce Investment Board.
The State Workforce Investment Board and Local Workforce Investment
Boards have utilized the task force recommendations, many of which are
incorporated into this State Plan and the Local Plans. The State Board conducted all of its
meetings and decision-making processes in a public manner and actively solicited
public input. A timeline for the
planning process of implementing WIA in Montana is included as Attachment A.
The Local Boards have tackled the Herculean task of
planning the delivery of service under WIA and of identifying the best mix of
services in at least one comprehensive One Stop Center (JobLINC Center) in each
local area. They have also held public
planning meetings and have consulted with members of Local Management Teams as
requested by the State Board. The Local
Boards have actively sought input from public and private sector partners.
B. Demonstrate how comments were considered in
the plan development process
Comments have been actively solicited since the
publication of the first draft of this plan in October, 1999 through March,
2000. Language has been incorporated
into this Plan based on comments on the following areas:
Because Montana expects to continuously improve its
workforce investment system, suggestions will always be welcomed by the State
and Local Workforce Investment Boards.
The system will be evaluated and improvements will be implemented.
All Plan comments shall be kept on record in the Department of Labor and
Industry.
.
This is the essence
of what your role shall be as a statewide workforce investment board: to design
a coordinated and accountable system for assisting Montanans to gain marketable
employment skills and to help foster a business climate in which such skills
will be better rewarded and sustained.
The
Honorable Marc Racicot
Governor, State of Montana
To State Workforce Investment Board
It is the State of
Montana’s intent to design a coordinated and accountable system for assisting
Montanans to gain marketable employment skills and to help foster a Montana
economy in which such skills will be better rewarded and sustained.
Montana’s efforts
will be guided by two long-term system objectives:
1)
promoting a
diverse economy by providing skilled workers to emerging Montana industries,
specifically those in information and advanced technology, health services,
value-added agriculture, and communications; and
2)
promoting
continual skill development, increasing wages, and an enhanced standard of
living for all Montanans while preparing Montana’s youth with the
knowledge and behavior skills necessary to enter and succeed in high skill,
high wage careers.
To attain these
objectives, Montana’s workforce investment system must be:
·
Accountable to
the people we serve.
·
Customer driven
to meet individual needs and choices.
·
Accessible to
all.
·
Efficient in
providing services to guarantee maximum impact.
·
Focused on
promoting personal responsibility.
Montana, like many
other states, faces short-term workforce needs such as having an adequate
workforce in the construction trades for expansion in construction due to
population growth. We expect to offer
training for core occupations, such as the construction trades, as well as
others for on-going occupational needs.
We see this as maintaining our workforce.
However, the vision
articulated by Governor Marc Racicot looks ten and fifteen years to the future,
with innovative industries around new, clean, and highly technical fields. Montana’s aging population will also drive
the need for individuals working in growing medical fields. We intend to organize learning opportunities
in emerging industries such as information and advanced technology, health
services, value-added agriculture, and communications. Workforce development, training and
education will be available for youth, job-seekers, and incumbent workers in
these occupational areas. Business must
continue to be consulted in order to provide appropriate workforce development
services to job seekers and potential job seekers.
In Five Years The
evolution of Montana’s comprehensive workforce development system ideally will
result in a system that by 2005 will look like the following:
·
Montana’s JobLINC (One-stop) Center System will
be the first point of contact by resident and non-resident employers seeking to
fill job vacancies, seeking labor market or other information regarding
workforce issues;
·
Based on
employers’ current and emerging needs, the Local Workforce Boards and the JobLINC Center System will be a major
source for supplying or influencing the supply of qualified workers to fill
those needs;
·
Montana’s JobLINC Center System will be the first call by job seekers seeking employment,
education, or labor market and training information for personal career
development;
·
Customer choice
will be maximized by an extensive list of eligible Training Providers with
demonstrated, high performance ratings offering competency-based curricula
developed with input from area employers that prepare individuals with
appropriate employability and occupational skills;
·
Expansive, high
quality, integrated youth services will ensure broader choices for youth
completing, or otherwise leaving, secondary school;
·
The State and
Local Boards will efficiently and effectively administer publicly funded
workforce programs;
·
Mandatory and
optional partners collaborate on the planning, delivery and evaluation of their
programs;
·
Montana’s
Workforce Center System will work collaboratively with private partners.
Because of Montana’s rural nature and limited access to in-person service
delivery, the Local Boards have chosen to not reduce the number of access
points but to build upon existing “doors” so individuals seeking service can
receive a wide-array of information and services. In keeping with the principle of customer choice, the State
Board, Local Boards and state partners will be sponsoring training for
front-line staff so the staff will be able to more effectively and efficiently
direct customers to workforce investment system services.
Programs and
Funding Streams All mandatory programs and partners will
contribute to Montana’s Workforce Investment System in some manner. Partners
may contribute staff, space, funding or other resources, depending upon the
local needs and design and the criteria established by the State and Local
Boards. At a minimum, the following
programs and funding streams will be part of the workforce investment system:
·
Programs
authorized under Title I of WIA: adult,
dislocated workers and youth programs
·
Programs
authorized under Wagner-Peyser Act, as amended under Title III of WIA: the employment service
·
Adult education
and literacy programs authorized under Title II of WIA
·
Vocational
Rehabilitation programs amended under Title IV of WIA
·
Welfare-to-Work
grants (formula and competitive)
·
Activities
authorized under title V of the Older Americans Act: Senior Community Service
·
Post-secondary
vocational education activities authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational
and Applied Technology Education Act
·
NAFTA/Trade
Adjustment Assistance
·
Activities
related to job counseling, training, and placement for veterans
·
Employment and
training activities carried out under the Community Services Block Grant Act
·
Employment and
training activities carried out by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development
·
Programs
authorized under the Unemployment Insurance program
·
Other Montana
University System programs
Other programs are
encouraged to integrate into the workforce investment system also. Many
have been involved in designing local delivery of services since the inception
of the Local Management Teams.
Through signed Consortium Agreements, a State memorandum of agreement,
local memoranda of agreement and even sub-local memoranda of agreement, the
Montana workforce investment system will become even further streamlined and
strengthened. Shared planning and
delivery of services maximizes customer service and satisfaction. Shared resources eliminate unnecessary
duplication of effort. New and/or
improved relationships between State agencies, Local officials and the private
sector drives a continually improving workforce system. Montana recognizes that we are not at the
ideal level of integration, but sees opportunities to learn lessons from early
implementing states and states that have issues in common with ourselves. All partners are committed to the
“continuous improvement” philosophy behind the Workforce Investment Act along
with strong accountability for individual performance and contributions.
At July 1, 2000,
Montana will have two JobLINC Centers with the expectation to grow the one-stop
system in Montana, utilizing the Local Management Teams and strong State agency
support.
Information and
Services Montanans, and those interested in doing
business in Montana, may elect to come
to Montana’s Workforce System facilities where they can receive friendly,
professional service. On-site service
options include: self-service;
staff-assisted service; workshops; and one-on-one consultation and services
with staff. Remote service options
include electronic/computer access and telephone access. Information is accessible from libraries,
schools, homes – anywhere there is a personal computer and a modem. Customers also can get information about
unemployment insurance by telephone.
Initial claims and subsequent weekly claims are filed by telephone.
Referrals will be
made by Montana’s JobLINC Centers or
associate service provider staff
to other agencies such as:
·
Government and
educational agencies and institutions including Job Corps, Refugee Assistance
programs, Montana student assistance services, community based
organizations and economic development programs
·
Carl Perkins Act
Post-Secondary Programs
·
Vocational
Rehabilitation, mental health and substance abuse counseling
·
Offices of
Public Assistance
·
Public Health
services
·
Adult education
and literacy programs
·
Other Montana
University System programs
·
National
Farmworker Jobs Program
Referrals between
agencies reflect the integrated nature of the system under development.
Universal Access
Montana’s Workforce Center System provides services directly to
customers either on-site or through electronic access with the exception of the
referrals mentioned above. Montanans
can select the location and method of access that is most convenient to
them. Montana’s system is designed to
address the rural nature of the state and the diverse needs of our many
customers, job seekers and
employers. The goal of universal access
is achieved by the availability of on-site and remote services and flexible
hours in many areas.
Individual
Training Accounts Informed customer choice and Individual
Training Accounts (ITAs) will be maximized by identifying those customers for
whom ITAs will be appropriate and offering them opportunities to take full
advantage of them. We consider this one
of the hallmarks of a customer oriented system. Staff will assist customers by coordinating with training
providers that have been determined eligible by the local boards. Preceding any determination of eligibility
for an ITA, an estimate of Pell Grant eligibility will take place in order to
take full advantage of leveraging funds.
Montana’s ITA system is in the design phase at this time; implementation
of the full system is expected by the Local Boards by September, 2000.
Integration of Wagner-Peyser and Unemployment Insurance Services Montana’s Wagner-Peyser funded labor exchange provides critical services through its network of Job Service Workforce Centers. Job seekers and employers have access to all Wagner-Peyser services in order to as