Northwest Georgia
Comprehensive Local Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
Plan
Program Years 2009 - 2010
October 26, 2009
(Note: Updated information is bolded and italicized.)
Northwest Georgia Comprehensive
Local Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
Plan
2009-2010
Area Contacts
1. Name of Area
Northwest Georgia Workforce Investment Area
Service Delivery Region 1
2. Name, address, and phone number for Chief Local Elected Official
Allen Poole, Sole Commissioner
Haralson County Commission
P.O. Box 489
Buchanan, Georgia 30113-0489
770.646.2002
3. Name of organization administering the grant
Northwest Georgia Regional Commission
Name, address, and phone number for Local Area Director
Gwen Dellinger, Workforce Development Director
P.O. Box 1798
Rome, Georgia 30162-1798
706.295.6485
Fax Number: 706.802.5567
Email Address:
4. Name, address, and organization of the Workforce Investment Board Chairperson
Butch Jones
Gilmer County Bank
P.O. Box 697
Ellijay, Georgia 30540
5. Name, address, and organization of the Youth Council Chairperson
Angie Douglass
Kelly Services
3 East 6th Avenue
Rome, Georgia 30161
6. Name, address, and phone number of the area's One-Stop operator(s). List all the sites the organization manages and indicate with an asterisk sites that are WIA comprehensive service sites
Georgia Department of Labor (GDL)*
Jerry Garland, District Director
Georgia Department of Labor
PO Box 200366
Cartersville, Georgia 30120
770.387.3760
Mr. Garland is responsible for the DOL Career Centers located in Blue Ridge, Cartersville, Cedartown, Dalton,Fort Oglethorpe, LaFayette, and Rome (all comprehensive one-stop
centers).
Georgia Department of Labor, Rehabilitation Services (DRS)
Twyla Crump, Director Region 1
Department of Labor, Rehabilitation Services
450 Riverside Parkway, NE, Suite 210
Rome, Georgia 30161-2942
706.295.6400
Ms. Crump is responsible for the Hub Offices located in Dallas, Dalton, LaFayette, and Rome. The offices are Specialized One-Stop Sites.
Northwest Georgia Regional Commission
William Steiner, Executive Director
Northwest Georgia Regional Commission
P.O. Box 1798
Rome, Georgia 30162-1798
706.295.6485
Mr. Steiner is responsible for the office noted which is a Specialized One-Stop Site providing informational services for WIA and Title V customers.
Department of Human Resources, Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS)
Jeffrey Lukich, Regional Director, Region 1
Division of Family and Children Services
P.O. Box 1892
Blairsville, Georgia 30514
706-781-2351
Mr. Lukich has overall responsibility for the local DFCS offices in Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens, Walker, and Whitfield Counties. The local offices are Specialized One-Stop Sites serving DFCS customers. In addition, Mr. Lukich represents Community Services Block Grant employment and training programs funded through DHR.
Kathy Floyd, Regional Director, Region 3
Division of Family and Children Services
450 Riverside Drive, Suite 220
Rome, Georgia 30162
706.295.6193, 802.5378 fax
Ms. Floyd has overall responsibility for the local DFCS offices in Bartow, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Paulding, and Polk Counties. The local offices are Specialized One-Stop Sites serving DFCS customers. In addition, Ms. Floyd represents Community Services Block Grant employment and training programs funded through DHR.
Colleges
Chattahoochee Technical College
Dr. Sanford Chandler
Marietta, Georgia 30060
770.528.4500
Appalachian Campus, 100 Campus Drive, Jasper, GA 30143
North Metro Campus, 5198 Ross Road, Acworth, GA 30102
Paulding Campus, 400 Nathan Dean Boulevard, Dallas, GA 30132
Dr. Chandler is responsible for Chattahoochee Tech and satellite campus’ affiliated one-stop sites providing universal access.
Dalton State College
Dr. John Schwenn, President
260 North College Drive
Dalton, Georgia 30720
706.272.4438
Dr. Schwenn is responsible for Dalton State College and satellite campus’ affiliated one-stop sites providing universal access.
Georgia Highlands College
Dr. Randy Pierce, President
3175 Cedartown Highway, SE
Rome, Georgia 30161
706.295.6329
Dr. Pierce is responsible for Georgia Highlands College and satellite campus’ affiliated one-stop sites providing universal access.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College
Dr. Craig McDaniel, President
One Maurice Culberson Drive
Rome, Georgia 30161-6757
706.295.6206
Floyd County Campus, 1 Maurice Culberson Drive, Rome, GA 30161
Gordon County Campus, 1151 Hwy 53 Spur, SW, Calhoun, GA 30701
Polk County Campus, 466 Brock Road, Rockmart, GA 30153
Walker Campus, 265 Bicentennial Trail, Rock Spring, GA 30739
Dr. McDaniel is responsible for Georgia Northwestern Tech and satellite campus’ affiliated one-stop sites providing universal access.
West Georgia Technical College*
176 Murphy Campus Boulevard
Waco, Georgia 30182
770.537.600
Dr. Skip Sullivan, President
Dr. Sullivan is responsible for West Georgia Tech’s comprehensive one-stop site in Waco and satellite campus’ affiliated one-stop sites providing universal access.
7. Web site address for the area (if any)
Northwest Georgia Career Depot - www.careerdepot.org
Northwest Georgia Regional Commission - www.nwgrc.org
Youth Success Academy - www.youthsuccessacademy.org
8. Name and phone number of the individual(s) with primary responsibility for plan development
Gwen Dellinger, 706.295.6485
Plan Signatures
Name of Area:
Chief Local Elected Official
______
Name Date
Local Area Director
______
Name Date
Local Workforce Investment Board Chairperson
______
Name Date
Northwest Georgia Comprehensive
Local Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
Plan
2009-2010
I. Vision and Goals
The Northwest Georgia WIB adopted Georgia's workforce vision to build a world-class workforce that enables individuals to achieve their highest potential; ensures employers have the skilled workers they need to compete effectively in the global economy; and capitalizes on the untapped potential of underemployed and discouraged workers, youth and other job seekers with special needs.
The mission of the Northwest Georgia WIB is to be a leader in delivering employment and training services that:
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~Facilitate skill development and career mobility,
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~Align with and are of value to our business community, and
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~Enhance people’s ability to live and work in Northwest Georgia.
The goals of the Northwest Georgia WIB are to:
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~Provide a seamless, integrated one-stop service delivery system for individuals and employers;
~Provide a customer focused system, providing informed choice as a means for customers to determine the level, type, and quality of service(s) they desire;
~Provide universally accessible information for the general population with wide and easy access to a comprehensive array of information in a variety of formats;
~Provide a performance-based system with clear outcomes and methods to measure identified performance standards including customer satisfaction;
~Provide a system promoting continuous improvement utilizing the Malcolm Baldridge criteria;
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~Build a workforce development system that will dramatically upgrade individuals' workplace skills, economically benefiting the workforce, employers, and the State;
~Eliminate unwarranted duplication of services, reduce administrative costs, and enhance participation and performance of customers served through a quality-driven system; and Establish guidelines for creating and maintaining a cooperative working relationship, to facilitate joint planning and evaluation of services, and to develop more efficient management of limited financial and human resources.
In January 2006 Region 1 began meeting with Southeast Tennessee and Northeast Alabama individuals, agencies, and businesses interested in workforce and economic development in our common economic regions. The relationship was formalized with a Memorandum of Understanding in January 2007 which created the Tri-State Regional Workforce Alliance. The Tri-State Regional Workforce Alliance, Inc. incorporated during the early months of 2009 and is seeking 501c3 status. The objectives of the Alliance are to:
(a) Be recognized as a great place to do business; (b) take a unified approach to economic development; (c) maintain conditions favorable to large and small businesses; and (d) be a place where talent is developed.
The vision of the Alliance: The parties seek to advance the region’s economic competitiveness through collaboration of efforts to promote talent development of the area’s workforce.
The Alliance Guiding Principles: The parties agree that the following principles are an integral part of success in achieving regional economic competitiveness:
a. New business models for working together within multiple regions and states are necessary to maintain competitiveness in a global market;
b. Government, business, economic development and educational organizations must work collaboratively in the region to develop a talent pool sufficient to attract and/or retain quality jobs; and
c. Individuals in the region should have access to the best assessment of their abilities/skills levels, career advisement, training and proper credentialing that can be provided regardless of their residency, their income, their disability or any other characteristic.
II. Local Governance
1. Describe how the local workforce development system will be governed to ensure that it is comprehensive, integrated, effective, responsive, and customer-focused. Examples of items you may wish to describe include the local board committee structure and the board's oversight activities. Describe how GDOL career centers and other WIA partners have worked together to promote service integration.
The Northwest Georgia Workforce Investment Board (WIB) is made up of members who bring a varied and strong background in business, human services, and employment and training. The WIB and the Coosa Valley/North Georgia Council of Chief Elected Officials (CCEO), consisting of members representing each of the area's fifteen counties, hold joint meetings at least bi-monthly. Thus, business, human services, and government, in partnership, make decisions on and are aware of all items brought before the board and council.
The WIB consists of an Executive Committee, a Proposal Review Committee, a One-Stop Committee, a Planning Committee, a Marketing Committee, a Policy and By-Laws Committee, a Nominating Committee, and a Business Services Committee. The Business Services Committee includes ex-officio members who bring economic development knowledge to the mix. Ex-officio representatives include Chambers of Commerce and Career Center Employer Committees. The Chairman has the authority to appoint standing or special committees at his/her discretion. WIB officers consist of a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, and Secretary/Treasurer elected by the WIB. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman must be representatives of the private sector. The WIB Youth Council is responsible for providing policy guidance for and exercising oversight with respect to the local workforce investment youth system conducted under the WIA under the guidance of the WIB and in partnership with the CCEO. In addition to the above, all WIA contracts are approved by the Regional Commission Council which is made up of elected official and private sector members, three residents appointed by the Governor (one Superintendent and two nonpublic), and one nonpublic member appointed by the Lieutenant Governor.
Northwest Georgia began developing its one-stop system in 1997. It started by building upon the successful “cluster” working relationships that had been functioning in the region for many years. Local agencies and organizations have formalized the sub-regional collaboratives and hold regularly scheduled meetings. At the meetings, staff focus on improving and extending available, limited resources and eliminating duplication where possible. NWGRC WIA publishes a bi-monthly newsletter sent to approximately 600 agencies and individuals involved in workforce development. The area’s web site (CareerDepot.org) serves as a universally available virtual one-stop with job search information, training and education opportunities, community resources and business services featured. The North Georgia system has been successful because it is inclusive rather than exclusive in the workforce development activities.
The designation, in September 2000, of a consortium of partners to be the operators for the Northwest Georgia One-Stop System, enhanced the previous efforts of the partners and associates to coordinate and integrate services in Northwest Georgia. In 2002, the Operators finalized a strategic plan which was then incorporated into the WIB strategic plan adopted in 2003. The strategic plan specific to youth was incorporated into the plan at that time also. The focus of the Operators’ and Youth Specific Strategic Plans was to improve and enhance services to customers. The Strategic Plan will be updated in the coming year to reflect changes in economic dynamics and the relationship with Tri-State Alliance. A current Regional Strategic Skills forecast is underway through a contract with Mississippi State University’s National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center to perform the necessary economic base analysis to impact the Plan.
Many one-stop sites have co-located staff from other agencies either full-time or part-time on site [See Attachment A]. This broadens the services that can be received at one location and increases the knowledge of partners’ services. It also affords the opportunity to integrate services. Integrated services include workshops and employer visits where customers are informed of all services available to them. In the Dalton Career Center, Dalton State College administers the CareerScope assessment for customers. WIA has contracted with the Department of Labor for on-the-job (OJT) training services. OJT coordinators work with Georgia Works and Vocational Rehabilitation to jointly provide services to customers.
2. Describe how the local area's staffing is organized with regard to local Workforce Investment Board support and WIA administrative functions. Provide the titles and major activities/roles of the area's key staff.
The Northwest Georgia Regional Commission (NWGRC) has been designated the grant sub-recipient, fiscal agent/administrative agent by the CCEO. The NWGRC is responsible for the budgetary process and for requesting, receiving, distributing and accounting for all WIA funds for the WIB. It also accepts liability for all aspects of the program including any repayment of disallowed costs as described in the Memorandum of Agreement. The NWGRC is responsible for the following:
a. Planning, developing, maintaining and administering of the Plan;
b. Developing Request for Proposals for services to be provided under the Plan if appropriate;
c. Negotiating and contracting for services to be provided under the Plan;
d. Financial management of all WIA funded activities;
e. Procurement and management of WIA funded property;
f. Developing and implementing an Individual Training Account system if appropriate;
g. Fiscal and program monitoring and evaluation of ITA’s, supportive services, and training contracts if appropriate;
h. Developing and maintaining the WIA Management Information System and providing appropriate reports to officials, board members, contractors, and staff;
i. Coordinating WIA services and initiatives with appropriate local, state and federal programs;
j. Coordinating WIA services and initiatives with the initiatives of the Private Sector and Economic Development Organizations;
k. Providing contractor and staff training on WIA policies, procedures, and initiatives;
l. Developing news releases concerning WIA activities;
m. Proposing policies and procedures necessary for effectively administering activities funded through the Plan;
n. Establishing and maintaining a Grievance Procedure for programs and activities provided through the Plan;