DEPARTMENT: Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Dr. Colleen M. Bridger
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City-Wide
SUBJECT:
Work Experience Agreement with Arbor E&T, LLC d/b/a ResCare Workforce Services for the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program
SUMMARY:
This Ordinance authorizes an agreement between the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (Metro Health) and ResCare Workforce Services. The purpose of this agreement is to establish policies and procedures for the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) Work Experience / Internship training positions. The agreement shall become effective upon execution and will terminate on August 31, 2018.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
This will be the first year of this collaboration between the Metro Health WIC Program and ResCare Workforce Services. ResCare Workforce Services is the largest career center workforce contractor in the United States. ResCare Workforce Services serves as a contractor for Workforce Solutions Alamo and administers the Work Experience (WE) program. The WE program is designed to provide youth participants with job opportunities that they otherwise would not qualify for. With funding from Workforce Solutions Alamo, ResCare Workforce Services has funding available to provide the WIC Program with needed summer staffing through the WE program. The impact of this collaboration will be that WIC will have a cost savings in temporary staff salaries.
ISSUE:
This agreement offers the opportunity to engage participants in a trainee capacity to gain work experience in a work environment that they normally would not have the opportunity to work in due to lack of work experience. During summer months, in addition to normal WIC services, WIC also provides breakfast and lunch to WIC participants through the Summer Feeding Program. Due to the administration of this additional program there is an increased workload and WIC hires temporary workers to take on the additional work. Due to budget shortfalls this fiscal year WIC cannot afford the expense of hiring the additional staff; however, ResCare Workforce Solutions will provide and pay staff to administer the program in exchange for training and work experience for their participating staff members; hence, providing a mutually beneficial partnership.
ALTERNATIVES:
Adoption of this ordinance will allow the Metro Health to enhance existing City services by utilizing trainee participant members to administer the Summer Feeding Program which will provide breakfast and lunch meals to WIC clients thus increasing the capacity of existing City programming.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The agreement will provide a cost savings of approximately $160,380 in temporary worker salaries for the WIC grant. The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District will record the in kind value for the temporary workers for a term effective upon Council approval through August 31, 2018. There is no impact to the General Fund.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of an ordinance to authorize an agreement between the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District and ResCare Workforce Services for a term effective upon Council approval and execution through August 31, 2018.