Five local organizations awarded federal funds to serve in-school & out-of-school youth

Derek Jones, AJAC’s Youth Pre-Apprenticeship Manager, teaches a student about metallurgy during the Manufacturing Academy program. Photo credit: Boys and Girls Club of Seattle-King County, AJAC, YWCA

The Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County (WDC) is awarding five organizations Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) grants to serve in-school and out-of-school youth with workforce services, including educational credential attainment, post-secondary placement, unsubsidized employment placements, training, and employment retention. The organizations were chosen for their proven experience serving youth, dedication and ability to prioritize racial equity, and capacity to implement high-quality services.

ORGANIZATIONS AWARDED

The five organizations receiving awards demonstrated a diversity of strengths in their proposals. A few highlights:

In-School

• Boys and Girls Club: strong performance over the past four years as a WIOA In-School Youth provider, expertise managing WIOA, new partnerships/geography expansion proposed, juvenile legal system connection, refugee focus, multi-generational approach, and partnership with Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC) for pre-apprenticeship

• Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle: deep community ties, strong partnerships in Seattle high schools with high percentages of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) youth, and a Results Based Accountability Approach with young adults

• SafeFutures Youth Center: focus on serving young adults impacted by the juvenile legal system, expertise in serving refugee populations, and a multi-generational approach

Out-of-School

• King County Community and Human Services: Children, Youth and Young Adults Division: strong performance as a WIOA Out-of-School Youth provider since the inception of WIOA, deep expertise in managing WIOA funds, geographic reach that includes the entire county, consistent quality improvement, partnerships with the youth re-engagement network, and the consortium with AJAC, YMCA, and Airport Jobs 

• Seattle Goodwill Industries: strong performance as a WIOA Out-of-School Youth provider over the past four years, expertise in managing WIOA funds, a focus on new partnerships and emerging strategies such as entrepreneurial training, ability to provide virtual services, and partnership with Renton Technical College and Relevant Engagement (tutoring)

Regional strategy background

The Request for Proposals (RFP) released on January 11, 2021 was the result of months of collaboration between WDC board members and youth workforce experts to set the vision and direction. This drew on recommendations and alignment between the Regional Workforce Strategy Group—convened by King County and the City of Seattle to bring together workforce and education partners—as well as the WDC’s Regional Strategic Plan, which proposed several high-level strategies specific to youth:

• Invest in and prioritize youth of color

• Ensure work experience is high quality and linked to employers and pathways in in-demand fields

• Embed youth voice in planning, process, and service delivery

• Highlight navigation and support

This strategic focus prioritized identifying both service gaps that leave specific populations underserved and opportunities for effective population-specific employment and training services to address these gaps. The larger goal of this effort is to strengthen the region’s workforce development system by:

• Expanding racial equity and community-driven goals within the region’s unified workforce development system and strategy

• Identifying specific marginalized communities currently underserved by the workforce system and explicitly targeting funding for culturally competent and linguistically appropriate services to reach those communities, including targeted outreach and services for BIPOC young people, justice-involved, homeless, or foster system-involved

• Pooling and coordinating resources to close system gaps, eliminate redundancies and increase efficiencies

• Expanding access to training programs and navigation services along career pathways

• Creating a unified regional, coordinated, and efficient system for engaging industry

• Leveraging public and private funding streams to ensure holistic, flexible services

How awards were decided

This award followed an open procurement process, including a virtual bidder’s conference with more than 100 attendees, resulting in 20 final proposals. Two evaluation panels were established to review the in-school and out-of-school proposals, both composed of seven members representing the WDC board, staff from other Workforce Development Boards, community leaders, and local government staff with expertise in youth workforce development. The panels evaluated strengths and weaknesses, assessed budget proposals, and worked toward a consensus recommendation, which was reviewed and certified by the WDC’s Chief Executive Officer before being approved by the full board of the WDC.

The panels were unanimous in their praise for the strength of the proposals, including from new organizations and partnerships, in this very competitive award.

“We are pleased to support five exceptional youth-serving organizations at this critical time,” said Marie Kurose, CEO of the WDC. “The organizations funded show a diversity of strengths in the populations they reach, and each is committed to embedding equity into how they serve youth. While a significant investment, we recognize there is more to do. We commit to expanding our scope to ensure all young people in King County have the opportunity to pursue next steps in education and meaningful employment.”

Edited July 15, 2021