Category #5: Workforce Development Partnership Initiatives
Name of Project: Ladder to the Future
Timeframe: 2002-2003
Entities: Workforce Investment Board of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties, Oneida County Workforce Development, St. Paul’s Baptist Church, Hope House, Mohawk Valley Community Action.
Outcomes: Outreach into a neighborhood of vast needs resulted in an increase in youth and adults being referred to the One-Stop System for programs and services.
“Ladder to the Future” was developed by Oneida County Workforce Development and supported by the Workforce Investment Board to increase outreach efforts into key areas of Utica that are home to the region’s greatest concentration of at-risk youth, out-of-school older youth, disadvantaged and low-skilled adults and individuals living in either transitional housing or homeless shelters.
The project began when it became clear that more traditional media marketing and advertising methods were not bringing customers from this neighborhood into the One-Stop Center, even though the One-Stop is located within a 15-minute walk for many residents of this area. It was developed in the course of meetings between Workforce Development leadership and community residents, community-based organizations and faith-based organizations.
Through meetings with staff and the community, it was decided that a stronger community presence was needed to help residents better achieve familiarity with the system through exposure to both staff who came into the neighborhood frequently for outreach sessions and through a community partner who would work with younger residents of the neighborhood to help those not connected to the system develop a connection.
Through aggressive pursuit of federal grant funding for faith-based projects and the cooperation of St. Paul’s Baptist Church, federal funds were secured for the major effort of this project, which would target in-school, out-of-school and older youth. To build upon this effort, staff time and existing funding were committed to build in efforts that would go beyond younger residents to reach single parents, older adults (who are often key messengers of this type of information) and disadvantaged adults.
The project was launched in July 2002 with goals that had been set to ensure that youth and adults were referred to the One-Stop System. Initial progress was delayed by the organizational requirements of a multi-partner project and the initial reluctance of community residents to develop relationships with staffers assigned to outreach at a local HeadStart center and soup kitchen. Partner support was buoyed up by strong commitment of staff time to ensure the project would remain on schedule.
A critical factor to the success of this project was the combination of partners focusing on their areas of expertise (such as the church’s ability to work with youth on key lifestyle issues that are often an impediment to job-related success) and Workforce Development focusing on its ability to use One-Stop System resources
The project achieved its goals of increasing the numbers of youth and adults informed about the system and referred for services and programs.
The project also increased community connections between the public workforce investment system and the grassroots community-based and faith-based organizations that are essential intermediaries.
Lessons learned from the project are shaping strategies for recruiting out-of-school youth for WIA and grant-funded programs. Partnerships created through the program have led to Workforce Development being included in grant funding requests that would supply funds to sustain and increase outreach activities for the targeted populations.