-
Follow @snocowdc
Recovery Act Results
WDCSC is working with community partners to ensure that ARRA funds are spent quickly and transparently to serve the workforce needs of Snohomish County in the most efficient and effective manner. WDCSC is focusing much of its spending of ARRA funds on the following key areas: 1) providing workforce development services to Snohomish County residents, 2) building workforce development system capacity, and 3) increasing the capacity of local education and training providers.
Download the report Snohomish County Impact: Federal Recovery Act Funds here.
WDCSC Recovery Act Activity
Various programs funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) investments are producing results in retraining and employment. Worker retraining, digital literacy, and employment search assistance are providing opportunities to help people move into high demand occupations.
Dislocated Workers:
- To date, 966 Dislocated Workers have been served in Snohomish County. This is a 105% increase over baseline. WorkSource partners continue to offer solutions that ensure the highest efficiency of service delivery in timeliness and needs assessment.
- Senate Bill 5809 incentive training is now completed. Over $290,000 in funding will trained an additional 72 people for high demand occupations including EKG Monitor Tech, Industrial Design & Manufacturing Certification, and Residential Energy Audit, Business Intelligence/SQL, and Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
- Washington’s Energy Sector Partnership Grant will provide almost 500 individuals with career training in high demand-energy efficiency job. This is funded through a $3.9 million ARRA grant awarded to the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council. Courses will include energy management, environmental Technologies and sustainable practices, residential energy auditor, commercial lighting auditor, and many more at Edmonds and Cascadia Community Colleges. Classes are expected to begin Fall, 2010.
- $629,589 will go to train Snohomish County workers through a partnership between Edmonds Community College and WDCSC with the Sound Energy Efficiency Development (SEED) program. Classes are expected to begin Fall, 2010.
Adults:
- 579 Low Income Adults have been served in Snohomish County to date. This is a 16% increase over baseline. Persons who exhaust their unemployment benefits may become eligible for WIA adult services.
- The WDA continues to partner with our local Department of Social and Health Services-Community Service Offices to ensure that access to the new online benefit application process is available in the WorkSource Centers. This will likely affect enrolled WIA adults as it will enable them an easier and more efficient means of accessing these benefits while in job search or training
- 139 Adults have participated in Training, and 42 Adults have participated in Work Experiences or Internships to date in Snohomish County.
Youth:
- 297 Youth have participated to date.
- The POWER Up program (Pride, Opportunities, Work Experience & Respect), a program for homeless young adults ages 19-21 without a GED or diploma graduated 8 young people with their GED.
- A consortium of community partners continues to provide services under the year-round program to Youth with housing barriers with ARRA funding.
- 156 youth to date have attained work readiness skills.
- WDCSC received both the 2009 Youth Group Award from the Human Services Council, and a certificate of recognition from the Washington State Department of Vocational Rehabilitation for its Summer Youth Employment Program. ARRA funds helped place 240 young people, aged 16-24, in paid internships at over 127 worksites across the County. Young people who reported having a disability comprised 33% of the participants.
- 40 youth will participate in a 2010 Summer Youth Employment Program.