“Training Tomorrow’s Workforce Today”Christy MontgomeryDecember 1, 2009

Summer Youth 2009

Christy Montgomery | December 1, 2009

“I am proud of Tennessee's reputation for good government, and I want and expect us to be a model for other states in how we handle Recovery Act money sensibly – turning square corners, and with every nook and cranny of what we do and what we spend well-lighted and visible to the public.”

– Governor Phil Bredesen

• 1. Set high goals for enrollment and expenditures

• 2. Successful execution of outreach

• 3. Served target population

• 4. Strong collaboration with state agencies and

businesses in placement

• 5. Achieved high rate of full-time employment of youth in private sector

Why is Tennessee Best Practice for Summer Youth?

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Speed economic recovery ▪ Create and save jobs ▪ Provide needed services to Tennesseans

• To invest ARRA funds immediately into the lives of Tennessee Youth to improve and enhance the career opportunities and the local, state and national economies– Commissioner Neeley and Susan Cowden, Administrator of

Workforce Development, allocated 100% of the $25,099,116 million ARRA youth funds to the local areas to be able to have the most efficient positive effect on the economy

– By infiltrating Tennessee’s economy with 100% ARRA funds through the 13 local areas, workforce leadership ensured that the economy would receive immediate impact and that each area across Tennessee would have one sole provider of Summer Youth services

VISION:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Speed economic recovery ▪ Create and save jobs ▪ Provide needed services to Tennesseans

• To have the greatest impact by expending 100% of ARRA funds in Summer 2009

• Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development set goal of enrolling 12,000 youth workers

• To reach all eligible target groups with specific efforts to low-income, Foster Care Youth and Veterans and spouses of Veterans

• To assist higher portion of youth in high unemployment county

GOALS:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Speed economic recovery ▪ Create and save jobs ▪ Provide needed services to Tennesseans

• Outreach the program to eligible youth through collaborative partnerships

Foster Care Commissioner James Neeley, Tennessee Department of Labor and

Workforce Development and Commissioner Viola Miller, Tennessee Department of Children’s Services penned a joint letter distributed to 1,000 youth between the ages of 16-18 in foster care custody informing them of their eligibility to participate in the Summer Youth Program

OUTREACH:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Speed economic recovery ▪ Create and save jobs ▪ Provide needed services to Tennesseans

Veteran’s Preference

TDLWD contacted all veteran’s representatives throughout the career center one-stop system and instructed each to send out a letter to all veteran’s and their spouses registered with the job service database informing them of their eligibility to participate in the Summer Youth program

Of the veteran’s who applied, several were placed in managerial roles

OUTREACH:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Speed economic recovery ▪ Create and save jobs ▪ Provide needed services to Tennesseans

211

Partnership with United Way 211 service to reach those negatively effected by economy seeking services

211 information hotline provides program and contact information to those seeking social services

211 directed those eligible for Summer Youth employment into One-stop Career Center system

Provided over 10,000 referrals

OUTREACH:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Speed economic recovery ▪ Create and save jobs ▪ Provide needed services to Tennesseans

IMPACT:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Speed economic recovery ▪ Create and save jobs ▪ Provide needed services to Tennesseans

Total Participants Total Worksites % of Private Sector worksites

Foster care Participants

Veterans/Spouses of Veterans

Participants Hired

12,636 3,136 30% 400 47 452

• Over 35,000 applications state wide

IMPACT:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Speed economic recovery ▪ Create and save jobs ▪ Provide needed services to Tennesseans

Public Worksites

Partnered with Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to offer work opportunities at state parks

Partnered with Tennessee Department of Safety to offer jobs in administrative offices and drivers license offices throughout the state

Private Partnerships

First Bank- placed participants in 23 banks across West, TN to work as bank tellers, loan officers and in the Corporate Human Resource Department

Operation Smile- provided job shadowing opportunities in dentistry filled as well as employed 20 summer youth who have physical or mental disabilities

IMPACT:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Speed economic recovery ▪ Create and save jobs ▪ Provide needed services to Tennesseans

Therapeutic Gardening Project- Tennessee Children’s Home of Spring Hill is working on a special “green” project. Employed 25 foster care youth to work on organic gardening and maintenance projects. Youth completed a Master Gardening Workshop presented by the UT Extension Service. Produce was harvested and sold at local Farmers Market

Columbia and Lewis County Housing Authorities- eligible youth ages 22-24 attended a training program sponsored by Honeywell International which taught information and skills necessary to gain certification as a Quality Energy Auditor. Upon completion, employees conducted home energy audits.

IMPACT:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Speed economic recovery ▪ Create and save jobs ▪ Provide needed services to Tennesseans

Tennessee Exemplary Practices

• Leadership Academy

• Algebra Camp

• The Food Initiative Program

• Summer Reading programs

IMPACT:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Speed economic recovery ▪ Create and save jobs ▪ Provide needed services to Tennesseans

• TDLWD focused on achieving immediate impact in Tennessee’s hardest hit counties- Perry County has been the hardest hit county in Tennessee,

fluctuating between 20-25% unemployment. This counties’ economy has experienced true depression era status

• TDLWD allocated 100% of Youth ARRA funds to the local areas as well as transferring 1.25 million statewide ARRA funds to the Summer Youth Program

• These funds were utilized to employee otherwise income ineligible youth within the 5% allowed

IMPACT:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Speed economic recovery ▪ Create and save jobs ▪ Provide needed services to Tennesseans

• In Perry County, many families had experienced layoffs to all household incomes. Using these individuals previous incomes would have left several youth ineligible

• Using the statewide funds allowed the local areas to employee these youth under the 5% 664.220 (h). Face serious barriers to employment as identified by the Local Board

IMPACT:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Speed economic recovery ▪ Create and save jobs ▪ Provide needed services to Tennesseans

IMPACT:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Speed economic recovery ▪ Create and save jobs ▪ Provide needed services to Tennesseans

• Hi-lites from Tennessee’s ARRA Summer Youth ProgramExceeded goal of 12,000 youth enrolled14% of participants who participated in program

were offered employment1/5 of the regions 8 states summer youth

population came from TennesseeSuccessfully implemented immediate update to

TDLWD data tracking system (ecmats) to track summer youth

EXECUTION:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Speed economic recovery ▪ Create and save jobs ▪ Provide needed services to Tennesseans