Alaska Workforce Investment Board Alaska Department of Labor

Alaska Workforce Investment Board
Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development
Employment & Placement Committee Minutes (DRAFT)
May 25, 2005
Attendees
Committee members: Rose Ellis, Kitty Farnham, Don Brandon, Ken Mill for Tom Nelson (ex officio),
Tara Jollie for Corine Geldhof (ex officio), Millie Johnson (ex officio), Molly Merritt-Duren (ex officio)
Staff: John Pratt, Andree McLeod
Guests: Nancy Heckmann
Call To Order
The regular meeting of the Employment & Placement Committee of the Alaska Workforce
Investment Board was called to order at 10:03 a.m. on Wednesday, May 25, 2005, via
teleconference by Chair Rose Ellis.
Agenda
The agenda was unanimously approved as distributed.
Approval of Minutes
The minutes of the April 27 meeting were approved by the committee after changing the status of
Jim Dalman from guest to ex officio member. The minutes of the February 24 meeting were
approved as distributed.
Presentation
Business Connection Services – Nancy Heckmann
Ms. Heckmann gave a thorough overview of the services the One-Stop system provides to employers
as a single point of contact through the Midtown Job Center. Services range from basic to premier
and include:
• Alaska’s Job Bank (Wagner-Peyser labor exchange) – jobs are posted for 2 weeks at a time
• Job hotlines (average of 2,300 open at any given time)
• Recruitments and interviews – averaging 20 onsite recruitments per month (high percentage
are seafood)
• Job fairs – Veterans in the fall, healthcare in April, public safety possibly in February, and
youth (in partnership with the Muni’s Juneteenth celebration)
• Alaska employer handbook, education and technical assistance
• Job Club
• Job Lady radio program – on KENI 650 AM at 6:20 a.m.
• Small business workshops
• Community event involvement
• Once a month the One-Stop partners meet
• They will be doing a One-Stop Academy specific to Business Connection
Discussion Items
Presentation Selection
Molly Merritt-Duren suggested hearing from training providers and apprenticeships. Kitty Farnham
recommended beginning with the Job Center partners (ABE, DPA, DVR, ESD, etc.) Ken Mill offered
to provide a list of ESD’s several relevant programs. Tara Jollie would like to see a rotation, where
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the partners take turns highlighting individual programs and services. Russ Cusack recommended
a “mini-training academy” approach. Ms. Farnham agreed to provide an overview of Public
Assistance at the next committee meeting. She proposed sending the partner list and training
academy model information to John Pratt to coordinate with the committee.
Native MOU
The Ops Workgroup (Mary Rogers, Ken Mill, Russ Cusack, and Tara Jollie) has met and reviewed
the latest draft of this MOU. They are incorporating some of the recommended language revisions
from the comments received. They have reordered the document to more appropriately emphasize
the purpose of the MOU. Mary will distribute to the committee by May 27 for the members to make
their final comments. A joint, face-to-face meeting of the Sec. 166 grantees, the Ops Workgroup,
and the E&P Committee is being targeted for July 20 & 21 in Anchorage. The purpose of the
meeting will be to finalize and sign the MOU and discuss its implementation so that it doesn’t
become a document that merely sits upon a shelf. The Ops Workgroup proposes a “Meet & Greet”
session for the morning of day 1 to set the stage, followed by discussion of the MOU in the
afternoon. Day 2 would conclude the MOU discussion and begin consideration of deliverables vis a
vis implementation. The Ops Workgroup believes that an independent facilitator will be necessary
for this important meeting. Ms. Merritt-Duren voiced her concern about the involvement of the
Native organizations’ CEOs and whether they have been contacted. Ms. Ellis reported that they
have not been engaged at this point. Molly suggested that the regional corporations be advised that
CITC is not listed on this MOU because it has separate MOUs already in place that are more in
depth for various reasons. Ms. Farnham raised the proposition of eventually working toward
consolidating 40+ MOU’s into a single, integrated MOU. Ms. Rogers asked the committee to provide
her with comments on: 1) the MOU, 2) the meeting date, and 3) the facilitator. Chair Ellis supported
the idea of having a facilitator and recommended Dick LaFever. Ms. Farnham advocated for
earmarking a portion of DPA’s management fee to AWIB for this project; she will discuss with Mona
McAleese. The Ops Workgroup will draft a scoping document and rough budget that will include the
annual meeting in the fall, using a single facilitator throughout. The workgroup will also sketch out
an agenda for the July meeting and logistics timeline.
Operator MOU
Kitty Farnham gave an overview of the Operator MOU. In its capacity of performing LWIB duties the
E&P Committee retains Alaska Job Center Network oversight. When an MOU sits on a shelf without
an implementation plan it stagnates. It may be an appropriate time to update the document. Chair
Ellis directed the committee should review the Operator MOU and determine whether and/or how
items are accomplished. The Ops Workgroups will report out to the committee on the status of
operations that have a timeline specified in the MOU (e.g.: common intake, joint job center
orientation) in June.
Strategic Planning
The committee will work on one committee duty per monthly meeting. Since there was insufficient
time during this meeting, item C. (Promoting hire of Alaskans) will be taken up at the June session.
Chair Ellis encouraged the members to read the R&A report in Trends magazine on nonresident
employment.
Other Items
ESD update
Ken Mill reported that work on the Kenai Job Center redesign is well underway. Discussion of the
Muldoon redesign will begin shortly. There will be a One Stop Academy at Mat-Su on June 6 & 7
and the Business Connection Academy June 15.
DVR update
Russ Cusack reported that the CEG Steering Committee will meet June 30. The division will be
brining teachers in to work with special education kids during the summer months.
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DPA update
Kitty Farnham reported that DPA is working closely with Molly Merritt-Duren to effect transition of
tribal TANF services to CITC beginning July 1. The division has received a Federal award for mostimproved state from the Food Nutrition Services for success in the Food Stamps program. They are
finalizing a contract to offer capacity building assistance to the Regional Advisory Councils. There
will be an eligibility technician outstationed at the Alaska Native Medical Center. Greater detail will
be provided at next month’s presentation.
DBP update
Tara Jollie reported that STEP has just completed its grant solicitation and application review
process. 43 applications were received and approximately 20 will be funded. Funding decisions will
be forthcoming in a few weeks. There are a couple Youth grant RFPs posted on the web site. There
will be a Denali Training Fund RFP posted soon.
Adjournment
Meeting was adjourned at 11:33 a.m. by Chair Ellis. The next general meeting will be at 10:00 a.m.
on Wednesday, June 29, via teleconference.
Action Tracker
WHO
T. Nelson
J. Pratt
K. Farnham
All
M. Rogers
&
Operations
Workgroup
J. Pratt
WHAT
Forward report to Governor’s Committee on Employment
& Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities to J. Pratt
Distribute ESD’s Governor’s Committee report to E&P
members
Forward DPA’s Job Center office profile to A&E, E&P,
and ESD for evaluation
Forward Native MOU recommendations to Mary Rogers
Revise and edit Native MOU, network with Section 166
grantees, plan face-to-face meeting
Redistribute strategic planning matrix formatted to print in
landscape
DUE BY
STATUS
Ongoing
Ongoing
5/25/05
Done
Minutes submitted by: John Pratt
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