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BUILDING AND TRANSFORMINGTOMORROW’S WORKFORCE

INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

A proud partner of the network

CONTENTS

3 OVERVIEW

5 SECTION I

Enhancing Business Engagement & Human Capital Development

19 SECTION II

Promoting Excellence in Early Education

23 SECTION III

Developing & Maintaining a High-Impact Technology Platform

25 SECTION IV

Delivering Results That Matter to the Region

RespectIntegrity

CollaborationExcellence

To advance business-driven talent development strategies

that promote economic growth, opportunity and a

quality workforce.

The recognized leader in building

tomorrow’s workforce.

MISSION

VALUES

VISION

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas is continuously developing strategies to meet the changing requirements of the workforce and ensure job seekers have the skills required for success.

Over the years, we have built a strong network of community partnerships that work together to connect people to employment opportunities and make positive impacts on the economic growth of North Central Texas. It is an honor to contribute and be a part of a legacy of leadership; believing in the importance of our purpose and mission, to advance business-driven talent development strategies that promote economic growth, opportunity and a quality workforce.

The responsibility for building and transforming our future workforce lies not only in the hands of our dedicated staff, but also with our valued partners across the educational and business communities. We thank these academic and industry leaders for their partnerships with us, and we pledge our commitment to continue serving them with innovative and pragmatic solutions.

Personally, I find it humbling, as well as energizing, to be surrounded by incredibly talented individuals and key stakeholders who work diligently each day in our communities to ensure we develop and provide a quality workforce.

Together, we truly make a powerful impact in sustaining and driving a vibrant regional economy, thereby ensuring our future prosperity.

Sincerely,

Roger HarrisChairmanNorth Central Texas Workforce Development Board

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As we reflect on our accomplishments in 2018, it was truly a year of growth, partnerships, transition and commitment. Primarily, it was a year for all of us to work toward the goal of meeting workforce needs in an ever-changing world. We are proud to say that the accomplishments we highlight in our annual report this year will continue to set a course that will, over the coming decades, ensure we continue to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of our stakeholders, businesses and communities.

In 2019, we will continue to celebrate over two decades of leadership in advancing an innovative workforce. Through legislation, a driven vision, an encouraging mission and strong values, we focus on our strategic plan to guide us in our path to success and committed service to our customers.

As the Executive Director of Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas, I am honored to serve with the visionary leaders who work on our Board and on our committees. With their help, we are well equipped to address the economic, educational and workforce issues facing the workers and businesses of our region.

The story of our organization continues to grow and strengthen over time, and the lessons we have learned over the years will guide our future. With our strong regional partnerships, we now have the opportunity and ability to continue transforming businesses, communities and lives.

Sincerely,

David K. Setzer, CPSM, C.P.M., CWEExecutive Director Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas

Meera AnanthaswamyPrivate SectorCollin County

Anna CokerPrivate SectorWise County

Chip EvansLiteracy Council At-Large

Jason GomezEducationKaufman County

Gae GoodwinPrivate SectorDenton County

James Hend ersonPublic AssistanceAt-Large

Robert HillPrivate SectorCollin County

Mike HinojosaOrganized LaborAt-Large

Lisa HuffakerCommunity Based OrganizationPalo Pinto County

Brenda KihlEducationAt-Large

Tracey KirschPrivate SectorPalo Pinto County

Ada Lawnicza kCommunity Based OrganizationDenton County

Lakeitria LuterPrivate SectorCollin County

Roland a MachariaPrivate SectorCollin County

Scott McC uneVocational Rehabilitation Services, TWCAt-Large

Tony MoblyPrivate SectorHood County

John RattanPrivate SectorCollin County

LaShanda Reed-LarryPrivate SectorDenton County

Ron SmithermanOrganized LaborAt-Large

Jennifer SuguitanPrivate SectorCollin County

Aaron ThibaultPrivate SectorCollin County

Carlton Tidwell Private SectorKaufman County

Catherine TietjenCommunity Based OrganizationParker County

Stefanie WagonerEconomic DevelopmentAt-Large

Kenny WeldonCommunity Based OrganizationErath County

Earl WoolbrightPublic Employment Services, TWCAt-Large

Elaine ZweigAdult Basic Education/Child CareAt-Large

Roger HarrisChairmanPrivate SectorCollin County

David BristolVice Chair Private SectorCollin County

Roselyn LaneSecretaryPrivate SectorHunt County

Mickey HillockPast ChairPrivate SectorNavarro County

WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS BOARD OFFICERS

WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS BOARD MEMBERS

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Your partner in building and transforming tomorrow’s workforce

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas consists of a Board of Directors and a network of 12 workforce centers serving the 14 counties in the North Central Texas service area. This includes our joint operating workforce center in Alliance, in partnership with Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, which focuses on serving the businesses around the Alliance region. In counties where a workforce center is not physically located, services are provided using our Mobile Workforce Unit.

Our Board oversees the planning, oversight, policy guidance and design of services, to ensure we fulfill our mission, vision and values in all that we do. Workforce centers are managed by a contracted service provider selected through a rigorous and competitive procurement process and provide direct services to job seekers and businesses, as well as provide eligibility for subsidized child care services.

Workforce centers provide services to the entire population, which includes unemployed and under-employed individuals seeking a better career, or those interested in exploring other career options. This year alone, it is estimated that over 29,000 job seekers will receive intensive services through our workforce centers, and that we will provide child care services to an estimated 6,715 children every day.

Our Counties

2,912,774

Population

(Source: EMSI, Q3)

1,479,226

Employed

(Source: Tracer2, Sept 2018)

3.2%

Unemployment Rate

(Source: Tracer2, Sept 2018)

Population Labor Force

201820172016201520142013201820172016201520142013

201820172016201520142013201820172016201520142013

1,32

5,02

1

1,35

4,93

3

1,38

6,22

0

1,45

8,52

1

1,49

9,55

0

1,52

8,36

7

2,53

6,09

7

2,60

4,39

5

2,68

0,51

1

2,76

2,18

0

2,84

6,28

3

2,91

2,77

4

1,25

1,49

9

1,29

4,27

0

1,33

4,40

2

1,40

1,78

1

1,45

1,66

3

1,47

9,22

6

5.5

4.5

3.7 3.

9

3.2

3.2

201820172016201520142013201820172016201520142013

201820172016201520142013201820172016201520142013

1,32

5,02

1

1,35

4,93

3

1,38

6,22

0

1,45

8,52

1

1,49

9,55

0

1,52

8,36

7

2,53

6,09

7

2,60

4,39

5

2,68

0,51

1

2,76

2,18

0

2,84

6,28

3

2,91

2,77

4

1,25

1,49

9

1,29

4,27

0

1,33

4,40

2

1,40

1,78

1

1,45

1,66

3

1,47

9,22

6

5.5

4.5

3.7 3.

9

3.2

3.2

Region Demographics

CollinDentonEllisErath

HoodHuntJohnsonKaufman

NavarroPalo PintoParkerRockwall

SomervellWise

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1,528,367

Labor Force

(Source: Tracer2, Sept 2018)

Employed Unemployment Rate

5

Enhancing Business Engagement & Human Capital Development

S E C T I O N I

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Jobs and Education for Texans Program

The Texas Workforce Commission, through the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant program, allocates $10 million each biennium to defray start-up costs associated with the development of career and technical education programs to public community and technical colleges, and independent school districts. JET grants provide potential economic returns through:

■ Supporting new, emerging industries or high-demand occupations.

■ Offering new or expanded dual credit career and technical educational opportunities in public high schools.

In 2018, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) provided support to 10 grant requests submitted by colleges and Independent School Districts (ISD) for training programs within our region.

Our partner, the Terrell Independent School District (ISD), was awarded $287,304 for equipment to enhance its engineering program. Terrell ISD captured 20 percent of the funds submitted for consideration from our region and 6 percent of the amount awarded statewide.

Terrell ISD’s grant award and the newly purchased equipment will ultimately help the school district provide 135 students in the manufacturing profession with engineering training.

Collaborating with the community to address workforce needsOne of the key ways in which Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) helps regional education, economic development and industry partners is by facilitating their requests for valuable grants available from the Texas Workforce Commission and other funding sources. These grant programs help businesses to thrive by providing them with better-trained workers who are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills.

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Fiscal Year 2018 Skills Development Awards by Business Partner and College

COLLIN COLLEGE

BUSINESS PARTNER(S) GRANT AWARDNUMBER OF NEW WORKERS

NUMBER OF EXISTING WORKERS

AssaAbloy Hospitality,Applied Concepts Corporation,Gattaca Americas

$294,190 71 165

NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

BUSINESS PARTNER(S) GRANT AWARDNUMBER OF NEW WORKERS

NUMBER OF EXISTING WORKERS

Jostens $600,896 103 301

Texas Vocational Rehabilitation Services Integration

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) continued efforts last year to integrate Texas Vocational Rehabilitation Services into the workforce system. Such services are important because they help eligible individuals with disabilities prepare for, obtain, retain or advance in competitive, integrated employment.

The Corsicana and Waxahachie workforce centers were the first two locations selected for early integration. WSNCT has since expanded these efforts to incorporate the full integration of the Greenville workforce center, including nine Vocational Rehabilitation staff ready to assist eligible people with disabilities. The new Granbury workforce center is the most recent integration effort.

The ongoing efforts to incorporate Vocational Rehabilitation Services are designed to create a seamless customer-focused workforce delivery system that integrates across all programs, further enhancing access for all our customers.

Total SDF Dollars Awarded in FY18

$895,086

Number of New Workers Trained

174

Number of Existing Workers Trained

466

Skills Development Fund Grants

The Texas Workforce Commission’s Skills Development Fund (SDF) program is a job training program designed to meet the unique training needs of employers. This customized training program assists employers in identifying and closing workforce skill gaps. The SDF provides community colleges resources to quickly respond to the needs of business by delivering customized and targeted skill enhancements to both new hires and current employees.

In partnership with local community colleges and economic development partners, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) facilitated the award of $895,086 in SDF grants in 2018, training 174 new workers and 466 existing workers.

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Innovative Partnerships Supporting a Thriving Workforce Event

In June 2018, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas hosted a signature dinner event, themed “Innovative Partnerships Supporting a Thriving Workforce,” at the Omni Frisco Hotel. The event brought together forward-thinking decision- and change-makers from across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to explore actionable workforce initiatives that help our region continue to thrive.

This event engaged and ignited those invested in the region’s economic growth. It also reinforced the participating organizations’ commitment to strengthening our local competitive advantage through training and education, partnering to promote a skilled workforce and broadly transforming the region’s workforce systems.

Phil Condit, retired chairman and CEO of The Boeing Company, served as the event’s keynote speaker. Attendees also heard special remarks from Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Andres Alcantar and event emcee Maher Maso, CEO of the Prosper Economic Development Corporation and former Frisco mayor.

Panel discussions featured not only Condit and Maso, but also Dave Pace, Jamba Juice president and CEO, and Neal Smatresk, president of the University of North Texas.

Special thanks to our sponsors for supporting this high-impact event:

Platinum SponsorsJPMorgan Chase and Co.Prosper Economic Development CorporationResCare Workforce Services

Gold SponsorTerrell Economic Development Corporation

Silver SponsorsAllen Economic Development CorporationDocuNav SolutionsForney Economic Development CorporationThe Gomel Group State FarmUnited Way of Metropolitan Dallas

AEL/North Central Texas Workforce Regional Coalition

Teaming up to ensure adults in our 14-county region have basic education and literacy skills is a critical role that Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) embraces, as part of preparing our workforce to meet industry’s needs.

Since the Adult Education & Literacy/North Central Texas Workforce Regional Coalition (AEL/Workforce Regional Coalition) was formulated in June 2015, the Coalition partners have worked collaboratively to address transitional issues, share information and best practices, and explore systems/services for continuous improvement in order to close strategic and operational gaps. The Coalition’s prime objective

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is to promote integration, cooperation and collaboration between AEL providers and WSNCT staff to ensure the occurrence of aligned services across all systems.

Participating partners of the AEL/Workforce Regional Coalition are as follows:

■ Denton Independent School District

■ Navarro College

■ Paris Junior College

■ Weatherford Independent School District

■ Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas

During the Coalition’s monthly meetings, the partners focus on identifying strategic and operational gaps in service delivery, increasing connectivity across system resources for shared customers and developing solution-oriented strategies in order to expand adult education and literacy enrollments for the workforce system. The Coalition has the authority and the responsibility to carry out the following functions:

■ Develop strategies for overall system improvements

■ Oversee, analyze and adjust strategy implementation

■ Share best practices to assist program achievement and promote continuous improvement

■ Track and support the achievement of state, federal and/or local performance goals and targets

Coalition partners also work collaboratively to provide adult basic education and literacy programs to eligible participants within the workforce service area. For instance, in 2017- 2018, WSNCT’s Greenville location provided classroom space during evening hours to the Navarro College Adult Education Program in order to provide adult education services to Hunt County residents. Through the program, AEL instructors provided curriculum, supplies and instructional materials to support English as a Second Language learners, English Literacy CIVICs and GED classes.

As a further testament to regional efforts, in November 2018, the Weatherford ISD was selected to receive the Adult Education and Literacy Performance Quality Improvement Award at the 22nd Annual Texas Workforce Conference (see page 28 for more details).

Hiring Red, White & You! Statewide Career Fair

In November 2017, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas hosted the 6th Annual Statewide, “Hiring Red, White & You!” career fair at the Allen Event Center. The local hiring event involved a multi-agency collaboration designed to help military heroes, their spouses and family members successfully transition into the civilian workforce, and to encourage Texas employers to take advantage of the special skills, unique experiences and valuable perspectives that former service personnel have to offer.

The event featured a combined 120 companies and resource agencies looking to hire job seekers. Additionally, community resource partners were available onsite to assist job seekers one-on-one with resume writing, career coaching and translating military experience into language that is relevant to civilian employers.

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas Hiring Red, White & You! 2017 Numbers:

Total Job Seekers Attended 1,088 Veteran Job Seekers: 206 General Job Seekers: 882 Declared Employed Status: 204 Declared Unemployed Status: 884

Onsite Interviews 301

Onsite Hires 20

Interviews Scheduled after Event 538

Employer Booths: 109

Resource Agency Booths: 10

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Youth Career Exploration Event

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) partnered with Education Service Center, Region 11, to host iWork 2018 on September 4, 2018. The event provided hands-on career exploration and educational information to 1,176 students from 14 independent school districts across the region.

The event allowed students, teachers and parents to explore interactive displays by more than 80 business partners, community colleges, universities and military personnel. More than 280 students took advantage of the mock interview sessions provided by workforce professionals to prepare them for their next job interview. They received immediate personal feedback and a list of online tips and tools for future use. Participants also enjoyed listening to professionals discuss relevant topics during the iChat sessions. Topics included: Life After High School, Social Media Do’s and Don’ts, Digital Technology and Human Resources.

WSNCT staff and volunteers personally greeted every school bus to set the expectations for the event. All students received employability kits containing items

Career exploration events & initiatives

needed for job interviews, the first day of employment and further career exploration tools. Survey data collected from teachers, students and exhibitors confirmed the event was an overwhelming success. WSNCT will continue to provide similar events throughout the North Central Texas area in 2019.

Special thanks to the following school districts and charter schools for participating in our event:

Independent School DistrictsAlvaradoAubreyAzleBoydChicoGlen Rose

Lake DallasMillsapMineral WellsSangerStrawnWeatherford

Charter SchoolsCommunity Christian High SchoolKaufman Leadership Academy

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The Student HireAbility Navigator Initiative was implemented within the Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) Board area in August 2018 in order to improve access to employment and training services and increase employment opportunities for students with disabilities who are in the early phases of preparing for transition to post-secondary education and employment. Two Student HireAbility Navigators (Navigators) were hired to serve our 14-county board area, with a “Lead Navigator” positioned at the board and the second Navigator at the Workforce Center Contractor level. Both Navigators serve as a resource to support, expand and enhance the provision of pre-employment transition services that are provided by the Texas Workforce Commission – Vocational Rehabilitation Services (TWC-VRS), as well as by other local partners and workforce programs.

WSNCT Navigators work together in capacity building and systems development; partnering and collaborating with local Independent School Districts (ISDs), colleges, Education Service Centers (ESCs), and local and state TWC-VRS. Navigators increase the likelihood of students’ independence and inclusion in communities and competitive integrated workplaces, and their successful participation in postsecondary education experiences.

WSNCT Navigators team together to increase community and system awareness of the resources and activities available to students with disabilities within the 14-county area through the following five pre-employment transition services:

■ Job/Career exploration counseling;

■ Work-based learning experiences, including internships, provided in an integrated environment;

■ Counseling on opportunities for enrollment in comprehensive transition or post-secondary educational programs at institutions of higher education;

■ Workplace readiness training to develop social skills and independent living; and

■ Instruction in self-advocacy, which may include peer mentoring.

Digital Technology iChat, Aaron Thibault, Gearbox Software

Students Interact with Robot at iWork 2018 Youth Career Exploration Event

Student HireAbility Navigator Initiative

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Intex Electric

Longhorn Organics

Neon Cloud Productions

OldCastle Building Envelope

Pegasus Foods

Service King

US Cold Storage

SUMMARY OF TEACHERS BY SUBJECT TOTAL: 14 BY GRADE TOTAL: 14

PARTICIPATING EMPLOYERS

2018 Teacher Externship Program

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas collaborated with the Terrell Independent School District to host the 2018 Teacher Externship initiative from June to August 2018. The program provided teachers and employers a unique opportunity to work together in order to increase the teachers’ ability to apply workplace skills in the classroom, thereby enhancing the real-world applicability of student learning.

Over the course of the summer program, 14 teachers and 7 employers participated in three-day sessions where teachers engaged in workplace activities at an employer site. Through this experience, teachers developed lesson plans with greater relevance to their subject matter and subsequently shared increasingly valuable life skills with their students.

Survey data captured after the experience found that both teachers and employers provided positive feedback on the initiative, and expressed interest in participating in the future.

The most noteworthy outcomes were as follows:

■ 98 percent of the participating teachers stated that the externship made them more aware of workplace readiness (problem solving, technology, communication) required by employers.

■ 93 percent of the teachers stated that the experience helped them identify ways to incorporate skills needed in the observed occupations into their classroom instruction.

“Words cannot express how proud I am of each of you. Though this project took valuable time from your already busy day, not only did you support my request you did so with great enthusiasm and respect.

Mr. Parrish is an educator. No pomp and circumstance, just a dedicated teacher wanting to make a difference in his students lives. He humbled himself and became the student. I once heard the most valuable thing you can give someone is your time. You may never know how many lives will be changed due to what you accomplished this week!

You truly made a difference in this man’s life and that folks is significant! Thanks again for choosing to represent me, I am honored.”

“It was fun and I am glad I could help. Thanks for thinking of us. :-)”

“This is the last day for our Teacher Externship and we received very positive feedback! Thank you for reaching out to me in regards to the opportunity. We were able to build a great rapport with Terrell ISD for future opportunities with their students. I have included a few pictures for your reference.”

English, Language Arts and Reading

Geometry

U.S. History

Math

Science

Law

Career and Technical Education

Communications

Counselors

11th Grade Teachers

9th Grade Teachers

8th Grade Teachers

7th Grade Teachers

6th Grade Teachers

Counselors

Employers also had positive feedback:

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Foster Youth Summer Internship Pilot Program

Last year, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas partnered with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and Marshalls Department Store to establish a summer internship pilot program to provide foster youth the opportunity to develop marketable job skills and obtain professional work experience. The pilot project is a result of House Bill 1608, which was approved by the Texas Legislature during the 85th Session in 2017.

Marshalls Department Store provided subsidized work experience to three foster youth at one location during this initial pilot. The goal is to start small, with the potential to expand the opportunity to other store locations. Marshalls is a committed partner and has agreed to host the second cohort of foster youth next summer.

This pilot program is an important part of ensuring that the tens of thousands of youth in Texas’ foster care system have meaningful career opportunities when they age out of the system.

Facilitating Career Exploration – Career Coach

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) continues to invest in Career Coach, an online career search program developed by Emsi, to expand access to career and educational exploration services.

Career Coach provides assessments to guide users to careers aligned with their strengths and interests. Users then review the identified occupations to learn about the demand, wages, growth potential and typical educational requirements. The site provides the user with information on educational programs available within their region which would aide in working toward the occupation. The tool also provides a customizable resume builder to assist our students and job seekers in creating professional resumes that can be downloaded, and also offers a military code to occupation code translator.

WSNCT has deployed this tool by externally hosting it on our website, promoting use to our educational partners as an added-value service to their students and marketing its availability through our workforce centers for young adult and adult job-seekers.

Over the last year:

■ The site received 1,113 visitors

■ Top-reviewed programs included accounting, healthcare and computer-based

■ More than 250 individuals completed assessments

■ Nearly 80 resumes were created and downloaded

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Summer Earn and Learn Program

Through the Summer Earn and Learn (SEAL) Program, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) partners with the Texas Workforce Commission’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services (TWC-VRS) to provide students with disabilities, ages 14-22, with employability skills training and paid work experience for five weeks during the summer. 2018 marked just the second year of this relatively new, statewide initiative.

WSNCT center staff and TWC-VRS collaborated to refer a total of 423 students from our 14-county region to the program. A cohort of 333 students attended a workforce orientation, and 290 students completed employability skills training. Ultimately, 232 students successfully completed five weeks of paid work experience, exceeding our goal of 217.

Employer partnerships were the key to this success, as 78 local employers participated in the program at over 140 worksites, with CVS alone having 54 locations.

The 2018 SEAL Program was highly successful and proved to have been vastly positive for all parties involved. Once the program ended, 28 students received an offer of continued, full-time employment with various employers throughout the region. WSNCT collected over 114 success stories from participants, parents and employers, with many participants reporting experiences and outcomes such as the following:

■ Increased confidence in self and outlook for the future

■ Strengthening of weaknesses including social, cognitive and decision-making

■ Real-world learning of work skills

■ Increased feelings of being a working member of society

■ Exploring of potential career paths

■ Opportunities to start and prove oneself

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Medical Professional Institute

ABOX Packaging

CVS

Terrell Chamber of Commerce

Wendy’s

Holiday Inn

Embassy Suites

Summer Earn and Learn Program Participants

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Sienna loved working and she was so proud of herself when she bought a shirt and socks with her own money. She was so happy to go to the store and get herself some food, puzzles and coloring books that she wanted. She pulled $100 out which she bought herself the shirt and socks and she was able to put the rest in her envelopes that she designated for her money earned, to save and buy herself the things she needs and wants (money management).

Thank you, so much for this opportunity. She really flourished from this experience.

As her parent, I am so glad this opportunity is available for our special needs community, knowing from experience the feeling of being turned away from places, seeking to gain work experience. Without this program she would not have had this opportunity at all!

Sienna’s Parent

“I had a great time working in the pharmacy! I learned a lot and I was glad I was able to get first-hand experience in working in a retail pharmacy. Everyone in the pharmacy was so nice, helpful and patient with me as I was learning the work flow.

It made me more confident about choosing a career path in the medical field. I was actually able to be hired as a Customer Service Associate in Walgreens, and I will be transferred to a Walgreens when I go back to school for the fall 2018 semester. I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of the Summer Earn and Learn program, it has helped me immensely!”

Kassidy, SEAL Participant

“Emma made an excellent first impression! She is great with my customers! Throughout the sum-mer she continued to impress the team at CVS with her professional-ism, punctuality and dependabil-ity. The team really appreciated Emma’s ability to take on new challenges.”

CVS, Participating SEAL Employer

Emma’s can-do attitude and hard work were rewarded when she was offered continued employment with CVS.

At the end of the SEAL program, Ben was offered continued employment with Computer Crushers.

Francisca, SEAL Participant

This is my first job and I feel

comfortable. Like, I fit in.

Having this opportunity with the SEAL program,

I finally feel successful.

Rodney, SEAL Participant

I would like to thank the SEAL program for giving my son the opportunity to work this summer. I cannot express the gratitude I felt to see how proud my son was walk-ing into CVS. My heart was filled with joy when he received his first check and he said: “I finally feel successful,” I’m sure you can imagine the flood of tears I shed! That made my day! Thank you all for doing such an awesome job.

Rodney’s Parent

“Ben immediately dove right in and in a short time he was excelling. [We were] impressed with his punctuality, attention to detail and his love for electronics and components.”

Computer Crushers Participating SEAL Employer

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Promoting Excellence in Early Education

S E C T I O N I I

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Early Childhood Conference

Partnering with local child care providers and related organizations to promote early education excellence remains one of Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas’ (WSNCT) top priorities.

In June 2018, WSNCT hosted its 4th annual Early Childhood Conference in Hurst, with a theme of “Bright From the Start.” Child care facility owners, directors, teachers and caregivers attended workshops that addressed outdoor play, brain development in young children, leadership, professionalism and other related topics.

Ruth Anne Hammond, a nationally known author and mentor, served as the keynote speaker. Over 200 participants attended the one-day conference.

Professional Development

Throughout the past year, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas offered a variety of training opportunities to child care providers as a part of its initiative to promote quality child care practices.

■ 100 caregivers graduated from the 120-hour Child Development Associate (CDA) course. 25 caregivers received their CDA credential by September 2017.

■ 18 participants were awarded an Early Childhood Management Institute administrator’s Credential.

■ Nine students who were employed at Texas Rising Star (TRS) facilities were awarded scholarships to take classes in early childhood education and child development at colleges or universities.

■ 31 training sessions were offered throughout the region, and over 700 early childhood professionals benefitted from quality training in early childhood education and child development.

■ 236 scholarships were awarded to early childhood professionals to attend local, state or national conferences, including events organized by Conscious Discipline, the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children and the Association for Early Learning Leaders.

Child Development Associate Graduation, Little Elm, Texas June 2018

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Early Learning Resources

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) provided over $115,000 in grants during Fiscal Year 2018 for Texas Rising Star (TRS) providers. TRS is the state’s child care quality rating improvement system. These grants allowed providers to enhance their centers with new equipment and materials to ensure quality learning environments were available for the children they serve.

Additionally, WSNCT provided over $87,000 in grants to TRS providers who requested early childhood curricula for children ages 3-5 years. TRS providers who received a curriculum were provided training on how to implement the curriculum in the classroom.

Finally, WSNCT partnered with Scholastic Book Fairs again and sponsored Reading Oasis Centers for 11 more TRS providers. These centers continue to provide a place where families can read together. The goal is to promote early literacy and family involvement at our region’s TRS child care facilities.

Workforce Solutions for North

Central Texas (WSNCT) provided

over $115,000 in grants during

Fiscal Year 2018 for Texas Rising

Star (TRS) providers.

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Developing & Maintaining a High-Impact Technology Platform

S E C T I O N I I I

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Going Paperless

One of Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas’ (WSNCT) primary focus areas is developing and maintaining a high-impact technology platform that attracts participants, employers and job seekers, while also allowing individuals and organizations to share data, ideas and opportunities efficiently in order to maximize the value of our workforce systems. To this end, WSNCT is pursuing a number of key, technology-related initiatives, one of which is our purposeful use of Laserfiche.

After a robust procurement process, WSNCT selected DocuNav to implement an Enterprise Content Management (ECM) System. The Laserfiche applica-tion is designed to create a paperless environment for the management and maintenance of programmatic documentation and customer/participant case files. The application will automate business processes to increase efficiencies across all programs and special projects administered by WSNCT.

Our Child Care Program was the initial program to transition to the Laserfiche environment, in November 2017. Thereafter, Workforce Investment Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs, Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Rapid Response were the next programs to automate their processes utilizing Laserfiche, effective September 2018. The remaining programs scheduled to transition to Laserfiche are

Choices, Non-Custodial Parents (NCP) Choices, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which are scheduled for implementation during September 2019.

Managing Business Relations Utilizing CRM

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas’ (WSNCT) newly upgraded Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool launched in early 2018. The CRM is used primarily by the Business Development Unit, but its purpose for the organization is to track and document activity with regional partners, including employers, economic development entities and independent school districts – whose collaborative efforts are so critical to achievement of our regional workforce development goals.

CRM has the ability to automate outreach to employers and partners for participation in our yearly programs, such as iWork, Hiring Red White & You! and Summer Earn and Learn, and to track workforce services that have been provided to employers. The layout has been customized to easily compile information and create customized reports to share with our board members and other stakeholders. Training on this important system for workforce staff will begin in late January 2019, expanding our outreach to employers and community stakeholders.

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Delivering Results That Matter to the Region

S E C T I O N I V

FINANCIAL UPDATE

CONTRACTED PERFORMANCE

BY THE NUMBERS

COUNTYTOTAL JOB SEEKER VISITS4

TOTAL INDIVIDUALS TRAINED5

TRAINING EXPENDITURES6

Collin and Rockwall 21,387 66 $399,419.00

Denton and Wise 9,930 59 $159,711.79

Ellis 12,376 27 $116,335.19

Erath 3,403 6 $38,673.00

Hood and Somervell 4,081 13 $41,567.68

Hunt 6,540 15 $132,607.00

Johnson 6,803 14 $69,928.00

Kaufman 9,193 17 $91,284.00

Navarro 11,205 20 $112,806.72

Palo Pinto and Parker 3,479 25 $79,798.00

Mobile Workforce Unit 1,471 0 $0.00

TOTAL 89,868 262 $1,242,130.38

CHILD CARE$55 MILLION

OTHER$2.9 MILLION

WORKFORCE$18.4 MILLION

6,715

320

29,025

10,002

18,152

Children Served Per Day, On Average1

Young Adults Served2

Job Seekers Receiving Intensive Services3

Employers Receiving Workforce Assistance2

Claimants Gaining Reemployment Within 10 Weeks2

4 CSTR Database with a parameter period of 10/1/2017 to 9/30/2018 5 TWIST Web Reports – (37) Management Summary; 10/1/2017 to 9/30/20186 WORCS System – ITA Payments; 10/1/2017 to 9/30/2018

1 WSNCT FY18 Forecasting Profile 2 TWC Final Release, September 20183 TWC Qualifying Service, September 2018 (New Definition)

TOTAL$76.3 MILLION

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WSNCT and Our Partners Earn Prestigious State and National Honors

Foster Youth Award

In November, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) was honored to receive the Foster Youth Award for two consecutive years during the 22nd Annual Texas Workforce Conference in Houston, Texas. “This was the second year the Texas Workforce Commission recognized a workforce board for outreach and recruitment efforts to foster youth,” said David Setzer, WSNCT Executive Director. “In recognition of this award, we received $30,000 to go towards additional foster youth initiatives in our region.”

Local Employer of Excellence Award Honoring Medical Surgical & Compcare - Enviva

Medical Surgical & Compcare – Enviva (MSAC- Enviva) received the Employer Award of Excellence for the Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas area at the Texas Workforce Commission’s 22nd Annual Texas Workforce Conference held in Houston, Texas. The award honors private sector employers that are actively involved with Texas Workforce Solutions and have made a positive impact on employers, workers and the community.

Foster Youth Award

Local Employer of Excellence Award Honoring Medical Surgical & Compcare - Enviva

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Texas Rising Star Quality Child Care Award

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) was honored to receive the Texas Rising Star Quality Child Care Award at the Texas Workforce Commission Conference in the amount of $75,000. This exemplary award honors Local Workforce Development Boards that have improved the quality of child care through the creation of exemplary projects that foster implementation and growth. “I am honored that Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas received this prestigious award,” said David Setzer, WSNCT Executive Director.

Weatherford ISD Adult Education and Literacy Award

Weatherford Independent School District, in partnership with Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas, was recognized by the Texas Workforce Commission for an Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) award for high school equivalency achievement, totaling $50,000. The AEL award recognizes partners who demonstrate exemplary performance and outstanding AEL service delivery in partnership with employers, community colleges and workforce boards.

Achievement of Excellence in Procurement© (AEP) Award

In July 2018, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT), in partnership with North Central Texas Council of Governments, received the annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement® (AEP) Award from the National Procurement Institute, Inc. (NPI) for the eighth consecutive year. The AEP Award recognizes organizational excellence in public procurement. WSNCT is one of only 48 agencies in Texas and one of only 29 special districts in the United States and Canada to receive the award. Additionally, WSNCT is the only workforce board in the country to achieve this award.

Texas Rising Star Quality Child Care Award

Weatherford ISD Adult Education and Literacy Award

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provide low-cost physical exams for K-12 students, which helps students to be more health-conscious and have the ability to focus on their education. The

employer also accommodates staff and parents by doing onsite physicals at area schools. Physicals and drug screenings are provided to the ISDs’ bus drivers, and a portion of the fees charged are donated back to each school district. MSAC-Enviva also

provides support to the local police, fire departments and EMTs by providing battery-operated flares for emergency vehicles and other safety equipment. This demonstrates how important community and resident safety is to the employer.

WSNCT is proud to have MSAC-Enviva as a part of the regional employer community, and fully supports the efforts and partnerships this employer has made in order to make its home base of Corsicana a great place to live and work. Thank you for being such a great partner!

Medical Surgical and Compcare (MSAC-Enviva) is truly a model employer of the community. This past year, the employer partnered with Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) to interview and hire candidates for their open positions. MSAC- Enviva utilizes WSNCT’s On-The-Job Training (OJT) and Subsidized Work Experience (SWE) workforce programs to hire and train staff, and in 2017, the employer successfully completed 5 OJT and 3 SWE contracts.

The main goal of these programs is to help students and young adults realize their career potential, and through participation in such workforce programs, MSAC-Enviva has been able to train and prepare workers for careers in the medical field. In addition to training, MSAC-Enviva provides non-monetary incentives to ensure that employees are happy and thriving in their workplace.

Further demonstrating its community commitment, MSAC-Enviva works closely with local ISDs to

CVS Health is more than your local drugstore. A dynamic employer that has contributed to the overall strength and economic impact of the state of Texas with its commitment to serving the local community, CVS Health is an active and invaluable workforce partner. The company demonstrates that commitment by bridging challenging situations to achieve opportunities for entry-level workers across the state, as evidenced by its recent, pacesetting participation in the Summer Earn and Learn initiative.

The Texas Workforce Commission launched the Summer Earn and Learn initiative across Texas with a mandate calling for the placement of in-school youth with disabilities in a paid work experience for at least five weeks. With approximately 90 days to prepare

and launch, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) jumped at the chance to implement the program. CVS Health and its Workforce Initiatives department worked hand in hand with WSNCT and

Texas Workforce Commission Vocational Rehabilitation Services to make the program a success. CVS Health took the opportunity to truly step out of the box and provide innovative solutions for the workforce system as a whole.

CVS Health ultimately hosted over 150 youth with disabilities in paid work environments throughout North Texas. We expect the long-term results to produce an increase in confidence among young disabled adults that they can successfully apply for and retain employment.

Thank you, CVS Health, for being such a great partner in workforce initiatives!

Small Employer of the Year Nominee

Large Employer of the Year Nominee

Employers of the Year — North Central Texas Regional Nominees

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Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxilliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. For the hearing impaired, call TDD 1-800-735-2989 or VOICE 1-800-725-2988. Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas services are provided based on eligibility.

P.O. Box 5888Arlington, TX 76005-5888PHONE (817) 695-9184FAX (817) 640-6480

TOLL FREE (888) 548-WORK (9675) dfwjobs.com

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