The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Recovery Act) was
signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. The Recovery Act will bring more than $8.5 million to our local community for job training, employment services and summer jobs for youth--funding that must be spent quickly, effectively, and transparently.
This page is intended to provide up-to-date information on Recovery Act dollars that will support employment and training services for people in Seattle-King County.
LATEST ARRA NEWS FROM THE WDC:
- Three green jobs grants awarded! These partnerships will train as many as 2,000 people in King County and Puget Sound for jobs in the "green economy." Learn more...
- Youth@Work 2009--the ARRA-funded summer jobs program for young people--was a success. Almost 900 Seattle-King County young people worked in paid internships this summer and learned a wide variety of skills. Learn more...
What is the WDC's role?
The Workforce Development Council is responsible for overseeing Recovery Act (ARRA) dollars that are allocated through the Department of Labor under the Workforce Investment Act and then through the state of Washington for our area. We are also competing for Recovery Act workforce funding through national grant competitions.
Other recovery funding besides that overseen directly by the WDC will impact workforce services, job creation and social services. The WDC is working with other systems receiving Recovery Act funds to make the most of this opportunity for the community.
What are the rules of ARRA funding?
Recovery Act workforce funds are intended to help a large number of people return to family-sustaining work and to put young people to work during the summer.
These funds (like the Workforce Investment Act funds we receive each year) are in three streams: WIA adult, for low-income individuals in general; WIA dislocated worker, for people who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own; and WIA youth, for at-risk young people ages 16 to 24.
The funds are subject to all the eligibility requirements and restrictions as regular WIA funds, with several important exceptions:
- We can use funds to purchase classes at local community colleges or other training providers, instead of being restricted to training vouchers that jobseeker customers can take to the training provider of their choice. This means ARRA can expand the capacity of the training system to accommodate more students. The first of these cohorts was a nursing class in summer quarter 2009 at South Seattle Community College; seven more classes are beginning this fall.
- The Recovery Act specifically requires summer 2009 work experiences for young people. Almost 900 young people worked this summer through the Recovery Act. Learn more...
- Youth are eligible through age 24 instead of age 21.
How much money and when?
On April 3, the WDC received the following figures for our local WIA allocation of ARRA funds:
WIA Funding Stream: |
WDC of Seattle-King County Allocation: |
Adult |
$1,322,940 |
Dislocated Worker |
$4,075,428 |
Youth |
$3,111,122 |
Total |
$8,509,490 |
The state uses an allocation formula to determine how much Seattle-King County and the other 11 workforce areas of the state receive.
Below are the total allocations for Washington state:
WIA Funding Stream: |
WA State Allocation |
Adult |
$9,694,268 |
Dislocated Worker |
$22,142,010 |
Youth |
$23,445,432 |
In addition, the Recovery Act has released $750 million nationwide in competitive grants for workforce services in high-demand sectors, $500 million of which will be designated for green jobs.
How are workforce funds spent?
The key themes of the Recovery Act workforce funds are:
- Green jobs
- Sector strategies
- Summer 2009 jobs for youth
- Regional strategies and collaboration
The majority of the funding has been contracted out to service providers and some has remained at the WDC for oversight and planning.
Who provides ARRA services?
On March 27, the WDC released a Request for Proposals for the purpose of selecting summer 2009 youth services providers. Awards were approved by the WDC Executive Committee on April 17:
Provider |
Amount |
| City of Seattle Youth Employment Program (with multiple partners) |
$1,130,543 |
King County Work Training Program (with multiple partners) |
$1,614,445 |
Total |
$2,744,988 |
Most adult and dislocated worker ARRA funds were released along with formula WIA funding through the 2009 WIA RFP process. TOTAL WIA formula + Recovery Act awards:
Provider |
Adult |
Dislocated |
Total Award |
| King County Work Training Program |
|
$2.5 M |
$2.5 million |
| Pacific Associates |
$1.1 M |
$1.4 M |
$2.5 million |
| TRAC Associates |
$500,000 |
$1.85 M |
$2.35 million |
| ACRS |
$300,000 |
$200,000 |
$500,000 |
| Neighborhood House |
$500,000 |
|
$500,000 |
Multi-Service Center |
$500,000 |
|
$500,000 |
Total |
|
|
$8.8 million |
On April 10, the WDC released a Request for Qualifications inviting training providers to propose programs that lead to sustainable jobs. As a result of this competitive process, the WDC has purchased eight cohort classes at local community and technical colleges in fields such as health care, information technology, and project management. |
