Investment Guide

The Basic Food Employment and Training (BFET) program offers employment readiness opportunities to recipients of Basic Food (SNAP) who are not enrolled in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. It focuses on aiding low-income individuals and displaced workers in reaching their potential through skill acquisition and employment.

Eligibility Requirements:

• You must receive Basic Food Assistance.

• Ability to work or engage in activities for at least 20 hours per week with a case manager.

• Participation is voluntary in Washington State.

• Additional criteria may apply for higher education students.

• Not eligible if receiving TANF or State Food Assistance (FAP).

• More details and services are available on Washington Connection.

Services Provided:

• Guided job search

• Job training, including resume and interview skill enhancement

• Vocational training

• General education, including GED and certification programs

The WDC works with WIOA service provider partners to offer BFET services, co-enrolling eligible participants to leverage resources and meet the needs of jobseekers. Partners offering BFET services include:

• Asian Counseling & Referral Service

• TRAC Associates

• Pacific Associates

Investment: $99,563

Career Corps aids unemployed King County residents, many of whom have been affected by the pandemic, in establishing long-term career pathways for improved jobs and pay. The program offers subsidized employment, work-based learning, training, and case management services. Further support includes:

• Job training and placement

• Upskilling for low-wage workers and those with lower educational attainment

• Aid for dislocated workers and those severely affected by the pandemic

Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, Career Corps operates through a collaboration between King County and the Workforce Development Council. It builds on the successful model of the WDC's Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant Program, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Service Provider Partners:

• Asian Counseling & Referral Service

• Neighborhood House

• Pacific Associates

• TRAC Associates

• YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish

Investment: $1,758,365

Economic Security for All (EcSA) is a poverty reduction initiative in Washington that enhances existing programs to support low-income residents in their quest for equity and self-sufficiency. Through intensive navigation, local innovation, and flexible support, EcSA fills gaps within existing programs. Managed by Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs), including the Workforce Development Council (WDC) in Seattle-King County, it emphasizes historically marginalized populations, fostering innovation in reducing poverty.

Background and Funding:

• Launched as a pilot in 2019 by Governor Inslee using $12 million from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Statewide Activities funds.

• Initial funding supported four local partnerships; a second round in June 2021 added seven more, including Seattle-King County.

• The Seattle-King County version of EcSA was inaugurated in October 2021.

• In 2022, a new round of $5.4 million was granted, with an extra $1.4 million to expand the program to individuals at risk of falling below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

• 15% of EcSA enrollments can now serve individuals above 200% of FPL but at risk of dropping below.

Federal EcSA:

• Known as the Federal EcSA program due to its funding source.

• Focuses on households exceeding 200% of FPL but at risk of falling into poverty.

State EcSA:

• Recognizing the success of the EcSA Initiative, $6.2 million in state general funds were allocated in 2022 to expand local Federal EcSA programs.

• Additional funding in 2023 includes $2.6 million to serve individuals over 200% of FPL but at risk of poverty.

• State funds are not restricted by WIOA regulations, allowing more flexibility and innovation.

• The WDC received and expanded this fund, initiating its State EcSA program in July 2022.

Program Priorities:

1. Achieve or surpass local and statewide goals for helping people attain self-sufficiency, showcasing EcSA as an effective model for alleviating poverty equitably.

2. Integrate WIOA and non-WIOA services (e.g., nutrition assistance, housing) to provide stability for customers with convenience and dignity.

3. Create and execute tailored career plans to ensure 100% participant income adequacy, using the UW self-sufficiency calculator.

4. Offer comprehensive wrap-around services to support stability as customers follow their customized career plans until they achieve income adequacy.

5. Engage Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities, rural areas, and people experiencing poverty in program design and execution.

6. Collaborate across local, state, and federal levels to eliminate obstacles in delivering multiple benefits.

Eligibility:

• 18 years or older.

• Legal work entitlement in the U.S.

• Selective Service Registration for qualifying males (Not required for State EcSA).

• Household income below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level or at risk of falling into poverty, as defined by the UW Self-Sufficiency Calculator and factors such as recent or upcoming unemployment, change in family size, housing loss, ending of public assistance, domestic violence, or criminal legal system impact.

• WDC program director may approve other specific circumstances.

Available Program Services:

• Basic Career Services: Job readiness workshops, skills assessment, labor market information, job search.

• Individualized Career Services: Employment plan creation, personalized career planning, workshops on resume building, LinkedIn, interviewing, referrals to education/training programs.

• Training Services: Work-based training (e.g., On-the-job, Registered Apprenticeship), Occupational Skills Training.

• Financial Literacy Training: Three components - Money Mechanics (personal finance basics), 1:1 Financial Coaching, 2:1 Savings Match.

$500 Monthly Flexible Financial Assistance Pilot for State Funded EcSA Program:

The State EcSA program introduces a special pilot study, in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, King County, Applied Inference, and JP Morgan Chase. This initiative provides $500 in monthly flexible financial support to certain State-funded EcSA program participants aged 18+ in King County.

Objective: The pilot's main aim is to evaluate the impact of the $500 monthly financial assistance on aspects like education completion, pre-employment support persistence, or job retention. It seeks to address the "benefits cliff" and "benefits plateau" effects, where income growth leads to loss or stagnation of public assistance, leaving families financially strained.

Potential Impact: The flexible assistance could help mitigate these negative effects, motivating individuals towards career advancement, thereby enhancing their path to economic stability and self-sufficiency.

Program Highlights (up to June 2023):

• Participants: 356 individuals received career services through State and Federal EcSA programs.

• Training and Placement: 178 were enrolled in occupational skills training, with 140 successfully placed in jobs meeting their income adequacy goals.

• Financial Assistance: 90 participants received $500/month for up to 8 months.

• Employment Success: Over 50% found a job after enrollment in the program.

Special Thanks to Our Service Providers:

• TRAC Associates

• Neighborhood House

• Asian Counseling & Referral Services

• YWCA | Seattle | King | Snohomish

Investment: $1,853,713

In July of 2022, the WDC deepened our partnership with ESD through the use and expansion of the self-sufficiency calculator to all state Economic Security for All programs. As part of this investment, the WDC provides training and technical support to all Workforce Development Areas in Washington, in addition to working with stakeholders to identify future improvements and to perform regular updates.

The WDC created the Self-Sufficiency Calculator in 2007 in partnership with the University of Washington's Center for Women's Welfare. The calculator uses the Self-Sufficiency Standard income for Washington State, which is the minimum income a family must make to meet basic expenses without public assistance. The calculator considers 700 different family types with cost adjustments for the different regions across Washington. The standard measures the factors of family composition, such as the age of their children, which impacts their childcare costs and ultimately their bottom line.

The use of the Self-Sufficiency Calculator in the ECSA program across the state is an investment that provides stakeholders with an accurate tool that they can use with a customer to measure a customer's wage as they enter the program and to use it to record their increased income after enrollment, and the overall impact of the program.

Investing: $44,802

The Employment Supports for Individuals Impacted by the Criminal Legal System (ESIICLS) project aims to increase access to employment, training, and education for individuals who have interacted with the criminal legal system. The program operates through community-led organizations to provide targeted and responsive services. The focus is on those disproportionately affected in BIPOC, immigrant, and rural populations.

• Funded by the King County Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) and Community Services Operating (CSO) Fund.

• Managed by the Adult Services Division (ASD) of the King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), responsible for achieving and monitoring outcomes.

• The program is managed by the WDC, working with 5 community partners specializing in services for those impacted by the criminal legal system.

Service Providers:

• Chief Seattle Club

• Community Passageways

• Organization for Prostitution Survivors (OPS)

• TRAC Associates, with Africatown International & Evergreen Empowerment Group

• Weld Seattle

Investment: $475,000

The Hunger Relief Staffing and Services program aims to enhance food accessibility, reduce food insecurity, and foster economic opportunities by backing the operations of select food programs.

Funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant: Coronavirus (CDBG-CV), the program has established work-based learning and job opportunities for individuals with low to moderate incomes. It also helps sustain food banks and nutrition programs amidst the pandemic.

The program's commitments include:

• Offering 28 temporary, subsidized jobs at food programs in areas with high food insecurity

• Fostering partnerships with local food initiatives like food banks, community kitchens, and senior nutrition programs

• Funding project delivery costs, encompassing staff recruitment, placement, compensation, benefits, and training

• Filling staffing shortages due to insufficient funding

• Boosting staff capacity in food programs

Thanks to our team of service providers:

• Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS)

• Neighborhood House

• TRAC Associates

• YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish

Investment: $164,290

The King County Jobs and Housing Program aims to provide county-supported employment and housing assistance for 300-400 individuals experiencing homelessness and unemployment. It strives to stabilize participants' lives through temporary housing and employment, leading them towards permanent housing and job opportunities.

Service Coordination

• Program Staff and Providers: Coordination with Jobs & Housing Program staff, Emergency Shelter Providers, and Rapid Rehousing Providers.

• Service Requirements: Participants are likely to be housed in emergency shelters or transitional housing and connected with a case manager and a housing navigator.

• Service Provision and Coordination: Regular coordination with shelter case managers and housing navigators, including monthly check-ins and meetings to track progress.

Services Provided:

• Orientation: Introduction to available career services for Emergency Shelter Providers and Rapid Rehousing Providers.

• Counseling and Tools: Utilization of various tools and assessments such as Self Sufficiency Calculator, Map Your Career, Career Coach, etc., to help participants understand labor market demand, wages, training requirements, and cost of living.

Service Provider Partner: Neighborhood House

This program is actively committed to monitoring each participant's job and housing status throughout its duration, ensuring alignment with their needs, and providing essential coordination and support.

Investment: $505,035

The Quality Jobs, Equity, Strategy and Training (QUEST) program is a Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant (DWG) funded by the State of Washington Employment Security Department under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Its mission is to provide quality jobs to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing equity.

• Target Population: 885 individuals from Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC), rural communities, and other impacted populations.

• Training Fields: High-demand industries such as infrastructure, care economy, IT, maritime, and hospitality.

Services Include:

• Career Services: Tailored support for job recovery and development.

• Training and Supportive Services: Work-based learning and training aligned with participants' goals. These services encompass coordinated outreach, navigation, case-management, assessment, and career planning. The goal is to consistently inform and connect participants to resources, leading to quality, family-sustaining employment.

Service Provider Partners:

• Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS)

• Neighborhood House

• Pacific Associates

• TRAC Associates

• YWCA

Investment: $1,569,130

The Ticket to Work program aims to empower Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities by providing the necessary resources and support to gain and retain employment and achieve financial independence. The program enhances coordination between the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) and employment services for eligible participants, bolstering partnerships centered on employment services for DVR customers.

Participants can formulate an Individual Work Plan to achieve their career objectives and can benefit from immediate and long-term support for job retention and career progression. Offered services encompass:

• Career and benefits counseling

• Labor market and training information

• Assessment

• Employment placement and retention services

• Interactive workshops, labs, and job clubs

• Training and support services

Through a collaboration with DVR, qualified program participants can access coordinated vocational rehabilitation services based on their needs.

Service Provider Partners:

• Pacific Associates

• Washington State Department of Social and Health Services: Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Investment: $109,735

The Veterans, Seniors & Human Services Levy (King County) pursues several key objectives:

• Boosting racial equity and community-driven objectives within the region's workforce development strategy

• Pinpointing and serving marginalized communities that are currently underserved by the workforce system, with a focus on providing culturally and linguistically apt services

• Streamlining resources to fill system gaps, avoid duplications, and enhance efficiency

• Broadening access to training and career pathway navigation services

• Establishing a unified regional system for efficient industry engagement

Offered services include:

• Career counseling

• Labor market and training information

• Comprehensive assessments

• Employment placement and retention services

• Interactive workshops, labs, and job clubs

• Training and supportive services

• Incentive payments

Service Provider Partners:

• Asian Counseling & Referral Service, with Partner in Employment

• Neighborhood House

• TRAC Associates, with Africatown International, Pioneer Human Services, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, and Entre Hermanos

• YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish, with International Rescue Committee and Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle

Investment: $600,000