West Piedmont Workforce Investment Board

ON BEHALF OF A MULTI-PARTNER COLLABORATION, THE WEST PIEDMONT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD (NEW APPLICANT CATEGORY B RURAL) SEEKS 1,500,000 TO PROVIDE A YOUTHBUILD CONSTRUCTION PLUS PROGRAM TO SERVE 65 DISADVANTAGED YOUTH RESIDING IN THE COUNTIES OF HENRY, PATRICK, AND PITTSYLVANIA AND THE CITIES OF DANVILLE AND MARTINSVILLE IN SOUTHSIDE VIRGINIA. WEST PIEDMONT YOUTHBUILD INTEGRATES IN-DEMAND, INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED, CREDENTIAL-BASED TRAINING AND WORK READINESS SKILLS WHILE PROVIDING WRAPAROUND SERVICES, COACHING, AND MENTORING TO PROMOTE PARTICIPANT SUCCESS. THESE EFFORTS WILL ASSIST PARTICIPANTS IN OBTAINING EMPLOYMENT THAT LEADS TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY ALONG AN IDENTIFIED CAREER PATHWAY IN CONSTRUCTION OR HEALTHCARE. THE PROGRAM ALIGNS PARTNERS, SERVICES, AND RESOURCES TO INFLUENCE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR CHANGE AND EMPOWER YOUTH THROUGH EMPLOYMENT IN MEANINGFUL CAREERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND HEALTHCARE INDUSTRIES. FOUNDATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING ADDRESS BARRIERS THAT OFTEN IMPEDE YOUTH FROM SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING, EARNING CREDENTIALS, AND ATTAINING (AND RETAINING) EMPLOYMENT.FUNDS WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT OPERATIONAL COSTS FOR PERSONNEL, TRAVEL, AND SUPPLIES. CONTRACTUAL COSTS ARE ALLOCATED FOR (1) ROSS INNOVATIVE EMPLOYMENT SOLUTIONS, WIOA OPERATOR, TO STAFF A PROGRAM MANAGER AND CASE MANAGER POSITION, (2) THE WEST PIEDMONT REGIONAL ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING, (3) HABITAT FOR HUMANITY TO SUPPORT COSTS OF THE DWELLING BEING CONSTRUCTED, (4) TRANSFR VR FOR A VIRTUAL REALITY PROGRAM TO SUPPORT SKILL PRACTICE IN A LOW-RISK ENVIRONMENT, AND (5) FISCAL AGENT SERVICES.OTHER COSTS HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED TO SUPPORT (1) PARTICIPANT SERVICES INCLUDING OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, INCENTIVES, AND TRANSPORTATION COSTS, (3) BUSINESS SERVICES AND HIRING EVENTS, (4) OUTREACH, (5) A PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOL, (5) STAFF OCCUPANCY AND PHONES, AND (6) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS. MATCH FUNDS FROM THE HARVEST FOUNDATION, A HOSPITAL CONVERSION FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED IN 2002 FROM THE SALE OF A COMMUNITY HOSPITAL, WILL PROVIDE START-UP FUNDS AS WELL AS FUNDS ALLOCATED FOR GUIDED CAREER EXPLORATION PARTICIPANTS TO BE CO-ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM. ADDITIONAL MATCH FUNDS ARE PROVIDED BY PATRICK HENRY COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR TWO- THIRDS OF TUITION COSTS FROM THEIR FASTFORWARD CONSTRUCTION AND HEALTHCARE TRAININGS PROVIDED IN THE PROGRAM. TOTAL MATCH AMOUNT IS 375,010. TOTAL COST PER PARTICIPANT OF APPROXIMATELY 28,846.THE REGIONAL ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM AND PATRICK HENRY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AS SUBRECIPIENTS, WILL PROVIDE, RESPECTIVELY, FOUNDATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING. FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING INCLUDES ACADEMIC AND EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS TO HELP YOUTH DEVELOP THEIR BASIC SKILLS AND OR EARN A SECONDARY CREDENTIAL AS WELL AS HELPING YOUTH DEVELOP THEIR PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS, SUCH AS TEAMWORK, LEADERSHIP, AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS, ANGER AND ANXIETY MANAGEMENT, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, AND GRIT. OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING CAREER PATHWAYS TARGET THE CONSTRUCTION AND HEALTHCARE CAREER PATHWAYS IN ALIGNMENT WITH IN-DEMANDS JOB IN THE REGION. PARTICIPANTS WILL EARN INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED CREDENTIALS IN COLLABORATION WITH PATRICK HENRY COMMUNITY COLLEGES FASTFORWARD TRAINING AND, UPON COMPLETION, CAN TRANSITION INTO EMPLOYMENT OR ADVANCED EDUCATION AT PATRICK HENRY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. YOUTH WILL PRACTICE SKILLS AND PROVIDE COMMUNITY SERVICE BY CONSTRUCTING A DWELLING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY. ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICE SKILLS ARE PRACTICED IN FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING AS INDUSTRY SPECIFIC CAPSTONE PROJECTS FACILITATED BY ADULT EDUCATION.SEE ATTACHMENT D FOR REMAINDER (CHARACTER LIMIT)