TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute an amendment, and all necessary documents or subcontracts including any subsequent amendments extending the grant term or changing the amount of the award, to the City of Los Angeles Agreement Number 141843 between the City of Los Angeles and the City of Long Beach, Pacific Gateway Workforce Innovation Network, to accept and spend up to $1,104,556 in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds, to continue operations of the Harbor Gateway WorkSource Center, for the period of June 30, 2022 through June 30, 2023. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
City Council approval is requested to enter into contract with the City of Los Angeles, Economic, and Workforce Development Department for a total amount of $1,104,556 in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds, to continue operations of the Harbor Gateway WorkSource Center.
Pacific Gateway Workforce Innovation Network (Pacific Gateway) administers the Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and other employment and training funds received annually by the City of Long Beach (City). Those funds support job training programs and business services delivered by the Workplace, Harbor Gateway WorkSource Center, FutureLB, and selected community-based organizations to assist residents to acquire skills leading to employment in high-demand occupations with local employers.
Pacific Gateway operates the San Pedro-based Harbor Gateway WorkSource Center (Center) on behalf of the communities surrounding the Los Angeles Harbor under a contract with the City of Los Angeles. That Center functions similarly to other Pacific Gateway job centers by providing training and employment assistance to adults and dislocated workers and partnering with businesses to meet their workforce needs.
The contractual relationship with the City of Los Angeles and its Workforce Development Board continues to bridge strategies, allowing the neighboring Long Beach and Los Angeles communities to work together better in tapping into regional employment opportunities, including those of the Harbor area and its twin ports.
On June 30, 2022, the City of Los Angeles notified Pacific Gateway that it would receive $979,556 in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WlOA) funds for continued baseline services to residents and services for the program year 2022-2023. On January 31, 2023, the City of Los Angeles amended the original contract and added an additional $125,000, for a total award amount of $1,104,556.
One key strategy will be Pacific Gateway's continued use of the resources to provide vocational and skills development training to residents who are unemployed or underemployed. The training comes in customized and on-the-job training developed and negotiated between the local business and Pacific Gateway or can occur through more traditional classroom-based training. For the latter, the State maintains a master database of approved training Institutions and programs through the California Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL). To ensure that local skill training investments lead to employment, customers accessing training services choose from the State-approved vendors on the ETPL utilizing Pacific Gateway's labor market information, industry partnerships, and one-on-one staff assistance in interpreting employment trends.
Based on customer usage of the hundreds of local ETPL vendors, Pacific Gateway reimburses training providers for services at pre-determined rates up to $7,500 for vocational and skills development completion. In addition, prior approvals from the City Council authorized the City Manager to execute required non-financial master Education Agreements with each training provider and process any necessary documents to reimburse the ETPL training providers - consistent with federal WlOA regulations and with the State's ETPL Policy and Guidance. Continued approval by the City Council for these actions is requested.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Monica Kilaita on April 4, 2023, and by Budget Management Officer Nader Kaamoush May 1, 2023.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action to award contracts concurrently is requested on May 16, 2023, to ensure the contracts are in place expeditiously.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City will be awarded grant funding in the amount of $1,104,556. Sufficient appropriation to expend the grant is currently budgeted in the Community Development Grants Fund Group in the Economic Development Department. The grant will require a Resource Sharing Agreement for local partners to identify the shared costs contributed to the WorkSource Center. These costs are in-kind and can be leveraged through current staff time and workshops. This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with existing City Council priorities. Approval of this recommendation will result in employment preparation, placement, and retention services for several thousand residents.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
BO MARTINEZ
DIRECTOR
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
APPROVED:
THOMAS B. MODICA
CITY MANAGER