Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution accepts a staff report from the Community Development Division (CDD) regarding youth and adult employment in Madison. The report outlines the process that will be used as the basis for a competitive request for proposal (RFP) process awarding funds to community organizations to provide programming geared towards connecting individuals with employment. Recommendations from the RFP process will be used to award funding in CDD’s 2018 operating budget. The 2017 Adopted Operating Budget includes $1,369,283 in General Fund support for these contacts.
Title
Accepting the Community Development Division staff paper entitled “Building Human Capital: Youth and Adult Employment Initiative” as the basis for developing a Request for Proposals process, and authorizing CDD to undertake that process in 2017 to allocate funds authorized by the Common Council for use beginning in 2018.
Body
WHEREAS, the Community Development Division, in consultation with the Community Services Committee, is responsible for formulating recommendations to the Mayor and Common Council regarding the use of City resources which are budgeted for community services and to be purchased by the City from private, non-profit agencies; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to RES-16-00354, in which the Common Council accepted the 2016 Community Development Division Funding Process Study prepared by Forward Community Investments and committed to consideration of its recommendations for funding reforms, including a funding framework in which youth and adult employment programs are seen as two parts of a new Focal Area identified as “Building Human Capital”; and
WHEREAS, the Community Services Committee and staff, have completed a review of “Building Human Capital: Youth and Adult Employment Initiative” documents, invited input from community stakeholders and other government and private bodies, and will consider and incorporate input into the subsequent Request for Proposal; and
WHEREAS, the Community Services Committee and CDD staff have been charged with the allocation of City resources through a competitive application process and in consideration of recommendations of the FCI report and the framework presented in the policy paper the following changes will be introduced into the 2017 process:
• A stated focus on residents experiencing multiple barriers to employment
• Introduction of a defined service continuum with a variety of program models that respond to a range of levels of work readiness.
• A structure that addresses the needs of residents that may “age out” of the youth employment system and have difficulty accessing adult employment services.
• Movement toward standardized outcomes that focus on job placement, wage increases, retention and consistent tracking of this data over time.
• Encouragement of collaborative work between providers to ensure intergenerational focus, coordination of efforts and standardization of curriculum.
• A three to five-year commitment to selected projects dependent on funds available and acceptable performance.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council accepts the Community Development Division staff paper entitled “Building Human Capital: Youth and Adult Employment Initiative” as the basis for developing a Request for Proposals process, and authorizes CDD to undertake that process in 2017 to allocate funds designated by the Common Council for use beginning in 2018.