Staff is seeking Council direction on an opportunity to partner with Maricopa County to jointly fund a full-time Workforce Development Coordinator (WDC) to be located at a Maricopa County facility within Goodyear. (Jenna Goad, Assistant to the City Manager)

Goodyear and Maricopa County would evenly split the cost of the full-time WDC position. The city’s portion is estimated to be $53,400 annually. Funding for FY2024 will be transferred from the City Manager’s current year (FY2023) contingency account and funded as a one-time base expenditure in years two and three of the IGA. Maricopa County will provide the WDC with all necessary equipment, supplies, and workspace. A budget amendment for this funding will be included for council action if an IGA is brought forward for consideration by council.

Maricopa County is designated as a Local Workforce Development Area (LWDA) under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The county operates two comprehensive Workforce Development One Stop Career Centers (one in Glendale and one in Mesa). These centers provide employment-related services to job seekers and employers in Maricopa County, in accordance with the WIOA program regulations. The county also has agreements with Avondale, Gila Bend, Mesa, Queen Creek, Scottsdale, Surprise, Tempe, and Wickenburg to jointly fund a WDC who typically works out of a city facility such as a library or community center.  

Maricopa County has recently purchased property near 141st Avenue and McDowell Rd to operate a health clinic and Head Start preschool program. This presents an opportunity to jointly fund a WDC to be located at the site. The WDC would be a Maricopa County employee, and would work with Goodyear’s economic development and neighborhood services staff to act as a business liaison, trainer, career guidance specialist, and partner with the city to assist participants and businesses by:

• Enrolling WIOA eligible program participants
• Organizing workshops for job seekers to assist with job searches and the development of job retention skills and assessment tools for measuring interests, aptitude and skills, career exploration, and vocational training
• Providing eligible participant support services that may include funding assistance to enable participants to continue training, retain or obtain employment, and encourage successful program completion
• Directing job seekers toward activities that lead to the attainment of a secondary school diploma or its equivalent
• Organizing job fairs for local employers recruiting employees to fill vacant positions
• Providing employment-related case management and referral services  

In addition to all of the direct services this position provides, it also serves as an access point to all other Maricopa County Human Services Departments including senior and adult services, rental/utility assistance, homelessness prevention, and smart justice programs. Goodyear residents currently have access to these services through the Avondale Resource Center.

Currently, Goodyear residents must travel outside of the city to access these workforce development services. Adding a WDC at the county’s new Goodyear location will make these services easier for Goodyear residents to access, both because of its proximity and its co-location with other county services. This program is consistent with the priorities identified in the Community and Neighborhood Services Master Plan, Phase I: Human Services, and the city’s COVID response programs.

If there is Council consensus to proceed, staff will bring forward an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Maricopa County for Council’s consideration. The term of the agreement will be for a minimum of two years to ensure there is adequate time for the program to become established in Goodyear. During this time, the county will provide semi-annual reports on program activities and utilization. The city’s obligations would be to pay its share of the cost, work cooperatively with county staff to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and the coordination of workforce services, provide meeting space and space for job fairs as needed, and include information attributing the ARIZONA@WORK – Maricopa County program in any outreach materials, website, and other promotional/marketing materials related to this partnership.