That the City Council approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the Third Amendment to the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) Agreement for Youth Program Services with the County of Orange, in the amount of $2,180,915. If approved, the third amendment to the agreement will allow the City of La Habra to continue as the sole provider of the County's "Ready S.E.T. OC Youth Employment Program" for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.

The City operates and provides overall programming and supervision of the Orange County "Ready S.E.T. OC Program" funded through the Orange County Workforce Development Board's Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). This workforce development program provides high quality services for young adults who are new to the workforce, providing career exploration and guidance, continued support for educational attainment, and opportunities to develop and hone skills within in-demand industries and occupations, all culminating with employment along a career pathway or enrollment in post-secondary education.

WIOA emphasizes opportunities for eligible participants in 14 core elements, including: 

The City operates the County-wide program with offices in La Habra and Garden Grove, as well as having staff located in offices at the Orangewood Foundation, the Orange County Probation Department, and the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base.  Program staff provide services in the southern part of Orange County by working with other programs in San Juan Capistrano and Mission Viejo. In addition, the City is working with the County to identify permanent offices at a south county location to be staffed regularly.  The program also provides staff for the Workforce Solutions Mobile Unit at a variety of locations throughout Orange County.

The program currently has more than 170 young adults actively registered and an additional 400 in follow-up services. This proposed contract amendment would increase the required number of new annual enrollees for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 to 600 and will not include those already identified in follow-up services.

If approved by the City Council, the City will receive $2,180,915 in funding for this program.  The funding will pay for staff expenses, facility rent and maintenance, paid work experiences, occupational skills training, and on-the-job training wages for program participants, in addition to other operational costs associated with program activities.