That the City Council approve a Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) payment in the amount of $50,977.50 to the Windsor School of Nursing, as part of the READY S.E.T. OC (Employment & Training) Grant funded program for FY 2024-2025.

The Community Services Department Employment and Training division operates the countywide Ready S.E.T. OC Program. This program is funded by the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA), through a contracted agreement with the County of Orange. The year-round program provides eligible at-risk and disadvantaged young adults, aged 14-24, the opportunity to develop their career interests, to receive academic support and to gain work experience in order to achieve their career/educational goals and become self-sufficient adults. As part of these opportunities, this program provides youth an opportunity to enroll in and receive training for specialized career fields.

In Orange County, an eligible training program is based on the State of California Eligible Training Provider List and I-Training using Individual Training Accounts (ITAs). Once an eligible training selection is made by the participant, the City, as the program's operator, is expected to arrange for payment of the training services through an ITA. These selections are budgeted for and managed every year by City staff to ensure all participants have sufficient funding to enroll in the selected program.

Windsor School of Nursing in Walnut, CA provides a nurse assistant course, designed to train individuals to become nurse assistants in the workforce. The City has developed a successful relationship with the school, and frequently enrolls program participants in the school's nursing courses. The City has been authorized to enroll 21 Out-of-School youth in this course, at a price of $2,427.50 per student, which covers tuition, books, supplies, and other expenses as needed. The total cost of the cohort is $50,977.50, fully reimbursable to the City through WIOA grant funds. Staff is requesting that this program allocation of $50,977.50 be approved by the City Council to cover the cost of training the 21 students.

If approved by City Council, this request will be fully funded through WIOA grant funds as part of the READY, S.E.T. OC (Employment & Training) grant program. The total cost of $50,977.50 will be reimbursed to the City through grant funds, and there is no impact on the General Fund.