That the City Council approve and authorize the City Manager to execute a contract with the County of Orange for the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) Program to allow the City to continue acting as the sole provider of the County's grant funded "READY S.E.T. OC" Youth Services Program for a one-year term, with three additional optional one-year renewals, in the amount of $2,700,000 for each program year.

The City of La Habra Employment & Training Division within the Community Services Department was recently awarded the County of Orange agreement to continue operating the Countywide grant funded "READY S.E.T. OC" Program starting July 1, 2024 for Fiscal Year 2024 - 2025, with an optional renewal available each year for the following three years, not to exceed a total of four years.

The City has operated an Orange County WIOA funded youth and young adult employment program since 1974, and the READY S.E.T. OC program since 2020. The intent of the County's program is to connect at least 560 new youth and young adults each year to work readiness training, resume development, interview skills, paid work experience, occupational skills training, and job placements for eligible individuals who are in the foster care system, on an Individualized Education Plan, experiencing homelessness, pregnant or parenting, or are juvenile offenders. The City-operated READY S.E.T. OC Program is on target to meet all current contract goals in Fiscal Year 2023 - 2024, which is the last year of the current grant.

The READY S.E.T OC Program operates out of the County Workforce Solutions facility in the City of Brea. This facility also houses the County-funded adult employment program and provides state-of-the-art offices with increased space to allow for services such as virtual reality career exploration, computer access, small and large group training, weekly workshops and more. In addition, the Workforce Solutions facility staff provide the READY S.E.T. OC Program with computers with IT support, email addresses, copy services, security, custodial and facility maintenance, and other support.

If approved by Council, the City will receive $2,700,000 in grant funding for this program. The funding will continue to pay for staff expenses, facility rent and maintenance, on the job training wages for program participants, and operational costs associated with the programs. The contract allows the City to receive a ten percent (10%) reimbursement of up to $270,000 per year to pay for administrative costs associated with the program. No City General Funds are used to support this grant-funded program.