The Southeast WDB would like to announce an opening for President/COO. The opening is posted on Jobs.mo.gov, Job Order Number 12842153. You can view the job description and instructions to apply. You must follow process to complete your application. The position is full time, located in Cape Girardeau.
Board Director Recognized as one of 2019’s Most Influential Women
October 23, 2019 By
The Springfield Business Journal has recognized Ozark Workforce Development Board Director, Mary Ann Rojas as one of the most influential Women of 2019.
TEAM would like to congratulate Mary Ann Rojas on such a great and well deserved honor.
See the full article from the Springfield Business Journal by clicking the following link. https://sbj.net/stories/2019-most-influential-women-mary-ann-rojas,65916
Agriculture Apprenticeship with Missouri Department of Correction
December 4, 2018 By
Southeast Correctional Agriculture Program
The 2018 Missouri Reentry Conference has begun! As in years past, ARCHS has produced several short films highlighting the many partnerships and organizations promoting successful reentry across the region.Our first video highlights the work being done in Southeast MO to train and prepare justice involved individuals for agriculture jobs.ARCHS sponsors the conference with The Family and Community Trust, Missouri Department of Corrections and Missouri Department of Social Services.Take a look and share! #stlarchs #MODOC #Agriculturejobs #SoutheastMO
Posted by STLARCHS on Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Our first 12-week class has finished in Charleston, with a graduation ceremony on June 6. Class started with 12 inmates and successful completion with 9 graduates. Second class began July 30 with graduation on November 1 with 9 inmates and successful completion with 7 graduates. A partnership was developed with Amanzi Farms in Sikeston, in order for the men to get their on-job-learning hours under the apprenticeship grant.
Amanzi Farms grows produce hydroponically. The word “hydroponic” means that plants are grown mostly in water. Amanzi Farms use deep water culture and nutrient film techniques to grow in green houses year round so their customers get high quality, local produce all year long. They specialize in serving schools, grocery stores and restaurants in Missouri and beyond. Their produce is grown, picked and packed in a way that ensures the highest quality product with a longer shelf life.
What a successful project. Here is a direct quote from Amanzi Farms Controller,
“We could not be happier with how it went this week. These guys can WORK. We will let you know about the Saturdays in the future. The supervisors wish you had 12 more guys to send us ‘haha’. The ones who really shine the most are Ryan, Dustin, Steven and Todd. The supervisors said they are over the top awesome. If they don’t have something right in front of them to do they will ask what do you want me to do next or they’ll start cleaning something up? Ryan is so wonderful at cleaning and organizing and we LOVE that. Todd is so positive and smiles all the time. When the owner was giving some instructions to the crew, Todd asked everyone to be quiet so they can hear. The amount of work we got accomplished this week made such a difference for our company and we are very grateful to all the guys. We’re excited about the amount of work that we will be able to do with them every week.
These guys are not only getting their hours for their apprenticeship, but making money, developing additional skills and seeing how their dedication to the education paid off!
Central Region Workforce Development Board Quarterly Newsletter
November 30, 2018 By
Please click the link below the view the Central Region Workforce Development Board’s Quarterly Newsletter.
The Connection September 2018(CWDB)
Southeast Region News
April 25, 2018 By
Southeast – 2018 Kasten Award
Bikers 4 Reentry was presented the Kasten Award by Caring Community Council in April 2018. The Kasten Award is the highest honor given to any council member. Named for former Missouri State Representative Mary Kasten (who founded Community Caring Council), the award is given to an individual who exemplifies the strength and commitment to the community as stated in the Caring Council’s goals and ideals and whose work is recognized as a “building block” of support for the council through active membership or extensive work on the council-sponsored activities.
Bikers 4 Reentry assists with the unmet needs of individuals who are reentering society in the Cape Girardeau area. The overall goal of the program is individual self-sufficiency, therefore obtaining and maintaining employment is very important. Services include individual assessment and case management in order to determine individual needs. Tangible services to the clients include: clothing, hygiene items, medical copays, birth certificates, state id’s, work-related expenses, housing assistance, limited utility assistance, and transportation.
Agriculture Apprenticeship Article
https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/ag-apprenticeship-missouri/
U.S. Department of Labor Certificate of Registration of Apprenticeship Program presentation ceremony in Charleston, Missouri.
Southeast – Agriculture Apprenticeship
a. June O’Dell, President/COO, Workforce Development Board of Southeast Missouri
b. Ken Chapman, MO Dept. of Corrections (DOC), Central Office Reentry Specialist
c. Wade Johnson, USDOL Apprenticeship & Training Representative
d. Jeanna Caldwell, MO Division of Workforce Development (DWD), Registered Apprenticeship Program Coordinator
e. Sue Baird, Mid-America Food Hub
f. Jason Lewis, Warden, MO Dept. of Corrections (DOC), Southeast Correctional Center
g. Jeanne Lake, MO Division of Workforce Development (DWD), Agricultural Employment Services
Insights assembled to connect young adults to employment
January 19, 2016 By
It is estimated that nearly 6.7 million young adults are out of school and out of work, and service providers are working hard to help these young adults secure employment. But little is known about what types of assistance help young adults access employment, what employment characteristics influence whether a job is a good fit for a young adult, and what opportunities service providers find and leverage in their work, both with employers and with young adult job seekers, to improve the odds that a young adult will succeed in work.
Connecting Young Adults to Employment, the latest report from the Workforce Strategies Initiative at the Aspen Institute, sheds some light on these questions. This report captures the insights of a variety of service providers helping young adults access employment and equipping them with the skills and connections needed to succeed in today’s labor market. The report documents the results of a survey in which close to 400 service providers, representing 340 organizations nationwide, described their experiences serving young adults. These providers offered valuable insights on:
- What is considered a good employment outcome for their young adult clients;
- Strategies for connecting young adults to good employment opportunities; and
- Challenges in connecting young adult to good employment opportunities.
Connecting Young Adults to Employment also offers considerations for practitioners and policymakers seeking to assist the large and growing population of disadvantaged young adults pursuing meaningful connections to work in today’s labor market.
New national employer guidebook energizes work-based learning
December 2, 2015 By
The National Network of Business and Industry Associations released a guidebook for employers to understand and adopt work-and-learn programs, including modernized internships, apprenticeships and mentorships. Led by Business Roundtable and ACT Foundation, the National Network is a collaboration of 25 business organizations representing 10 economic sectors, and focuses on connecting the worlds of learning and work.
Work-and-Learn in Action: Successful Strategies for Employers highlights 15 real-life models, providing a blueprint to help companies implement similar strategies that improve workforce recruitment, training and advancement. [Read more…]
Getting a Head-start on WIOA: Missouri’s Statewide Launch Meeting for Sector Strategies
November 12, 2015 By
Our recent statewide launch event with leaders in the State of Missouri was a great kick-off to our deployment of sector strategies in the state, and an excellent jump-start for the upcoming implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Article from Maher and Maher
Tucked away on the banks of the Lake of the Ozarks, about 130 professionals from the state’s workforce system and their partners from education, economic development, and workforce worked over two days to plan for advancing sector-based work in the ten economic regions of the state.
“I am always amazed to see folks from different silos come together around a common goal and witness them break down traditional walls in favor of creating new opportunities for the common customers we all have,” said Richard D. Maher, President & CEO of Maher & Maher. “With thinner budgets every year, our work is getting harder and more complex in a globally competitive world. The old ways of working are not going to get it done any longer, and the folks in Missouri clearly understand that. Although the goals of the session were to learn more about sector-strategies and plan to use sector-based approaches to guide the workforce system’s work, ultimately it is all about working collaboratively to help develop talent for high-yield sectors within regional economies – and that is really at the core of WIOA.”
Participants worked together in regional teams over the course of two days. The efforts started with an objective self-assessment around the Six Critical Success Factors that we’ve developed for world-class sector work, and continued with action planning around priorities for the development of sector strategies on a selected target sector. Skilled Maher & Maher facilitators were assigned to each regional team and will continue to work with regional and state leaders to advance each plan moving forward.
“We believe states need to take the lead on sectors as they consider how they are going to integrate around WIOA,” continued Maher. “Sector-based work requires collaborating, working regionally, and focusing on both job seekers and business. If you do sectors right, you’ll do WIOA right. States need to define regional economies and put policy in place, but the work and decisions happen regionally and locally – and that’s what our process is designed to foster and advance.”
Maher & Maher is a specialized change management and talent development consulting firm based in New Jersey and Washington, D.C. The Firm is currently involved in Sector-Strategy initiatives in multiple state and regional areas, as well as the contracted partner to USDOL-ETA for Sector Strategies and WIOA technical assistance. For more information about our services visit us at www.mahernet.com or call us at 1-888-90-Maher.
Learning While Earning is the New Normal
November 9, 2015 By
About 14 million college students are working, according to a new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (Georgetown Center). For the past 25 years, more than 70 percent of college students have been taking time from their studies to earn a paycheck. Learning While Earning: The New Normal examines these students who combine work with ongoing learning.
“Today, almost every college student works, but you can’t work your way through college anymore,” said Anthony P. Carnevale, director of the Georgetown Center and the report’s lead author. “Even if you work, you have to take out loans and take on debt.”
A student working full-time at the federal minimum wage would earn $15,080 annually, which would not cover tuition and living expenses at most colleges.
Working and learning can result in better education and stronger career prospects for students, especially when they work in jobs related to what they study. However, working too much can reduce completion rates for low-income and first-generation college students.
In addition, the report finds:
- One-third of working learners are 30 or older. These mature working learners are enrolled primarily to upgrade their credentials and, compared to young people, are more concentrated in career fields like healthcare and business.
- More people are working full-time while in college. About 40 percent of undergraduates and 76 percent of graduate students work at least 30 hours a week; 25 percent of all working learners are simultaneously employed full-time and enrolled in college full-time; and 19 percent of all working learners have children.
“We need much stronger connections between learning and work,” said Nicole Smith, chief economist at the Georgetown Center and a co-author of the report. “When students pick a major or field of study, they need to be told up front what kind of career it likely leads to and how much money they are likely to make, especially if they have to pay back student loans.”
The Georgetown Center researchers identified several policy changes that would potentially help more of the nation’s 14 million working learners to succeed, including:
- Funding postsecondary education based, in part, on performance measured by labor market outcomes;
- Investing in competency-based education programs that teach skills with labor market value; and
- Bolstering employer tuition-assistance programs to offset growing debt.
The full report for Learning While Earning: The New Normal is available online at cew.georgetown.edu/workinglearners.
The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce is an independent, nonprofit research and policy institute that studies the link between individual goals, education and training curricula, and career pathways. The Georgetown Center is affiliated with the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy. For more information, visit: cew.georgetown.edu. Follow us on Twitter @GeorgetownCEW and on Facebook.
Missouri welfare reforms take effect August 28th
July 28, 2015 By
Missouri ranks last in the nation for welfare reform policies and has the nation’s lowest work participation performance according to the Heartland Institute. Help is on the way thanks to new leadership at the Family Support Division empowered by Senate Bill 24.
According to Senator David Sater, SB24’s sponsor, this comprehensive reform emphasizes work while breaking down barriers to self-sufficiency. Right now, Missouri allows two years to go by before requiring the welfare population to work. The first thing SB24 does is require a recipient to engage in one of those work activities before even receiving welfare benefits. The bill also lowers the lifetime eligibility limit for the program. Missouri currently allows the maximum eligibility limit of five years on welfare while 12 other states limit lifetime eligibility to four years or less with our neighbors, Arkansas and Indiana, limiting benefits to two years.
SB 24 creates strict sanctions for recipients not complying with work requirements, Sater noted. Currently, Missouri only removes part of the benefit a welfare recipient gets until compliance with the work requirement occurs. Under the new law, those on welfare would have a limited amount of time to comply with the work requirement before a complete loss of benefits is imposed. More than half of the states have a similar policy and it is been an effective tool in getting people back to work. The bill also creates a cash diversion program that will act as a cash grant for short-term needs designed to keep potential welfare recipients, particularly those considered job ready, from ever entering the system.
Leadership from the Family Support Division recently authored a presentation on the implementation of welfare reform with key deliverables happening August 28, 2015 and January 1, 2016. The team includes Julie Gibson and Jeriane Jaegers, both previously with the Division of Workforce Development, along with Jennifer Roberts and Stephan Tomlinson.