PD 24-13 Work2future Pilot Program

Date: 08/26/24
To: CalWORKs Employment Services (CWES) Staff
From: Michelle Rojas, SSA BPIS and Diane Tran, SSA BPIS
Reference: N/A

Background

work2future

Work2future (w2f) assists residents of Santa Clara County in obtaining the skills and coaching they need to find a new job, get a promotion, or start a new career.  W2f offers training opportunities, job readiness and skill-building workshops, career advising, and access to over 6,000 online skill-building courses.  These workforce development activities and employment services align with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).  

Pilot Program 

As a one-year pilot program, interested CalWORKs Employment Services (CWES) participants who are determined to be good candidates may be referred to work2future by the Employment Counselor (EC) or in-house Assessment Counselor (AC).

Guidance

Work2future offers the following training opportunities:

Cohort Training – This involves classroom and hands-on learning, offered 2-3 times yearly. Cohort training such as:

  • Trades Orientation Program (TOP): This one-year program is designed for individuals looking to start a career in the construction trades. It prepares individuals to become working apprentices in a high-demand trades career.  
  • PG&E Power Pathways Program: This program is geared towards individuals interested in the utilities and construction industry and typically lasts 4-8 weeks.  

 Vocational Training – This is provided through various training partners, including colleges and private educational institutions across a multitude of industry sections and occupations such as accounting, bookkeeping, web services, cloud computing, computer networking, artificial intelligence, medical assisting, phlebotomy, truck/bus driving, and more.

Note: Program enrollment is very limited, and eligibility requirements apply.  Being referred to w2f does not imply or guarantee enrollment or employment upon program completion.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility requirements for work2future enrollment include, but are not limited to:

CWES participants
Referred clients are to complete the w2f enrollment process:

  • Attend an in-person orientation at w2f (weekly sessions available) or Central San Jose Employment Connection Center (monthly sessions available) 
  • Meet with an assigned w2f Career Advisor, and
  • Complete online coursework and in-person workshops.

If interested in the Cohort Training, the minimum qualifications are, but not limited to:

  • Complete the w2f enrollment process
  • Have a High School Diploma or GED
  • Provide documentation to work in the U.S. 
  • Be able to do physical work, and
  • Pass a background check and/or drug screening.

Student Training and Education Program (STEP)

W2f’s Cohort Training and Vocational training courses are considered publicly funded postsecondary educational institutions for STEP eligibility purposes, and CWES participants enrolled in these trainings are eligible for all STEP provisions.
Please refer to the Welfare-to-Work (WTW) Plan Student Training and Education Program (STEP) Provisions topic in the CWES Handbook for further details regarding the STEP. 

Participation Hours and Attendance

Clients who are enrolled full-time in w2f’s Cohort Training or Vocational Training are considered to be meeting their WTW participation requirements.  

A client who is enrolled part-time and meeting work2future’s participation requirements is deemed to be meeting the 20-hour weekly requirement for a one-parent Assistance Unit (AU) with a child less than six years old or the 30-hour weekly requirement for a one-parent AU with no child less than six years old. For a two-parent AU, only 30 hours per week can be deemed.  The remaining 5 hours per week must be met by either the other parent in the household or the individual enrolled in w2f’s program will need to be assigned a concurrent activity to meet their combined hourly requirement of 35 hours per week.

The client may self-certify w2f participation on the Attendance Verification (SCD  1755A). 

W2f sends the appropriate CWES Point of Contact (POC) an enrollment report that includes client progress updates.  Client Progress updates are then shared with the referring EC to update the client’s attendance.

WTW Plan Development

For the initial referral, the referring EC creates a WTW Plan Activity Assignment (WTW 2) and schedules the w2f referral activity in CalSAWS.

The w2f referral activity is scheduled for 30 days.
In CalSAWS, make the following selections for the Service Category: WPR,  Service Type: Job Readiness, and Activity Number: 43 WORK2FUTURE REFERRAL

  • Start Date: The date the referral is made.
  • End Date: 30 days from the referral was made.

On the WTW 2, select “Job search and job readiness” on page 1.

The next WTW Plan is developed upon receipt of the CWES POC enrollment report, which indicates the activity or program the client will be participating in.

If the client is enrolled in a Cohort Training or Vocational Training, the activity assignment is counted as vocational training.  
In CalSAWS, make the following selections for the Service Category: WPR, Service Type: Voc/Ed Training, and Activity Number:

  • 43 VOC/ED TRAINING WORK2FUTURE COHORT TRAINING, or 
  • 43 VOC/ED TRAINING WORK2FUTURE VOCATIONAL TRAINING.

On the WTW 2, select “Vocational education” on page 1.

Referral Process

Cohort Training

The Cohort Training procedures are as follows:

1. The CWES Training Point of Contact (POC) will announce when open enrollment for an upcoming cohort training is available.
2. The EC contacts the POC to discuss whether their client is a good candidate.
3. The POC will triage the client and determine eligibility.   

  • If it is determined that the client is a good candidate, the referring EC completes the work2future Referral (SCD 2618) with the client and submits it to the POC.

4. The referring EC develops the WTW 2 and assigns Activity Number: 43 WORK2FUTURE REFERRAL in CalSAWS for a 30-day duration.

 

Note: The in-house Assessment Counselor, Employment Connection Center EC, or Case Management EC may be the referring EC for the Cohort Training.

Vocational Training

W2f’s vocational training is another option that the in-house Assessment Counselor (AC) can evaluate when working with the client. The AC determines if the client is a good candidate, completes the SCD 2618, and submits it to the Assessment POC.  The AC develops the WTW 2 and assigns Activity Number: 43 WORK2FUTURE REFERRAL in CalSAWS for a 30-day duration.

 

For more details, refer to the established CWES workflows.

Implementation

The information provided in this Program Directive is effective August 19, 2024.