Secure Jobs Connect Advisory Committee
October 15, 2013
In attendance: Bud Delphin, CareerPoint, Steve Huntley, Valley Opportunity Council, Lisa Lapierre, Secure Jobs Connect, Mike Morris, Secure Jobs Connect, Bill Mulholland, Berkshire Community College, Rexene Picard, FutureWorks, Shannon Porter, HAPHousing, Jay Sacchetti, ServiceNet, Pamela Schwartz, Network coordinator, Robin Sherman, Franklin County Regional Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Ken White, Holyoke Community College
Reviewed September Progress Report:
Go here to see report: http://public.tableausoftware.
Summary statistics: 40% of referred clients enrolled. Experienced a lull in enrollments over summer months but now back up due to meetings with HomeBASE providers and stabilization workers. 41 clients placed into jobs, 87% retention rate (excellent!). First 2 weeks in October, 3 more employed, 3 in training. Overall trend towards higher hourly rate of $9-$10/hour.
Discussed our regional model with HAP/FutureWorks and CareerPoint collaborations. Hugely successful. Click here for diagram outlining collaborations. Each program with different targets:
FutreWorks/HAP: primarily Spanish speaking households
CareerPoint/HAP: most job ready – immediately to work
Secure Jobs Connect: in need of some training or job readiness skills
CAP program to Springfield Partners and Valley Opportunity Council (Hampden County only): providing job retention and other support services to families whose HomeBASE housing subsidies are terminating after 10/31 and receive TAFDC.
Franklin County update: Enormous influx of EA families into Greenfield motels who don’t want to be there and who have no services. As of last count, 97 families, 233 children in motels (only 6 shelter beds in Franklin County); 87% not from Franklin County; largest number from Springfield, some from Holyoke/Chicopee, some from Eastern Mass.
Berkshire County has no motels but 1 congregate shelter for 8 families in Berkshires, 6 from Springfield.
Secure Jobs Connect celebration event:
Agreed to postpone to Jan 10 to allow for Senator Rosenberg to attend (he is out of the country on 12/6) and to allow for even more placements.
Agreed to go for location of Kittredge Center, Holyoke Community College.
Agreed to reach out to Aaron Gornstein and others at DHCD to invite.
Agreed to create a kind of “honor roll” including all business partners to honor, both employers and contributors (e.g., Holyoke Credit Union and gift cards)
Initial thoughts on “special” awards could include:
Springfield Medical Associates
Atlas Chiropractic
Savers – (extraordinary with both hires and contributions of clothing)
Also will check with Square One on employers for Mom Squad (and certainly will include Square One)
Initial brainstorm on messaging:
- Homeless heads of households want to be and can be productive workers. They just need the right support to make it happen, and this comprehensive model is providing it.
- Need public/private support to continue and grow the impact.
Be sure to highlight role of the Network in convening/facilitating collaboration.
Pamela will be in touch with Bud at CareerPoint and Rexene at FutureWorks to collect more data on employers. Pamela wants to aim for outreach to all honored employers within the next 2 weeks so they save the date.
Will also discuss at Leadership Council meeting next week.
Legislative outreach update: Follow-up on Rep. Kocot’s efforts to obtain a meeting with House Ways and Means Chair Brian Dempsey. Rep. Dempsey had a family emergency which put this meeting on hold. Pamela saw Rep. Kocot last week who said he is still working on it. Pamela will keep everyone posted with any news.
Other news: Lynne Wallace, Network chair, just took position as new COO of HAP. Congratulations to Lynne and good news for all of us!
Next meeting: Tuesday, Nov. 19, 3:30-4:45 pm, will confirm room location
