COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Human Services Agency

 

DATE:

December 23, 2004

BOARD MEETING DATE:

January 11, 2005

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Maureen D. Borland, Director, Human Services Agency

 

Glen H. Brooks, Jr., Director, Central Region Director

SUBJECT:

Grant from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

 

Recommendation

Adopt a Resolution accepting a grant in the amount of $110,000 from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to be used by April 30, 2005 and authorizing the execution of a grant acceptance letter.

 

Vision Alignment

Commitment: Sow the seeds of our future prosperity.

Goal (4): Residents have many educational and training opportunities beyond high school.

 

This grant contributes to this commitment and goal by providing training and employment opportunities for residents, youth, adults and disadvantaged workers in the East Palo Alto community in the bio-technology, allied health care fields and college degree programs, which not only increases self-sufficiency in the community, but also enhances healthcare services provided.

 

Background

The Local Workforce Investment Boards identified a growing need for workers in the bio-technology and allied health care fields. The Human Services Agency (HSA) and the Workforce Investment Board (WIB) in collaboration with Skyline College and Genentech developed the career pathway program designed to train dislocated workers for new careers in bio-technology and allied health care fields. Since its development the career pathway program has had more than an eighty percent (80%) success rate in placing its participants into employment opportunities.

 

The Human Services Agency on behalf of the Workforce Investment Board submitted a proposal on May 3, 2004 to The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for the purpose of providing additional training in the bio-technology and allied health care fields, and the foundation has approved the requested grant to support the activities outlined in the proposal.

 

Discussion

The acceptance of this grant will allow additional training and job placement into the bio-technology and allied health care fields to help with the growing need of workers in these fields. HSA and WIB in collaboration with Skyline College, Canada College, Opportunities Industrialization Center West (OICW) and One East Palo Alto (OEPA) will develop a career pathway program targeting East Palo Alto residents, youth, adults and disadvantaged workers, leading to entry-level positions in the bio-technology, allied health care fields, and college degree programs. The program will consist of career orientation, basic job skills enrichment, soft skills training, paid work experience, counseling, tutoring and support services leading to employment opportunities.

 

Fiscal Impact

The amount of this grant is $110,000 for a term of July 1, 2004 to April 30, 2005 and is included in the FY 2004-05 Adopted Budget. There is no Net County Cost as a result of accepting this grant.