DOCUMENT RESUME ED 333 915 JC 910 292 TITLE Dislocated Worker Assistance Center: Information Packet. INSTITUTION Joliet Junior Coll., Ill. PUB DATE 91 NOTE 35p. PUB TYPE Reports - Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Career Counseling; Community Colleges; *Demonstration Centers; *Dislocated Workers; *Employment Programs; Job Placement; *Job Training; Program Descriptions; *Retraining; Two Year Colleges; Vocational Education IDENTIFIERS Joliet Jnnior College IL ABSTRACT The Dislocated Worker Assistance Center ;DWAC) at Joliet Junior College (Illinois) is a comprehensive employment and training program for individuals with established work records who have lost their jobs because of layoff, plant closure, or changes in technology in the workplace. The DWAC was elected to serve as the National Demonstration Center for the Retraining of Dislocated Workers, providing vocational education and services, as well as conducting research to assist other institutions in establishing or improving dislocated worker projects. The primary services offered by the DWAC to employers include providing a pool of qualified job applicants; prescreening job candidates; developing customized training programs; utilizing on-the-job training (OJT) funds to reimburse employers for 50% of the wages paid to OJT participants; and assisting employers in accessing other grant and incentive programs. Services provided to eligible program participants include vocational and job readiness assessment; career counseling; occupational training and retraining; job search and placement asststance; and outreach and coordination with community-based organizations and state agencies. This report presents the DWAC philosophy and organizational structure; reviews the program application steps; describes program services and ancillary programs providing services beyond the scope of the DWAC; and presents eligibility criterJa for dislocated workers. A separate report provides brief descriptions of the components of Joliet's Institute of Economic Technology, including the Small Business Development Center, DWAC, Business Assistance and Training Center, Community Assessment Center, Entrepreneurship Services Center, and National Demonstration Center. (PAA) ***************************************************A******************* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************t************************** 141 R rfl DISLOCATED WORKER ASSISTANCE CENTER INFORMATION PACKET "Imr(Olege....) A U.S. Department of Education National Demonstration Center For The Retraining Of Dislocated Workers Joliet, Illinois "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY 1991 Office of Educationai Research arid Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION R. Klein-Robarts CENTER (ERIC) 0 This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. )(Minor changes have been made to improve c'q *production quality 0 TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES P01113 Of Idiew or opinions stated in this docu- INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." ment do not neceifilartly represent official OERI position or policy EST COPY AVAILAB TABLE OF CONTENTS National Demonstration Center Project Summary I. Descriptor of the Joliet Junior College II. Dislocated Worker Assistance Center Philosophy of the Dislocated Worker Assistance Center III. Organizational Philosophy and Charts IV. Program Services V. Appendix VI. Illinois JTPA Title III Eligibility for Dislocated Workers 3 I. NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION CENTER PROJECT SUMMARY 4 NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION CENTER The National Demonstration Center (NDC) for the Retraining of Dislocated Workers is a U.S. Department of Education project designed to demonstrate the application of vocational education to the specific problems of retraining dislocated workers. The goal of the NDC is to improve and expand services to more dislocated workers at the local level while researching and analyzing local initiatIvA to assist others on the national level in establishing or improving their dislocated worker projects. Accomplishment of this goal is being achieved by utilizing Joliet Junbr College's exemplary Dislocated Worker Assistance Center (DWAC) as a solid base from which to 'evaluate local initiatives and disseminate information. A special focus of the NDC is to enhance recmitmont activities for hard-to-recruit dislocated wockers. The key objectives of the National Demonstration Center are as follows: utilize the resources of the demonstration grant to research, evaluate, and strengthen our exisdng (1) dislocated worker centers programs and services as i evolves to meet the changing needs of displaced workers; (2) initiate a wide array of outreach activities for the purpose of recruiting dislocated workers unaware of or reluctant to take advantage of the retraining options offered; (3) develop descriptive materials on each of the various components of our dislocated worker program, the retraining of dislocated woriors as ; economic developr lent tool, and the application of general theories of vocational education to the specific problems of retraining displaced workers as compared to our experience as a successful practitioner; (4) establish a national advisory commtee to provide guidance, direction, and articulation regarding the demonstration and dissemination efforts of the project; provide consultative services to assist others in adapting/adopting and successfully (5) implementing the methods and techniques utilized by the project; publicize and disseminate the methods, techniques, activities, findings and materials (6) developed by the project at the local, state, and national level. Linking this summary of key objectives with an effective operation and evaluation plan enables Joliet Junior College to maintain a comprehensive program designed for component part replication by others. The end result is a model program that concentrates on vocational education as its primary retraining strategy. The dates for this project are January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1991. The NDC is a division of the college's Institute of Economic Technology and is located at the Louis Joliet Renaissance Center in downtown Joliet. For additional information, contact: Andrew L. Mihelich Rowena Klein-Robarts Executive Director Vocational Assessment Coordinator Institute of Economic Technology Dislocated Worker Assistance Center 214 North Ottawa Street 214 North Ottawa Street Joliet, IL 60431 Joliet, IL 60431 (815) 727-6544, Ext. 1316/1314 (815) 727-6544, Ext. 1309/1300 II. DESCRIPTOR OF THE JOLIET JUNIOR COLLEGE DISLOCATED WORKER ASSISTANCE CENTER 6 DISLOCATED WORKER ASSISTANCE CENTER The Dislocated Worker Assistance Center (DWAC) is a comprehensive employment and training program for dislocated workers. A dislocated worker is an individual with an established WO* record who has lost their job through no fault of their own because of layoff, plant closure or changes in technology in the workplace. The goal of the DWAC is to return dislocated workers back to the workforce with the skills necessary for today's jobs. The DWAC provides a variety of serviCOS designed to match an employers immediate and developing workforce needs with the skills of the dislocated worker. The pnmary services to employers inciude the following: ' Providing employers with a viable pool of qualified job applicants trained or retrained in a variety of occupational areas. ' Prescreening job candidates prior to referral to ensure applicants meet employer job requirements. ' Developing customized classroom training programs prior to actual employment. Utilizing on-the-job training monies to reimburse employers 50 percent of the hourly wages paid to OJT Partici Pants. ' Assisting employers in accessing other grant and incentive programs. Any employer can receive assistance in finding the right person to fit their needs. All services of the DWAC are provided free of charge and on a personalized and professional basis. The DWAC screens and refers participants. The employer selects and hires the participants. The primary services to eligible participants include the following: Vocational and job readiness assessment. ' Career counseling and support services assistance. ' Training or retraining in a variety of occupational areas. ' Job search and job placement assistance. Outreach and coordination with community based organizations and state agencies. Dislocated workers seeking additional Information or wanting to make application for the program must first attend an informational session. These sessions are held every Monday at 10:00 am. in Room 320 at the Renaissance Center. Our DWAC has been rated as an exemplary center by the U. S. General Accounting Office and has now received a national award from the U. S. Department of Education to serv9 as a National Demonstration Center for the Retraining of Dislocated The National League of Cities, National Conferonce of State Legislatures, and the Illinois Department of Workers. Commerce and Community Affairs have also recognized the exemplary status of our DWAC. The DWAC is a division of the college's Institute of Economic Technology and is located at the Louis Joliet Renaissance Center in downtown Joliet. For additional information contact: Rowena Klein-Robarts Tom Mrozek Job Placement Coordinator Vocational Assessment Coordinator Dislocated Worker Assistance Center Dislocated Worker Assistance Center 214 North Ottawa Street 214 North Ottawa Street Joliet, IL 60431 Joliet, IL 60431 (815) 727-6544, Ext. 1301/1300 (815) 727-6544, Ext. 1309/1300 7 III. PHILOSOPHY OF THE DISLOCATED WORKER ASSISTANCE CENTER 8 DISLOCATED WORKER ASSISTANCE CENTER PHILOSOPHY The written goal of the DWAC is to return dislocated workers back to the workforce with the skills necessary for today's jobs. The unwritten goal is to return dislocated workers back to the workforce at comparable jobs and comparable wages. Although these goals may appear synonymous, they are at times in contradiction with one Current sentiment focuses on returning dislocated worker:: back to the workforce as another. This usually means that short-term training is the recommended course of soon as possible. For the most part, Joliet Junior College's DWAC disagrees with this approach. action. The DWAC basic philosophy is that significant intervention generally is required to accomplish both our written and unwritten goals. To return dislocated workers back to the workforce at comparable jobs and comparable wages, and especially for those dislocated workers whose past jobs no longer exist or who were at the higher income level, requires extensive personal and financial counseling, as well as long-terin training and vocational education. We were ple&sed to have this philosophy stated in a General Accounting Office report dated April 1987, to the U.S. Senate on Exemplary Local Projects :;nder the Job Training Partnership Act. In designing our delivery system, the following philosophies were incorporated into our daily practices. We believe that every applicant should be treated with dignity, understanding and - empathy. We believe in individual personal attention by appointment whenever possible. Since we also believe that disiocated workers have already paid for our services through their tax dollars, they should not be forced to wait in lines. We believo in early intervention. The sooner we can begin making workers aware of the - services available, the sooner each can bridge the emotional trauma in this experience. We believe in encouragement and positive regard as the primary means to inspire workers to see their unemployment as an opportunity for growth and change. We believe in developing all possible arr:illary support services, including both internal and external partnerships, to assist the worker through the daily challenge of their unemployment. We believe that the most efficient way to find a job is through a self-directed search facilitated by active involvement in a support group of job seekers who meet regularly to share leads, refine techniques and to get emotional support. We believe that we should assist workers to develop the best possible individual career plans for success, and that we should encourage them to develop long-term retraining plans that will give them the highest degree of security and success possible, including encowaging continuing education even after acquirinl another full-time job. 9 Iv. ORGANIZATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND CHART I 0