Government Leading Practices
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In support of their integrated planning processes, Wisconsin’s Departments of Health Services, Workforce Development and Public Instruction put together a Transition Action Guide (TAG) which helps their state and local governments identify overlaps or gaps in service provision in the areas of communication, coordination and service delivery for youth. The guide “includes funding sources and their eligibility requirements so agencies can pursue braided funding opportunities. The resource also discusses cost-sharing agreements among agencies and when these agreements are appropriate.”
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The Governor's Office of Education and Workforce Development (GOEWT) in Alabama was established to implement a coordinated workforce and education strategic plan. One of the office's three main objectives is to “braid Alabama’s federal education and workforce development funding streams to support an education-to-workforce pipeline.”
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The California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), California Department of Corrections, and the California Prison Industry Authority (CalPIA) developed a joint strategic plan which “links education, job training, and work experience in prison to post-release jobs by fostering a system of coordinated service delivery to a population that faces a variety of barriers. It serves as a blueprint for building local and regional partnerships to improve labor market outcomes and reduce recidivism.” The agencies then combined funding, through the Prison to Employment Initiative, to allow local workforce areas to implement programming for justice involved individuals. Local boards follow a single reporting process when providing results to the state.
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Deleware leverages a combination of federal, state, institutional and private funding streams for career development through the Delaware Pathways program. The program is charged with supporting youth and adult learners to achieve Delaware’s postsecondary attainment goals.
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In Cuyahoga County, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is piloting a program to braid WIOA and SNAP E+T services through the local Ohio Means Jobs network in order to provide targeted advancement pathways to SNAP enrolled participants.
Non Profit Leading Practices
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The United Way of Greater Atlanta established Atlanta CareerRise as a separate 501c3 that is leading the way on workforce development. Through CareerRise, Atlanta is leaning in on apprenticeship programs in non traditional spaces, such as healthcare, for opportunity youth. CareerRise takes an industry partnership-focused model which braids and blends funding from workforce, education and philanthropy to provide the necessary education, job assistance and supportive services to the community.
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The Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeships is a non profit which offers adult and youth apprenticeship programs across Washington, Oregon and Idaho. “In 2020–21, AJAC drew on 24 unique funding streams to support its operations and programs. Of these, 19 were from federal, state, or local sources and ranged in size from $10,000 grants from municipal partners to million-dollar grants from state and federal agencies. The remaining five sources (12 percent of all funding) came from private sources, including philanthropic grants, fees paid by employers, or student-funded tuition costs.AJAC has become adept at braiding these resources to make its funding work.”
Employer Leading Examples
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Guild Career Opportunity Platform works with employers including Walmart, Taco Bell, and Discover to provide employer-funded learning programs, dedicated career coaches, and tools to explore career pathways. Employees can choose to pursue degrees or shorter skills programs. All costs are paid for by their employer and the Guild supports logistics and learners’ experience to increase success and return on investment.
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The American Diesel Training Center’s Career Impact Bond is “the first Career Impact Bond where certain employers, like Interstate NationaLease, Palmer Kenworth and National Fleet Management, will take over monthly tuition payments for the graduates that they hire.” While many other Career Impact Bonds require that students or participants repay tuition and other costs of their training, this is an example of shifting those costs to the employer.
Case Studies for the Google Career Certificates Fund and New Jersey Pay It Forward Program by Social Finance
“Unraveling the Finance Models of Work-Based Learning Intermediaries” by New America Foundation
“Braided and Adaptive Funding” by Jobs for the Future
“Co-Invest for Impact” by National Fund for Workforce Solutions
“Blended and Braided Funding” by Urban Institute
“Leveraging Americorps Programs as a Workforce Development Strategy in Your Community” by Americorps
“Blending and Braiding Resources to Support the Employment of People with Disabilities” by the National Technical Assistance and Research Center to Promote Leadership for Increasing the Employment and Economic Independence of Adults with Disabilities
“Yes, WIOA Can! Effectively Leveraging or Braiding Multiple Funding Sources with WIOA” by Workforce GPS
“Budgeting to Promote Social Objectives - A primer on braiding and blending” by Brookings
“Guide for Competitive Integrated Employment and Blending, Braiding, and Sequencing Resources” by the Department of Labor
Case Study using braiding for Substance Use Disorder services by the Center for Financing Reform and Innovation
SNAP E+T and Workforce Boards by the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB)
Improving Transition Services for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities through Braided Funding by the Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth
The research on workforce funding models has grown over the years as federal dollars have fluctuated and new models have been explored. Some examples of existing studies include:
Models for CHW Sustainability & Workforce Development (see info on study of City Colleges of Chicago) by Paige Menking
Using Braided Funding Strategies to Advance Employer Hiring Initiatives that Include People with Disabilities by Robert Nicholas, Ronnie Kauder, and Kathy Krepcio
Financing Workforce Development in a Devolutionary Era by Stuart Andreason, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and the University of Pennsylvania
Four Promising Practices from a Workforce Development Partnership by Steve Myran, Paul Sylvester, Mitchell R. Williams & Gunder Myran
Improving Collaboration between Welfare and Workforce Development Agencies by Nanette Relave