A workforce program presenter (LEAP staff) told the committee that the program served 222 adults this quarter and enrolled 29 youth in the summer youth employment program, and described steps staff are taking to increase employer outreach and placement.

Why it matters: The workforce program provides job training and employer connections; staff said the summer youth employment participants received financial-literacy training and workplace-harassment instruction as part of an eight-week placement effort.

Details offered at the meeting included a consolidated quarterly data handout; staff said the 29 youth in the summer program all received the same training modules. The presenter said a few program participants recently completed GEDs and that at least one youth completed college visits and SAT testing; specific names and individual outcomes were not disclosed.

For employer outreach, staff described a shared spreadsheet used by employment counselors and outreach specialists to track business contacts, outcomes and next steps and said they had created a printed brochure to leave with employers explaining program services. The presenter said the organization had been increasing outreach to local chambers of commerce and would assign staff or local center coordinators to attend chamber meetings when appropriate to maintain relationships with businesses.

Staff reviewed the program's social-media and newsletter outreach: staff counted 11 workforce-development social posts in the last three months highlighting virtual workshops, the summer youth employment program, GED programming and local job fairs. The presenter said the Employment Counselors and Outreach Specialists coordinate to avoid duplicate outreach and to ensure businesses receive needed follow-up.

The presenter closed by saying the Workforce Development Board appointment referenced in a prior meeting has been resolved. Committee members praised the brochure and encouraged staff to tap volunteer board members to attend chamber meetings as additional outreach resources.

No formal vote or new funding decision was recorded during the presentation; staff said this was a quarterly report and that the workforce outreach and program strategies will continue.