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WorkSource requests FY27 increases; council preserves career adviser, trims business‑services role
Summary
WorkSource Montgomery sought a $250,000 increase to support additional staff at the Up‑County American Job Center and reported the Federal Workforce Career Center served over 1,500 federal workers; the committee split the staffing request, keeping a career adviser position on the reconciliation list and reducing the proposed business‑services role.
WorkSource Montgomery presented its FY27 request and an update on the Federal Workforce Career Center (FWCC), which was stood up to support displaced federal workers. Executive staff recommended a $250,000 increase above FY26 (including programmatic adjustments and proposed staffing for Up‑County services).
Executive Director Anthony Featherstone described program outcomes: WorkSource has reported over 1,500 federal workers served through the FWCC as of the reporting period and said the organization provided thousands of services and thousands of placements across the workforce system in recent years. Featherstone acknowledged reporting lags and different service modalities — from virtual self‑paced learning to intensive case management — and said verified paid placements are tracked through state systems with a reporting lag; he noted 20 verified paid placements in the cohort with intensive case management as of February but said a larger number of placements will appear in state data over time.
Members pressed for more real‑time placement tracking, retention information and demographic breakdowns. Councilmembers also noted potential duplication between the proposed 'business services consultant' and existing Small Business Navigator outreach and asked the business center and WorkSource to work through a collaboration model. The committee voted to tranche the $170,000 staffing request: preserve one career‑advisor position (move it forward on the reconciliation list with inflationary adjustment) and reduce/remove the proposed business‑services consultant. Committee members asked WorkSource to provide follow‑up reporting on placements and the mobile job center schedule for community outreach.
Next steps: WorkSource to provide disaggregated placement and retention data and to work with the Business Center on a joint plan for employer engagement; staffing changes will be reflected on the reconciliation list.
