Learning Session 2-7 Effective Collaborations to Serve Young Adults in Rural Communities

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Working Collaboratively to Provide
Work and Learning Opportunities for
Young Adults: A Conference for Teams
that Cross Delivery Systems 1

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Partners

NH Department of Employment Security

Community Action Programs (CAPs)

NH Department of Education

NH Department of Labor

NH Dept of Resources and Economic Development

Community College System of NH

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CCSNH is New
Hampshire's statewide
system of two-year
colleges, offering
associate
degrees, professional
training, and transfer
pathways to four-year
degrees.

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 Founded in 1968, the main college campus is located, two miles north
of the city of Claremont, NH, within easy access to I-91. Situated on
180 acres, the setting provides the enjoyment of a rural existence and
yet is within easy reach of cultural, business and shopping centers.
Courses are also offered at the RVCC Academic Center located in
Keene, NH.
 1,094 total students: 330 full-time, 764 part-time
 Gender: 25% male, 75% female
 Average age: 24
 Faculty: Full-time: 30; Adjunct: 52
 Students represent 9 states and 6 countries. 3.3% of students report
Black, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander or Native American ethnicity
 17 Associate Degree Programs and 19 Certificate/Diploma Programs
offered

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Sullivan County
 Contains 537.8 square miles of land area and
 14.3 square miles of inland water area. Based on the estimated
 2009 population, the population density is 78.8 persons per
 square mile. Sullivan County includes one city, Claremont, and14 towns.
 Population Trends: Sullivan County is moderately small in both square miles and
population, and
 holds the fourth-highest population density among the counties. The county has
not experienced
 any dramatic increases or decreases in population seen by several other counties.
 2009 Population:42,692
Age 20 to 34 6,835
Keene:
 22,420 Population
Age 20 to 34 5,808

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Youth Vision is a collaboration of local
agencies, and organizations serving our
communities' neediest youth.
Claremont/ Lebanon: Career Readiness for Youth
based on the U.S. Army’s “You Can Program”
Keene : Jobfest

Job Fest Links Area Businesses and Job-Seeking Students

Job Fest was created after a speaker at the N.H. State Youth Vision Forum issued a
challenge in October 2005. "He said employers wanted youth to show up, speak up,
dress up, and respect work,"

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Focus
 Concern for substance abuse prevention
 Reduce substance abuse in our community
 Use Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to
document issues and implement a prevention
plan

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 Is designed to assist individuals defined as Single Parents, Single
Pregnant Women and Displaced Homemakers. A SINGLE
PARENT is an individual who is unmarried or legally separated
from a spouse and has custody or joint custody of a minor child or
children. A DISPLACED HOMEMAKER is an individual who is
an adult and has worked primarily without renumeration to care
for home, family, and for that reason has diminished marketable
skills.

 Project RISE provides financial assistance above and beyond the
financial aid programs in place. It will fund education-related
expenses such as: tuition and fees, books and some supplies (such
as uniforms and other affiliation related expenses), child care, and
travel.

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 WorkReady NH helps job-seekers improve
their skills and add a nationally recognized
credential to their resume. WorkReady NH
helps companies foster a skilled workforce, and
find qualified applicants and employees.

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 The STAR program launched in December of
2008 offers workers an accelerated, two-year
advanced manufacturing apprenticeship while
being employed with local manufacturers. At
the same time, these workers will earn college
credits which can be applied towards an
associate’s degree at the college.

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EMPOWERING YOUNG
ADULTS IN DOWNEAST MAINE
Innovation, Collaboration, and
Cross Delivery

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WASHINGTON COUNTY, MAINE
• The Sunrise County - Easternmost county
in the United States
• Wild Blueberry Capital of the World
• Seasonal economy supported by
fishing, forestry, and agriculture
• Other larger industry clusters include
health, education, and social services;
manufacturing; and retail trade
• Emerging industries include tidal and wind
energy
• Creative economy and small business
ventures are key components
Working Collaboratively to Provide Work and Learning Opportunities for Young Adults: A Conference for Teams that Cross Delivery Systems

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WASHINGTON COUNTY, ME
~ Demographics ~

• Population 33,892
• 2569 square miles (about the size of the
state of Rhode Island)
• 13 people per square mile
• Per capita income $29,464
• 12% unemployment rate
• 20.5% poverty rate


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WASHINGTON COUNTY, MAINE
~ Challenges ~
• No public transportation
• No homeless shelters
• Two Native American reservations
• Lower than average educational
attainment
• One community college and one
university, geographically separated
• Very limited adult education services
• Higher than average opiate dependency

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Three Common Projects – Three Common Themes
Innovation, Collaboration, and Cross Delivery

Passamaquoddy Pride

PASSAGES

My Past is Not So Hot –
My Future’s Looking Bright


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PASSAMAQUODDY PRIDE
Passamaquoddy Pride was a special project designed to
introduce young adults to the culture and tradition of the
Passamaquoddy Tribe in Pleasant Point, ME while
incorporating skills attainment and work readiness.

• Individualized plans, group settings
• Raising aspirations, increasing work readiness and
experience, increasing basic skill levels, overcoming
barriers to employment, and gaining credentials
• Tribal mentoring
• High need population, multiple barriers


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PASSAMAQUODDY PRIDE
• Pleasant Point Tribal Youth Program and
Maine Department of Labor (MDOL)
• Other partners included Adult
Education, Community Colleges, Tribal
Elders
• MDOL $ = ARRA SY/WIA Year Round
Youth/ARRA Adult
• 18 young adults (11 females/7males)
• 18-24 age cohort
• On-site (Pleasant Point)

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PASSAMAQUODDY PRIDE
• Cultural Awareness
• GED/ABE
• Driver’s Education
• Work Experience/OJT
• Work Readiness
• Self-Esteem Building/Raising Aspirations
• Parenting
• Credentialing – energy
auditor/weatherization, CRMA w/

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Basket and Paddle Making:
Teaching Culture and Tradition
• Classes taught by tribal elders/mentors
• Learning a trade = income supplement


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Basket and Paddle Making:
Teaching Culture and Tradition
• Instilled a sense of accomplishment
• Generational cultural knowledge transfer


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CREDENTIALING
• GED and ABE provided on-site and locally
by Adult Ed partners
• Weatherization certification training paid
for by MDOL under ARRA SY
• Energy Auditor certification training paid
for by the Tribe and provided by
community college
• CRMA w/ PSS paid for and organized by
Everyone who attended occupational training passed their
the Tribeincluding five energy auditors, three weatherization
certifications
techs, and seven CRMA’s!!!!!!


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WORK & LIFE SKILLS
• Career prep, college awareness, and self-esteem
building was organized and provided by MDOL. One
tribal elder facilitated self-esteem boosting for males.
• Parenting skills classes were facilitated by tribal child
care providers and teachers.
• Driver’s education was paid for by the Tribe.
• Work experience was provided and paid for by MDOL
under both ARRA SY and regular WIA Youth. OJT
funding provided under ARRA Adult.

At program end, three participants gained unsubsidized employment and
two participants entered post-secondary training!!!!


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PASSAGES
Passages at the Cobscook Community Learning Center
(CCLC) is a home-based, self-paced, high school diploma
program for pregnant and parenting teens in the
Washington County area.

• One-on-one instruction at home
• Group work with other young parents
• Focuses on 24 core skills involving parenting, life
skills, and regular academic areas
• Builds on resiliency and self-sufficiency


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PASSAGES
• Cobscook Community Learning Center and
MDOL
• Other partners include Maine Commission on
Community Service/AmeriCorps, DHHS
• DOL $ = ARRA SY/WIA Year Round Youth

Ongoing and evolving project utilizing AmeriCorps volunteer and MDOL
staff as mentors. Also, building increased coordination of case
management services used with MDOL and DHHS.


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PASSAGES
• Raising aspirations
• Credentialing - HS Completion and post-
secondary attainment
• Parenting
• Career development
• College awareness
• Work experience
To date eleven participants have completed high school through Passages
and all were/are WIA participants. Five have entered post-secondary
training, and four have obtained unsubsidized employment.


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A drug court is a special court given the responsibility to handle cases
involving drug-using offenders through comprehensive
supervision, drug testing, treatment services, and immediate
sanctions and incentives.

• Similar to diversion programs – guilty plea = program participation =
graduation = reduced sentence
• Very rigorous and strictly supervised program focusing on treatment
and recovery
• Team focused, team managed
• Court centered
• Millions of $’s saved in prison/jail costs
• MDOL/CC activities are required components, not optional


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• Washington County Adult Drug Treatment
Court (OSA/ME Judicial/DOJ) and MDOL
• Other partners include Community
College, Adult Ed, Business
Community, DOC Adult Probation
• MDOL $ = WIA Adult/ARRA SY
• 34 participants so far in 18-24 age cohort
• Direct referral process (key component)

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• Establishing trust
• Increasing self-esteem
• Work readiness
• Career development
• Credentialing – GED and post-secondary
• Federal bonding and WOTC
• Coming soon – SSI/SSDI benefits and
work analysis

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• Small, incremental steps = huge progress
• 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th chances
• Knowledge sharing/transfer via drug court
staff re: addiction and recovery
• Ongoing and evolving, learning from
experiences
To date in this age cohort, three participants have completed GED, five have
entered post-secondary training, two have completed post-secondary
credentials, and three have obtained unsubsidized employment.


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COMMON THEMES
• Establishing trust
• Leveraging resources – as many players
as possible
• Unique combinations of service options –
a package deal
• Breaking historical barriers – no “been
there, done that” attitudes
• Evolving projects - lots of tweaking and
many experiments

Learning Session 2-7 Effective Collaborations to Serve Young Adults in Rural Communities

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Learning Session 2-7 Effective Collaborations to Serve Young Adults in Rural Communities