Other Service Areas

Technical Assistance & Training

 

Program and policy offices routinely need assistance in promptly informing stakeholders and constituencies of new initiatives or changes that may require providing services that are beyond their available resources to respond effectively.  Coffey helps bridge and close gaps between the current and preferred states whether the need is for education, training, technical assistance or some combination of the three. Coffey offers support to programs such as unemployment insurance, workforce development and reemployment.

Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative – Technical Assistance (USDOL/ETA):  Coffey provided technical assistance (TA) to 30 faith-based and community-based organizations (FBCOs) for ETA’s Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative (PRI), a joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of Labor and Justice.  Delivered a complete range of support to help lead FBCOs and their sub-grantees design and implement programs to strengthen urban communities through an employment-centered program that incorporates mentoring, job training and other comprehensive transitional services to break the cycle of crime and delinquency that contributes to recidivism.  Provided on- and off-site TA around operational issues, data management, mentoring, case management, staffing and other services needed for start-up and maintenance of operations.

Trained and assisted sites; conducted multiple site visits; coordinated site visits and data collection; provided conference logistics for the national meetings of grantees and project directors; assisted with planning and supporting the peer-to-peer training; promoted and supported ongoing communication among grantees; provided written quarterly updates on each grantee; held quarterly production meetings with DOL and DOJ; and provided special reports as needed. 

Job Corps Student and Staff Training Support (USDOL):  Coffey supported the National Office of Job Corps on student training, staff professional development, and support on special projects as required, including training and technical assistance delivery research, report preparation, presentations and general logistical and administrative support.  Developed and began implementation of Job Corps’ New Vision for student education and staff development, a major component of which was the development of a standards-based education and training system. 

Technical Assistance for the Beneficiary Choice Contracting Pilot (USDOL/ETA):  Provided technical assistance to grantees’ delivering employment and training services to young ex-offenders (ages 18-29) with the goals of job placements and reduced recidivism.  Under this model, participants chose among multiple services providers for case management and in-depth services, including soft-skills training and long-term follow-up.  Assisted in sharing of best practices, provided TA materials, provided training on the MIS, responded to grantee questions, developed a web site for grantees to post questions and access TA materials, and created the Beneficiary Choice Contracting Implementation Guide that provides an overview and discussion of the contracting model, and organized and facilitated grantee conferences.

MOU Development, Execution and Dissemination of Information (USDOL/ETA):  Provided research, training, and technical assistance to Local Workforce Investment Boards that are part of the State One-Stop delivery system mandated by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA).  Each Local Board must execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between itself and the One-Stop partners; an umbrella MOU can cover the entire local area.  Researched, compiled, and disseminated promising practices in MOU development; convened stakeholder focus groups on status, issues/problems, successes, and training and technical assistance suggestions; developed a technical assistance guide and produced a Final Report.

State and Local Workforce Investment Boards (USDOL/ETA):  Provided research, strategic planning, customized training and technical assistance services to State and Local Workforce Investment Boards that are part of the State One-Stop delivery system mandated by WIA.  It called for more accountability, customer choice, and performance measurement. The focus was on system direction in response to the needs of the local labor market and economy.  Researched and compiled examples of effective methods to educate Board members on strategic planning and how to keep members energized and active participants in Board activities.  Disseminated promising practices in effective Board development; conducted training and technical assistance and follow-up; and developed an information package for distribution to Boards. 

H-1B Technical Assistance and Support (USDOL/ETA):  Provided support needed to administer the Department’s H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa program.  The American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA) required that a percent of the user fee from each new and first-time renewal application for a foreign worker admitted to the United States under the H-1B program be directed to a Treasury Department account for use by DOL to train American workers.  This initiative was designed to reduce America’s dependency on foreign workers by training employed and unemployed American workers.  Provided staff to design database and information sharing format as input to the detailed technical specifications for an H-1B MIS.  Personnel reviewed field and other reports for accuracy and completeness prior to entering data into the database.  Generated individual and summary grantee status updates; provided on-site and electronic technical assistance and status reviews; conducted site visits; and was responsible for a fast-turnaround grantee conference.

Personal Reemployment Accounts Demonstration Project (USDOL/ETA): Coffey provided nine states with the training needed to begin program start-up and on-site and remote technical assistance to those states to establish effective workflow and data capture. In addition, under the Career Advancement Accounts demonstration project, Coffey staff provided on-site and remote training in the use of an automated data collection tool and provided on-site technical assistance to state and local workforce agencies in establishing workflow and business processes in support of the project.