Oklahoma Employment & Training Alliance

PROJECT PURPOSE

To create a one-stop-shop of wraparound social services on Mid-Del Technology Center's campus. This will create a successful wraparound program similar to the Diversion HUB and Homeless Alliance, but also connect clients with skills training so they can obtain long-term meaningful employment. This will not only provide social services in a traditionally underserved community that suffered greatly during COVID, but also create a new workforce during the biggest workforce shortage in Oklahoma's history.

EVIDENCE

None of this is creating a new wheel. Homeless Alliance, Diversion HUB, Catholic Charities, ReMerge, COWIB's One Stop Operation, and several other groups have created similar programs and they were highly successful. My friends and contacts at all of the mentioned places will be helping me in designing and implementing this project. However, none of them are in the Midwest City and Del City area, and none of them have a strong connection to skills training, which is needed for long-term meaningful employment. My project will have both of those things and be a pilot that will ultimately be replicated at every CareerTech across the state.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

The Midwest City-Del City area has been underserved and vulnerable for a long time. With a higher minority population and higher incarceration rates, COVID impacted this area worse than most. Minority populations across the country were more likely to die from COVID and suffered greater economic loss. Both of these facts are also true about this area. This project will not only start the process of recovering from COVID, but elevate the entire region above what it was pre-pandemic.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Each client that enters the facility will be assigned to a case manager that will guide the client through obtaining any and all social services they need as well as getting them signed up for a skills training class that aligns with their career interests, before ultimately assisting them in obtaining employment at a company in need of that skill set. Information will be collected about the client's income, demographics, history, and dependents at the beginning and end of the process, as well as being regularly updated every step of the way.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma