Workforce Investment Act: One-Stop Centers Implemented Strategies to Strengthen Services and Partnerships, but More Research and Information Sharing is Needed
Published: 2003-06-18T00:00:00

Fast Facts:

Highlights:
section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: To create a more comprehensive workforce investment system, the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 requires states and localities to coordinate most federally funded employment and training services into a single system, called the one-stop center system. This report examines how selected one-stop centers have used the law's flexibility to implement their own vision of WIA and provides information on promising practices for (1) streamlining services for job seekers, (2) engaging the employer community, (3) building a solid one-stop infrastructure by strengthening partnerships across programs and raising additional funds. In addition, it provides information on the actions the Department of Labor is taking to collect and share information about what is working well for job seeker and employer customers in one-stop centers.
section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: Of the 14 one-stop centers in GAO's study that were identified as exemplary by government officials and workforce development experts, all had implemented a range of promising practices to streamline services for jobseekers, engage the employer community, and built a solid one-stop infrastructure. The one-stop centers GAO visited streamlined services for job seekers by ensuring access to needed services, educating program staff about all of the one-stop services available to job seekers, and consolidating case management and intake procedures. In addition, all of the one-stop centers GAO visited used at least one of the following three methods to engage employers--dedicating specialized staff to work with employers or industries, working with employers through intermediaries, such as Chambers of Commerce or economic development entities, or tailoring services to meet specific employers' needs. To provide the infrastructure to support better services for job seekers and employers, many of the one-stops GAO visited found innovative ways to strengthen program partnerships and to raise additional funds beyond those provided under WIA. Center operators fostered the development of strong program partnerships by encouraging partner collaboration through functional work teams and joint projects, and they raised additional funds through fee-based services, grants, and contributions from partners and state or local governments. While Labor currently tracks outcome data--such as job placement, job seeker satisfaction and employer satisfaction--and funds several studies to evaluate workforce development programs and service delivery models, little is known about the impact of various one-stop service delivery approaches on these and other outcomes. Labor's studies largely take a program-by-program approach rather than focusing on the impact on job seekers of various one-stop integrated service delivery approaches, such as sharing customer intake forms across programs, or on employers, such as dedicating staff to focus on engaging and serving employers. Further, Labor's efforts to collaborate with other federal agencies to assess the effects of different strategies to integrate job seeker services or to serve employers through the one-stop system have been limited. While Labor has developed a promising practices Web site to facilitate such information sharing, it is unclear how well the site currently meets this objective.

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: The Congress passed the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) in 1998 to begin  unifying a fragmented employment and training system and to better serve  job seekers and employers. To create a more comprehensive workforce  investment system, WIA requires states and localities to bring together over  $15 billion of federally funded employment and training services into a  single system, called the one-stop center system. Four separate federal  agencies—the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS),  Education, and Housing and Urban Development (HUD)—fund about   17 categories of programs that are required to provide services through the  one-stop system. Labor takes a lead role in this new system and is  responsible for assessing the effectiveness of Labor-funded programs and  for providing guidance to states and localities as programs deliver their  services through the one-stop system.
WIA is designed to give states and localities flexibility in deciding how to  implement the one-stop system, allowing local one-stops to try new  approaches and tailor their systems to the needs of local job seeker and  employer customers. Labor encourages states and localities to create a  customer-focused one-stop system that uses innovative approaches to help  job seekers find and maintain employment and help employers find skilled  workers. In past reports, we identified key areas critical to successfully  providing services to job seekers and employers, such as providing job  seeker services that are tailored and seamlessly delivered and serving  employers in ways that minimize wasted time and reduce frustration. As  the Congress moves toward reauthorization of WIA, you wanted to know  how some of the nation’s 1,972 one-stop centers have built on these  concepts and used their flexibility to streamline and integrate services for  job seekers, involve the private sector, and coordinate operations and  service delivery across employment and training programs.
As requested, this report examines how some one-stop centers have used  the law’s flexibility to implement their own vision of WIA and provides  information on promising practices for (1) streamlining services for job  seekers, (2) engaging the employer community, and (3) building a solid  one-stop infrastructure by strengthening partnerships across programs and  raising additional funds. In addition, we are providing information on the  actions the Department of Labor is taking to collect and share information  about what is working well for job seeker and employer customers in one- stop centers.
Our report is based on in-depth site visits to 14 one-stop centers from  across the nation that government officials and workforce experts  identified as exemplary and on interviews with Labor Department officials.   Because no systemwide data exists by which to judge the success of  various one-stop approaches, we selected our sites based on information  about promising practices in one-stop centers and information about the  potential impact of those practices. We asked the following officials or  experts to identify exemplary one-stop centers: Labor headquarters and  regional officials; HHS, Education, and HUD headquarters offices; and  workforce development experts. We restricted the request for exemplary  one-stops to a single site in each of the three key areas—serving job  seekers, engaging employers, and operating the one-stop center. The  officials and experts provided us with specific information on each site’s  innovations and the potential impact of each promising practice. After  officials and experts identified approximately 50 one-stop centers across  the three areas, we winnowed down the list of one-stops by considering the  number of times a site was recommended and each site’s characteristics,  including its location and the size of its service area. Figure 1 shows the  locations of the 14 sites we visited. The 14 one-stop centers represented a  geographic and a demographic mix, ranging from rural to urban centers.  (See app. I for information on each one-stop site.) Some of the sites, such  as Kansas City, Missouri, represented a mix of urban, suburban, and rural  customers. The one-stops we visited varied in the average number of  customers they served—from 500 to 42,500 each month. The sites also  represented a mix of one-stop operators—those responsible for  administering the one-stop centers—including nonprofit organizations,  consortia of one-stop partners, and local government entities. We  conducted our work between August 2002 and June 2003 in accordance  with generally accepted government auditing standards.
subsections: section_title: Background
paragraphs: The Workforce Investment Act created a new, comprehensive workforce  investment system designed to change the way employment and training  services are delivered. When WIA was enacted in 1998, it replaced the Job  Training Partnership Act (JTPA) with three new programs—Adult,  Dislocated Worker, and Youth—that allow for a broader range of services,  including job search assistance, assessment, and training for eligible  individuals. In addition to establishing three new programs, WIA requires  that a number of employment-related services be provided through a one- stop system, designed to make accessing employment and training services  easier for job seeker customers. WIA also requires that the one-stop system  engage the employer customer by helping employers identify and recruit  skilled workers. While WIA allows states and localities flexibility in  implementing these requirements, the law emphasizes that the one-stop  system should be a customer-focused and comprehensive system that  increases the employment, retention, and earnings of participants.
The major hallmark of WIA is the consolidation of services through the  one-stop center system. About 17 categories of programs, totaling over   $15 billion from four separate federal agencies, are required to provide  services through the system. (See table 1.)
WIA allows flexibility in the way these mandatory partners provide services  through the one-stop system, allowing co-location, electronic linkages, or  referrals to off-site partner programs. While WIA requires these mandatory  partners to participate, WIA did not provide additional funds to operate  one-stop systems and support one-stop partnerships. As a result,  mandatory partners are expected to share the costs of developing and  operating one-stop centers. However, several of the programs have  limitations in the way the funds may be used, giving rise to one-stop  funding challenges.
Beyond the mandatory partners, one-stop centers have the flexibility to  include other partners in the one-stop system. Labor suggests that these  additional, or optional partners, may help one-stop systems better meet  specific state and local workforce development needs. These optional  partners may include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or  local private organizations, for example.  States have the option of  mandating particular optional partners to participate in their one-stop  systems. For example, in 2001, 28 states had formal agreements between  TANF and WIA to involve TANF in the one-stop system. In addition,  localities may partner with other programs to meet the specific needs of  the community.
One-stop centers serve two customers—job seekers and employers (see  fig. 2).  In serving job seekers, one-stop centers are encouraged to develop  strategies to achieve a streamlined set of services. In past reports, we  identified key areas critical to successfully integrating services under WIA,  such as ensuring that job seekers have ready access to employment and  program information, reducing job seekers’ confusion by providing them  with a streamlined path from one program to another, providing job seeker  services that are tailored and seamless, and helping job seekers identify  and obtain needed program services without the burden of completing  multiple intake and assessment procedures. One-Stop centers provide job  seekers with job search and support services, while the job seekers act as  an available labor pool for the one-stops’ employer customers. In serving  employers, one-stops have the flexibility under WIA to provide a variety of  tailored services, including hiring, assessments and training services that  meet the specific needs of each employer. The degree to which the one- stop system engages and provides services to employers is left to the  discretion of state and local officials. However, Labor suggests that  employer involvement is critical for one-stop officials to better understand  what skills are needed, what jobs are available, and what career fields are  expanding.
In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the WIA programs, WIA  requires that states and localities track performance and Labor holds states  accountable for their performance. The measures gauge outcomes in the  areas of job placement, employment retention, and earnings change, as  well as skill attainment and customer satisfaction. In addition to the WIA  programs, most of the 17 employment and training programs have their  own performance measures. There are no overall one-stop performance  measures.
section_title: One-Stops Used Strategies to Streamline Services for Job Seekers
paragraphs: The one-stop centers we visited embraced the customer-focused provisions  of WIA by streamlining one-stop services for job seekers. All 14 one-stop  centers we visited used at least one of three different strategies to build a  streamlined one-stop system—ensuring job seekers could readily access  needed services, educating program staff about all of the one-stop services  available to job seekers, and consolidating case management and intake  procedures (see fig. 3). To ensure that job seekers could readily access  needed services, one-stops we visited allocated staff to help job seekers  navigate the one-stop system, expanded services for one-stop customers,  and provided support to customers with transportation barriers. Ensuring  access is designed to minimize confusion for job seekers as they navigate  one-stop services. To educate program staff about one-stop services,  centers used cross-training sessions in which partners informed one  another about the range of services available at the one-stop. Finally,  centers sought to reduce the duplication of effort across programs and the  burden on job seekers navigating programs by consolidating case  management and intake procedures across multiple programs through joint  service plans for customers and shared computer networks.
subsections: section_title: One-Stop Staff Ensured Job Seeker Access to Needed One-Stop Services
paragraphs: Nearly all of the one-stop centers we visited implemented specific  strategies to ensure that job seekers had access to needed services. We  previously reported that the range of services provided by multiple  programs in the one-stop center caused confusion for job seekers. To  minimize confusion, nearly all of the sites we visited looked for ways to  ensure job seekers would have ready access to program information and a  clear path from one program to another within the one-stop system. For  example, when one-stop center staff in Killeen, Texas, and Clarksville,  Tennessee, referred job seekers to another partner, the staff personally  introduced the job seeker to the referred program staff to prevent job  seekers from getting lost between programs. Similarly, officials in Erie,  Pennsylvania, positioned a staff person at the entrance to the one-stop to  help job seekers entering the center find needed services and to assist  exiting job seekers if they did not receive the services they sought. (See  app. II for more examples from each of the sites we visited.)
In addition to improving access to one-stop center services on-site, some of  the one-stops we visited found ways to serve job seekers who may have  been unable to come into the one-stop center for services. For example, in  Boston, Massachusetts, the one-stop placed staff in off-site locations,  including family courts, correctional facilities, and welfare offices to give  job seekers ready access to employment and program information.  Specifically, Boston one-stop staff worked with an offender re-entry  program that conducted job fairs inside the county prison to facilitate  incarcerated offenders’ transition back into the workplace.
One-stops also improved job seeker access to services by expanding  partnerships to include optional service providers—those beyond the   17 program partners mandated by WIA. These optional partners ranged  from federally funded programs, such as TANF, to community-based  organizations providing services tailored to meet the needs of local job  seekers. The one-stop in Dayton, Ohio, was particularly proactive in  forming optional partnerships to meet job seekers’ service needs. At the  time of our visit, the Dayton one-stop had over 30 optional partners on-site,  including the Montgomery County Combined Health District, which  operated a health clinic on-site; Clothes that Work!, which provides free  business attire to low-income women; and an alternative high school. The  most common optional partner at the one-stops we visited was the TANF  program—which was an on-site partner at 13 of the 14 sites. One-stop  managers in Clarksville told us that co-location with the Tennessee  Department of Human Services, which administers TANF, benefited all job  seekers because the department helped to fund various services, including  computer classes, soft skills classes, and parenting classes that could be  provided to those not eligible for TANF. Additionally, Killeen, Texas, one- stop staff told us that co-location with TANF helped welfare recipients  address barriers to employment by facilitating easier access to other  services, such as housing assistance and employment and training  programs.
Many one-stop centers, such as in Killeen, Texas, and Vineland, New Jersey,  ensured access to one-stop services by addressing customers’  transportation challenges. Staff in Killeen partnered with the libraries in  rural areas to provide computer access to one-stop resume writing and job  search services and an on-line TANF orientation. In Kansas City, Missouri,  the one-stop management decided to locate the one-stop center next to the  bus company, the Area Transit Authority (ATA). This strategic decision  meant that all bus routes passed by the one-stop center, thus ensuring that  customers with transportation challenges could access one-stop center  services. Additionally, the ATA partnered with the one-stop to create an  Urban Employment Network program to assist job seekers with  transportation to and from work. The ATA provided bus service 7 days a  week from 5:00 in the morning until midnight and set up a van service to  operate during off-peak hours.
section_title: One-Stops Ensured That All Program Staff Understood the Range of Services Available for Job Seekers
paragraphs: To help ensure that job seekers receive services tailored to meet their  needs, nine of the one-stops we visited focused on educating all one-stop  staff about the range of services available through the one-stop. In earlier  work, we identified challenges for job seekers in receiving the right set of  services to meet their needs. One-stop officials at the centers we visited  reported that staff who were cross-trained could better assess the  particular needs of job seekers, including identifying barriers to getting a  job, and were able to provide job seekers with more appropriate referrals.   Cross-training activities ranged from conducting monthly educational  workshops to offering shadow programs through which staff could become  familiar with other programs’ rules and operations. Officials in Salt Lake  City, Utah, reported that cross–training improved staff understanding of  programs outside their area of expertise and enhanced their ability to make  referrals. The Pikeville, Kentucky, one-stop supported cross-training  workshops in which one-stop staff from different partner programs  educated each other about the range of services they could provide. After  learning about the other programs, Pikeville staff collaboratively designed  a service delivery flow chart that effectively routed job seekers to the  appropriate service providers, providing a clear entry point and a clear path  from one program to another. In addition, the Vocational Rehabilitation  staff at the Pikeville one-stop told us that cross-training enabled other  program staff to more accurately identify hidden disabilities and to better  refer disabled customers to the appropriate services.
In the one-stop centers we visited, cross-training occurred among the  majority of on-site co-located partners as well as between some of the on- site and off-site one-stop programs. One-stop managers in Dayton, Ohio,  told us that cross-training staff resulted in increased referrals to service  providers that had previously been unknown, such as to smaller programs  within the one-stop or to local neighborhood programs that could better  meet the specific needs of particular job seekers. Specifically, Dayton  managers also reported that cross-training one-stop staff dramatically  improved referrals to the Child Support program, thereby enhancing  efforts to establish paternity, a requirement for determining eligibility for  TANF.
section_title: One-Stop Centers Streamlined Services for Job Seekers through Consolidated Intake Procedures and Case Management
paragraphs: To provide streamlined service delivery, 10 of the 14 one-stops we visited  consolidated their intake processes or case management systems, reducing  the need for job seekers to go through multiple intake processes. This  consolidation took many forms, including having case workers from  different programs work as a team to develop service plans for customers  and having a shared computer network across programs. As a result, case  workers reduced the duplication of effort across programs and job seekers  were not burdened with completing multiple intake and assessment  procedures. For example, the Youth Opportunity Program and Workforce  WIA Youth program staff at the one-stop in Kansas City, Missouri, shared  intake and enrollment forms to streamline the delivery of services to youth.  In Blaine, Minnesota, job seekers were originally served by multiple service  providers, meeting independently with each provider for each program  service received. Caseworkers from the various one-stop programs in  Blaine met regularly to collaborate in developing and implementing joint  service plans for customers who were co-enrolled in multiple programs. As  a result, the number of caseworkers involved had been reduced  significantly, and job seekers received a more efficient and tailored  package of services. To efficiently coordinate multiple services for one-stop  customers in Erie, Pennsylvania, the staff used a networked computer  system with a shared case management program, so that all one-stop  program staff could share access to a customer’s service plan and case file.
section_title: One-Stops Developed Strategies to Engage and Provide Services to Employers in the One- Stop System
paragraphs: All of the one-stops we visited implemented at least one of three different  approaches to engage and provide services to employers—dedicating  specialized staff to establish relationships with employers or industries,  working with employers through intermediaries, and providing tailored  services to meet employers’ specific workforce needs (see fig.4). All of the  one-stops dedicated staff to establish relationships with employers,  minimizing the burden on employers who previously may have been  contacted by multiple one-stop programs. A few of these one-stops also  had employer-focused staff work with specific industries in order to  respond better to local labor shortages. Many of the one-stops also worked  with employers through intermediaries, such as the Chambers of  Commerce or economic development entities, in order to market one-stop  services and expand their base of employer customers. Finally, most one- stops went beyond providing basic services to employers by tailoring  services to meet individual employers’ needs, such as specialized recruiting  and applicant pre-screening, customized training opportunities, and  assessments using employer specifications. Tailored services were used to  maintain employer involvement and increase employment opportunities  for job seekers.
subsections: section_title: One-Stops Dedicated Specialized Staff to Establish Relationships with Employers and Industries
paragraphs: To help employers access the workforce development system, all of the  one-stops we visited dedicated specialized staff to establish relationships  with employers. One-stop officials told us that engaging employers was  critical to successfully connecting job seekers with available jobs.   Specialized staff outreached to individual employers and served as  employers’ primary point of contact for accessing one-stop services. For  example, the one-stop in Killeen, Texas, dedicated specialized staff to serve  not only as the central point of contact for receiving calls and requests from  employers but also as the primary tool for identifying job openings  available through employers in the community. A one-stop manager in  Killeen told us that in the past, staff from each partner agency would  outreach to employers to find jobs for their own job seekers. Now they  have eliminated the duplication of effort and burden on employers by  designating specialized staff to conduct employer outreach for all one-stop  programs.
In addition to working with individual employers, staff at some of the one- stops we visited also worked with industry clusters, or groups of related  employers, to more efficiently meet local labor demands—particularly for  industries with labor shortages. One-stop managers at these sites told us  that having staff work with industry clusters helped them better respond to  labor shortages because it enabled staff to develop a strong understanding  of the employment and training needs of those industries. These one-stops  were better prepared to match job seekers with appropriate training  opportunities, enabling those job seekers to become part of a qualified  labor pool for these industries. For example, the one-stop in Santa Rosa,  California, assigned staff to work with employers in local high-demand  industries, including health care, high tech, and tourism. These staff  established relationships with employers from these industries, assessed  their specific workforce needs, and shared this information with one-stop  case workers.  Specifically, when Santa Rosa’s tourism industry was in  need of more skilled workers, the one-stop worked with the local  community college to ensure there were certification courses in hotel  management and the culinary arts, for exam. The one-stop in Aurora,  Colorado, also dedicated staff to work with specific industries. For  example, in response to a nursing shortage of 1,600 nurses in the Denver  metro area, staff from the Aurora one-stop assisted in the creation of a  healthcare recruitment center designed to provide job placement  assistance and access to health-care training.
section_title: One-Stops Worked with Intermediaries to Engage and Serve Employers
paragraphs: In addition to dedicating specialized staff, all of the one-stops we visited  worked with intermediaries to engage and serve employers.    Intermediaries, such as local Chambers of Commerce or economic  development entities, served as liaisons between employers and the one- stop system, helping one-stops to engage employers while connecting  employers with one-stop services. For example, the one-stop staff in  Clarksville, Tennessee, worked with Chamber of Commerce members to  help banks in the community that were having difficulties finding entry- level employees with the necessary math skills. To help connect job  seekers with available job openings at local banks, the one-stop developed  a training opportunity for job seekers that was funded by Chamber  members and was targeted to the specific skills needed for employment in  the banking community.Similarly, staff at the one-stop in Kenosha,  Wisconsin, were in frequent contact with the Kenosha Area Business  Alliance, a community development corporation, to identify and address  hiring and training needs of the local manufacturing industry. This  partnership not only helped employers access human resources  assistance—such as recruitment, networking, and marketing—but it also  assisted employers with assessment and training of new and existing  employees. Specialized staff at most of the one-stops we visited also  worked with local economic development entities to serve employers or  recruit new businesses to the area. For example, the staff at the Erie,  Pennsylvania, one-stop worked with a range of local economic  development organizations to develop an outreach program that assessed  the workforce needs of employers, linked employers with appropriate  services, and developed incentive packages to attract new businesses to  the community.
section_title: One-Stops Provided Services Tailored to Meet Employers’ Specific Workforce Needs
paragraphs: In addition to dedicating specialized staff to engage employers and working  with intermediaries, all of the one-stops we visited tailored their services to  meet employers’ specific workforce needs by offering an array of job  placement and training assistance designed for each employer. These  services included specialized recruiting, pre-screening, and customized  training programs. For example, when one of the nation’s largest cabinet  manufacturers was considering opening a new facility in the eastern  Kentucky area, the one-stop in Pikeville, Kentucky, offered a tailored set of  services to attract the employer to the area. The services included assisting  the company with pre-screening and interviewing applicants and  establishing an on-the-job training package that used WIA funding to offset  up to 50 percent of each new hire’s wages during the 90-day training period.  According to a company representative, the incentive package offered by  the one-stop was the primary reason the company chose to build a new  facility in eastern Kentucky instead of another location. Once the company  arrived, the Pikeville one-stop administered the application and assessment  process for job applicants and held a 3-day job fair, resulting in the  company hiring 105 people through the one-stop and planning to hire an  additional 350 employees.
To help industries address labor shortages and strengthen local businesses,  several of the one-stops we visited actively developed and marketed  training opportunities for current and potential new employees, helping to  keep jobs in the community and promote local economic growth. For  example, Pikeville, Kentucky, encountered a labor shortage in the local  coal mining industry. Because of the high cost of training for inexperienced  miners, many companies considered hiring experienced coal miners from  foreign countries. To help companies save on training costs and hire  workers from the local area—one of historically high unemployment—the  Pikeville one-stop created an on-the-job training program using WIA funds,  which paid for half of new miners’ salaries during their training period.    The co-owner of a local mining company, who hired 15 percent of his  workforce through the one-stop, told us that, without the assistance of the  one-stop, he would not have been able to hire as many miners. Because he  saved money on training costs, the co-owner said he was also able to  promote his experienced workers to more advanced positions and provide  better benefits, such as health insurance, for all his employees.
Tailored services were used not only to attract new employers, but to retain  employers in the one-stop system and train new workers for employers  struggling to find job-ready staff. For example, for over 9 years, the  Clarksville, Tennessee, one-stop has provided tailored hiring services,  including drug-testing and pre-screening of applicants, for a nearby  manufacturing company. As a result, the company has hired over 75 people  through the one-stop. One-stops also provided customized workshops and  classes to help employers train new and current workers. When a local  nursing home expressed concern about hiring non-English-speaking  workers, the one-stop in Blaine, Minnesota, created a job-specific English  as a Second Language course that was taught on-site at the nursing home  by one-stop staff.
Many of the one-stops we visited also provided employers with tailored  business support services and educational resources. One-stop managers  told us that these services helped the one-stops attract and retain employer  involvement in the one-stop system and enhanced employers’ ability to  maintain a skilled workforce. For example, some one-stops we visited  allowed employers to use office space in the one-stop for interviewing job  applicants. A few of the one-stop centers had specific business centers on- site, such as the Business Resource Center in Killeen, Texas. The center  served entrepreneurs and over 400 small businesses by providing  information about starting a small business, such as tax information,  economic development information, marketing resources, and business  workshops.  Similarly, the Sunnyvale, California, one-stop addressed the  specific needs of customers seeking entrepreneurial opportunities by co- locating with a patent and trademark library that is electronically linked to  the national trademark office. Finally, several one-stops offered employers  help with accessing business tax credits. For example, when the employer  services staff at the one-stop in Vineland, New Jersey, realized the  application process for tax credits was cumbersome for employers, they  began automatically completing the required paperwork for employers so  that the employers could more readily apply for the tax credit incentives.
section_title: One-Stop Centers Built a Solid Infrastructure by Strengthening Program Partnerships and Raising Additional Funds
paragraphs: To build the solid infrastructure needed to support better services for job  seekers and employers, many of the one-stops we visited developed and  strengthened program partnerships and raised funds beyond those  provided under WIA. Center operators fostered the development of strong  program partnerships by encouraging communication and collaboration  among partners through functional teams and joint projects. As shown in  figure 5, this collaboration allowed one-stop partners to better integrate  their respective programs and services. Many one-stops also worked  toward improving one-stop operations and services by raising additional  funds through fee-based services, grants, and contributions from partners  and state or local government. The revenue raised through these activities  helped one-stops improve operations and services despite the lack of WIA  funding for one-stop operations and restrictions on the ways in which one- stop programs can spend their funds.
subsections: section_title: One-Stop Centers Promoted Strong Partnerships by Facilitating Communication and Collaboration among Partner Programs
paragraphs: In order to build a cohesive, well-functioning one-stop infrastructure,   9 of the 14 one-stop centers we visited gave partners the opportunity to  collaborate through functional teams and joint projects. One-stop  managers told us that collaboration through teams and joint projects  allowed partners to better integrate their respective programs and services,  as well as pursue common one-stop goals and share in one-stop decision  making. For example, partners at the Erie, Pennsylvania, one-stop center  were organized into four functional teams—a career resource center team,  a job seeker services team, an employer services team, and an operations  team—which together operated the one-stop center. As a result of the  functional team meetings, partners reported that they worked together to  solve problems and develop innovative strategies to improve services in  their respective functional area. For instance, to improve intake and  referral processes, the Erie job seeker services team created a color-coded  intake form shared by multiple partners. Certain customers, such as  veterans and dislocated workers, received intake forms that were a  different color from those of other customers, so that staff could easily  identify the different customer groups and direct each toward the services  that best met their needs. Similarly, in Salt Lake City, Utah, partners created  a committee to address issues of common concern, such as cross-program  referrals, cross-training of partner staff, and employer involvement. Staff  from the Vocational Rehabilitation Program in Salt Lake City told us that  this committee helped to increase referrals to their program by producing  flow charts of the service delivery systems of various partner programs to  identify points at which referrals and staff collaboration should occur.
In addition to fostering integration across programs, one-stop managers  said that the joint decision making done through functional teams  facilitated the development of a shared one-stop identity. Pikeville,  Kentucky, one-stop managers told us that shared decision-making was  instrumental in developing a common one-stop identity and in ensuring  partners’ support for the one-stop system. The process of creating a shared  one-stop identity in Pikeville was also supported by the adoption of a  common logo, nametags, and business cards, and was reinforced by a  comprehensive marketing campaign, which gave partners a common  message to rally behind. Pikeville one-stop managers told us that, as a  result of this shared one-stop identity, partner staff no longer focused  exclusively on serving their individual program customers; rather, staff  developed a “can-do” attitude of meeting the needs of all one-stop  customers. In addition, managers told us that because of their shared one- stop identity, partners were more willing to contribute resources to one  another and to the center as a whole. For instance, in order to streamline  services for job seekers, the Adult Basic Education Program administered  skills assessments to all one-stop customers, regardless of which program  they were enrolled in.
One-stop managers at several of the sites we visited told us that the co- location of partner programs in one building facilitated communication and  collaboration. For this reason, one-stop managers at several of the centers  we visited reported that they fostered co-location by offering attractive  physical space and flexible rental agreements. For example, in Pikeville,  Kentucky, the local community college donated free space to the one-stop  on its conveniently located campus, making it easier to convince partners  to relocate there. Partners were also eager to relocate to the Pikeville one- stop because they recognized the benefits of co-location for their  customers. For instance, staff from the Vocational Rehabilitation Program  said that co-location at the one-stop increased their customers’ access to  employers and employment services. Pikeville managers also told us that  co-location at the community college made it easier for partners to share  information and made them more visible to students likely to need  employment services in the near future. In addition, because co-location  sometimes presents a challenge to partners with limited resources, several  centers offered flexible rental agreements to make it easier for partners to  co-locate. For example, the Kansas City, Missouri, one-stop enabled the  Adult Basic Education Program to co-locate by allowing it to contribute  instructors and General Educational Development (GED) classes instead  of paying rent. Partners in some locations, including Dayton, Ohio, and  Kenosha, Wisconsin, donated space to enable other partners to be on-site.
Several one-stops where all partners were not co-located found ways to  create strong linkages with off-site partners. For example, in addition to  regular meetings between on-site and off-site staff, the one-stop in Aurora,  Colorado, had a staff person designated to act as a liaison and facilitate  communication between on-site and off-site partners. When an on-site  partner specializing in senior services raised concerns about the lack of  employment opportunities for its customers, the liaison set up a meeting  with Vocational Rehabilitation, an off-site partner, to enable both parties to  begin exchanging referrals to jobs and services.
section_title: One-Stop Centers Raised Additional Funds to Improve One-Stop Operations and Expand Services for Customers
paragraphs: Managers at all but two of the one-stops we visited said that they were  using the flexibility under WIA to creatively increase one-stop funds  through fee-based services, grants, or contributions from partner programs  and state or local governments. Managers said these additional funds  allowed them to cover operational costs and expand services in spite of the  lack of WIA funding to support one-stop infrastructure and restrictions on  the use of program funds. For example, one-stop operators in Clarksville,  Tennessee, reported that they raised $750,000 in fiscal year 2002 through a  combination of business consulting, drug testing, and drivers’ education  services. Using this money, the center was able to purchase a new  voicemail and computer network system, which facilitated communication  among staff and streamlined center operations. Similarly, in Sunnyvale,  California, one-stop managers said they raised $20,000 through downsizing  and training services for employers, and used this money to expand the  one-stop’s training services.
Centers have also been proactive about applying for grants from public and  private sources. For example, the one-stop center in Kansas City, Missouri,  had a full-time staff person dedicated to researching and applying for  grants. The one-stop generated two-thirds of its entire program year 2002  operating budget of $21 million through competitive grants available from  the federal government as well as from private foundations. This money  allowed the center to expand its services, such as through an internship  program in high-tech industries for at-risk youth. One-stop centers also  raised additional funds by soliciting contributions from local or state  government and from partner agencies. For instance, Boston one-stop  managers reported that the state of Massachusetts matched the one-stop’s  Wagner-Peyser funds dollar for dollar, which enabled the center to fund its  resource room and library. In addition, the Dayton, Ohio, one-stop received  $1 million annually from the county to pay for shared one-stop staff salaries  and to provide services to job seekers who do not qualify for services under  any other funding stream. Dayton one-stop partners also contributed  financial and in-kind resources to the center on an as-needed basis.
In addition to raising money through grants, managers at the one-stop in  Santa Rosa, California, told us that they made more efficient use of existing  funds by having staff use a funding source determination worksheet to  maximize training funds from various sources. The worksheet is  continually updated to show how much funding is available through each  program, allowing caseworkers to choose the most economical source for  eligible customers’ Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) based on the  amount of money available through each funding stream and the date it is  scheduled to expire.
section_title: Little Is Known about the Impact of Strategies to Improve One-Stop Services and Management
paragraphs: While Labor currently tracks outcome data—such as job placement, job  seeker satisfaction, and employer satisfaction—and funds several studies  to evaluate workforce development programs and service delivery models,  little is known about the impact of various one-stop service delivery  approaches on these and other outcomes. Labor’s studies largely take a  program-by-program approach rather than focusing on the impact on job  seekers of various one-stop integrated service delivery approaches, such as  sharing customer intake forms across programs, or on employers, such as  dedicating staff to focus on engaging and serving employers. Further,  Labor’s efforts to collaborate with other federal agencies to assess the  effects of different strategies to integrate job seeker services or to serve  employers through the one-stop system have been limited. In addition, one- stop administrators do not have enough opportunities to share existing  information about how to improve and integrate services for job seeker and  employer customers. While Labor has developed a promising practices  Web site to facilitate such information sharing, it is unclear how well the  site currently meets this objective.
subsections: section_title: While Labor Currently Has Several Impact and Process Evaluations Underway, the Scope of These Studies Is Limited
paragraphs: Labor currently tracks performance measures under the three WIA  programs using 17 separate outcome measures, including job placement  and job seeker and employer customer satisfaction, designed to gauge the  success of WIA funded services. However, managers at a few of the one- stop centers we visited told us that customer satisfaction data, for example,  could not be linked to specific services or strategies, so one-stop managers  could not use the data to improve services for their job seeker and  employer customers. While outcome measures are an important  component of program management in that they assess whether a  participant is achieving an intended outcome-such as obtaining  employment—they cannot measure whether the outcome is a direct result  of program participation. Other influences, such as the state of the local  economy, may affect an individual’s ability to find a job as much or more  than participation in an employment and training program. Many  researchers consider impact evaluations to be the best method for  determining the effectiveness of a program—that is, whether the program  itself rather than other factors leads to participant outcomes.
While Labor is currently supporting a large number of impact and process  evaluations of various workforce development programs and initiatives,  none of these studies include an evaluation of the impact of different  integrated service delivery approaches on outcomes, such as job placement  or retention, or job seeker and employer satisfaction (see table 2).   Examples of integrated service delivery initiatives that we observed at one- stops and that Labor could evaluate include cross-training one-stop staff,  sharing customer intake across programs, and consolidating case  management for customers enrolled in multiple programs. While these  integrated service delivery approaches were common at the one-stops we  visited, little is currently known about their impact on one-stop customer  outcomes and satisfaction. In addition, there is a lack of information about  which approaches to serving employers are most effective, such as  dedicating staff to engage and serve employers or tailoring services for  employers by offering customized training or pre-screening job applicants,  for example. Employment and Training Administration (ETA) officials  provided us with information on their current research, such as the  Microanalysis of the One-Stop—a process evaluation that Labor has  initiated to analyze how job seekers and employers access the array of  available one-stop services. While this study offers an analysis of the  implementation and operation of integrated service delivery, it does not  measure the impact of this integration on one-stop customers’ satisfaction  or outcomes. In addition, the impact evaluations that Labor is currently  undertaking typically take a program-by-program approach and do not  measure the effectiveness of integrated services. For instance, Labor’s  evaluation comparing the impact of various approaches to implementing  Individual Training Accounts only includes WIA program participants, and  its evaluation of self-directed job search in a one-stop environment focuses  only on UI recipients.
ETA officials told us that a major barrier they face to conducting a broader  array of impact studies is their limited research budget—$35 million for  demonstration grants and $9 million for evaluations in fiscal year 2003. In a  few cases, Labor has sought to address these funding limitations by  collaborating with other federal agencies to fund studies. For example,  Labor is helping HHS fund the $26 million Employment, Retention and  Advancement Study, an evaluation assessing strategies to promote  employment retention and advancement among welfare recipients and low- wage workers. Labor is also collaborating with the Department of  Education on a process evaluation examining the implementation of  school-to-work programs at selected Job Corps centers. Such collaboration  not only enables Labor to address funding limitations, but it also has the  potential to facilitate evaluations of service delivery approaches that span  multiple programs overseen by different agencies. However, in spite of  these benefits, Labor is currently engaging in only a limited number of such  collaborations. Moreover, none of these collaborative studies are  specifically directed towards evaluating the impact of one-stop services or  integrated service delivery approaches.
section_title: One-Stop Administrators Do Not Have Enough Opportunities to Share Information about Promising Strategies in Serving One-Stop Customers
paragraphs: While Labor has developed several mechanisms for providing guidance and  allowing local one-stop administrators to share information on how to  move beyond the basic requirements of WIA toward improving and  integrating one-stop services, these efforts have been limited. Labor’s  primary mechanisms for disseminating information about promising  practices at one-stop centers are a Web site, forums, and conferences.
The promising practices Web site, which is funded by Labor and is operated  by Northern Illinois University’s Center for Governmental Studies,  represents a promising step toward building a mechanism to support  information sharing among one-stop administrators. However, neither ETA  nor the Web site’s administrators have conducted a customer satisfaction  survey or user evaluation of the site, so little is known about how well the  site currently meets its objective to promote information sharing about  promising practices. Much of the information available on the Web site  comes from submissions by one-stop centers or research organizations, yet  Web site administrators told us that these submissions have not been  screened to ensure that their content is useful. Furthermore, relevant  literature stresses that information presented through Web sites should be  accessible, useful, and well organized. When we attempted to use the Web  site, we found that useful information on the site was difficult to access. In  order to find information about promising practices through the site, one  must conduct a search by key word, which often did not yield satisfactory  results. Search results were organized alphabetically, not by relevance, and  some of the results addressed the search topic only marginally. In addition,  search results included a disorganized mixture of external documents,  links to other Web sites, and submissions. For instance, a search under the  keywords "service integration" yielded six results, including two links to  external Web sites, two external documents, and two promising practices  submissions. Of these six results, two did not directly address promising  practices in the area of service integration.
In addition to the Web site, Labor hosts regular regional meetings and  cosponsors several national conferences to promote information  dissemination and networking opportunities for state and local grantees  and stakeholders. Labor also hosted several forums during WIA  implementation to allow information exchanges to occur between the  department and state and local one-stop administrators. While these  conferences and forums provide a venue for one-stop managers to talk with  one another about what is and is not working at their centers, participation  is limited to those who can physically take part.
section_title: Conclusions
paragraphs: The workforce development system envisioned under WIA represents a  fundamental shift from prior systems, and barely 3 years have passed since  it was fully implemented.  States and localities are learning how to use the  flexibility afforded by WIA to develop systems that work for their local  areas and that implement WIA’s vision of a customer-focused system. The  one-stop centers we visited are coordinating with the 17 mandatory  partners, and often multiple optional partners, to create a one-stop system  that strives to streamline services for job seekers and make employers a  significant part of the one-stop system. While the one-stops we visited  ranged in terms of their location—from urban to suburban to rural—we  saw numerous examples of one-stops streamlining services for job seekers,  developing business-related services to meet the needs of employers, and  supporting a one-stop infrastructure that provides the full range of  assistance needed by job seekers and employers to serve local workforce  needs.
While these strategies show promise for improving services to job seekers  and employers alike, there is no clear understanding of whether these  integrated service delivery approaches are actually increasing job seeker  and employer satisfaction or outcomes, such as job placement and  retention. Labor’s current research efforts focus within individual  programs and have yet to take into account that customers are now served  by a one-stop system where multiple programs from four federal agencies  provide services. Moreover, few efforts have been made to share  information on promising practices. It is unclear whether one effort, a  promising practices Web site supported by Labor, is effective in meeting its  objective to promote information sharing about promising practices.   Without the right research or information sharing tools, it is difficult to  know which one-stop practices are, in fact, successful and how the system  might be improved in the long run.
section_title: Recommendations for Executive Action
paragraphs: In order to better understand and disseminate information on how well  different approaches to program integration are meeting the needs of one- stop job seekers and employers, we recommend that the Secretary of Labor   collaborate with the Departments of Education, Health and Human  Services, and Housing and Urban Development to develop a research  agenda that examines the impacts of various approaches to program  integration on job seeker and employer satisfaction and outcomes, such  as job placement and retention and  conduct a systematic evaluation of the promising practices Web site and  ensure that it is effective.
section_title: Agency Comments
paragraphs: We provided a draft of this report to Labor for comment. Labor agreed with  our recommendations and expressed appreciation for our  acknowledgment of the progress made by local one-stop centers. However,  Labor suggested we recognize other research activities undertaken by ETA  and its efforts to share promising practices. We have incorporated Labor’s  comments in our report, as appropriate. A copy of Labor’s response is in  appendix III.
Specifically, Labor agrees with our recommendation that better  information is needed to assess the impact of integrated services on  customer outcomes and satisfaction, but noted that it collects performance  information that includes job seeker and employer customer satisfaction  data. In addition, Labor told us it is working on implementing common  performance measures for the one-stop system. As we noted in the report,  outcome measures are an important part of program management, but  alone, do not allow for an understanding of whether the outcome is a direct  result of program participation. We continue to stress the need for more  impact studies in order to understand whether integrated services are  making a difference.
Labor agrees with our recommendation that Labor conduct a systematic  evaluation of the Web site to ensure that it is effective. Labor told us that it  is undertaking a strategic review of its Web sites, including the promising  practices site that is intended to identify ways to improve customer access  to information. Labor also said that it is engaged in other activities to  effectively share information about what is working well in one-stop  centers. For example, ETA hosts regular regional meetings for state  administrators and funds a number of efforts that produce, recognize, and  share promising practices within the workforce system.
We are sending copies of this report to the Secretary of Labor, appropriate  congressional committees, and other interested parties. In addition, the  report will be available at no charge on GAO’s Web site at  http://www.gao.gov.
Please contact me on (202) 512-7215 if you or your staff have any questions  about this report. Other major contributors to this report are listed in  appendix IV.
section_title: Characteristics of the 14 One-Stop Centers GAO Visited
paragraphs: Arapahoe/Douglas  Works!
Arapahoe/Douglas  Works! (local  government  consortium)
Workforce Essentials,  Inc.
Workforce Essentials,  Inc. (nonprofit)
Partner consortium,  led by Greater Erie  Community Action  Committee (nonprofit)
Full Employment  Council (nonprofit)
Suburban, rural area.   Fort Hood is nearby.
Eastern Kentucky  Concentrated  Employment Program  (nonprofit)
section_title: Promising Practices from Site Visits
paragraphs: While sites were identified as exemplary based on their promising practices  in one of three key areas—serving job seekers, engaging employers, and  operating the one-stop center—we found that all 14 of the one-stops we  visited exhibited numerous promising practices in multiple areas. The  selection of promising practices described below represents some of the  strongest or most unique examples from each site.
subsections: section_title: Aurora, Colorado
paragraphs: Arapahoe/Douglas Works!  Colorado Workforce Center  14980 E. Alameda Drive   Working with intermediaries to engage and serve employers -  Arapahoe/Douglas Works! works closely with local Chambers of  Commerce and economic development entities to conduct outreach to  employers.  Each year Arapahoe/Douglas Works! and the local Chamber  hold an employer recognition awards event, which not only markets the  one-stop system to business, but also encourages workplace innovation  by honoring three employers with awards for work-life balance,  community partnerships, and outstanding youth employer.
Dedicating specialized staff to address local industry needs -  Because of a local nursing labor shortage, the one-stop dedicated  specialized staff to establish an on-site healthcare recruitment center to  help job seekers find training opportunities in the healthcare field.
Promoting partner collaboration - In addition to regular meetings  between on-site and off-site staff, the one-stop has a staff person  designated to act as a liaison and facilitate communication between on- site and off-site partners.
Developing optional partnerships to expand services -  Arapahoe/Douglas Works! partners with the Department of Corrections  to provide transition services for juvenile offenders.
Raising additional funds to expand services - Arapahoe/Douglas  Works! raised about $620,000 through contracts with local schools to  provide workforce development services for at-risk high school  students. The one-stop also raised about $80,000 through an on-site  learning lab for students at risk of dropping out of school.
section_title: Blaine, Minnesota
paragraphs: Anoka County Workforce Center   1201 89th Avenue NE   Ensuring partner staff understand the range of services –Staff  periodically participate in center-wide meetings where they make  presentations to one another about their program’s services and role at  the center.  In addition, partners lead workshops on how to better serve  their particular customer base. Officials reported that cross-training  results in increased referrals across partner programs.
Streamlining services through consolidated case management -  The caseworkers from the various one-stop programs meet regularly to  collaborate in developing and implementing joint service plans for  customers who are co-enrolled in multiple programs.
Tailoring services to meet employers’ specific workforce needs -  The one-stop developed an English-as-a-Second-Language course  tailored to the needs of a local nursing home.  The course was taught on- site at the nursing home by one-stop staff.
Promoting partner collaboration - Partners collaborate in functional  teams to manage the one-stop.  Collaboration among partners was  enhanced when they jointly applied for a One-Stop Implementation  grant from the state of Minnesota. Because of the strong sense of  cooperation among them, partners pooled their resources when  possible to ensure the continued funding of services.
Raising additional funds to expand services - An H1-B grant and a  grant from the McKnight Foundation enabled the center to expand  services for customers.  The grants enabled the center to implement a  training program in healthcare-related fields and develop a social  services and car donation program for people who do not qualify for any  other program.
section_title: Boston, Massachusetts
paragraphs: The Work Place  99 Chauncy Street   Ensuring job seekers’ access to services - Because the majority of  the Work Place’s partners are located off-site, the one-stop placed staff  in off-site locations, including family courts, correctional facilities, and  welfare offices to give job seekers ready access to employment-related  services.
Dedicating specialized staff to establish relationships with  employers - The Work Place has staff dedicated to recruiting, engaging,  and maintaining employer involvement.  The Work Place has focused on  measuring employer satisfaction and soliciting employer feedback to  guide them in improving their employer services. The center has  established employer focus groups to identify the services employers  used and their satisfaction with those services.
Tailoring services to meet employers’ specific workforce needs -  The Work Place screens applicants and provides referrals to the  Marriott Hotel’s Pathways to Independence program, a nationwide job  readiness program for people with multiple barriers to employment.  About 75 percent of program graduates over the past 5 years were  recruited through The Work Place.
Developing optional partnerships to expand services - The Work  Place has developed an optional partnership with the Suffolk County  House of Corrections to provide community reintegration services for  prisoners prior to their release. One of the programs is an offender re- entry program that conducts job fairs inside the county jail to facilitate  incarcerated offenders’ transition back into the workplace.
Raising additional funds to expand services - The state of  Massachusetts matches the Boston one-stop’s Wagner-Peyser funds  dollar for dollar, which enables the center to fund its resource room and  library.
section_title: Clarksville, Tennessee
paragraphs: WorkForce Essentials, Inc.  110 Main Street   Ensuring job seekers’ access to services - The Clarksville one-stop  provides a clear path for job seekers to follow between one-stop  services.  When job seekers are referred to another partner program,  staff personally walk them over to the referred program staff to prevent  them from getting lost between programs.
Dedicating specialized staff to establish relationships with  employers - WorkForce Essentials, Inc., dedicates staff to conduct  employer outreach in order to provide employer services and identify  employment opportunities for job seekers. One-stop operators said that  outreach to employers has helped engender employer trust in the  organization and the job seekers it serves.
Working with intermediaries to engage and serve employers - The  Clarksville one-stop staff worked with Chamber of Commerce members  to provide math training in order to improve the pool of entry-level  employees for the local banking industry. This helped connect job  seekers with available job openings at local banks.
Tailoring services to meet employers’ specific workforce needs -  The one-stop provided tailored hiring services, including drug testing  and pre-screening of applicants, for a manufacturing company, resulting  in the company hiring over 75 people through the one-stop.
Developing optional partnerships to expand services- Managers in  Clarksville told us that co-location with the Tennessee Department of  Human Services, which administers TANF, benefits all job seekers  because the department helps fund various services, including computer  classes, soft skills classes, and parenting classes that can be provided to  those not eligible for TANF.
Raising additional funds to expand services - WorkForce  Essentials, Inc., raised $750,000 in fiscal year 2002 through drivers’  education courses, drug testing, recruitment, and skills assessment  services. This money was used to pay salaries and to purchase voicemail  and a computer network system.  In addition, the one-stop received a  $2.8 million H-1B Technical Skills Training Grant from DOL, through  which it has provided high-skills training to over 900 workers so far.
section_title: Dayton, Ohio
paragraphs: The Job Center  111 S. Edwin C. Moses Boulevard   Streamlining services through consolidated case management -  Caseworkers from various programs, including TANF, Medicaid, Food  Stamps, and WIA share caseloads and coordinate their service plans for  job seekers.
Ensuring partner staff understand the range of services - One- stop managers reported that cross-training on-site and off-site partners  dramatically improves referrals to the Child Support Program, thereby  enhancing efforts to establish paternity, a requirement for determining  eligibility for TANF.  Additionally, they indicated that their cross-trained  staff referred job seekers to service providers that had previously been  unknown, such as to smaller programs within the one-stop or local  neighborhood programs.
Promoting partner collaboration and co-location  - Partners  collaboratively operate the one-stop through four councils. All partners  are asked to participate and all have equal voice in decision-making.   Additionally, partners contributed space and other resources to help  other partners co-locate.  The Center is housed in a former shopping  mall, which offers plenty of flexible space to allow all partners to co- locate.
Developing optional partnerships to expand services - At the time  of our visit, the Dayton one-stop had over 30 optional partners on-site,  including the Montgomery County Combined Health District, which  operates a health clinic on-site; and Clothes that Work! which provides  free business attire to low-income women; and an alternative high  school.
Raising additional funds to expand services - The one-stop receives  $1 million annually from the county to pay for shared one-stop staff  salaries and to provide services to job seekers who do not qualify for  services under any other funding stream. Dayton one-stop partners also  contribute financial and in-kind resources to the center on an as-needed  basis.
section_title: Erie, Pennsylvania
paragraphs: Pennsylvania CareerLink  1309 French Street   Streamlining services through consolidated case management -  To efficiently coordinate multiple services for one-stop customers, Erie  one-stop staff use a networked computer system with a shared case  management program, so that they can share access to a customer’s  service plan and case file.
Ensuring job seekers’ access to services - The one-stop positions a  staff person at the doors to the center to help job seekers entering the  center find needed services and to ensure that exiting job seekers  received the services they sought.
Working with intermediaries to engage and serve employers -  CareerLink staff collaborated with numerous local economic  development entities to develop an outreach program that assesses the  workforce needs of employers and links employers with appropriate  services.
Promoting partner collaboration - The one-stop staff is organized  into four functional teams that meet weekly to work on common goals  and develop new strategies. These teams have developed innovative  strategies to improve service delivery, including the creation of a  resource guide for caseworkers and a color-coded intake form.
Strengthening relationships among partners - Staff at CareerLink  participate in frequent team-building activities, such as social events and  recognition ceremonies, to promote a positive, integrated working  environment.
section_title: Kansas City, Missouri
paragraphs: Full Employment Council  1740 Paseo  Kansas City, MO  64108  Streamlining services through consolidated intake procedures -  Youth Opportunity and the WIA Youth program staff share intake and  enrollment forms to streamline the delivery of services to youth.  This  process alleviates the burden of multiple intake and assessment forms  when registering participants.
Ensuring job seekers’ access to services - The one-stop  management decided to locate the one-stop center next to the bus  company, the Area Transit Authority, (ATA).  This strategic decision  meant that all bus routes passed by the one-stop center, ensuring that  customers with transportation problems could access one-stop services.    Additionally, the ATA partners with the one-stop to create an Urban  Employment Network program to assist job seekers with transportation  to and from work, 7 days a week from 5:00 in the morning until midnight  and has set up a van service to operate during off-peak hours.
Working with intermediaries to engage and serve employers - The  Full Employment Council uses the Chamber of Commerce as an  intermediary with employers.  The chamber has a workforce issues  division that does outreach to educate employers about recruitment and  retention strategies and services offered at the one-stop center. While  staff at the Kansas City one-stop assist job seekers with disabilities, the  Chamber works with local employers to educate them about hiring  disabled workers and integrating them into the workplace.
Promoting partner co-location - The one-stop enabled the Adult  Basic Education program to co-locate by allowing it to contribute  instructors and GED classes instead of paying rent.
Raising additional funds to expand services - The Kansas City one- stop has a staff person specifically designated to researching grant  opportunities and writing grant applications. Through pursuing grant  opportunities, the center has been able to raise about $14 million, which  represents two-thirds of its total budget in program year 2002. These  additional funds enable the one-stop staff to address local workforce  concerns and provide services, such as internship opportunities in high- tech industries for at-risk youth.
section_title: Kenosha, Wisconsin
paragraphs: Kenosha County Job Center  8600 Sheridan Road   Streamlining services through consolidated and case  management - Case files for economic support, case management, job  placement, and childcare services are shared on a networked computer  system that staff from these four programs can access. Staff from these  programs collectively develop an action plan for their customers and  share an electronic calendar for scheduling customers’ appointments  and workshops.
Working with intermediaries to engage and serve employers - The  one-stop collaborates with local community colleges and the Kenosha  Area Business Alliance, an economic development association, to  identify labor and skills shortages in local industry. These partnerships  have not only helped employers with human resources assistance--such  as recruitment, networking, and marketing--but they have also assisted  employers with assessment and training of new and existing employees.  For example, the one-stop’s relationship with a local community college  led to the development of a Certified Nursing Assistant course taught in  Spanish.
Promoting partner collaboration - Regular functional team meetings  allow partners to share ideas, work together to solve problems, and  develop strategies to improve services. For example, through functional  teams, partners were able to establish an on-site childcare center.
Promoting partner co-location - Goodwill Industries, a one-stop  partner, pays rent for smaller partners that cannot afford to pay rent on  their own to expand services for job seekers.
section_title: Killeen, Texas
paragraphs: Central Texas Workforce Center  300 Cheyenne   Ensuring job seekers’ access to services - To serve customers with  transportation challenges, staff in Killeen partner with the libraries in  rural areas to provide computer access to one-stop resume writing and  job search services.  They also provide an on-line TANF orientation, so  that customers can access it remotely.  Additionally, when one-stop  center staff refer job seekers to one of their many partners, the staff  personally introduce the job seeker to the referred program staff to  prevent job seekers from getting lost between programs.
Developing optional partnerships to expand services - The one- stop improved job seeker access to services by forming relationships  with optional partners such as TANF.  One-stop staff told us that co- location with TANF services helps welfare recipients address barriers to  employment by facilitating easier access to services, such as housing  assistance and employment and training programs.
Dedicating specialized staff to establish relationships with  employers - The one-stop has specialized staff serving not only as the  central contact for receiving calls and requests from employers but also  as the primary source for identifying job openings available through  employers in the community.
Tailoring services to meet employers’ specific workforce needs -  In collaboration with local community colleges and the Chamber of  Commerce, the one-stop created a Business Resource Center that offers  services specifically for entrepreneurs and new businesses, including  tax assistance and workshops on starting or improving a business.
Raising additional funds to expand services - The one-stop has  applied for multiple transportation grants to improve access to jobs for  rural job seekers. In addition, the one-stop raised $309,000 in fiscal year  2001 by renting out space to local businesses and by providing services  to employers.
section_title: Pikeville, Kentucky
paragraphs: Pike County JobSight Center  120 South Riverfill Drive   Ensuring partner staff understand the range of services - Cross- training workshops taught by partner staff educate staff about the one- stop’s diverse array of services. Although partners specialize in a  particular area of expertise, cross-training has improved referrals and  enabled staff to better ensure that job seekers get the tools they need to  become successfully employed.
Tailoring services to meet employers’ specific workforce needs -  When eastern Kentucky encountered a labor shortage in the coal mining  industry, the one-stop recruited a large pool of local applicants and  created an on-the-job training program using WIA funds, which paid for  half of new miners’ salaries during their training period.
Dedicating specialized staff to establish relationships with  employers - Specific JobSight staff are dedicated to employer outreach  and customizing services. These staff were able to help attract a large  cabinet manufacturer to the area by offering a customized service  package, including prescreening and assessment, on the job training,  and a 3-day job fair.
Promoting partner collaboration - When the one-stop was created,  partners participated in intensive workshops and collaboratively  designed a service delivery plan to reduce service duplication. In  addition, partners collaboratively designed a common intake form and a  service delivery flow chart.
Creating a shared one-stop identity - One-stop managers told us that  shared decision making was instrumental in developing a common one- stop identity and in ensuring partners’ support for the one-stop system.   The process of creating a shared one-stop identity in Pikeville was also  supported by the adoption of a common logo and nametags, and was  reinforced by a comprehensive marketing campaign.
Promoting partner co-location - The local community college  donated free space to the one-stop on its conveniently located campus,  making it desirable for partners to relocate there.
section_title: Salt Lake City, Utah
paragraphs: South County Employment Center  5735 S. Redwood Road   Streamlining services through consolidated case management -  The caseworkers at the Salt Lake City one-stop are divided into four  teams that share case management of customers. The Job Connection  Team is stationed at the front desk and helps customers by doing quick  assessments, referrals, UI profiling, and assisting with computer access.  Caseworkers from the three Employment Teams specialize in a  particular program and all caseworkers meet once a month to discuss  program requirements and how to streamline services for co-enrolled  customers.
Ensuring partner staff understand the range of services -  Department of Workforce Services and Vocational Rehabilitation  caseworkers participate in frequent cross-training sessions, so they are  capable of assisting co-enrolled customers.  One-stop managers  reported that cross–training has improved staff understanding of  programs outside their area of expertise and enhanced their ability to  make referrals.   There is also a shadow program in which staff members  shadow one another for a few hours to learn about one another’s jobs  and the programs they administer.
Ensuring job seekers’ access to services - The one-stop established  a Web-based job search program on which job seekers can post resumes  and look for jobs. This Web site reduces customer flow, saves money,  and makes it more convenient for people to look for jobs from their  homes or offices.
Dedicated specialized staff to establish relationships with  employers – Employers have a separate one-stop center where they  can conduct interviews, access labor market information, attend  seminars, and use computers.  The center has specialized employer  outreach and business services staff that act as liaisons to employers,  organize job fairs, and assist with job placements.
Promoting partner collaboration - Partners created a “MOUse”  committee to address Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) issues,  including referrals, information systems, employer involvement, cross- training, and service accessibility.  Staff from the Vocational  Rehabilitation Program in Salt Lake City told us that this committee  helped to increase referrals to their program by producing flow charts of  the service delivery systems of various partner programs to identify  points at which referrals and staff collaboration should occur.
section_title: Santa Rosa, California
paragraphs: Sonoma County Job Link One-Stop Center  2245 Challenger Way  Santa Rosa, CA 95407  Dedicating specialized staff to establish relationships with  industries - In Santa Rosa, staff are dedicated to specific industries in  order to better address local labor shortages.   When Santa Rosa’s  tourism industry was in need of more skilled workers, the one-stop  worked with the local community college to ensure that job seekers  were connected to certification courses in hotel management and the  culinary arts. Also, the one-stop center has a Small Business  Development Center, funded by the Small Business Administration, that  provides consulting services to small businesses.
Working with intermediaries to engage and serve employers - The  one-stop focuses heavily on using existing partnerships with  intermediaries, such as the Economic Development Board, to market  their services to employers and to utilize information gathered from  employer surveys.  Managers told us this partnership has helped  caseworkers better understand particular industries and job market  fluctuations.
Developing optional partnerships to expand services - The one- stop is collaborating with CalWORKS, the state TANF program, which  allows them to provide additional services, such as the employer  account representatives. These representatives work with employers,  the Workforce Investment Board, and caseworkers to gather and  disseminate information about the labor market, particularly high- demand industries.
Raising additional funds to expand services - Santa Rosa has been  better equipped to receive national grants and grants from the state of  California by collaborating with three other Workforce Investment  Boards in the area. In addition, this collaboration has improved local  labor market information and sharing of promising practices.
Improving one-stop operations - Partner staff use a Funding Source  Determination Worksheet to ensure that customers’ services are paid  for by the most appropriate grant or by a variety of funding streams to  maximize funding in the long run.  The funding sheet helps alleviate  some cost burden on partners with tighter training budgets.
section_title: Sunnyvale, California
paragraphs: Connect!  420 S. Pastoria Avenue   Dedicating specialized staff to establish relationships with  employers - Connect! has dedicated staff to providing a variety of  services (both free and fee-based) to meet business needs, including  staffing services, such as prescreening of job applicants and on-site  recruiting; transition/outplacement services to help downsizing  businesses assist displaced workers; educational resources; and  training, such as technical training for small business IT workers.
Tailoring services to meet employers’ specific workforce needs -  The one-stop is co-located with a patent and trademark library that is  electronically linked to the national trademark office to assist  customers seeking entrepreneurial opportunities.
Gathering labor market information on local industries - Connect!  conducted Labor Market Information Plus (LMI+) studies of local  industries to gather information on current workforce issues and  challenges and predict future labor market trends.
Raising additional funds to expand services - One-stop managers  raised $20,000 through fee-based downsizing and training services for  employers and used this money to expand the one-stop’s business  services.
Improving one-stop operations - In order to improve its operations,  Connect! conducted an assessment (Voice of the Customer Initiative) to  better understand customer expectations and needs.  As a result, the  one-stop reorganized its operations, redefined relationships with  partners, developed a new outcome budget structure, and created  specialized one-stop centers for businesses, job seekers, and youth.
section_title: Vineland, New Jersey
paragraphs: Cumberland County One-stop  415 Landis Avenue   Ensuring job seekers’ access to services - By addressing customers’  transportation challenges, the Cumberland County One-Stop enhanced  access to training and employment opportunities for rural customers.   The one-stop now provides transportation to employment sites that are  difficult for customers to access, such as the Atlantic City casino  industry.
Ensuring partner staff understand the range of services - Program  staff attend monthly meetings to educate one another about various  program rules, which improves referrals and eligibility determination  for customers. For example, all program staff attended training on how  to assess customers’ eligibility for the TANF program.
Tailoring services to meet employers’ specific workforce needs -  When employer services staff realized the application process for tax  credits was cumbersome for employers, they completed the required  paperwork themselves so that employers could receive the tax credit  incentives.
Working with intermediaries to engage and serve employers - The  Cumberland County One-Stop negotiated an agreement with the local  Empowerment Zone Office, requiring that new businesses use the one- stop center for recruitment before using their own private resources.   This arrangement allows the one-stop to stay informed of employer  needs and potential opportunities for job seekers.
Working with intermediaries to engage and serve employers - The  Vineland one-stop belongs to the three Chambers of Commerce in the  area and attends many of their events.  Business services staff make  presentations about the one-stop’s services at professional conferences,  chamber meetings, and other local events.
section_title: Comments from the Department of Labor
section_title: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments
subsections: section_title: GAO Contacts
section_title: Staff Acknowledgments
paragraphs: Elisabeth Anderson, Elizabeth Caplick, and Tamara Harris made significant  contributions to this report.  In addition, Shana Wallace assisted in the  study design; Jessica Botsford provided legal support; and   Patrick DiBattista assisted in the message and report development.
section_title: Related GAO Products
paragraphs: Workforce Investment Act: Exemplary One-Stops Devised Strategies to  Strengthen Services, but Challenges Remain for Reauthorization. GAO- 03-884T. Washington D.C.: June 18, 2003.
Workforce Investment Act: Issues Related to Allocation Formulas for  Youth, Adults, and Dislocated Workers.  GAO-03-636.  Washington D.C.:  April 25, 2003.
Multiple Employment and Training Programs: Funding and  Performance Measures for Major Programs. GAO-03-589.  Washington,  D.C.: April 18, 2003.
Food Stamp Employment and Training Program: Better Data Needed to  Understand Who Is Served and What the Program Achieves. GAO-03-388.  Washington D.C.: March 12, 2003.
Workforce Training:  Employed Worker Programs Focus on Business  Needs, but Revised Performance Measures Could Improve Access for  Some Workers.  GAO-03-353.  Washington, D.C.:  February 14, 2003.
Older Workers:  Employment Assistance Focuses on Subsidized Jobs and  Job Search, but Revised Performance Measures Could Improve Access to  Other Services. GAO-03-350.  Washington, D.C.: January 24, 2003 Workforce Investment Act:  States’ Spending Is on Track, but Better  Guidance Would Improve Financial Reporting.  GAO-03-239.  Washington,  D.C.:  November 22, 2002.
Workforce Investment Act:  States and Localities Increasingly Coordinate  Services for TANF Clients, but Better Information Needed on Effective  Approaches.  GAO-02-696.  Washington, D.C.:  July 3, 2002.
Workforce Investment Act:  Coordination of TANF Services Through One- Stops Has Increased Despite Challenges.  GAO-02-739T.  Washington, D.C.:   May 16, 2002.
Workforce Investment Act:  Youth Provisions Promote New Service  Strategies, but Additional Guidance Would Enhance Program  Development.  GAO-02-413.  Washington, D.C.:  April 5, 2002.
Workforce Investment Act:  Coordination of TANF Programs and One- Stop Center Is Increasing, but Challenges Remain.  GAO-02-500T.   Washington, D.C.:  March 12, 2002.
Workforce Investment Act:  Better Guidance and Revised Funding  Formula Would Enhance Dislocated Worker Program.  GAO-02-274.   Washington, D.C.:  February 11, 2002.
Workforce Investment Act:  Improvements Needed in Performance  Measures to Provide a More Accurate Picture of WIA’s Effectiveness.   GAO-02-275.  Washington, D.C.:  February 1, 2002.
Workforce Investment Act:  Better Guidance Needed to Address Concerns  Over New Requirements.  GAO-02-72.  Washington, D.C.: Oct. 4, 2001.
Workforce Investment Act:  New Requirements Create Need for More  Guidance.  GAO-02-94T.  Washington, D.C. October 4, 2001.
Workforce Investment Act:  Implementation Status and the Integration of  TANF Services.  GAO/T-HEHS-00-145.  Washington, D.C.:  June 29, 2000.
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