Women’s Second Chance Employment Counseling and Training

The Kansas Department of Commerce proposes to implement a Women's Second Chance Reentry Employment Counseling and Training program under Category 2,   The purpose is to serve women exiting the Topeka Correctional Facility, the only women's facility in the State of Kansas, with intensive, collaborative case management and workforce development services, connecting the women to high demand, high wage occupations in their area of release.  The program intends to serve women exiting to 32 counties in the northeast region of the state.  The northeast region of the state has high-demand occupations in a variety of career clusters as identified by Kansas Department of Labor, including high-wage opportunities in manufacturing, information technology, agricultural, and transportation.  The project subgrantee, Local Workforce Development Board 2, supports job seekers in accessing employment, education, and trainings to succeed in the labor marked and connects employers with the skilled workers they need to be competitive.  The entity consistently forges long-term relationships with employers in their communities through outreach from their Business Services Teams.  Please note, there are eleven post-secondary institutions in the proposed geographic area the cost of which can be mitigated through Pell, Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA), Registered Apprenticeship, or other typical tuition assistance programs.  The project activities include individualized career planning upon entrance into the program with regular, ongoing review both pre- and post-release; participation in an online workplace readiness curriculum; job preparation guidance;  and connections to employment and training.  The Second Chance Navigator will conduct research on the participant's desired occupation and confirm that it is in high demand in their projected area of release.
Subrecipient activities provided by the Local Workforce Board include hiring a Second Chance Navigator to provide intensive case management and workforce development services including career exploration and planning, referral to employment opportunities and employment focused training including, on-the-job training, registered apprenticeships or other training connected to high-demand employment in the region; and follow-up throughout the participants' transition.  Expected outcomes include developmental/participation in integrated resource teams, creation of individual employment plans to drive service delivery, connection to supportive services to decrease employment related barriers, links to sustainable employment in a high-demand occupation, and reduction in recidivism.  Outcomes are entered into the state's Management Information and Case Management system by the subrecipient and monitored by State staff.