Q&A
HRA's collaboration with other agencies for workforce development
1:19:19
·
4 min
Council Member Ayala inquires about HRA's referrals to other agencies for workforce development opportunities. Scott French explains the collaborative efforts and data tracking challenges.
- HRA has ongoing referrals to programs like Parks JTP, but may not have exact data for all referrals
- Under the Adams Administration, there is increased collaboration between agencies in the workforce development space
- HRA aims to leverage strengths of different programs and make connections for clients to access the best available resources
- Council Member Ayala advocates for more programs like the Parks opportunity program in other agencies to provide support for first-time employees and break barriers to employment opportunities
Diana I. Ayala
1:19:19
Okay.
1:19:21
Do we know how many clients HRA refers to other agencies for work development workforce development opportunities like Parks department Mhmm.
Scott French
1:19:31
Some of them I would be able to know, right, in regards to Parks department, right, in the the Parks JTP program that's now being facilitated by Parks.
1:19:39
We do do ongoing referrals, so that is something we could probably get and get back to you for.
1:19:45
Other referrals, right, we we may not have those numbers, say, someone who's going to a workforce 1 center or we've just made them aware of other options in the communities to them.
1:19:54
So there are somewhere we have more formalized partnerships.
1:19:58
We have those, others, we may not have that exact data.
1:20:01
But I can say, under the Adams Administration and the Office of Talent And Workforce Development, all of the different agencies that work in the workforce development space work very collaboratively together.
1:20:14
There are constant sort of meetings and connections between us all to make sure we understand each other's programs and then leverage what someone else may do better than you do.
1:20:24
Right?
1:20:24
So I always say HRAs, our programs aren't meant to be a silo of the only program.
1:20:30
There are certain things we provide that are really important and essential, and then we should know where someone else may be is more successful than something else and make that connection for someone so they're being able to access the best that is out there.
Diana I. Ayala
1:20:41
Yeah.
1:20:42
Maybe also hoping to advocate for more programs like the the the parts opportunity program in other agencies, right, other models that are similar in nature.
1:20:51
I love that program because I think that it allows that level that, you know, should hand holding period that a lot of first time employees very need, younger employees, old people that haven't had employment in a really long time.
1:21:05
You know, it it it helps build self esteem.
1:21:08
And, also, it it helps breaks barriers to these these these opportunities because they there are barriers that still exist.
Scott French
1:21:14
Right.
1:21:14
You
Diana I. Ayala
1:21:14
know, I mean, we have all of these available positions throughout the city.
1:21:19
And, yeah, you know, folks apply and are not necessarily getting in.
1:21:23
Right?
1:21:23
The application process is, you know, is a little it gets complicated.
1:21:28
You know, getting places is difficult.
Scott French
1:21:30
Mhmm.
Diana I. Ayala
1:21:31
There's just, you know, too many inconveniences, I think, that we, you know, should be looked at and and and eradicated because the goal here is to try to make everybody make things as as simple as possible.
1:21:44
I mean, you guys have done a really good job of that, and I wanna Thank you.
1:21:47
I think, you know, I in hearing a lot of this, I'm excited about the the opportunities that exist for for HRA clients.
1:21:58
I would love to see that expanded, and I would love to be able to see how, again, you know, we could work with other city agencies to kinda help build that support system that you need.
1:22:09
Right?
1:22:09
Because we only need to kinda be working together on this.
1:22:13
Can you tell us how many of these jobs.
1:22:20
Well, how many cash assistance clients has HRE placed into jobs through the business link, and how many of those jobs have been sustained for 6 months or more?
Scott French
1:22:30
So I can say, for business link, we just announced yesterday that for FY 24, almost 10,000 individuals were connected 2 jobs through the business link programs, which is, you know, the highest since COVID numbers that have gone through business link, as I mentioned, the higher NYC Human Services saw an overall high of over 81100 cash assistance clients connected to jobs with providers who have contracts with the city in human services, which is the largest number it's ever been.
1:23:06
So those are numbers that we can say.
1:23:07
As it relates to retention data, we don't track that retention data.
1:23:13
We don't have that necessarily because many of these people who do get jobs then go off of cash assistance.
1:23:21
And so we we don't have a way to track them in in that in that manner.
