Archives for Workforce & Government

KRA Applauds ETA Vision 2030

June 29, 2023 | No Comments

Last month the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, which funds KRA’s Workforce Board client-partners for the provision of WIOA services, convened ETA Vision 2030, focused on how and why the workforce system is the “team that will change America”, supporting President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda. The Convening provided a unique opportunity for 500+ private-, public-, and non-profit workforce stakeholders to collaborate on how, in partnership, to create strategic plans that meet the needs of the future, improving life for all individuals and communities across the country. These 5 ETA Vision 2030 Takeaways are pivotal to ensuring
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KRA Monthly Spotlight!

July 31, 2022 | No Comments

White House Announces $40 Billion ARPA Investment in Our Workforce Earlier this month, the White House Summit on the American Rescue Plan and the Workforce announced $40 Billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to expand and strengthen our workforce, providing underserved Americans, and those with severe barriers to employment, with career pathways for securing good-paying jobs. Decades of operating One-Stop Career/American Job Centers and TANF Employment Programs has equipped KRA with the experience and expertise required to support programs related to the three major areas of ARPA investment addressed during the Summit: Building a Diverse and Skilled Infrastructure
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KRA Ready to Support Workforce Boards in Implementing New and Existing Federal Initiatives

March 23, 2022 | No Comments

On March 15, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, which provides funding to launch new education- and workforce-related initiatives, to increase funding levels for many existing programs, and to expand economic support for low-income and traditionally underserved communities. For 40+ years, as a National Leader in Workforce Development, KRA has provided critical services—i.e. research & evaluation, training & technical assistance, and program operations—that support workforce-related programs for under-represented Youth and Adult populations. All Federal agencies benefit from the Act’s provisions. However, it is the Department of Labor’s $13.2 billion in discretionary appropriations, particularly the
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KRA Monthly Spotlight!

October 31, 2021 | No Comments

KRA Supports South East Collaborative Workforce Development Initiative For the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (Partnership), KRA provides a comprehensive array of career-development services—guidance, education, occupational-skills training, and employment—for the area’s Adult, Dislocated, and Youth jobseekers through the Westside American Job Center and, since August 2020, the Chatham Education and Workforce Center (CEWC) on the Southside. Already struggling economically, first from the impact of the 2007-2009 Recession, and then from the devastating effects of COVID-19, area public- and private-sector leaders realized the need to do more to support the Chatham Community. On the 3rd Thursday of each month, members of the
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KRA’s Seymour Presents Two Workshops at AlabamaWorks Conference

September 3, 2021 | No Comments

On September 8, 2021 at 10:30am PST, Joseph L. Seymour, KRA Managing Director, Operational Excellence, will facilitate a workshop on Trauma-Informed Care for Workforce Development Professionals at the 2021 Meeting of the Minds in Monterey Conference. On September 21, 9:00-9:45am EDT, Mr. Seymour will re-present this informative and engaging “signature” seminar at the AlabamaWorks 2021 Virtual Conference as a Featured Presenter. This live Keynote Session will explore trauma-informed care as an approach, in various service-based fields, that recognizes the presence of trauma symptoms, and acknowledges the role that trauma may play in the lives of the program participants we all serve
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KRA Monthly Spotlight!

July 31, 2021 | No Comments

In early 2017, William Vinson, homeless and unemployed, “depressed”, and at his “personal rock bottom”, suppressed his innate sense of pride and applied for SNAP benefits through the Prince George’s County Department of Social Services (DSS), for which KRA operates the PGWorks Employment & Training Program. SNAP-participation required enrollment in the Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) Program, which included attending KRA Job Readiness Academy (JRA) Workshops. After completing the required sessions, Mr. Vinson’s appetite for more knowledge was not satisfied; thus, he continued to study, averaging forty-eight 2-hour sessions annually for the next 3 years! Mr. Vinson approached Mrs. Gina
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KRA Shares Expertise in Industry Resilience

May 21, 2021 | No Comments

“KRA is passionate about the partnerships that we have been able to cultivate over the last 40 years. Creating resiliency in partnerships during a pandemic is possible.” WORKCON 2021, the California Workforce Association Annual Spring Conference, has added another do-not-miss KRA presentation to its impressive line-up of industry representatives. On May 25, 2021 at 11:30am (PST) – 2:30pm (EST), a powerhouse KRA team— Dr. Kordilia Noble, Director, Partnerships & Market Development; Joseph L. Seymour, Corporate Training & Development Coordinator; and Maxine Suka, Director of Workforce Operations—will present Passion & Partnerships: Cultivating Resiliency in Workforce Development, highlighting KRA’s successful collaborative relationships in
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KRA Chicago Supports South Shore COVID-19 Grant Program

December 18, 2020 | No Comments

When the federal Department of Health and Human Services declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national public-health emergency, KRA clients, including the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership) were eligible to apply, through States, for Dislocated Worker Grant/Disaster Recovery Employment (DWG/DRE) funding. Awarded by the Secretary of the Department of Labor, these grants provide disaster-relief employment and employment-related services for WIOA-eligible Dislocated Workers affected by major workforce displacements, including temporary or permanent layoffs due to COVID-19. The Partnership selected KRA to support the South Shore Works Planning and Preservation Coalition that operates the DWG/DRE-funded South Shore Community Wellness Fellow Program, which
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Nevada Governor Appoints KRA Program Manager to Conflict-Resolution Board

November 13, 2020 | No Comments

KRA congratulates Michael Smith, Program Manager of our Reno-based American Job Center of Nevada (AJCN), on his appointment by the Honorable Stephen F. Sisolak to serve out the unexpired term of a retired Government Employee- Management Relations Board member. His appointment became effective at the October 27 Board meeting, which in response to COVID-19 restrictions was convened via video conferencing. After completing the 8-month balance of his predecessor’s term, Mr. Smith will begin his 4-year term on July 1, 2021. He joined KRA in September 2019, following a dedicated 32-year career as a Teacher, Coach, Student Support Services Coordinator, Assistant
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OJT…A Win-Win Opportunity for KRA Business- and Career-Services Customers

November 6, 2020 | No Comments

KRA’s proprietary Knowledge2Career (K2C)) Academy offers Out-of-School Youth customized career-development services, including on-the-job training (OJT) linked directly to employment with companies in high-demand industries. For Capital Workforce Partners, the North Central Connecticut WDB, KRA operates a K2C Academy, in partnership with the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT). Targeting the Manufacturing Industry, Tooling U-SME provides coursework and certification, with hands-on instruction provided through OJT agreements with regional employers. On March 17, 2020, KRA introduced a new K2C cohort, with 19 students—one of whom was Manuel Otero—who had passed qualifying Mechanical Aptitude Tests. Tony Harrington, KRA Operations Manager, commented, “Manuel expressed concern about a
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