In a significant move to bolster employment opportunities and economic growth in Baltimore City, the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) and KRA have partnered to create a new workforce-development initiative to equip residents with the skills needed to thrive in today’s job market, i.e., the FLEX (Focused Learning, Education, and Experience) Program.
MOED works in concert with the Baltimore Workforce Development Board (BWDB)—the primary agent for management and oversight of city, state, and federal grants—including DOL/WIOA and DHHS/TANF funds that serve the diverse workforce-services needs of the City’s employers and jobseekers.
The Baltimore City Department of Social Services (BCDSS) is the referral agency for FLEX Program candidates, e.g., TANF participants who are receiving TCA benefits at various levels of Head of Household enrollment and participation, a population with which we have extensive boots-on-the-ground experience.
For 10+ years, KRA operated a comprehensive Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program for TCA recipients who were required to participate in WEX (Work Experience) training and job-placement activities in order to continue receiving benefits—the same requirement for FLEX Program participants.
A team of KRA/FLEX Career Development Facilitators (CDF) will provide Outreach & Participant Engagement and Case Management & Career Development Services, employing a two-generation (2-Gen) approach, emphasizing career counseling, education, training, job-placement, and post-employment supportive services that improve outcomes for both parents and children.
In concert with 2-Gen service delivery, CDF staff will provide assessment services to develop Goal4 It! “stepping stone” plans, and life skills/employability workshops, assisting participants with barrier-removal resources through group and/or individual counseling sessions, and meeting with participants one-on-one to review/update their Goal4 It! plans.
Nikia Washington, FLEX Program Manager, with 7 years’ service to KRA, concludes, “KRA is proud to support the MOED in its mission to strengthen the City’s public-assistance system, responding to the needs of TCA recipients, providing opportunities for economic self-sufficiency, and creating stronger connections between and among business and community stakeholders to increase participation in the local labor market.”
Be sure to follow along as we share FLEX success stories, milestones, and meaningful progress, as well as other programs operated by KRA across the country that are shaping the future of workforce development.