The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

Workforce Development Boards are organized under the federal legislation Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA), establishing parameters like roles, responsibilities and membership criteria for Boards to operate within. More specifically, WIOA outlines 13 critical functions to be carried out by the Workforce Development Board in order to continue to cultivate a seamless workforce delivery system:

  1. Local Area Plan[ning]
  2. Workforce Research and Regional Labor Market Analysis
  3. Convening, Brokering, and Leveraging
  4. Employer Engagement
  5. Career Pathways Development
  6. Proven and Promising Practices [for meeting the needs of employers]
  7. Technology [to maximize accessibility]
  8. Program Oversight
  9. Negotiation of Local Performance Accountability Measures
  10. Selection of One Stop Operator(s)
  11. Coordination with Education Service Providers
  12. Budget & Administration
  13. Accessibility for Individuals with Disabilities

GRWDB Procured Services: One-Stop Operator, Career Training Services, Youth Services, WorkFirst New Jersey, and Learning Link

One-Stop Operator and Career Training Services

The Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board selects the area’s One-Stop Operator, the Career Training Services provider as well as Youth, WorkFirst New Jersey and Learning Link service providers through a competitive process in accordance with the Uniform Guidance, WIOA and its implementing regulations, and Local procurement laws and regulations.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) for One-Stop Operator and Career Training Services was released on April 5, 2023; responses were due on Friday, May 5, 2023. The announcement about the RFP can be viewed here. The Somerset County Department of Human Services was recommended by a RFP Review Committee to be the vendor of Career Training Services for the new program year, beginning July 1, 2023. Human Services’ response and the committee scores can be viewed here. The Executive Committee approved the recommendation during a May 17 meeting, and the decision was affirmed during the June 22 GRWDB Board Meeting.

A Request for Proposal Rebid for One-Stop Operator services was released on May 24, and responses were due by June 14, 2023. The announcement about the RFP can be viewed here. EmPower Someret was recommended by a RFP Review Committee to be the vendor of One-Stop Operator services, with the contract period beginning on Aug. 1, 2023. EmPower Somerset’s response and the committee scores can be viewed here. The full board approved the recommendation during the June 22 GRWDB Board Meeting.

To contact One-Stop Operator Fernandel Almonor, email falmonor@co.somerset.nj.us.

As part of his services, Almonor is conducting monthly team leader meetings as well as one-topic strategy-brainstorming sessions with specific stakeholders. The meeting minutes can be found here: November 28, 2023; December 19, 2023; January 23, 2024; February 27, 2024, Childcare Brainstorming session;

The One-Stop Operator also provides a monthly report of programs and services. The reports are shared with the full board.

Read Program Year 2023 reports: July 2023, October 2023, November 2023, December 2023, January 2024, February 2024;

Read Program Year 2022 reports: July 2022, August 2022, September 2022, October 2022, November 2022, December 2022, January 2023, February 2023, March 2023; April 2023;  May 2023; June 2023

Read Program Year 2021 reports: July 2021, August 2021, September 2021, October 2021,November 2021, December 2021, January 2022, February 2022, March 2022, April 2022, May 2022, June 2022

Read Program Year 2020 reports: July 2020, August 2020, September 2020, October 2020, November 2020, December 2020, January 2021, February 2021, March 2021, April 2021, May 2021, June 2021

Read Program Year 2019 reports: July 2019, August 2019, September 2019, October 2019, November 2019, December 2019, January 2020, February 2020, March 2020, April, 2020, May 2020, June 2020

For copies of One-Stop Operator reports for previous program years, contact the GRWDB office at info@thegrwdb.org.

In previous years, the Greater Raritan One-Stop Operator coordinated One-Stop Partner Meetings during the program year. Here are the links to agendas for the past two program years: Program Year 2022: Sept. 14, 2022; Dec. 15,2022. Program Year 2021: Oct. 31, 2021; March 23, 2022; June 15, 2022.

Previous One-Stop Operator contracts are available as follows:

Other Vendor Contracts

The Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board also selects the area’s Youth Services providers in accordance with the Uniform Guidance, WIOA and its implementing regulations, and Local procurement laws and regulations. The current contracts for Youth Services started in 2021, for the Program Year running from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, with the option to extend the contracts annually for up four years through June 2026. The legal notice for those services can be viewed here; the Request for Proposals can be viewed here; the Proposal Review Committee recommendations can be viewed here, and the award of the contracts was discussed and approved at the June 24, 2021, GRWDB board meeting, as shown in these minutes.

In addition, the GRWDB competitively procures WorkFirst New Jersey and Learning Link services. The current contracts for both services began in 2020, for the Program Year running from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, with the option to extend the contracts annually for up to four years through June 2025. The Request for Proposals for WorkFirst New Jersey services can be viewed here, and the Request for Proposal for Learning Link services can be viewed here. The award of contracts was discussed and approved at the June 25, 2020, GRWDB board meeting, as show in these minutes.

Greater Raritan One-Stop Partners

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been executed between the Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board (GRWDB), the One-Stop Career Center (American Job Center Network) Partners (Partners), and the Chief Elected Official (CEO). They are collectively referred to as the “Parties” to this MOU.

This MOU is developed to confirm the understanding of the Parties regarding the operation and management of the One-Stop Career Centers in the Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board Area. The GRWDB provides oversight of workforce programming for Hunterdon and Somerset counties.

The parties to this MOU agree that all required Partners and co-located additional Partners have a joint responsibility to support and maintain an effective local integrated service delivery system. In addition, all parties recognize that shared and infrastructure costs are applicable to all the required Partners.

This MOU outlines the local vision for program alignment, Partner roles and responsibilities, and accountability for a coordinated service delivery system.

The parties also establish a financial plan, including terms and conditions, to fund the services and operating costs of the One-Stop Career Centers.

This MOU defines the parameters within which education, workforce, economic development, and other Partner programs and entities operating in the GRWDB Area create a seamless, customer-focused system that aligns service delivery across the board and enhances access to program services. By realizing One-Stop opportunities together, Partners are able to build community-benefiting bridges, rather than silos of programmatic isolation. These Partnerships also reduce administrative burden and costs and increase customer access and performance outcomes.

An updated MOU was completed and signed by local partners in May 2020. Go here to see a copy of the MOU and the related Infrastructure Funding Agreement (IFA).

One-Stop Operator Fernandel Almonor has been leading the development of the 2024-2026 MOU/IFA since early fall of 2023. The draft MOU/IFA has been completed and will be reviewed by the full board of the GRWDB at its February 1, 2024, meeting. These are notes from a January 18, 2024, Partner meeting on the draft document. GRWDB staff and partners are working to have the document signed and completed by March 30, 2024.