JCPS Workforce Services - About Us

www.workforcetraining4u.com

In 2006-07, the Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Adult and Continuing Education unit  served more than 13,000 Adult Basic Education/GED students.  An important component of the unit is JCPS Workforce Services, which began in 1989.  This program was created due to requests from four companies for onsite GED classes.  As the program gained momentum, JCPS partnered with Metro United Way, United Parcel Service (UPS), and the National Center for Family Literacy, through a grant from the UPS Foundation, to develop a model for workplace literacy training. 

The model was developed to upgrade the educational level of Louisville and Jefferson County’s workforce, a purpose that is maintained to this day.  Through customized curriculum, the model integrates basic literacy skills with job-related skills enhancement.  Employers, employees, and employees’ families all benefit from the holistic design of the program, which addresses workplace and family literacy, as well as GED preparation.  The model was piloted in ten Louisville companies with great success.  

Since that time, the JCPS Workforce Services Program has received various awards and recognitions.  The program was honored with a national award for Outstanding Adult Programs from the U.S. Department of Education.  In addition, the program was one of four adult literacy programs profiled on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) website during Adult Education Month. In 2003, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) announced that JCPS Adult Education, through the many partnerships with Workforce Services, became one of twelve national programs to be recognized by the Community Partnerships for Adult Learning Initiative.  Selection of this prestigious honor was based on community and partnership involvement, as well as innovative leadership. In 2004, the program was asked by the U. S. Department of Labor to participate in the “Bridging the Limited-English Proficiency (LEP) Gap in Workforce Development” conference held in Dallas, Texas. This past year, the program has been featured many times in the Courier Journal, Business First, Workforce Florida, U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Workforce Preparation Newsletter, KET’s Adult Learning Quarterly, and was recognized in the Kentucky Adult Education Learning for Life Progress Report. Workforce Services was awarded the Louisville Metro Police Department’s 2007 Partnership Award, and was honored with the 2005 Agency Partnership Award presented by Community Action Partnership in Louisville. Just recently, the program was granted the Dollar General/Pro-Literacy Model, Performance Accountability Initiative Award.  The program was named the winner of the COABE (Council of Adult Basic Education) Outstanding National Workplace Literacy Program Award in 2002, 2005, and 2007.

Though the original model instilled the basic principals of upgrading employee skills, the program has evolved into something even more compatible with today’s ever-changing workforce.  Originally, JCPS workplace literacy training addressed specific individual needs in the areas of grammar, communications, reading, and mathematics.  Specially trained instructors incorporated job, community, and family information into the basic academic skills curriculum.  Workers were observed on the job, and supervisors were given input into the curriculum making courses more relevant for each workplace and each worker.  

Today, the spectrum has been broadened to include basic skills training in the areas of math, reading, writing, computer technology, problem solving, critical thinking, team building, and interpersonal communication.  The inclusion of family literacy has also become an even stronger component with the additional partnership of Family Education in many of the workplace projects through the use of at-home activities.  Workforce Services has also taken the lead in recognizing the need to train the influx of refugees and immigrants who have relocated to our community by increasing the number of Workplace English as a Second Language (WESL) classes.  The program is also at the forefront in providing cultural awareness workshops to employers and employees of local businesses and industries.

To date, JCPS Workforce Services has partnered with over 500 businesses and industries in the community and has found a venue of partnerships with local agencies and non-profit organizations, as well. The program not only provides skills-upgrade training for incumbent workers, but for those seeking employment, too.   This effort has been established to better prepare individuals facing daily adversities due to illiteracy and who are also seeking employment to improve their lives. 

New and innovative job readiness partnerships have been created with various agencies throughout Metro Louisville that assist refugees and immigrants, the homeless, welfare-to-work participants, and the unemployed in preparing these populations in attaining and retaining employment.  One example has been the collaboration with Norton Healthcare’s International Nurses program where over 120 nurses from India, Pakistan, and the Philippines have received ESL training during clinicals.  Workforce Services has also partnered with Community Action Partnership (CAP) to provide office technology training and a medical transcription course for low-income participants.  This past year, 70% of the medically trained graduates were hired by Humana at a starting salary of $29,000 per year. Another has been the partnership with Louisville Metro Police Department in instructing and assessing reading and writing skills of applicants choosing law enforcement as a career. In the past two years (2005-2007), over 1,000 have gone through the initial process with 83% of the applicants moving on to the next phase of the qualifying process. Because of its success, this partnership is also being replicated with the Jefferson County’s Sheriff’s Office and Louisville Metro EMS. The program also collaborated with the Louisville Metro Housing Authority for the last two years in providing basic computer skills training, as well as job-readiness workshops, for over 200 residents. And one of the most rewarding collaborations is the partnership with the Jefferson County Office of Employment and Training (OET) with SkillBuild, a project that in the past year alone has assisted over 150 new people per month with work-related training at OET featuring assessment services, math, reading and mechanical reasoning classes, resume writing, computer instruction, and job-readiness and application workshops for English speaking, as well as Limited-English Proficiency (LEP) participants. 

Just this past year, JCPS Workforce Services was selected as one of fifty sites nationwide to participate in the field testing and the soft launch of the National Work Readiness Credential (WRC).  As a result of this project, the program and KET strengthened its partnership and created a correlations crosswalk connecting the profiled tasks of the credential to the Workplace Essential Skills (WES) DVDs and materials.  A customer service curriculum focusing on the skills of the WRC was developed and is available on KET’s website, along with the crosswalk.  The program also partners with KentuckianaWorks, the local WIB, in funding job readiness training for out-of-school youth, with the ultimate goals of attaining the WRC and employment in the area. 

The number of people served through JCPS Workforce Services has more than tripled in the past six years as the program reaches out to those who need work-related, basic skills training.  In a time when budgets are being crunched and funding is being cut across the board, the program is still finding ways to partner with local entities so that the quality of services can continue.  In all, JCPS Workforce Services is a win-win program for employers and employees, companies and agencies, and for Louisville and Jefferson County. 

At a time when the workforce is rapidly changing its demographics, JCPS Workforce Services has come to the forefront to meet those changes head on with innovative and effective training programs.  In its 19^th year, the program has demonstrated its ability to be progressive in its response to the recognized needs of the community.   

This program has continued to evolve through the collaboration of community partnerships.  This is evident by the participation of over 500 companies and agencies, and the 23,000 employees and potential workers who have utilized the program’s services over the past 19 years.  Not only have large companies such as UPS, National City Bank, Community Action Partnership, SHPS, Norton Healthcare, and HCA, utilized the program’s services, but companies with fewer than 100 employees have also had great success when JCPS has provided on-site classes for employees.  The program’s ability to provide top quality services has no limits in providing training and instruction for blue and white-collar companies, alike.   Customized curriculum and training serves not only those who are employed, but for those preparing to enter the workforce.  The program’s evolution with the community’s needs and changing population is reflected by the increased demand for services.