Capabilities Statement for Education and Workforce Consultants

Current Projects

Direct Care Alliance, New York, NY

Education and Workforce Consultants, LLC is contracted by the Direct Care Alliance to plan the rollout of the Personal Care and Support Credential examination in New Mexico. The Direct Care Alliance is a nationwide and state-based alliance of family and professional direct caregivers. DCA’s goal is to serve as the national advocacy organization for direct caregivers.

The national credential is a critical step in professionalizing the direct care workforce. It will contribute to creation of a career ladder; improve the quality of care for people who are elderly and those living with disabilities. It will also serve as a valuable tool for employers and agencies struggling to meet the demand for personal care and support services in their communities.

U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau, Washington, D.C.

EWC is contracted by the U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau to plan and facilitate the National Dialogue on Workplace Flexibility. EWC is responsible for contributing to development of program, including eventual outcome of policies and practices that promote the interests of working women and families, and contribute to their economic security.

The U.S. Department of Labor is examining work-life policies such as paid and unpaid leave, flexible work schedules and teleworking, employee assistance programs, childcare, and eldercare support. The Department is working to improve work-life policies, and efforts are underway to see how we can better meet the needs of modern working families based on the belief that work-life balance is not just an issue for working women, but it is a family issue. Further, one of the key components of a good job is having workplace flexibility for family and personal caregiving.

EWC’s expertise in workforce development, direct care and coalition-building will contribute to this national dialogue .

Prosperity Works, Albuquerque, New Mexico

IDA Savings Partners Anthony Quintana and April
Barrack

Anthony Quintana and April Barrack are IDA savings partners. They incorporated their business, Couture Cellular, LLC, on April 14, 2008, a distribution retail and wholesale cellular products company.

They described in their business plan that the factors that will make them successful are low overhead, market knowledge and the willingness to "dedicate every moment of free time to the success of my own business."

Education and Workforce Consultants, LLC is contracted by Prosperity Works to plan and facilitate the Prosperity Works New Mexico Assets Consortium Partner Gathering, a state and Federal policy dialogue on improving economic security for New Mexico’s individuals and families. Prosperity Works builds the capacity of organizations and advocates for policies that generate economic prosperity for all New Mexicans, with a vision that every New Mexican should have the opportunity, knowledge and relationships to achieve economic prosperity.

In addition to a state and national level dialogue, the Partner Gathering will provide training and technical assistance for Asset Consortium Partners to strengthen strategies and coaching methods so that coaches and organizations may provide financial capability training and income maximization to New Mexicans.

Education and Workforce Consultants, LLC manages the Individual Development Account (IDA) program for eligible citizens of Sandoval and Bernalillo counties. Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the New Mexico State Legislature and Prosperity Works of New Mexico, the IDA is a custodial savings account established for a specific purpose to help individuals and families purchase an "Asset" that can include creation or expansion of a business, first time homeownership, or education (college or trade school).

YouthBuild Grantee Training

YouthBuild is a youth and community development program that simultaneously addresses core issues facing low-income communities: housing, education, employment, crime prevention, and leadership development. In YouthBuild programs, low-income young people ages 16-24 work toward their GEDs or high school diplomas, learn job skills and serve their communities by building affordable housing, and transform their own lives and roles in society. There are now 273 YouthBuild programs in 45 states, Washington, DC, and the Virgin Islands. 100,000 YouthBuild students have built 20,000 units of affordable, increasingly green, housing since 1994.

EWC has assisted YouthBuild through the U.S. Department of Labor in training new grantees how to connect to and access resources of the workforce development centers in their communities in order to better serve youth.See U.S. Department of Labor Press Release.

Albuquerque Center for Hope and Recovery, Albuquerque, New Mexico

EWC assists ACHR in developing and implementing workforce development policies and programming. Our work has resulted in the organization becoming an Employment Network recognized by Social Security Administration so that ACHR may begin to bill for placement of hardest-to-serve consumers who have successfully found employment.

Along with its partner, Advanced Employment Solutions, EWC also delivers a monthly program for consumers with barriers to employment that helps them identify knowledge, skills and abilities related to work and careers; develops tools and techniques for conducting their job search, employment, job retention and career growth. Our approach empowers consumers, raising their self-esteem and giving them the job search tools and language they need for employment. As a direct result of this monthly program, the following outcomes have been achieved:

91 individuals have participated;
Of these, 72 have graduated;
Of graduates, eleven (11) are employed as of July 31, 2010;
Of graduates, two (2) are pursuing postsecondary education as of July 31, 2010;
The average wage of those who are employed is $8.50 per hour.

Optum Health Statewide Youth Employment Initiative

EWC is contracted by Optum Health, the statewide provider for New Mexico’s behavioral health services, to develop and implement a youth employment program to serve as a statewide demonstration project of youth employment and training.. Youth employment placement, wages, advancement, job retention and long-term sustainability of the pilot are keystones of the initiative. EWC assists in communicating to state agency directors, providers and private sector managers and CEOs the elements of the program for sustainability and expansion. EWC assists in guiding the youth-serving organizations to capture performance measures and data in all areas of training, job placement and retention.

New Mexico Direct Caregivers Coalition, New Mexico

Education and Workforce Consultants, LLC is contracted by New Mexico's Developmental Disabilities Planning Council to undertake activities leading to creation of a statewide coalition representing New Mexico's direct caregivers, workers serving persons who are elderly and/or disabled.

The New Mexico Direct Caregivers Coalition is now a 501(c)6 organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for direct caregivers. The Coalition provides the space and opportunity for family and professional caregivers to define and advocate on topics of importance to them--be it higher wages, better benefits and workplace supports, training and education needed for improving their own professional development and that of the field. Through the Coalition, direct caregivers convene to enhance and promote the professionalism and image of direct caregivers, supporting professional development and workplace issues. Visit www.nmdirectcaresupport.org.

New Mexico Legislative Task Force on Credentialing for Direct Care Workers, New Mexico

House Memorial 37 of the 2009 Regular Session of the New Mexico legislature resulted in passage of a memorial to plan and develop a training and education program leading to credentialing of direct caregivers, paraprofessional workers who provide care to New Mexico’s aging and disabled populations. Legislation directed the New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Planning Council to convene a task force of experts to study, plan and implement a training and education program leading to credentialing of direct caregivers in the state. Education and Workforce Consultants, LLC was contracted to convene and facilitate this legislative task force.

Tiffany Graston is a New Mexico businesswoman in the pet services industry and an IDA Savings Partner.

See Practices in Education and Training for Direct Care Workers - Prepared for Legislative Task Force on House Memorial 37

Santo Domingo Pueblo Project for Youth with Behavioral and Emotional Difficulties, Santo Doming Pueblo, New Mexico

Santo Domingo Pueblo Office of Employment and Training contracted Education and Workforce Consultants, LLC to develop a plan for working with youth and young adults with emotional/behavioral difficulties as they transition to healthy adulthood. SPIRIT, modeled on the Transition to Independence Process (TIP) program, is designed to: 1) engage youth in their own planning process; 2) provide youth with developmentally-appropriate, culturally-competent services and supports; and 3) involve youth and their families in a process that prepares them for greater self-sufficiency and successful achievement of goals in employment/career, educational opportunities, living situation, personal effectiveness and community-life.