Job & Family Services Office of Workforce Development
Innovative Practices

The Office of Workforce Development offers a resource page on Innovative Practices offering ideas and suggestions to assist local areas in improving efficiency and quality of service.

 

These resources include best practices, replicable models, implementation plans, research documents, and data reports.

 

Please feel free to take advantage of these documents we have gathered for you from across the nation. We evaluated documents with this review sheet.

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Document Source Description
Assessment
Assessment (PDF) Oklahoma Central Oklahoma's Workforce Investment Board created a 
57-page procedure on meeting state and federal performance-reporting requirements. 
Assessment (Word) Iowa  This form contains questions about personal information, pre- and post assessments, educational information, money, work, health, community support, family, housing, and transportation and concludes with a youth developmental assessment.
Assessment (PDF) Montana Montana has a form which asks for personal information and then continues to assess employment, education, support system, and financial needs.
Enrollment
Application (PDF) Connecticut Capital Workforce's form identifies participation in concurrent programs and barriers to employment. There is also a check-off list for the documents presented at enrollment.
Application (Word) Ohio The enrollment form covers enrollment, youth barriers, income status, common eligibility criteria, and contains a poverty guideline calculation worksheet.
Application (PDF) Minnesota Minnesota's application covers personal information, barriers, general information, education, work history, contact information, financial information, and signature lines.
Application (Word) California California's universal application documents contact information, program participation, selective service, race, family status, veteran status, educational level, and family income.
Barrier Attestation (PDF) Ohio Central Ohio's Workforce Investment Corporation (COWIC)  created a youth self-attestation form identifying barriers a participant may face.
Income Attestation (PDF) Ohio Income Declaration Self-Attestation Letter inquires about
6-months' individual and family incomes.
Referral Form (Word) Connecticut Capital Workforce Partners developed a One-Stop referral form with participants' reading and math scores sent to service provider/agency. 
Release of Information (PDF) Connecticut Release and Consent of Information and Photograph form was created by Capital Workforce Partners and can be used for testimonial purposes. 
Statement of Understanding (PDF) Ohio A signed agreement stressing expectations when youth participate in a WIA program.
Suitability Checklist (PDF) Ohio Used by COWIC to assess suitability for WIA services
Verification Form (Word) Montana

Six-page Youth Verification Worksheet checklist is used for eligibility criteria, income verification, identifying barriers, and list of acceptable documentation.

Employment
Employment Verification Form (PDF) California Used to verify placement in employment, education, and attainment of a degree, diploma, GED, or acceptable certificate at the time of initial placement
Exit
Exit Form - Youth (Excel) California Document youth's follow-up activities, attainment of employment, training and post-exit activities with supplemental employment data.
Exit Form (Excel) Montana The exit form records attainment of employment and training and post-exit activities.
Exit Form (Word) Wisconsin Wisconsin Bay Area Board created a 1-page document which records performance.
Outcome Determination Form (PDF)

Minnesota

Records the participant's outcome, job information, and data about support services
Follow-Up
Follow-Up Contact Information Form (Excel) California To record follow-up activities, attainment of employment, training and post exit activities with a section to list supplemental employment data
Follow-Up Form (PDF) Minnesota This form captures information on employment such as wages, job title, ONet code, and dates.
Follow-Up Form (Word) Montana Use to record simple information such as exit date, program name, participant's name and Social Security Number, activity code, and contact informantion with date.
Handbooks
Participant Guide (PDF) Minnesota An agreement between the City of Minneapolis Employment and Training Program (METP) and the youth which establishes ground rules
Participant Orientation Manual (Word)  Mississippi Manual used by South Delta Workforce Investment Area for their Student, Education, Leadership, Employment, Citizenship Training Program (SELECT) which establishes
guidelines of expectations in the classrooms. 
Job Readiness
Case Management Plan (Excel) Kansas This is a management placement plan which has customer information, placement services, and the placement plan. 
Job Search Plan (PDF) Ohio COWIC's job search plan is signed by participant and career advisor to record planned and actual job searches. 
Weekly Job Search Log Connecticut

Used by participants to record weekly job searches

Leadership
Leadership (PDF) Effective Communities Project Effective Communities Project displays an 8-page model for Community-Based Youth Leadership Development
goals on developing skills to be an effective leader and stresses the importance of community involvement.
Leadership (Word) The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth A brief describing how administrators and policy-makers can use the concepts of youth development and youth leadership to develop and administer programs.
Leadership (PDF) Partners Against Hate Partners Against Hate Peer Leadership Model presents the development of youth leadership.
Mentoring
Mentor/Mentee Agreement Forms (Word) South Delta Workforce Investment Area, Mississippi The 12-month agreement is established to promote professional development or personal growth goals which include evaluations for both parties.
Mentoring Manual (PDF) EMT Group

Developed for the EMT Group, a 14-page manual describes ten recommended best practices for mentoring programs and how to develop an operations' manual.

Mentoring Training Guide (Word) South Delta Workforce Investment Area, Mississippi The 12-page mentor training guide focuses on developing an operations' manual for mentoring programs. 
On-the-Job Training (OJT)
On-the-Job Training Guidelines (PDF) Louisiana Jefferson Parrish establishes guidelines which assesses participants and how to process a reimbursement
On-the-Job Training Manual (PDF) Connecticut Capital Workforce presents the process used to place participants in employment opportunities. 
On-the-Job Training Mid-Point Review (Word) Ohio Area 6 (Stark and Tuscarawas Counties) created a one-page On-the-Job Training (OJT) Mid-Point Review, which contains a monitoring survey for the employer and the trainee.
On-the-Job Training Monitoring Report (Word) Ohio This excellent three-page, detailed form developed by Area 6 (Stark and Tuscarawas Counties) has a survey for the employer and the trainee, as well as a fiscal review which you may find helpful. 
On-the-Job Training Policy (PDF) Wisconsin Fox Valley's Workforce Development System policy is on monitoring, compliance, modification, and record-keeping with examples of various forms.     
Outreach
Youth Outreach (PDF) Focused Futures Office of Workforce Development and The Ohio State University collaborated on this resource titled "Focused Futures: Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement" to assist in reaching out to the youth population.
Supportive Services
Supportive Services Policy (PDF) Oklahoma The East Central Workforce Investment Board's policy defines supportive services to youth program participants.
Supportive Services Policy (PDF) California San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board's policy covers adults and dislocated workers.
Work Experience
Participant Orientation Manual (Word) Mississippi The youth manual defines the Work Experience component of the SELECT program by the Delta Workforce Investment Area.
Work Experience Manual (PDF) Ohio COWIC and the City of Columbus' Summer Youth Employment Program Participant Manual covers participant's responsibilities, work site rules, job tips, grievance procedures, reasons for termination, and safety guidelines.
Work Experience Manual (PDF) Minnesota Workforce Development's manual provides information on working conditions, employee benefits, and policies.
Workforce Site Agreement  (PDF) Connecticut The work site agreement between a contractor and a participant contains time sheet information.
Work Site Agreement        (PDF) Oklahoma Assurances and conditions of the work site are covered with a 16-point agreement. 
Work Site Employer Agreement (Word) Washington Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council's manual covers program operations.
Youth Council
Youth Council Toolkit U.S. Department of Labor The U.S. Department of Labor developed this Youth Council Toolkit which contains six modules along with their descriptions to assist Youth Councils as required by the Workforce Investment Act for them to play an important role in the guidance of youth policy.
Youth: Individual Service Strategy (ISS)
Individual Service Strategy (PDF) Central Minnesota Central Minnesota Jobs & Training Services' form addresses career interests and supportive needs.
Individual Service Strategy (PDF) California Los Angeles County's form is divided into a participant back-ground, interests and skills inventory, track characteristics, goals, and a service plan.
Innovative Service Strategy (Word) New Hampshire A comprehensive document addressing youths' career interests and supportive needs
Individual Service Strategy (PDF) Ohio Northwest Ohio Job Center, Williams County's form covers goals and barriers for youth. 
Individual Service Strategy (and Objective Assessment) (PDF) Ohio Trumbull County's ISS form starts with basic skills, interest/aptitude, education, and work experience.
ISS Policy (PDF) Oklahoma East Central Workforce Investment Area's policy determines age-appropriate goals, work readiness skills, and objectives.
ISS Presentation (PPT) Florida Florida's power point presentation covers definitions of an Individual Service Strategy, its regulations, and policy.
Youth: Objective Assessment
Youth Objective Assessment (PDF) Ohio COWIC's objective assessment form follows basically the same pattern as DKMM's form as below.
Youth Objective Assessment (Word) Ohio DKMM (Delaware, Knox, Marion, Morrow) One-Stop Employment System in Ohio includes a Youth Objective Assessment.
Youth Objective Assessment (PDF) Missouri This form assesses work experience and employability. 
Youth: Toolkit for Case Managers
Toolkit for Youth Case Managers (PDF) U.S. Department of Labor This toolkit, titled "Improving Demand-Driven Services and Performance: Toolkit for Effective Front-line Services to Youth" has two main parts 1) the manual which gives information about preparing the neediest youth to become more self-sufficient, and 2) modules which deliver the content in presentation slides, group exercises, and a training guide designed to lead the trainers. 

 For More Information:
Office of Workforce Development
P.O. Box 1618
Columbus, OH 43216-1618
Fax: 614-728-8366
Phone: 888-296-7541, Option # 3
Email: WIAQNA@jfs.ohio.gov                                                                                         Last Update 8/14/2012