Explanation
Background: As the City works with private and public sectors to improve our economy and attract new jobs, our community understands the importance of preparing our citizens for the jobs of today and tomorrow. In 2013, the Columbus Education Commission (CEC) made several findings and recommendations regarding career readiness.
The City and Columbus State Community College have identified an important community need to focus career readiness efforts toward matching our unemployed and underemployed citizens with the jobs of today. The City has asked Columbus State to lead an initiative called FastPath, which is a program designed to identify and connect at-risk, underemployed, and unemployed adults to technical skills and employability training that will prepare them for the workplace. Under FastPath, Columbus State will work with the Central Ohio Work Force Investment Corp. (COWIC), area employers, and other community partners to identify employment needs in the community and to develop work-based training programs administered through a range of services, including: recruitment, assessment, skills training, support services, job placement, job coaching, data collection, and program assessment.
This contract is being awarded to Columbus State Community College pursuant to Section 329.15, which allows for the City to negotiate not-for-profit service contracts. Columbus State was selected as the service provider due to their extensive experience in providing work-based training programs, their ability to provide ancillary services to program participants, their existing relationships with community stakeholders, and that City funds will leverage other funding provided by a network of public and private participants.
The Department of Education will fund and administer this contract on behalf of the City. This ordinance authorizes the Department of Education to enter into a contract with Columbus State Community College for implementation of the FastPath initiative.
Columbus State Community College, Contract Compliance Number: 31-0729591
Fiscal Impact: Funding for this contract ($1,500,000.00) is budgeted within the 2014 Neighborhood Initiatives Fund and the Department of Education General Fund budget.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Education to enter into contract with Columbus State Community College to provide career readiness training for our City's unemployed and underemployed citizens; to authorize the expenditure of $500,000.00 from the Neighborhood Initiatives Fund; and to authorize the expenditure of $1,000,000.00 from the General fund. ($1,500,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City has identified the need for career readiness training for our unemployed and underemployed citizens; and
WHEREAS, this training will help provide the citizens of Columbus with the job skills necessary in today's employment market thus closing the existing skills gap and reducing transitional and long-term unemployment; and
WHEREAS, work-based training programs are services that cannot currently be provided by existing City employees and Columbus State Community College is the contractor best suited to provide this career readiness training and will do so under the FastPath program; and
WHEREAS, this contract is awarded pursuant to Section 329.15 of Columbus City Code; Now, Therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS, OHIO:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Education is authorized to enter into a contract with Columbus State Community College for the provision of career readiness training under the terms and conditions deemed necessary to advance the FastPath initiative.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $1,500,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary in regard to the action authorized in Section 1, be and is hereby authorized as follows:
Dept/Div: 42-01
Fund: 018
OCA Code: 420018
Object Level One: 03
Object Level Three: 3336
Amount: $500,000.00
Dept/Div: 42-01
Fund: 10
OCA Code: 420010
Object Level One: 03
Object Level Three: 3336
Amount: $1,000,000.00
SECTION 3. That this contract is awarded pursuant to Section 329.15 of the Columbus City Code.
SECTION 4. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 5. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 6. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.