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November 3, 2008    DOL Home > CFBCI > TLC > The SHARE Network   
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The SHARE Network

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Sharing How Access to Resources Empowers

Background

Since the Faith-Based and Community Initiative began in 2001, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has developed strategies that enable the One-Stop Career Center system to partner with faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) to help struggling job seekers prepare for, enter and advance in employment and give businesses access to new worker “pipelines”. Over the past five years, DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has invested more than $44 million in pilot grants to increase "universal access" to the One-Stop system and engage FBCOs as committed and active partners in the workforce investment system.

Two pilot grants in 2002 produced important innovations enabling the One-Stop Career Center system to draw more effectively upon the unique strengths of local FBCOs. Job Service North Dakota’s (JSND) Web-based Resource Directory enables referral of job-seekers to social services across the state that can help them obtain, retain, or advance in employment. The Directory is still in operation at www.sharenetworknd.com. In Florida, the United Way of Brevard (UWB) partnered with the Brevard Workforce Board to place "Access Points" in targeted low-income communities, where local FBCOs were trained to help individuals conduct online job searches and use the One- Stop Center’s virtual job search tools. The successes of these two innovations are discussed in depth at www.dol.gov/cfbci/bridgingthegap.pdf.

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SHARE Network 2005-2008

These two innovations were combined in 2005 when DOL launched the Sharing How Access to Resources Empowers (SHARE) Network to help states implement "Access Points" and/or Web-based Resource Directory projects to expand access to workforce development services.

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Access Points

As of July 2008, more than 50 local workforce areas in the following states have created “Access Points”:

  • Arkansas Department of Workforce Services
  • Delaware Workforce Investment Board
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Michigan
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • New York (Buffalo only)
  • North Carolina
  • Virginia

ETA will be expanding the Access Point model to many new areas in fall 2008 and 2009. For more information- including a full replication toolkit and information about future technical assistance opportunities visit: www.dol.gov/cfbci/accesspoints.htm.

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Resource Directory

As of July 2008, the following agencies have created Web-based Resource Directories (which are in varying stages of development):

New Web sites will soon be available for District of Columbia and Columbia, South Carolina.  In fall 2008, ETA will be publishing lessons learned on Resource Directory and Access Point implementation across different states.

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Resources



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