Integrating Entrepreneurship
Development in the Workforce
System: the NOVA-GATE Project
Presentation to the Entrepreneurship Education
Conference
Norfolk, Virginia
November 9, 2009
SkillSource Centers
•
Under contract with The SkillSource Group, Inc. (SSG), the
Fairfax County Department of Family Services deliver public
employment and job training programs through One-Stop
“SkillSource” Centers in Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince
William Counties
•
SSG is the administrative arm of the Northern Virginia
Workforce Investment Board (NVWIB), the governing body for
this workforce area, under the Federal Workforce Investment
Act (WIA) of 1998
•
In addition, SkillSource delivers a variety of other grant-funded
federal and state employment and training programs for targeted
populations, as well as providing youth, small business, and
tax preparation services
2
CBPD Partnership
•
A major strategic partner of SkillSource is the communitybased non profit, The Business Development Assistance
Group (BDAG), Inc.
•
The Business Development Assistance Group (BDAG) was
founded in 1992 to help small and minority-owned businesses
become more viable through educational programs, training
and seminars.
•
BDAG is co-located with the SkillSource employment center
in the Falls Church human services building in the Center for
Business Planning and Development
3
SkillSource Center Locations
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD
4
LEESBURG
WASHINGTON, DC
LOUDOUN COUNTY
SH
• 1-4: SkillSource Centers
and Affiliate Sites
RESTON
FAIRFAX COUNTY
•
: Falls Church Model
One Stop
FAUQUIER COUNTY
2
FALLS CHURCH
PRC
GAINESVILLE
• E: SHARE Locations
: Emerging Sites
SH
SH
• PR: Pre-Release Center
•
3
SH
FAIRFAX
CENTREVILLE
PRINCE WILLIAM
COUNTY
1
ALEXANDRIA
NOVA
WOODBRIDGE
WOODBRIDGE
4
* In Addition, there are 17 VITA Sites that also cover Fauquier
Falls Church One-Stop
SkillSource One-Stop Employment Center
Job Corner (Youth Employment Center)
5
CBPD Structure
Workforce Investment
Board
Workforce System Partner
Fairfax County DFS
Support & Coordination
Business
Development
Assistance Group
Operations
Center for Business
Planning & Development
(CBPD)
6
About BDAG
•
The partnership maximizes potential
entrepreneurship of immigrants, especially refugees,
by providing economic opportunities, knowledge of
tools to enable them to become economically selfsufficient through self-employment.
•
The BDAG website, publications, and staff services
are all available in English, Vietnamese, Korean and
Spanish. Additional languages are available upon
request.
7
SkillSource Center Services
Customer Referral/
Walk In
Self Directed
Services
1
Creating Assets, Savings, and Hope
(CASH) &Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
(VITA) Program
2 Center for Business Planning and
Development (CBPD)
3 Virginia Serious and Violent Offender
Re-Entry Initiative (VASAVOR)
4 Northern Virginia Growing America
Through Entrepreneurship (NOVA GATE)
Program
5 Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
6Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program Employment and Training
(SNAPET)
7Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)
8Educating Youth through Employment
(EYE)
Community and
Business
Development
Case Management
Youth Services
Financial Education
& Asset Building
3 Tiers of
WIA5 Services
WIA Youth
CASH VITA1
SNAPET6
Job Corner
BRAC7
Summer Employment
Program/EYE8
Business
Development/
CBPD2
VASAVOR3
Choices for Success
NOVAGATE4
EXPO
Health Care
Professional Provider
Programs in orange signify a
collaboration between SkillSource,
DFS, and BDAG
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Annual Mega Job Fair
•
In 2005 Fairfax County Government, The SkillSource Group,
Inc., and The Business Development Assistance Group
sponsored the first annual “Envision Your Success”
Exposition.
•
This event created the opportunity for job seekers to interface
with employers and service providers, many of whom
conducted on-the-spot interviews.
•
More recently, the Mega Job Fair also featured informative
workshops on the following topics:
•
•
•
•
•
Getting a Job with the Federal Government
Starting a Franchise Business in a Down Economy
Business Express
NOVA Training Expressway to High Demand Jobs
Surviving a Job Loss
9
Project GATE
•
Department of Labor implemented Project GATE
(Growing America Through Entrepreneurship) in 20032005 in three states – Maine, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota
•
GATE II was started in 2009 in four states – Virginia,
North Carolina, Alabama and Minnesota
•
Virginia Community College System and the SkillSource
Group, Inc. have partnered together to deliver GATE
services to the Northern Virginia area
•
Goal is to provide support to laid off workers over 45 who
are interested in starting a business
10
NOVA GATE
•
The Northern Virginia Growing America Through
Entrepreneurship Project (NOVA GATE) is a 3-year
collaborative effort serving dislocated workers age 45 and
over that are eligible for Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
services.
•
This program will provide 225 dislocated workers with
information, classroom training, one-on-one technical
assistance and counseling so they can establish and sustain
new businesses.
•
The project anticipates creating 40-55 new businesses with
a projected three-year economic impact between $1.4
million and $2 million.
11
Multicultural Outreach
12
NOVA GATE Partners Schematic
Virginia Community College System
(Grant Fiscal Agent)
The SkillSource Group, Inc.
NOVA GATE Project Director
Referral and Intake
Services
Center for Business Planning and
Development
(Business Development Assistance
Group)
•SkillSource Centers
(Fairfax Co. Dept. of
Family Services)
•Fairfax Co. Public Schools
Adult &Community
Education
Services Provided to Older
Workers by BDAG
•Workshops
•Technical Assistance
•One-on-One Counseling
Growth in Older Worker Micro-Enterprise and Creation of New
Jobs in Northern Virginia
Services Provided to Older
Workers by Partner
Organizations
•Entrepreneurship Training
(Northern VA Community
College)
•Loans (Selected Local
Financial Institution)
•Financial Management
Training (FDIC Money Smart
Program)
•Business Support Services
(Chambers of Commerce)
13
Program Design
SkillSource
Center &
Coordinator
Developing
Business Plan
Developing
Marketing Plan
Participants
Business
Self
Assessment
Initial
One on One
Interview
Business
Training
No
Ready to
Start a
Business
Business Loan
Assistance
Yes
Open a
Business
3 Months
Follow up
Monthly Focus
Group Meeting
Mentoring
Case
Closed
14
Business Self-Assessment
• Online Assessment Sections:
•
•
•
•
General Readiness
Financial Readiness
Experience and Skills
Personal Characteristics
15
Developing Business/Marketing Plan







Business Overview
Description of Product and/or Service
Describe the Market (Target Population)
Describe Competition
Estimate Start up Cost
Estimate Annual Revenue
Business Readiness
16
Loan Assistance

Microloan




Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) Loan



Up to $15 K
Community Business Partnership (CBP)
SBA Guarantee Loan


Up to $35,000
Enterprise Development Group (EDG)
Community Business Partnership (CBP)
Up to $2 M
Regular Bank Loan
17
Mentorship
• Match participants with mentors who are
experienced in similar businesses
• Mentors with business skills that
participants are interested in
• For period up to three months
18
Why is this project unique?
•
Significant public-private partnerships
•
Multiple funding streams
•
Designed to serve population with
significant work, but not necessarily
entrepreneurship, experience
•
Multicultural and multi-language capacity
for a diverse area
19
Current Trends through 9/2009
20
Where are We Going?
•
Where do we go from here?
•
•
•
•
Deploy new marketing and outreach strategies
Provide incentives for those in the pipeline
Continue to seek out new loan and financial options
Continue to hold monthly focus groups and networking
opportunities
• Host community event to raise awareness of NOVAGATE
in January, 2010
• Continue to work with the Virginia Employment
Commission to promote entrepreneurship opportunities
through unemployment insurance distribution
21
Contact Information
Kimberly Grafton, NOVA GATE Project Manager
6245 Leesburg Pike, Suite 315
Falls Church, VA 22044
Kimberly.grafton@fairfaxcounty.gov
703-533-5486
Toa Do, BDAG President
6245 Leesburg Pike, Suite 410
Falls Church, VA 22044
Tquangdo@aol.com
703-538-7412
22