The purpose of this strategic funding initiative is twofold. It is intended to provide TADE to PY 25-26 ETPP awardees, specifically designed to meet the diverse training needs of the various target populations. These populations include Opportunity Young Adults (OYA) aged 18 and older who are not working or in school, veterans, justice-involved individuals, and English Language Learners (ELLs), all of whom encounter considerable barriers in accessing employment opportunities. As a developmental evaluation grant, this initiative emphasizes continuous learning, adaptation, and improvement. The selected TADE provider for this initiative will act as a learning partner to ETPP grantees, supporting them in refining program design, identifying implementation challenges, and using real-time data to inform decision-making. This approach will ensure that technical assistance (TA) is responsive, inclusive, participant-centered, and aligned with the evolving needs of ETPP grantees and the communities they serve. Additionally, the TADE provider selected for this project will play a crucial role by conducting a thorough analysis of these programs, ensuring that the evaluation pursues the highest standards of rigorous, transparent, and reproducible outcomes such as real-time interventions, progress reports, and analysis findings, which will enable stakeholders to formulate informed recommendations and implement necessary adaptations to programs based on new insights and lessons learned. The selected TADE provider will simultaneously convene and coordinate a cross-program community of practice (COP) that brings together TA providers from various state-funded workforce programs. The aim is to provide data-driven insights and recommendations collected through these coordinated efforts with other TA providers, including DOGWF, ELL, FAP, ESE, OYACPP, and the DOR AJCC Collaboration Project, to assist state leadership, stakeholders, and Title I programs. This collaborative effort will inform future investments and identify policy opportunities that will help achieve the objectives of the ETPP grant, aligning it more closely with the CMPCE. The COP will serve as a collaborative platform to: Share promising practices and lessons learned Align TA strategies across programs Identify opportunities for systems-level innovation, and Strengthening the overall capacity of California’s workforce development ecosystem The grantee will document and share existing knowledge to inform future workforce development system investments and opportunities to improve the workforce development system in serving job seekers facing barriers to economic mobility. Also, the TADE will assess the Labor Workforce Development Agency and the EDD joint TADE strategy to provide recommendations on how TADE investments for future programs can be improved. Together, these efforts will support the state’s broader goals of economic mobility, participant-centered inclusivity, and alignment with the CMPCE.
