In Attendance
· Jim Morton, Human Resource Council
· Vida Wilkinson, Missoula College (formerly the College of Technology)
· Jodi Rasmussen, Lifelong Learning Center
· Michelle Parks, Childcare Resources
· Shannon Willhite, Vocational Rehabilitation
· Wolf Ametsbichler, Missoula Job Service
· Michelle Dorsey, Missoula Job Service
Agenda
Full CMT Group Meeting Agenda
The Full CMT Group Meeting will be held Tuesday, September 18, 2012 from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. in the Mountain West Bank Community Room. The meeting will feature a brief “round robin” session focusing on the major initiatives or challenges each CMT partner organization currently faces (no more than 3 minutes per organization). Other agenda items include information on the Missoula Area One-Stop System, updates to contact information, a joint CMT Pinterest project, and planning of a future Community Resources Fair.
Community Resources Fair
The Community Resources Fair will be held on November 15 from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Lifelong Learning Center. In addition to CMT Partners, several non-CMT member organizations will be invited to provide information about their services, including Partnership Health Center, Western MT Mental Health and Addiction, Missoula Aging Services, Missoula Housing Authority, Missoula Aging, and the Poverello Center. The Community Resource Fair will be open to the general public. Organizations will be grouped into these possible categories:
· Employment
· Housing
· Education and Training
· TANF/SNAP/Medicaid/Healthy MT Kids
· Health
· Family Support Resources
One-Stop Re-certification Process
Draft re-certification documents were reviewed by the Core CMT group. Documents are available for public comment until Tuesday, August 14 at http://swib.mt.gov/OneStop_Resources.asp. As all CMT Partners are a part of the One-Stop System, members are encouraged to comment on the proposed changes that affect the system.
Updates
Michelle – Child Care Resources
Child Care Resources is fully staffed and gearing up for the new legislative session. CCR has seen people lose access to needed resources after exceeding the income limits on the sliding fee scale, due to the $0.30 increase in minimum wage last January. The sliding fee scale has not been updated to reflect the minimum wage increase. Additionally, providers have been working under the same rates since 2009; the number of child care providers is dropping.
Compliance with federal error rate reporting requirements has kept CCR staff busy.
Jodi – Lifelong Learning Center
Outreach is going well. Since 2002 when the current version of the GED test was introduced, 354 people have started but not finished or passed, according to the Lifelong Learning Center’s data. Roughly one-third of those people are close to passing the test. When the new version of the GED is introduced in 2014, anyone who hasn’t passed the entire GED test will have to start again. The LLC is looking at several methods to reach those who haven’t completed the test to urge them to complete it as soon as possible.
Vida – Missoula College
A new centralized advising center is coming online, and the CNA course remains popular. Collaboration is in the works between the Lifelong Learning Center, Missoula College (formerly the College of Technology) and the School of Extended and Lifelong Learning at The University of Montana.
Jim – Human Resource Council
The school lunch program in Mineral County will continue through the end of next week. HRC continues to help 16 to 24-year-olds gain work experience through the Summer Work program.
Wolf – Missoula Job Service
Job orders are currently at 450, up from the 280 job orders seen two years ago. Missoula remains fairly quiet; even temp agencies are slow. The area is still seeing select layoffs, including Kmart and Dollar Plus. Testing is picking up. Employers are reporting they are seeing plenty of applicants, but are finding a shortage of technically skilled applicants.
Shannon – Vocational Rehabilitation
Vocational Rehabilitation recently underwent a federal review, and everything went well. The Transitions program is working well. A new case management system is in the works that will be more compatible with JAWS and other software for those with disabilities. Staff is very busy; caseloads are averaging 120 – 130 per counselor, with traveling counselors seeing even higher numbers.
