Ensuring Compliance with Programmatic and Funding Requirements
Workforce organizations must ensure that employer partnerships align with specific programmatic and funding requirements. This compliance is essential to maintaining the integrity of workforce programs, adhering to grant regulations, and meeting performance outcomes. By evaluating employers based on these criteria, workforce organizations can ensure that both job seekers and employers benefit from partnerships that meet regulatory standards and funding obligations.
Key Points of Alignment
Across workforce organizations, similar practices are in place to ensure that employer partnerships comply with programmatic and funding requirements. These shared practices help to maintain consistency, accountability, and alignment with the goals of each workforce program:
Monitoring for Adherence to Funding Guidelines: Workforce organizations ensure that all employer partnerships comply with funding source guidelines, such as grant restrictions and allocation rules. This includes verifying that employers meet eligibility criteria, such as providing fair wages and safe work environments, which are often stipulated by funding agencies to protect program participants.
Tracking and Reporting Compliance Metrics: Many organizations track key metrics that align with programmatic requirements, such as job retention rates, wages, and job seeker outcomes. Regular reporting ensures transparency and accountability, enabling organizations to meet performance benchmarks and demonstrate the impact of their programs to funders.
Conducting Regular Employer Audits: To maintain compliance, workforce organizations conduct periodic audits of employer partners. These audits verify that employers are meeting obligations, such as providing the agreed-upon training, benefits, and working conditions. By identifying and addressing any issues early, organizations can ensure that employer practices align with program goals.
Unique Approaches
National Able Network: National Able Network takes a proactive approach to compliance by integrating compliance checks into their onboarding process for new employer partners. Employers undergo an initial compliance review, where they must provide documentation verifying their adherence to funding and program requirements. National Able then schedules regular follow-ups to confirm that standards continue to be met, ensuring a high level of accountability and transparency. Read more here.
E&ES (Employment & Employer Services): E&ES focuses on creating a collaborative compliance environment with employer partners by providing ongoing guidance on programmatic requirements. E&ES regularly updates employers on any changes in funding guidelines or program requirements, helping them stay compliant. This partnership approach encourages employers to prioritize compliance, as they understand how their adherence supports both the organization’s goals and the success of workforce programs. Read more here.
ScaleLIT/Level Up Campaign: ScaleLIT uses a digital compliance tracking system that automates many aspects of compliance monitoring. Through their Level Up Campaign, they collect data on employer adherence to funding guidelines, including metrics like wages, job retention, and training completion. This real-time data tracking allows ScaleLIT to quickly identify and address any compliance issues, ensuring that partnerships remain in good standing with funding agencies. Read more here.
Chicago Department of Family & Support Services (DFSS): DFSS takes a community-focused approach to compliance, prioritizing partnerships with employers who align with city and community development goals. DFSS assesses employers not only on compliance with programmatic requirements but also on their contribution to local workforce initiatives. This holistic view of compliance ensures that employer partnerships are both regulatory-compliant and aligned with broader community outcomes. Read more here.
Cook County Bureau of Economic Development: The Cook County Bureau of Economic Development emphasizes collaborative compliance through workshops and training sessions for employers. They provide resources and support to help employers understand and meet programmatic requirements, creating a cooperative compliance environment. By offering training on compliance best practices, the Bureau helps employers understand the importance of adherence, which ultimately strengthens program impact and sustainability. Read more here.
