One Stop Operator Status Awarded to Western Maine Community Action

Photo caption:  Steven Johndro, Executive Director of Western Maine Community Action (left) and James Trundy, Program Manager, met to review the specifications of work to be performed as the new One-Stop Operator for the Central/Western Maine Workforce Development Board.  Photo courtesy of Katherine Lary, WIC Program Manager.
Lewiston – Jeff Sneddon, Executive Director of the Central/Western Maine Workforce Development Board has announced the One-Stop Operator (OSO) for services in Androscoggin, Franklin, Kennebec, Oxford and Somerset counties has been awarded to Western Maine Community Action.  The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) calls for an integrated service delivery system requiring local area coordination of services for grants and sector-partnership programs.  One of the primary goals of WIOA is to provide customers with access to high-quality one-stops that are customer-centered and provide access to a full range of partner services including adults, dislocated workers, Veterans, Job Corps, employment services, Vocational Services, Senior Community Services, career and technical education programs, Trade Adjustment Assistance, and employment and training programs.  The one-stop operator is integral in the coordination of WIOA core and required partners  for the delivery of their services on behalf of shared customers.  In addition to the five county coverage, the Central Western Maine One-Stop delivery provides services in four full-service CareerCenters located in Lewiston, Augusta, Skowhegan and Wilton and two satellites in South Paris and Rumford.
John Ferland, Vice-President, General Manager of Hahnel Bros. shares, “Hahnel Bros. is proud to be one of the first companies to partner with WMCA, the Lewiston CareerCenter, and other community partners, in a construction training program to teach people entry-level construction skills along with work preparedness and safety.  The first round of this project brought us three new employees.  The staff from WMCA helped us navigate the various government funding systems that enabled us to learn about the trainees and reduce our initial new hire costs through on-the-job-training.  They took time to learn our concerns and provided assistance customized to meet our challenges.  Their understanding of the various services available through the CareerCenters and ability to make those services accessible make them a valuable asset to companies such as ours.   We look forward to our continued relationship in putting people to work.” 
 The over-arching goal of the One-Stop operator is to ensure the coordination of services among the WIOA core and required partners so that applicable career services are available to system customers, regardless of whose door they enter.  WMCA has operated job training programs in the tri-county area since 1981 and managed training contracts in the five county area for the past three years.  Their work has afforded them the opportunity to form strong partnerships with One Stop partners as well as the business community.   
FMI contact WMCA Executive Director, Steve Johndro, 860.4474, sjohndro@wmca.org or Program Manager, James Trundy, 743.7763, jtrundy@wmca.org or visit https://wmca.org/.