The Pima County Board of Supervisors approved on Tuesday, May 14, allocating federal, state and County funds to employ and educate young people this summer.

The deadline for youth to participate in the Pima County One-Stop Career Center’s Summer Youth Program has passed. No new applicants are being accepted.

Employers who are interested in hiring or placing even just one young person age 14 to 21 in a summer job are encouraged to call (520) 798-0500 or email pledgeajob@pima.gov to choose from the list of qualified applicants. The funds allocated by the Board of Supervisors are used to provide minimum wage to the youth participating. Employer contributions to youth compensation allow more youth to gain summer work experience.

This year more than 4,000 youth applied for summer positions. About 3,000 applicants were tested for basic education skills. Youth who tested low were recommended for either a basic education program or for a program that combines work experience and basic education. Youth who test higher are placed in work experience or private internship positions. They attend an employability skills workshop, where they learn about good work habits and employer expectations before they go to work.

Approximately 1,250 youth will be in Pima County or agency positions. An additional 64 will work in Pima County Department of Transportation positions and 30 in Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department positions.

The Board of Supervisors approved contracts with Altar Valley School District, Catholic Community Services, Goodwill Industries of Southern Arizona, Portable Practical Education Preparation, SER Jobs for Progress, Tucson Urban League and Tucson Youth Development for academic and workforce services.

The contractors are nonprofit agencies and one school district that provide work experience, intern and basic education programs. The agencies were selected through a Request for Proposal issued in January 2011. Proposals were reviewed and recommendations made by a committee of the Pima County Workforce Investment Board.

A health-care executive involved in the creation of the only health-care cooperative to participate in the health insurance exchange in Arizona under the Affordable Care Act will speak at the Pima County Workforce Investment Board meeting on Friday, May 10.

Health-care cooperatives are expected to offer coverage primarily to individuals and to companies or organizations with fewer than 100 full-time employees.

Jean Tkachyk is the Chief Operating Officer at Compass Cooperative Health Network, which was awarded a $93 million federal loan to set up the new health-care cooperative. Jean is also a partner in Eastwick Strategy Group, a health-care consulting company and formerly the Chief Financial Officer of University Physicians Healthcare (now part of The University of Arizona Health Network).

The meeting will begin at 7:30 a.m. in Rooms 109-112 at Pima Community College’s Community Campus, 401 N. Bonita Ave. It usually concludes by 9 a.m. and is open to the public.

The Affordable Care Act aims to expand health-care coverage through the creation of state-based health insurance exchanges where people will be able to compare and purchase coverage. Beginning in October 2013, people who do not have access to health insurance through an employer, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program will be able to purchase health plans through these exchanges. The new coverage will take effect in January 2014.

The Affordable Care Act also created a health-care cooperative program to improve consumer choice and increase competition. The federal government awarded nearly $2 billion in loans to help create cooperatives in 24 states.

The Pima County Workforce Investment Board is authorized by the Department of Labor and appointed by the Pima County Board of Supervisors to provide recommendations on local workforce policy and oversight of the Pima County One-Stop Career Center that connects eligible job-ready youth, adult and dislocated workers in local growth, high-demand industry occupations. It includes representatives of local businesses, nonprofits and educational institutions.

For more information, please visit http://www.pima.gov/ced/agencies-workforce-investment-board.shtml.

Job hunting can be challenging in the best of circumstances, but for those who have fled to America to escape war or persecution, there may also be barriers of language, culture and education to confront.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors agreed to allocate $34,000 to help refugees with job training and transportation, through a program run by Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona. The donation matches a similar grant from the Click Family Foundation. While the City of Tucson will not provide direct monetary support, it will provide in-kind services in the areas of transit, housing and parks and recreation.

The donation emerged from a community response group that was organized in September 2012 with the participation of Supervisor Richard Elías and other community leaders, including educators, business interests and church representatives.

Applauding the good will of the Click family and recognizing the leadership of Catholic Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas, Supervisor Elías said he was heartened that the County could do its part to help the growing refugee community. “Our refugees come from all over the world, but most typically from war-torn circumstances where their families have suffered great personal loss,” he said.

To find out more about how you can help Catholic Social Services in its goals to improve the lives of refugees, please visit http://www.ccs-soaz.org/Catholic-Social-Service-Migration-and-Refugee-Services.html.

Executives and experts in the fields of aerospace, manufacturing and machining will talk about workforce issues at the April 12 Pima County Workforce Investment Board meeting.

Alex Rodriguez, Director of the Southern Arizona office of the Arizona Technology Council, will give an overview of the aerospace/defense industry and workforce issues. Pam Summers, Human Resources Director at Abrams Airborne Manufacturing, and Jeremy Schalk, Vice President of Operations and Sales at Hi-Tech Machining and Engineering, will talk about a local machinists’ focus group and its efforts.

One-Stop Career Center staff will provide information about current workforce issues and needs, grants, and training opportunities, including Workforce Investment Act Reauthorization.

The meeting will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the Pima Community College Aviation Technology Center, 7211 S. Park Ave. It usually concludes by 9 a.m. and is open to the public.

The Pima County Workforce Investment Board is authorized by the Department of Labor and appointed by the Pima County Board of Supervisors to provide recommendations on local workforce policy and oversight of the Pima County One-Stop Career Center that connects eligible job-ready youth, adult and dislocated workers in local growth, high-demand industry occupations. It includes representatives of local businesses, nonprofits and educational institutions.

For more information, please visit http://www.pima.gov/ced/agencies-workforce-investment-board.shtml.

Young people ages 14-21 can explore career opportunities in aerospace, defense, manufac-turing and machining at Pima County’s free Youth Career Expo on Wednesday, April 10.

Youth must RSVP by 5 p.m. Friday, April 5. Fill out the RSVP form at http://www.pima.gov/ced/employment-training/et-summer-youth-program.shtml, save it to your computer and email it as an attachment to Rebecca.Pitman@acehs.org or fax it to her at 520-791-9893. Also email her any concerns or issues completing the form.

The Expo will run from 3 to 6 p.m. at Tucson International Airport, 7250 S. Tucson Blvd.

It will feature exhibits and representatives from aerospace, defense, manufacturing and machining employers and educators, including the University of Arizona Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department, the Pima Community College Aviation Program, CAID Industries, Prototron Circuits, and Ascent Aviation Services.

Participants will have opportunities to attend presentations and participate in discussions about various career choices.

About 300 young people attended the first Pima County Youth Career Expo in November, which focused on health-care careers.

The Expos are organized by the Pima County Workforce Investment Board Youth Council and the Pima County One-Stop Career Center.

For more information about the April 10 Expo, please contact Dana Katbah at 520-798-0500 or PledgeaJob@pima.gov or Vaughn Croft at 520-724-3018 or VCroft@pima.gov.

For more information about One-Stop, please visit
www.pima.gov/ced/employment-training.shtml.

For more information about the Workforce Investment Board, go to www.pima.gov/ced/agencies-workforce-investment-board.shtml.

Young people ages 14-21 can explore career opportunities in aerospace, defense, manufac-turing and machining at Pima County’s free Youth Career Expo on Wednesday, April 10.

Seating is limited! Youth must RSVP by Sunday, March 31. Fill out the RSVP form at http://www.pima.gov/ced/employment-training/et-summer-youth-program.shtml, save it to your computer and email it as an attachment to Rebecca.Pitman@acehs.org or fax it to her at 520-791-9893. Also email her any concerns or issues completing the form.

The Expo will run from 3 to 6 p.m. at Tucson International Airport, 7250 S. Tucson Blvd.

It will feature exhibits and representatives from aerospace, defense, manufacturing and machining employers and educators, including the University of Arizona Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department, the Pima Community College Aviation Program, CAID Industries, Prototron Circuits, and Ascent Aviation Services.

Participants will have opportunities to attend presentations and participate in discussions about various career choices.

About 300 young people attended the first Pima County Youth Career Expo in November, which focused on health-care careers.

The Expos are organized by the Pima County Workforce Investment Board Youth Council and the Pima County One-Stop Career Center.

For more information about the April 10 Expo, please contact Dana Katbah at 520-798-0500 or PledgeaJob@pima.gov or Vaughn Croft at 520-724-3018 or VCroft@pima.gov.

For more information about One-Stop, please visit www.pima.gov/ced/employment-training.shtml.

For more information about the Workforce Investment Board, go to www.pima.gov/ced/agencies-workforce-investment-board.shtml.

Pima County is actively seeking applications from community members to fill five vacant seats for low-income representatives on the Community Action Agency Advisory Board. Selected representatives will serve four-year terms on the board.

The Pima County Community Action Agency administers the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program for Pima County. This federal block grant provides assistance to states and local communities to alleviate poverty, revitalize communities and empower low-income families to become self-sufficient.

The advisory board’s primary responsibility is to assess community needs and recommend to the Pima County Board of Supervisors which local nonprofits should receive CSBG funds every two years through a request for proposal process.

Pima County’s 15-member board is made up of five members appointed by the Pima County Board of Supervisors; five members selected to represent groups such as community advocacy, labor, housing/utilities, business, law enforcement and education; and five members of the low-income community selected through a democratic process to represent the neighborhoods served.

Qualifications:  Applicants seeking to become a low-income representative on the advisory board must be low-income or be able to represent the low-income community through firsthand experience and/or direct knowledge of the challenges facing the low-income population. They must be 18 years or older, reside in Pima County, and be able to regularly attend board meetings and actively participate in the development, planning, implementation and evaluation of CSBG-funded programs.

Applications are due by 2 p.m. Friday, April 26, to the Kino Service Center, 2797 E Ajo Way, 3^rd floor, Tucson AZ 85745 Attn: Rosemary Cora-Cruz

Applications may be obtained online at:  www.pima.gov/ced/agencies-community-action-agency-advisory.shtml  or picked up at two locations:

• Kino Service Center, 2797 E Ajo Way, 3^rd floor, Tucson AZ 85713
• Rio Nuevo One-Stop Career Center, 340 N. Commerce Park Loop, Tortolita Building, Tucson, AZ 85745.

Selection Process: A candidate selection committee will conduct interviews. The final five low-income representatives will be chosen through a democratic process in accordance with board bylaws. All applicants will be informed of the result by May 31.

For more information about the Community Action Agency, please visit http://www.pima.gov/ced/emergency/emergency-community-action-agency.shtml.