Arbor supports the idea that the nation’s workforce development system is primarily an economic development program whose principal customers are employers. Our approach to service delivery is a demand-driven one that allows the needs of the local employer community to drive the services we deliver to jobseekers. We are the nation’s largest operator of “One-Stop” Career Centers. In addition, we operate stand-alone business service centers that focus on recruitment, customized assessment, retention, HR assistance, job matching and other services requested by employers. In addition to WIA program management and services, Arbor also provides education, employment, and support services to in- and out-of-school youth, as well as welfare-to-work services to welfare (TANF) recipients.

One-Stop Career Centers
Arbor manages, operates, and offers services in One-Stop Career Centers throughout the country. We provide the full range of core, intensive, and training services to jobseekers as mandated in the WIA legislation. Our One-Stops are specially designed to be “user-friendly” to both jobseekers and employers. Experience has taught us that we cannot adequately serve jobseekers without first devoting attention and resources to employers, business organizations and economic development agencies, so each of our Centers has a dedicated business services team responsible for marketing, contacting, and problem solving for local firms.

In addition, Arbor is skilled at building successful partnerships with other workforce development efforts, including those provided under the Wagner-Peyser, Welfare-to-work, Trade Adjustment, Veterans Employment, Older Worker, Vocational Rehabilitation and other social service programs. Arbor routinely serves “universal” clients, adult and dislocated jobseekers, “younger” and “older” youth, welfare recipients, clients with special needs and those facing barriers to employment. In Arbor’s One-Stop Centers, service provision is always flexible and “seamless.” Jobseekers receive assistance based on their individual needs, rather than by their “funding category.”

For more information, use this link to Arbor’s One-Stop page.

Services to Welfare Recipients
Arbor provides many services to TANF, General Assistance, and welfare diversion clients including intensive assessment, case management, work readiness and life management skills, motivation enhancement, subsidized work experience, occupational skills training, job search assistance, job placement and retention. Our primary emphasis is always on work: obtaining, retaining, and advancing in a job with a good future. Arbor has participated in experimental welfare/social service pilot programs for individual states and local communities and we currently provide specialized services to the physically disabled and those with behavioral health challenges. We are consistently successful in achieving local performance goals including work activity participation rates.

Notice of Privacy Practices

Through our youth models, Arbor offers a variety of community-based customized solutions to local workforce boards that provide tools for success to thousands of “at-promise” youth throughout the country.

Dallas County, Texas
Our Dallas, Texas contract has been in effect since 2003, and provides four Arbor models to over 1000 youth each year. Focusing on the four career clusters as defined in the Metroplex area, youth are prepared for the future in high-demand careers. Dallas is a test site for Arbor’s new MyPlace program, for youth aging out of foster care.

Treasure Coast, Florida
Arbor has provided services to in- and out-of-school youth since July 1999 in Treasure Coast, Florida. Initially starting as a small summer youth operator, our contract and responsibilities grew to become the sole provider of youth services for the region.

Fresno, California 2005-06
Arbor provides services to WIA eligible out-of-school youth in Fresno, California, utilizing Arbor’s Passport and Project CEO curricula. Passport, a 50 hour work readiness curriculum, and Project CEO, a get-to-work quick program, are utilized to provide quality services to these older youth.

The Indio WIN Center, Riverside Co, CA 2005-06
In Riverside County, California, places great emphasis on it youth services. Our project in Indio provides services to both in- and out-of-school youth using the Power, Passport and Project CEO programs. A unique component to the Riverside contract is the requirement that our operation becomes certified through the County’s Continuous Improvement Qualification (CQI) process.

Philadelphia, PA Program Year 2005-2006
Since 2002, Arbor has been the lead organization of a 12-agency consortium that provides diverse services to youth transitioning from foster care to independent living. This innovative program—called the Achieving Independence Center (AIC) utilizes the One-Stop center model. Between December 2002 and June 2006, the AIC has served 1,681 youth. The AI Center is funded by the Philadelphia Department of Human Services.

New York City, New York
Passport to Success provides employment, education, and personal development services to young people ages 17 to 21 for youth who are currently or were formerly case-managed by the Administration for Children’s Services, particularly youth transitioning from foster and congregate care into personal independence and self-sufficiency in the New York City area. Each youth is assigned a personal life coach and job developer who works closely with him/her to access services, resources, and supports.

Today’s Technology
In direct response to today’s technical generation, Arbor introduced iJobs-Arbor in summer 2007. Many youth receive membership to Arbor’s secure iJobs-Arbor website http://www.ijobs-arbor.com, which includes a wealth of job search and career management resources, in an online environment designed to be both functional and appealing to today’s youth.

iJobs-Arbor features include a Youth Platform where Arbor youth receive access to educational, occupational and employment services; the Employer Platform allows employers to personalize lists of additional training and requirements for Arbor youth prior to granting interviews; Online Assessments provide a wealth of online self-assessments to enable youth to understand their skills and develop an employment plan; a Customized User Interface is available in English and Spanish, and for users who have reading challenges, there is the option of having spoken instructions; the Administration Platform allows Customer and Arbor staff to use iJobs to coordinate and analyze all facets of program participation.

Arbor regularly presents workshops at national and statewide conferences on topics regarding youth leadership, professional development and youth workforce initiatives. Recognized throughout the country as subject matter-experts in Youth Workforce Services, Arbor has received the prestigious PepNet (Promising and Effective Practice Network) awarded three times from the National Youth Employment Coalition. Arbor received the “Recognition of Excellence” Award in 2006, from the US Department of Labor, and was presented with the ShowCase Award 2007, from the University of Wisconsin’s School of Education & Work.

Services to Adults and Dislocated Jobseekers
Arbor provides WIA-designated Core, Intensive and Training services to adults and dislocated workers both at our One-Stop Centers and in free-standing programs. We help everyone from middle-class walk-in jobseekers to disadvantaged clients with barriers to employment.

Core Services include: Access to job listings, local labor market information, workshops on job-search techniques, internet job connections, self-search tools such as resume preparation and practice interviews, job “clubs,” special job “fairs” to meet prospective employers and referral to openings.

Intensive Services include: Comprehensive assessments of a client’s skills and deficiencies, an individual employment plan, regular visits to a career coach, intensive job search strategies, referral to training or to specialized support services, job development and referral and post-placement follow-up programs.

Training can include: Contracted training classes at schools and colleges funded through Individual Training Accounts, Pell Grants, Trade Adjustment Assistance or other funds; On-the-Job training and customized training at an employer’s facility; internships; short-term work experience; and in-house e-learning programs.

Early Learning / Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Programs
Since 2001, Arbor has provided early learning and voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) services in various locations, including Florida and Texas. Arbor serves 25,000 children and 4,500 child care providers annually through our early learning programs. Services include eligibility determination, enrollment, payment and financial management, auditing, compliance, resources and referral services, and technology solutions.

In Florida, Arbor’s service delivery model integrates the eligibility, enrollment, and resource and referral functions to enable families to acquire services at one time rather than having to make multiple visits or inquiries. This integration of school readiness and VPK functions also results in cost efficiencies. (Visit our program in Big Bend, Florida, at http://www.withyoualltheway.org.)

Arbor is proud that our early learning / childcare contracts have exceeded every contract measure and met every deliverable.