A new funding opportunity is available from the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) to fund programs and services that prepare unemployed and underemployed job seekers from marginalized populations for employment, connect them with employment opportunities, and support them in succeeding as an employee.
Employment can provide a person with income, benefits, social connections, a sense of belonging, and a path toward Economic Self-Sufficiency. Finding and maintaining employment is critical, particularly for those homeless or unstably housed, those with limited English proficiency, and other resilient communities.
At the same time, workforce inequities and barriers to work abound for these populations, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, due to a long history of and current, ongoing, institutional and structural racism. These include being unable to afford job training and education programs, a lack of opportunities for career advancement, lacking financial resources to pay for workplace equipment, transportation, housing, childcare, etc., that allow for stable work, bias and discrimination in recruitment and hiring practices, and housing and transportation inequities.
Funding overview
The focus of this procurement is on addressing the impacts of racism on Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities and immigrant and refugee communities, resulting in disproportionate levels of unemployment, job insecurity, and low wage jobs in these communities.
Services provided through the strategy should recognize and be responsive to the unique needs of immigrant and refugee communities, people impacted by the criminal legal system, people who are unstably housed or experiencing homelessness, and other resilient communities. Funded programs will provide innovative and community-specific employment training, placement, and supports to help job seekers build a path toward sustained self-reliance.
Strong applications will include some or all the following:
- Remove barriers to employment for residents of King County who are unemployed or underemployed, connect them with employment opportunities that pay a full-time livable wage, support them in succeeding as an employee, and/or help them to achieve career progression towards an ultimate goal of Economic Self-Sufficiency.
- A clear understanding of the needs of the population(s) the applicant is planning to serve.
- Support system navigation in searching, applying, and interviewing for jobs and certification processes.
- Be meaningfully connected to the community(ies) they serve through community and/or cultural connections.
- Expand programs and services for trainees and job seekers, and fill gaps in the service system.
- Provide robust supports to job seekers, which may include flexible financial assistance for various material needs, such as: rent, transportation, childcare, clothing, equipment, and legal assistance, among others.
Please note: Veterans’ funding does not begin until 2025. For more information please see page 14 of the RFP document.
Application details
Available funding: Up to $3,798,104 in Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy funds
Investment period: August 1, 2024 – December 31, 2026 (subject to change)
Questions: Contact Maria Pintar at mpintar@kingcounty.gov
Applications due: May 31, 2024 by 2:00pm Pacific Time
Join the information session to learn more
A virtual information session to discuss questions related to this RFP will be held on May 2, 2024, 1:00 – 3:00pm.
Join by Zoom:
https://kingcounty.zoom.us/j/81548926754
Meeting ID: 815 4892 6754
Passcode: FS22024
Join by phone:
(253) 205-0468
The information session will be recorded and posted at https://www.zoomgrants.com/zgf/King_County,_WA/Employment_Training,_Placement,_and_Supports.
This will be a remote session with speech to text captioning provided. For accommodations to participate, please contact Maria Pintar by April 29, 2024.
