Career Dislocated Workers Grant Guide

4.1 OPPORTUNITY HUBS AND REFERRALS

An Opportunity Hub is defined as a physical space for participants to access training and resources right in their own neighborhood, minimizing transportation and childcare barriers and the need to commute to the NCWorks Career Center. Opportunity Hubs may include: Family Success Centers, Goodwill Industries, High Point and Greensboro Parks and Recreation departments, libraries, and other venues. Through the Opportunity Hubs, internet- enabled devices and Wi-Fi will be made available for all participants to register, participate in program services, and pursue career & job training online. The Resource Navigator will actively recruit and meet with Opportunity Hub stakeholders to reinforce shared goals among CAREER NDWG initiatives. In some cases, stakeholders in the Partnership Network may refer individuals to the CAREER DWG program for eligibility assessments, enrollment and intensive career services. The choice and form of the referral process depends on the customer’s needs, what arrangements, if any, have been agreed to with the service to which the customer is to be referred. In addition, the Resource Navigator should consider the capacity of both the referring organization and the service(s) to which the customer is being referred at any particular point in time. Referrals may be received from a variety of different programs including, career center staff, partner agencies, interagency and community groups, etc.

Table 4A. Referral Characteristics

All referrals must be contacted within two (2) business days. Initial contact must be made by phone. Email is to be utilized as a secondary form of contact unless the individual requests otherwise. Case managers must case note any contact with the individual, the context of the interaction, and outcome of the interaction. Any attempts to contact the individual must also be contacted. If after three contact attempts the individual cannot be reached, the referral must be indicated as unsuccessful via case note documentation in AGSPrime. Once the individual is contacted and the referral is addressed, case managers should refer to Table 2A in Chapter 2 of this guidebook.

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