Earlier this year the San Diego Workforce Partnership Policy Board approved a waiver to move our career center services in-house.
The move to “in-house” career services bookended the Workforce Partnership’s engagement with KRA Corporation (KRA), a Black-owned national leader in workforce development that has provided comprehensive, wraparound career services for San Diego County’s unemployed and under-employed residents in support of local and regional businesses since 2012.
The hard work of KRA was credited as one of the main reasons the Workforce Partnership was prepared to take on responsibility for direct delivery. The Workforce Partnership, its boards and the community share great appreciation for KRA’s contributions to the County over the past 10 years.
The Workforce Partnership and KRA collaboration created an indelible impact on the regional economy, resulting in national recognition by the workforce industry and regularly delivering program outcomes that out-performed other local workforce areas in California. According to the State Workforce Development Board’s annual report, for the year ended June 30, 2021, the Workforce Partnership ranked 1st or 2nd among the State’s 45 local workforce areas on key performance measures.
During its tenure, KRA supported the Workforce Partnership in successfully navigating three major, system-changing transitions. In 2014, implementing the legislatively mandated transition from WIA to WIOA; in 2018, leading the conversion from a multi-vendor career center services system to a single-source provider; and in 2020, adapting the provision of program services in response to COVID-19, pivoting to virtual and remote-service delivery within days of the California shutdown.
Moreover, KRA brought an uncompromising diversity, equity and inclusion perspective to the operations, building a local career services team and innovative program model representative of, and responsive to, the diversity of the San Diego community.
Through the transition, Knowlton R. Atterbeary, KRA President & CEO, shared his gratitude for the supportive and collaborative nature of the long-standing relationship, and stated his intention to maintain a presence in the San Diego area, always prepared to advance and support the missions of the Workforce Partnership and other California Workforce Boards.
Acknowledging the significance of this milestone, the Workforce Partnership and KRA jointly celebrate the many accomplishments achieved during the organizations’ partnership, and successful collaboration on a plan for a seamless transition of services.