One-Stop Operator and Career Training Services

The Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board selects the area’s One-Stop Operator, the Career Training Services provider as well as Youth and WorkFirst New Jersey service providers through a competitive process in accordance with the Uniform Guidance, WIOA and its implementing regulations, and local procurement laws and regulations.

The current One-Stop Operator is Fernandel Almonor; email him at falmonor@co.somerset.nj.us.

As part of his responsibilities, Almonor provides a monthly report of programs and services. A reminder that the GRWDB Program Year runs from the 12-month period of July 1 to June 30. The reports are shared with the full board and can be viewed here:

Read Program Year 2024 reports: July 2024; August 2024; September 2024; October 2024;

Read Program Year 2023 reports: July 2023, October 2023, November 2023, December 2023, January 2024, February 2024; March 2024; April 2024; May 2024; June 2024

Read Program Year 2022 reports: July 2022, August 2022, September 2022, October 2022, November 2022, December 2022, January 2023, February 2023, March 2023; April 2023;  May 2023; June 2023

Read Program Year 2021 reports: July 2021, August 2021, September 2021, October 2021,November 2021, December 2021, January 2022, February 2022, March 2022, April 2022, May 2022, June 2022

Read Program Year 2020 reports: July 2020, August 2020, September 2020, October 2020, November 2020, December 2020, January 2021, February 2021, March 2021, April 2021, May 2021, June 2021

Read Program Year 2019 reports: July 2019, August 2019, September 2019, October 2019, November 2019, December 2019, January 2020, February 2020, March 2020, April, 2020, May 2020, June 2020

For copies of One-Stop Operator reports for previous program years, contact the GRWDB office at info@thegrwdb.org.

As part of his services, Almonor also conducts monthly team leader meetings as well as one-topic strategy-brainstorming sessions with specific stakeholders.

Program Year 2024 meetings: July 2024; August 2024; September 2024; October 2024;

Program Year 2023 meeting minutes: November 28, 2023; December 19, 2023; January 23, 2024; February 27, 2024, Childcare Brainstorming session; March 24, 2024, Transportation Brainstorming session; May 27, 2024; June 25, 2024;

In previous years, the Greater Raritan One-Stop Operator coordinated One-Stop Partner Meetings during the program year. Here are the links to agendas for past program years: Program Year 2022: Sept. 14, 2022; Dec. 15,2022. Program Year 2021: Oct. 31, 2021; March 23, 2022; June 15, 2022.

Selecting the vendors

The Request for Proposals (RFP) for One-Stop Operator and Career Training Services was released on April 5, 2023; responses were due on Friday, May 5, 2023. The announcement about the RFP can be viewed here. The Somerset County Department of Human Services was recommended by a RFP Review Committee to be the vendor of Career Training Services for the new program year, beginning July 1, 2023. Human Services’ response and the committee scores can be viewed here. The Executive Committee approved the recommendation during a May 17 meeting, and the decision was affirmed during the June 22 GRWDB Board Meeting.

A Request for Proposal Rebid for One-Stop Operator services was released on May 24, and responses were due by June 14, 2023. The announcement about the RFP can be viewed here. EmPower Somerset was recommended by a RFP Review Committee to be the vendor of One-Stop Operator services, with the contract period beginning on Aug. 1, 2023. EmPower Somerset’s response and the committee scores can be viewed here. The full board approved the recommendation during the June 22, 2023, GRWDB Board Meeting.

Previous One-Stop Operator contracts are available as follows:

• Program Year 2022: RFP; Review Committee evaluations (during its June 23, 2022, meeting, the board of the GRWDB reviewed the committee’s recommendations, which had been approved by the GRWDB Executive Committee during a May 5, 2022 meeting); Memorandum of Agreement .
• Program Year 2020: RFP; Review Committee evaluations; Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholder’s authorization of approval.
• Program Year 2017-2019: April 2019 Memorandum of Agreement between the Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board and the Somerset County, NJ Department of Human Services; Competitive Contract One-Stop Bid from Program Year 2017.

Other Vendor Contracts

The Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board also selects the area’s Youth Services providers in accordance with the Uniform Guidance, WIOA and its implementing regulations, and Local procurement laws and regulations. The current contracts for Youth Services started in 2021, for the Program Year running from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, with the option to extend the contracts annually for up four years through June 2026. The legal notice for those services can be viewed here; the Request for Proposals can be viewed here; the Proposal Review Committee recommendations can be viewed here, and the award of the contracts was discussed and approved at the June 24, 2021, GRWDB board meeting, as shown in these minutes.

In addition, the GRWDB competitively procures WorkFirst New Jersey services. The current contract for the service began in 2020, for the Program Year running from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, with the option to extend the contract annually for up to four years through June 2025. The Request for Proposals for WorkFirst New Jersey services can be viewed here. At the same time, a Request for Proposals for Learning Link services was also released; it can be viewed here. The award of contracts was discussed and approved at the June 25, 2020, GRWDB board meeting, as show in these minutes. In June of 2024, funding for Learning Link services was discontinued by the state; literacy services continue to be offered through the area’s Title II vendor-provider and partners working through the GRWDB’s First Steps Basic English program.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been executed between the Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board (GRWDB), the One-Stop Career Center (American Job Center Network) Partners (Partners), and the Chief Elected Official (CEO). They are collectively referred to as the “Parties” to this MOU.

This MOU is developed to confirm the understanding of the Parties regarding the operation and management of the One-Stop Career Centers in the Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board Area. The GRWDB provides oversight of workforce programming for Hunterdon and Somerset counties.

The parties to this MOU agree that all required Partners and co-located additional Partners have a joint responsibility to support and maintain an effective local integrated service delivery system. In addition, all parties recognize that shared and infrastructure costs are applicable to all the required Partners.

This MOU outlines the local vision for program alignment, Partner roles and responsibilities, and accountability for a coordinated service delivery system.

The parties also establish a financial plan, including terms and conditions, (an Infrastructure Funding Agreement or IFA) to fund the services and operating costs of the One-Stop Career Centers.

This MOU defines the parameters within which education, workforce, economic development, and other Partner programs and entities operating in the GRWDB Area create a seamless, customer-focused system that aligns service delivery across the board and enhances access to program services. By realizing One-Stop opportunities together, Partners are able to build community-benefiting bridges, rather than silos of programmatic isolation. These Partnerships also reduce administrative burden and costs and increase customer access and performance outcomes.

During the last quarter of 2023, One-Stop Operator Fernandel Almonor led development of the 2024-2026 MOU/IFA, following a series of discussions and meetings. Following a NJDOL-approved deadline extension for MOU approval, with the completion moving from Dec. 31, 2023, to March 31, 2024, partners continued to refine the document. These are notes from a January 18, 2024, Partner meeting on the document. The MOU/IFA was then reviewed and approved by the full board of the GRWDB at its February 1, 2024, meeting, and the process of gathering signatures was begun. The GRWDB’s 2024-2026 MOU/IFA was sent to the NJDOL on March 28, 2024. The document received final approval on October 28, 2024. Click here to read and get a copy of the document. It is important to note that the MOU/IFA is viewed as a living document and can be updated at any point to reflect changing priorities, programs and partners.

Go here to see a copy of the 2020-2023 MOU/IFA.