Primary Department: Economic Equity and Opportunity
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Jie Wu, Interim Executive Director
Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: N/A
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Transmittal
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Transmittal by the Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity of the Harris County Hire Up Harris Program Year 3 Evaluation Report.
end
Background and Discussion:
In March 2022, Commissioners Court approved advertisement of RFPs for the Hire Up Harris Program, an ARPA-funded workforce development initiative dedicated to supporting Harris County residents following the
economic impact of COVID-19 by connecting them to high-quality upskilling and reskilling workforce training
programs with soft skills development and wraparound support services. Further, Hire Up Harris aims to build
capacity among organizations by adopting best practices that will result in transformational outcomes.
On October 25, 2022, Wesley Community Center and Volunteers of America Texas were awarded contracts as
subrecipients based on their proposals’ fitness for the intended program requirements and quality of program
services.
The goals of the Hire Up Harris program include increasing workforce development opportunities that
incorporate career advancement training, individual coaching, and a pipeline to open employment
opportunities, as well as technical job training. Additionally, the program aims to incentivize the placement of
workers in quality jobs that pay livable wages, the provision of comprehensive wraparound support, and a service emphasis on unemployed and underemployed individuals in Harris County.
On September 27, 2022, Elite Research was awarded to provide applied research, data analysis, management
strategies, and other services in pursuit of a comprehensive evaluation of the Hire Up Harris program under
Job No. 210317. This subaward is funded through FLEX fund dollars as made available by ARPA funds.
In 2024, Hire Up Harris received the Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo).
Expected Impact:
This comprehensive evaluation includes a descriptive analysis of existing and newly collected program
data. Additionally, the evaluator conducted interviews with beneficiaries to gather their personal
stories of impact from their experience in the program, as well as interviews with vendors on the
strengths and limitations of implementing the program. The evaluation also added an assessment of program
value in relation to the direct costs of serving beneficiaries. By comparing these costs and benefits, the
evaluator assessed the extent to which the program delivered measurable value and supported long-term
economic outcomes for participants. In addition to the financial benefits, the report also explored the
additional intangible benefits derived from the program.
Ultimately, the Hire Up Harris program has proven to be more than just job training. It is a life-changing
opportunity for participants to experience career growth, gain financial independence, and
increase their confidence in their ability to shape their future.
Alternative Options: N/A
County Strategic Plan Goal: 3. Make our economy more inclusive.
County Strategic Plan Objective: K: Provide workers with training and other supports (e.g. child care) to participate fully in the local economy.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): N/A
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): K3: Increase reskilling and upskilling opportunities by leveraging community colleges, nonprofits, and other training and resource providers.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): N/A
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
6/12/2025 |
#316 |
Transmittal accepted: Hire Up Harris Year 2 Evaluation |
|
7/15/2024 |
#231, 232 |
An amendment to an agreement and a renewal option with Wesley Community Center and Volunteers of America Texas for the extended period of October 25, 2024 - October 2026 (220112). |
|
7/15/2024 |
#311 |
Transmittal accepted: Hire Up Harris received 2024 Achievement Awards from The National Association of Counties (NACo) |
|
10/25/2022 |
#188 |
Request for approval of an award on the basis of best proposal meeting requirements and that the County Judge execute an agreement with Volunteers of America Texas, Inc. And Wesley Community Center, Inc. Of Houston, Texas for training for hire up Harris Workforce Program for the county for the period of October 25, 2022 - October 24, 2024 (220112). |
|
9/27/2022 |
#10 |
Request by DEEO for approval of an order authorizing the expenditure of funds in the amount of $366,000 for comprehensive program evaluation of Hire Up Harris and Apprenticeship Programs, as a subaward of the agreement with Elite Research, LLC. Under Job No. 21037, MWDBE Contracted Goal: 100% |
|
3/22/2022 |
#204 |
Approval of a project scheduled for advertisement and consent for Request for Proposal for training for Hire Up Harris Workforce Program for Harris County (220112). |
Location:
Address (if applicable): N/A
Precinct(s): Countywide
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Service Name |
Workforce Development |
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Current Fiscal Year Cost |
Annual Fiscal Cost |
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Non-Labor |
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Recurring Expenses |
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Funding Sources |
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Existing Budget |
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Total Existing Budget |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
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$ |
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Total Additional Budget Request |
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Total Funding Sources |
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Grants - Proposed Budget (For Grants Items only) |
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Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
No. of Grant Years |
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Local Match Source - Existing Budget: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
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Local Match Source - Additional Budget Request: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
$ |
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$ |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new Position Control Numbers (PCN)s) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
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Additional Positions Request |
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Total Personnel |
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County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only) |
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CAO Reviewer Name and Title |
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CAO Review Completion Date |
Click or tap to enter a date. |
Anticipated Court Date: 9/17/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Click or tap to enter a date.
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department:
Jie Wu, Interim Executive Director, Economic Equity & Opportunity;
Dr. Paula Pineda, Assistant Director of ARPA Initiatives, Economic Equity & Opportunity
Clairisa Landry, Program Manager of ARPA Initiatives, Economic Equity & Opportunity
Attachments (if applicable): Harris County Hire Up Harris Program Year 3 Evaluation Report