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Genesis of I-TRAIN
The delivery of training services to JTPA eligible clients has long been hampered by the enormous task of procuring qualified vendors and collecting data from hundreds of vendors. Prior to the advent of I-TRAIN, the 17 service delivery areas in the Southern California region collected and evaluated data on vendors indepenently. With the regional approach to procurement, it was only natural that a system should be developed to collect and distribute data on vendors that would be comprehensive and beneficial to all service delivery area in this region. In 1995, the SOUTHBAY WIB was awarded an $18 million grant by the Department of Labor, the largest grant of its kind ever to provide basic readjustment and retraining service to dislocated aerospace workers throughout the Southern California region (Santa Barbara to San Diego). One of many obstacles faced by the Private Industry Council Aerospace Network (PAN) was how to serve a displaced aerospace worker who lived as many as 90 miles away from the nearest service delivery area intake facility. The Challenge was to make services convenient and equitable for all displaced workers. South Bay Workforce Investment Act (SBWIA) soon learned that there was no common, reliable source for locating qualified vendors outside of its own Service Delivery Area (SDA). Each WIA had its own criteria, rating system, and inventory of contracted training vendors. It was this realization that was the driving force for the development of the Inglewood Training Resource and Information Network (I-TRAIN), now known as the Intrastate Training Resource and Information Network. I-TRAIN alleviates the duplication procurement, monitoring and evaluation. I-TRAIN standardizes data across a wide area. Data is easily retrievable. I-TRAIN allows for services to clients in a convenient and effective way. I-TRAIN allows clients to make an informed choice about their training. A mechanism that allows the client active participation in the decision about their retraining has decreased drop-out rates and thereby resulting in positive terminations.. I-TRAIN is indeed the most advanced, sophisticated, accurate system for delivery of approved CRT vendors. The Regional Training Vendor Directory is recognized by the State of California. |
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