Goodyear City Council agreed to partner with Maricopa County and jointly fund a full-time workforce development coordinator  position at a new Maricopa County facility in Goodyear.

The county recently purchased property near 141st Avenue and McDowell Road to build and operate a health clinic and Head Start preschool program. The development coordinator position would work within those facilities.

The coordinator would be a Maricopa County employee but would work with Goodyear’s economic development and neighborhood services staff to act as a business liaison, trainer and career guidance specialist.

Additional roles within the position would include partnering with Goodyear to assist participants and businesses by:

• Enrolling Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act-eligible program participants
• Organizing workshops for job seekers to assist with job searches and the development of job retention skills and assessment tools for measuring interests, aptitude and skills, career exploration and vocational training
• Providing eligible participant support services that may include funding assistance to enable participants to continue training, retain or obtain employment and encourage successful program completion
• Directing job seekers toward activities that lead to the attainment of a secondary school diploma or its equivalent
• Organizing job fairs for local employers recruiting employees to fill vacant positions
• Providing employment-related case management and referral services  

The city’s portion is estimated to cost $53,400 annually. Goodyear Mayor Joe Pizzillo approved the motion on the spot.

“I think it's a worthwhile endeavor,” he said. “Also, I would ask, after six months, if you could come back with a report on the money we invested in what it resulted in. So, we can compare the actual results of the program so we can see what it produced.”

Maricopa County staff were unable to provide any information about the new health clinic at the meeting.