Pasco County touts high job-retention and ROI from reentry and workforce programs

David Engel, director of Planning and Economic Growth, updated the Board on Pasco-funded workforce and reentry initiatives, emphasizing reported job retention and return-on-investment (ROI) metrics.

Engel described three coordinated efforts: CareerSource job-skills training (placements and cost-per-placement), AmSkills advanced manufacturing training and apprenticeships, and a Direct Connect clearinghouse run by the Pasco Economic Development Council. He said the reentry-oriented program targets disadvantaged residents, including people exiting incarceration and people experiencing homelessness.

Key metrics cited: 638 people have participated in the reentry program since 2018; 86% of participants are from disadvantaged populations; program graduates retain employment at a 97% rate after one year; the program’s average annual income since inception was reported at $41,900 and rose to $48,572 in the last year (a $7,000 increase); CareerSource placements produced an ROI of about $13.13 for every county dollar reported, and AmSkills placements produced an ROI cited as roughly 22:1 with 158 direct placements since 2014.

Commissioners praised the high retention numbers and asked staff for clarification on the retention and placement calculations; staff said they used comparable employment-impact methodologies for cross-program ROI comparisons and excluded indirect benefits in the presented figures. No immediate policy action was taken; commissioners indicated the data will inform future workforce funding decisions.

Quote used in presentation: "97 percent of the people going through this training retain their jobs over a year." — David Engel (Planning & Economic Growth).