Commissioners Court Meeting

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Meeting Date:	03/23/2015
GED Feasibility Study for County Employees
Submitted for:	Anna Laura Cavazos-Ramirez	Submitted By:	Anna Laura Cavazos-Ramirez
Department:	Commissioner Precinct 1

Subject:

Discussion and possible action to authorize a feasibility study to be conducted by Administrative Services Department to determine the feasibility of providing GED classes for county employees who do not have a high school diploma in order to improve their performance as county employees and allow them to compete for other county employment with better pay and higher responsibility. The study should encompass the possibility of holding these classes on county property and the cost for such classes.

Issue: Over 6 years ago when Webb County adopted Civil Service for its employees, a minimum requirement was implemented that required all applicants for county employment to have a high school diploma or a GED. A number of county employees did not have a GED or high school diploma but were "grandfathered" in. The end result was that these employees did not lose their county jobs but could NEVER apply for another position in the same or another county department or move up in rank because it would require them to apply for a new or better position and they could not meet the minimum requirements. These employees therefore can only remain stagnant in the same position for as long as they continue to work for Webb County.

Solution: If Webb County could facilitate providing GED classes after regular working hours for the number of county employees who do not have a high school diploma or GED these employees could finish their regular working day, proceed to the nearby county location for these GED classes and hopefully improve their ability to get a GED.

Result: The target county employees would learn how to better read, write, use mathematics and a variety of skills that would improve their work performance and also be able to use their years of experience at their current county jobs in new positions of higher pay and responsibility resulting in happier, prouder, better educated county employees who can advance in their respective areas of expertise and better provide for their families.

Background:

With the adoption of the County Civil Service system came the requirement that anyone applying for a county job have a minimum of a high school diploma or a GED. Those county employees who did not have this requirement at that time were "grandfathered in" but could not thereafter and cannot now apply for any other county position or advance or promote to a position of higher pay or responsibility regardless of their experience and abilities. Facilitating our employees in getting a GED will eliminate this barrier. Many of these employees are currently in our building maintenance, grounds and road and bridge departments and all have been there for over 6 years without the possibility of advancement.

Webb County is currently assisting jail inmates in getting their GEDs. We should give our county employees the same consideration and assistance.

Previous Court Action:

Civil Service was adopted over 6 years ago and this is how long those county employees without a GED or high school diploma have been trapped and stagnant in their current positions without the possibility of any advancement in pay or responsibility.

Fiscal Impact

Budget Account Number:	n/a
Funding Source:	n/a
Balance:	n/a
Financial Impact:
Providing the use of a county building after 5 p.m. should not have any fiscal impact. If the Court decides, after the feasibility study to pay for the cost of these classes that will be discussed and determined by the Commissioners Court after the result of the feasibility study.