developing a strategy for effective employer engagement · developing a strategy for effective...

Developing a Strategy for

Effective Employer

Engagement

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August 20th, 2015

Moderator:

Panelists:

Josie Alleman

Strategic Initiatives Consultant

Social Solutions

2

Lucy Houchin

Director of Client Services

Thomas P. Miller and Associates

Scott Ellsworth

Director

Business Leaders United

“What does it take to engage

employers?”

PerformWell

August 20, 2015

Just an old manufacturing guy

About BLU

Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships (BLU) is the national voice of small and medium sized employers who are concerned about filling skilled positions at their companies, and who are developing public-private partnerships in their communities to better meet those skilled workforce needs.

Is the Skills Gap just a great employer

conspiracy?

Forum organized to discuss skills gap

Employers Aren’t Just Whining – the “Skills Gap” Is Real

Employers generally have a narrow view of the

workforce system

• Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I Program for Adults, Dislocated Workers, and Youth

• Employment Service

• Adult Basic Education

• Vocational Rehabilitation

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Employment and Training

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training

• Community and Technical College Workforce Education and Training (Postsecondary Career and Technical Education)

• Apprenticeships

• Corrections Employment and Training

• Customized Training for Employers

• Sector Partnerships

• One-stops or American Job Centers

Typical State Workforce System

Dammit Jim, I’m a Doctor not a workforce

expert!

What are employers expecting - partner

• Employers recognize they need to be a part of the solution

• Help to understand that you’re in this with them

It’s not enough to talk – DO SOMETHING

• Don’t have employers attend “thinking” sessions often

• Take potential from meetings and turn it into kinetic actions

• Employers are looking for results, and quickly

• It is better to try something and fail than do nothing.

R&D – Ripoff and Duplicate

• Why reinvent the wheel?– 5% Promise – Rochester, NY

– Individual apprenticeships – Maysville, KY

– Healthcare apprenticeships – Cincinnati, OH

– Employer/lawmaker partnership – Minneapolis, MN

– Skilled worker supply chain – Grand Rapids, MI

– Worlds of Opportunity – Mobile, AL

Contact

Scott Ellsworth, Director, Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships (BLU)

ScottE@businessleadersunited.org

Addressing the needs of business

• Founded in 1989

• Based in Indianapolis, IN

• Full-service economic and workforce development consulting firm with extensive research and strategy planning experience

• Vision of incorporating workforce development into the mainstream of economicdevelopment strategy

ABOUT

THOMAS P. MILLER AND ASSOCIATES, LLC

In a demand-driven system, how do we ensure we address the needs of business?

17

Source: US DOL, The New Vision of Rapid Response, November 2010

THE BUSINESS LIFE CYCLE: Address business needs throughout their life cycle

Source: US DOL, The New Vision of Rapid Response, November 2010

THE SYSTEM

Business

Workforce

Development

Economic

Development

Education

Collaboration

&

Information

Sharing

Needs

Solutions

How do we adopt a collaborative business services approach to address businesses’ needs?

Collaboration with partners positions the workforce systemto deliver comprehensive services to businesses

WIOA

VR

VETSABE

WP

TAA

5. Work Together

to Provide Seamless Solutions

1.Proactively

Target Businesses for

Outreach

2. Interview for

Standard Information

3. Share

Information with All Partners

4. Identify

Comprehensive Solutions for

Employer NeedsEDUCATION:

• Community Colleges• Career and Technical

Education (CTE) • 4-year Colleges &

Universities

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:• Regional & Local

Economic Development Organizations

• Industry Associations• Chambers of

Commerce

5 STEPS FOR COLLABORATIVE BUSINESS SERVICES

1. Proactively target businesses for outreach

2. Interview for standard information

3. Share information among all partners

4. Identify comprehensive solutions for employer needs

5. Work together to provide seamless solutions to businesses

STEP 1: PROACTIVELY TARGET BUSINESSES FOR OUTREACH

• Work together to determine what filtering criteria will be used to identify companies to proactively contact

• Develop a list of target companies and determining who from the partnership should contact the individual companies

STEP 2: INTERVIEW FOR STANDARD INFORMATION

• GOAL: Gather info to understand the challenges and opportunities they are facing in their business

• Develop a standard interview tool that all partners utilize when outreaching to business

• Most important part of interviewing is LISTENING!

STEP 3: SHARE INFORMATION AMONG ALL PARTNERS

• Distill main challenges and opportunities from the interview

• Determine ways to share information among all partners:

• Informal communication methods (e.g. email)

• Regular meetings among the team

• Opportunities to leverage technology (e.g. CRM)

STEP 4: IDENTIFY COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTIONS FOR EMPLOYERS NEEDS

• Work with partners to identify resources available to address the main challenges and opportunities

•Get creative in finding solutions

•Develop a comprehensive, but tailored portfolio of services to address the company’s needs

STEP 5: WORK TOGETHER TO PROVIDE SEAMLESS SOLUTIONS TO BUSINESS

• Work with the business to prioritize services for implementation

• Help navigate the process of accessing prioritized services and resources

• Introduce partners and new services in a seamless way

Develop a familiarity with partners services and programs

Organize regular meetings and/or other means of sharing information

Communicate, communicate, communicate!

MAINTAINING PARTNERSHIPS

Communication + Transparency = Trust

Expand reach/market penetration

Maximize resources in times of dwindling funding

Increase business satisfaction

Increase positive outcomes for job seekers

BENEFITS OF COLLABORATION

Lucy Houchin

lhouchin@tpma-inc.com

DEVELOP A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS

LEARNING IN YOUR ORGANIZATION

Coming Soon

October 20th, 2015

Register at www.performwell.org

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Q&A

Scott Ellsworth

Director

Business Leaders United

Lucy Houchin

Director of Client Services

Thomas P. Miller and Associates