promoting regional economies virtual policy academy webinar 2 of 3
TRANSCRIPT
PromotingRegional Economies Virtual Policy Academy Webinar 2 of 3
Presenters
Lindsey Woolsey and Tammy CoxenCorporation for a Skilled Workforce
Jim TorrensNational Network of Sector Partners
Martin Simon and Erin AndrewNGA Center for Best Practices
Danielle CalabresePennsylvania Workforce Investment Board
Laura SpiveyNorth Carolina Department of Commerce
Virtual Policy Academy States
CADEIDLAMOMTNMUTVIWY
US Virgin Islands
Remaining Webinar
Sustainability and ImpactThursday, August 27, 2:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern
Today’s Focus
Focus:
Where the Rubber Hits the Road
“The state should set the vision and framework and provide tools and technical assistance to the regions; then the state should get out of the way and let the regions implement their initiatives.”
State Roles
PA: Industry Partnerships
Industry Partnerships in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Workforce Development
State Roles
State Roles
State Roles
MN
MI: Regional Skills Alliances
PA: Industry Partnerships
Industry Partnerships in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Workforce Development
What you told us…
Focus:
State Roles
State Roles
State Roles
“WIA cannot and should not design, fund, and implement sector strategies by itself.”
State Roles
“How do we ensure consistency in performance across regions and how do we coordinate regional efforts and statewide efforts?”
“Can you tell us more about skill sector panels as a component of a state sector strategy?”
WA: Industry Skill Panels
Washington State’s Industry Sector Initiative: Industry Skill Panels, Washington Training and Education Coordinating Board
WA: Industry Skill Panels
From Evaluating Industry Skill Panels: A Model Framework, by PAROS Group and Corporation for a Skilled Workforce
Leveraging State Investments: Four Skill Panels (Washington State)
620
18710
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5000
10000
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StateInvestments
LeveragedFunds
What you told us….
Focus:
Using Data to Drive Decision-Making
CC photo credit: fragmented
Data-Driven Decision Making
• Sector initiatives need a deep understanding of industries, occupations, workers, and regional labor markets
• States play a key part in collecting and providing data to regions, and establishing guidelines for data use
State Roles
• States are both data users and data producers• As data users, states use may data to:
– identify target industries or occupations for the state, – determine funding regions– evaluate regional applications for funding
• The state’s role as data producer is critical to regional sector initiatives both pre- and post-funding, as they seek to better understand and engage with their target industries
State Roles• Using data to specify target industries and
occupations for the state as a whole– PA identified nine sectors and priority occupations
within them– NC targeted allied health care as the state’s initial
sector of focus• Providing data and analysis on specific
industries statewide– OK produced detailed reports about the Aerospace
and Health Care industries– CO produced guidebooks to five of the state’s key
industries to be used by sector intermediaries
State Roles
• Providing data to regions to identify target industries and occupations– MI provided each workforce investment area with
a regional profile for industry targeting to aid the regions in identifying their target industries
– CO produced an industry targeting report for each MSA in the state and a guide on how to access and use the state’s LMI website to obtain data for industry targeting
State Roles• Customizing data offerings to accommodate
unusual geographic or industry clusters– KS & MO collaborated on an industry profile for a joint
WIRED region – OR built a custom website for its WIRED region which
includes data reports for each targeted industry cluster• Providing regional labor market analysts to assist
regions– MN has funded six regional labor market analyst
positions to provide regions with accessible expertise, analysis services, training, and presentations on LMI
Tips
Tips
Tips for Effective Data-Driven Decision Making
Tips for Effective Data-Driven Decision Making
“What about data-driven decisions with regards to promoting sector solutions to the state legislature for future funding resources?”
What you told us….
Focus:
Alignment: What does it mean?
• It does not mean policy integration• It means finding common ground and
common goals across state systems• It means recognizing where policies,
protocols, processes and service delivery can be coordinated toward common goals
Alignment: Why it Matters
• If you expect your regions to do it, shouldn’t state systems too?
• When state systems coordinate, local service providers have it a lot easier
• Because industry and worker success is too big of a task for one system to do alone
• Because end-users (jobseekers and businesses) don’t care which system serves them, just as long as they get what they need
Reality Check
• Anecdotal evidence suggests that alignment too often does not happen at state and local (and let’s not forget national!) levels
• It means stepping out of your day-to-day work• It’s hard work and takes time• It also takes dedicated staff and leadership
from the Governor or Cabinet-level administrators
So How do States Align across Systems?
• Some Basic tools: – Reach out and talk– Start with a specific initiative or set of naturally
aligned policy priorities– Use Leadership to get folks to the table
• The Power Tools: – Use your Labor Market Information Data– Use your $: blend, braid, leverage– Common Performance Measures*
The Power Tools for Alignment
CC photo credit: MNilgen
The Power Tools for AlignmentLMI Data• Economic and workforce data –
use to reach common ground• Imagine: Economic Development,
Workforce, and Education all using the same LMI and asking same questions – what are our critical industries that offer good jobs? What skills level is our population currently at? Where are the gaps?
• Powerful way to coordinate how multiple public resources are focused and spent
• Effective way to identify common goals that diverse systems and programs can jointly work toward
Funding• “Name any funding source,
and we’ll find a sector partnership using it.”*
Here are Sources that Some States Use
• WIA Discretionary Funds•State Appropriations/General Revenue•Incumbent worker training•Adult education•WIA Incentive funds•WIRED grants, other DOL grants•Post-secondary education•TANF•Philanthropic Foundations•Partnership Contributions•Wagner Peyser
“The Big Tent”
CC photo credit: Brian Finifter
“The Big Tent”
• Sector Strategies provide a focus so that various policies, programs, resources and strategies can be leveraged and aligned.
Demand-Side Strategies Supply-Side Strategies
•Economic Development agencies•Small Business Development•Business Services in many places!
•Workforce Boards•Workforce Departments•Community/technical colleges•Career technical programs•Adult education
•One-stops•Community college programs•Career Technical programs•Private training programs•Community based organizations•Career pathway programs•Apprenticeships
How do workers and businesses know where to go for what?
Some Examples
Aligning Big Initiatives• Minnesota is aligning its sector
strategy approach with its Shifting Gears initiative
• Michigan similarly is integrating its sector strategies with its No Worker Left Behind Initiative
• Georgia is using its sector strategy approach to also build its “Work Ready Regions”
Integrating Strategies• Oregon connects its sector
strategies to its industry cluster strategy
• Kentucky aligns its sector partnerships with its strong focus on demand-driven career pathway approaches and focus on TANF clients
• Washington aligns its “Skill Panels” with Community College Centers of Excellence, I-BEST programs, and industry clusters
What you told us….
Next Webinar
Sustainability and ImpactThursday, August 272:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern
Look for your webinar invitation soon!