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THE SOUTHERN OFFICE OF THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS PO Box 98129 | Atlanta, Georgia 30359 ph: 404/633-1866 | fx: 404/633-4896 | www.slcatlanta.org SERVING THE SOUTH Southern LegiSLative ConferenCe of the CounCiL of State governmentS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATES A REGIONAL RESOURCE FROM THE SLC © Copyright July 2013 Manufacturing Resurgence in the United States S ince the end of the Great Recession, there have been encouraging signs that America’s manufac- turing sector is experiencing a renaissance, albeit a muted one. In the aftermath of the Great Re- cession, and given that the manufacturing sector in the United States has been in a state of decline for a number of decades, a turnaround of this sector’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) is most encouraging. For all of 2012, the U.S. economy grew by 2.2 percent following a 1.8 percent increase in 2011, and 2.4 percent in 2010. 1 For the first quarter of 2013 (that is, from the fourth quarter of 2012 to the first quarter of 2013), the U.S. Department of Commerce reported that the U.S. economy grew by 1.8 percent on an annualized basis according to data released in late June 2013. 2 While growth in the nation’s manu- facturing sector since the Great Recession remains a very positive development, it also thrusts another challenge to the forefront: creating an adequately trained workforce in the states to staff the increasingly complex positions in- volved in the 21st century manufacturing process.  Last year, the manufacturing sector contributed 11.9 per- cent to GDP, an increase from the 11.5 percent in 2011, and 11.2 percent contributions in 2010, an extremely positive development. It should be noted that, from a high of contributing 28 percent to GDP in 1953, the rela- tive size of manufacturing has been declining steadily: 22 percent in 1977, 17 percent in 1987, 15 percent in 1997, 12 percent in 2007, and down to 11 percent in 2009. Even a slight increase in the sector’s contribution to overall GDP is notable. Table 1 and Figure 1 provide histori- cal details on the manufacturing sector’s value added as a percentage of GDP. On the employment front, data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics presents information for 2007 through 2011 (Table 2), the most recent statistics available. The negative effects of the Great Recession are reflect- ed in the manufacturing sector’s employment figures for the review period, 2007 through 2011. While the declin- Year 1947 1953 1957 1967 1977 1987 1997 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Gross Domestic Product 244,095 379,327 461,055 832,445 2,030,130 4,736,354 8,332,362 14,028,675 14,291,543 13,973,681 14,498,922 15,075,667 15,684,764 Manufac- turing (Value) 62,434 107,500 124,356 209,501 439,138 823,105 1,277,280 1,698,022 1,628,498 1,540,104 1,630,522 1,731,466 1,866,699 Manufac- turing (Percent) 25.6 28.3 27.0 25.2 21.6 17.4 15.3 12.1 11.4 11.0 11.2 11.5 11.9 Source: http://www.bea.gov/industry/gdpbyind_data.htm Table 1 Value Added by Manufacturing Sector to GDP (in $ millions) 1947 - 2012 Photo Courtesy of Georgia Quick Start

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Since the end of the Great Recession, there have been encouraging signs that America’s manufacturing sector is experiencing a renaissance, albeit a muted one. In the aftermath of the Great Recession, and given that the manufacturing sector in the United States has been in a state of decline for a number of decades, a turnaround of this sector’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) is most encouraging.  While growth in the nation’s manufacturing sector since the Great Recession remains a very positive development, it also thrusts another challenge to the forefront: creating an adequately trained workforce in the states to staff the increasingly complex positions involved in the 21st century manufacturing process.Given that a highly trained workforce is a central aspect of a thriving manufacturing sector, states across the country, particularly in the South, have placed a great deal of emphasis on ensuring that their economic development strategies incorporate the workforce development needs of these different companies. This Regional Resource examines the measures taken by the SLC states to create a better trained workforce for the various manufacturing operations in their jurisdictions. 

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THE SOUTHERN OFFICE OF THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTSPO Box 98129 | Atlanta, Georgia 30359 ph: 404/633-1866 | fx: 404/633-4896 | www.slcatlanta.orgSERVING THE SOUTHSouthern LegiSLative ConferenCeofthe CounCiL of State governmentSWORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATESA REGIONAL RESOURCE FROM THE SLC Copyright July 2013Manufacturing Resurgence in the United StatesSincetheendoftheGreatRecession,therehave beenencouragingsignsthatAmericasmanufac-turingsectorisexperiencingarenaissance,albeit amutedone.IntheaftermathoftheGreatRe-cession,andgiventhatthemanufacturingsectorinthe United States has been in a state of decline for a number of decades, a turnaround of this sectors contribution to gross domesticproduct(GDP)ismostencouraging.Forallof 2012,theU.S.economygrewby2.2percentfollowinga 1.8 percent increase in 2011, and 2.4 percent in 2010.1For thefirstquarterof2013(thatis,fromthefourthquarter of2012tothefirstquarterof2013),theU.S.Department of Commerce reported that the U.S. economy grew by 1.8 percent on an annualized basis according to data released inlateJune2013.2Whilegrowthinthenationsmanu-facturingsectorsincetheGreatRecessionremainsavery positive development, it also thrusts another challenge to the forefront: creating an adequately trained workforce in thestatestostafftheincreasinglycomplexpositionsin-volved in the 21st century manufacturing process.Last year, the manufacturing sector contributed 11.9 per-centtoGDP,anincreasefromthe11.5percentin2011, and11.2percentcontributionsin2010,anextremely positivedevelopment.Itshouldbenotedthat,froma high of contributing 28 percent to GDP in 1953, the rela-tive size of manufacturing has been declining steadily: 22 percent in 1977, 17 percent in 1987, 15 percent in 1997, 12 percentin2007,anddownto11percentin2009.Even aslightincreaseinthesectorscontributiontooverall GDPisnotable.Table1andFigure1providehistori-caldetailsonthemanufacturingsectorsvalueaddedas a percentage of GDP.On the employment front, data from the U.S. Department of Labors Bureau of Labor Statistics presents information for 2007 through 2011 (Table 2), the most recent statistics available.ThenegativeeffectsoftheGreatRecessionarereflect-ed in the manufacturing sectors employment figures for the review period, 2007 through 2011.While the declin-Year 1947 1953 1957 1967 1977 1987 1997 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Gross Domestic Product244,095 379,327 461,055 832,445 2,030,130 4,736,354 8,332,362 14,028,675 14,291,543 13,973,681 14,498,922 15,075,667 15,684,764Manufac-turing (Value)62,434 107,500 124,356 209,501 439,138 823,105 1,277,280 1,698,022 1,628,498 1,540,104 1,630,522 1,731,466 1,866,699Manufac-turing (Percent)25.6 28.3 27.0 25.2 21.6 17.4 15.3 12.1 11.4 11.0 11.2 11.5 11.9Source: http://www.bea.gov/industry/gdpbyind_data.htmTable 1 Value Added by Manufacturing Sector to GDP (in $ millions) 1947 - 2012Photo Courtesy of Georgia Quick Start2 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATESCategory 2007 2008Year-Over-Year % Change2009Year-Over-Year % Change2010Year-Over-Year % Change2011Year-Over-Year % ChangeFull-time Equivalent Employees*128,431 127,383 -1% 121,078 -5% 120,303 -1% 121,757 1%Manufacturing Employees 13,609 13,142 -3% 11,528 -12% 11,238 -3% 11,456 2%Manufacturing as a percentage of FTEs10.6% 10.3% 9.5% 9.3% 9.4%* Full-time equivalent employees equal the number of employees on full-time schedules, plus the number of employees on part-time schedules converted to a full-time basis.The number of full-time equivalent employees in each industry is the product of the total number of employees and the ratio of average weekly hours per employee for all employees to the average weekly hours per employee on full-time schedules.Source: NIPA Tables, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bea.gov/national/nipaweb/DownSS2.asp, accessed on April 8, 2013.Table 2Annual Full-time Equivalent Employees by Industry (In Thousands), Percent Change and Manufacturings Percent of Full-time Equivalent Employees 2007 to 2011ly less than the 20.1 million Americans employed in the manufacturingsectorin1978,thehighestlevelreached inthepast85years.3DuringtheGreatRecession,this number declined further, to 11.2 million in 2010, before ing manufacturing sectors role in the United States was referencedpreviously,theabsolutenumberofAmeri-cans employed in the manufacturing sector also has been declining.In2007,itstoodat13.6million,significant-Figure 1 Value Added by Manufacturing Sector to GDP (in $ billions) 1947 - 2012Source: http://www.bea.gov/industry/gdpbyind_data.htmPhoto Courtesy of Georgia Quick StartWORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATES 3beginning a slow ascent to 11.5 million in 2011, the latest year available.AsgraphicallypresentedinFigure1,thecontributionof themanufacturingsectortooverallGDPhasbeenona downward spiral since the early 1950s.The impact of the Great Recession was particularly deleterious to this down-ward trajectory, though it is important to note that there are signs of a nascent recovery in the American manufac-turingsector.Thishopefulrecoveryisborneoutinthe data in the last three years: 2010, 2011 and 2012.On this note, while recent research (February 2013) by the CongressionalResearchService(CRS)indicatesthatthe UnitedStatesremainsthelargestmanufacturingcoun-tryintheworld(in2010),Chinaisrapidlyclosinginon this American dominance.4However, this CRS report al-so noted that a large share of manufacturing research and development(R&D)intheUnitedStatestakesplacein high-technology sectors, particularly pharmaceutical and electronicinstrumentmanufacturing,whereasinother countries a far greater proportion of manufacturers R&D outlaysoccurinmedium-technologysectorssuchasmo-tor vehicle and machinery manufacturing. 5Italsoshouldbenotedthatthisanalysisisbasedon2010 figures; the latest 2012 figures indicate that U.S. manufac-turinghasincreasedtoalmost$1.9trillion.Whilethis recentresurgenceinmanufacturingisnoteworthy,two inexorabletrendstypifythemodernAmericanmanu-facturingsector:automationandimports,particularlyof labor-intensiveitems.6NotonlyhastheAmericanman-ufacturingsectorbecomemuchmoreproductive (automation),thepriceoftheselabor-intensiveitems (clothing,electronics)hasbecomemorecompetitive, allowing Americans to spend on categories such as health-care,education,travelandrecreation.Hence,asthe economist Robert Samuelson notes, it is a mistake to ro-manticize manufacturing in the current era and expect it tobethemajoremploymentgeneratoritwasinaprevi-ous era.Thenature of thecontemporarymanufacturing sectorissuchthat,duetoenormousgainsinefficiency, the U.S. economy will produce more manufacturing out-putwithfeweremployeesworkingatthese21stcentury manufacturing facilities.There is consensus across the political and corporate spec-trum, however, that a flourishing manufacturing sector is a critical ingredient in ensuring the vitality of the Amer-icaneconomy.Advancementsinmanufacturingalsoare vitaltoreinforcingthenationsroleasthepreeminent global economic superpower.*Manufacturings footprint extends far beyond the actual production of goods and the higherwagesusuallyassociatedwiththesector;infact, manufacturingremainsintegralinarangeofdifferent arenasincludingresearch,design,technologicalservic-es and logistics.7In addition, manufacturing accounts for two-thirdsofprivatesectorresearchanddevelopment, akeydriverofinnovationintheU.S.economy.Finally, everymanufacturingjobonaveragesupports2.5jobsin othersectorswhile,attheupperendofthemanufactur-ingplane,asinglehightechmanufacturingjobsupports 16 others.Positive Developments Flowing from Manufacturings ResurgenceTherisinginfluenceoftheAmericanmanufacturing sectorinthelastfewyearsnotonlyhasbolsteredover-alleconomicgrowthbutalsoeffectedanincreasein thenumberofAmericanandforeigncompaniesmov-ingtheirproductionfacilitiestotheUnitedStates.This insourcing trend has been propelled by a number of fac-tors, including the rising cost of labor in several offshore locations, increasing energy costs overseas (both transpor-tationandutility),improvingproductivityofAmerican * For the importance of manufacturing in the overall U.S. economy, see Manufacturing the Future: The Next Era of Global Growth and Innovation,McKinseyGlobalInstitute,November2012andU.S. Manufacturing in International Perspective, CRS, February 11, 2013.MethodologyThescopeofthisRegionalResourcerangesfromthere-emergenceofthemanufacturingsectorintheUnited States,withparticularemphasisonthe15SLCmember states, to the eforts made by these Southern states to cre-ateaskilledworkforcewiththecapacitytostafabroad spectrumofpositionsintheresurgentmanufacturing sector.Inaneforttosecurethelatestinformationfrom theSLCstatesinthearenaofworkforcedevelopment,a survey(AppendixA)wasforwardedonDecember11, 2012, to ofcials with oversight of workforce training in all SLCstates.Responsesfrom14ofthe15stateswerere-ceived from various ofcials by March 12, 2013.The anal-ysisincorporatesinformationcontainedinthesurveyre-sponsesalongwithindependentresearchconductedby SLC staf.It is important to note that the survey responses received from the states are not presented verbatim or in their entirety, as the SLC took editorial license to maintain content uniformity.It also is important to note that in the sections to follow, the complete responses of all the states were not included but, rather, a selection of responses are presentedinordertoprovidespecifcinsightsintostate strategies to enhance workforce development programs.4 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATESworkers,availabilityofincreasingvolumesofdomestic energysources(naturalgas,inparticular),amorecom-petitive U.S. dollar relative to other currencies and, quite importantly,proximitytoanexpandingU.S.economy in the context of the struggling economies in Europe and other settings.Even Apple announced in December 2012 thatthecompanyplannedonmovingtheproductionof one of its Mac computers from China to the United States in 2013, a move that would generate a cascade of positive economiceffects.8Aregionalcomparisonofthisgrow-ingmanufacturingsectordemonstratesthatanumberof Southernstatesrankveryhighintermsofcapitalizing on the multiple advantages of a thriving industrial sector byrecruitingcompaniestosetuporexpandproduction facilities.AstudyreleasedinMarch2013byTheAspenInstitute andtheManufacturersAllianceforProductivityandIn-novation also forecasted that there is ample potentialfor U.S. manufacturing to surge forward by 2025.9The study documentedthatthisrenaissancewouldleadtosignifi-cantlymorewellpayingmanufacturingjobs,promote GDP growth, and even help create the first surplus in the nations goods and services balance of trade since 1975.Manufacturing Resurgence Prompts Corporate MovesAtthecorporatelevel,nolessacorporatetitanthanJef-freyImmelt,CEOofGeneralElectric(GE),declaredin March 2012 that, [O]utsourcing is quickly becoming out-dated as a business model for GE appliances. 10Mr. Immelt wasreferencingthetrendassociatedwithanincreasing number of American companies, including GE, relocating their manufacturing operations back to the United States afterdecadesofmovingproductionoffshoretofar-flung locations.OneofGEsmajorinsourcingmoves,par-tiallyresponsiblefortheImmeltquote,wasrepowering ApplianceParkinLouisville,Kentucky,toresumeman-ufacturing water heaters, refrigerators, washing machines and dishwashers.Formerly, GE had been manufacturing these appliances in plants in China and Mexico.In a similar vein, an impressive roster of foreign automak-ers(AsianandEuropean)inanumberofSouthernstates continuetoforgeaheadwithsignificantfacilityexpan-sions, while their parent companies face serious challenges intheircountriesoforigin.*Infact,theentireU.S.au-toindustryhasbeenshowingimpressivegainsinthe * For details on the rising importance of the automobile industry in the Southern United States, see CanagaRetna, Sujit, http://www.sl-catlanta.org/Publications/index.php?topic=8.aftermathoftheGreatRecession,andgainsinthefirst quarterof2013weresoimpressivethattheautomo-tiveinformationwebsiteEdmunds.comliftedits2013U.S. newcarsandlighttruckssalesforecastfrom15million to15.5million.11Lastyear,Caterpillarannouncedthat it would relocate its production facility in Sagami, Japan, toAthens,Georgia,tomakeconstructionequipmentat anew$200millionfactorythatwillemployabout1,400 people.12Theaeronauticssectoralsoisdisplayingim-pressivesignsofgrowthinanumberofSouthernstates, withBoeing,Airbus,GulfstreamandHondaAircraftei-therestablishingorexpandingtheirproductionfacilities in South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina.Manufacturing Resurgence Prompts Action by Policymakers On the political field, policymakers at every level of gov-ernmenthaverenewedtheirfocusonenhancingthe manufacturingsectoracrossthecountry.Duringhis 2013 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama calledforthecreationof15manufacturinginnovation institutes,creatinganetworktospurnewinventions andentrepreneurialzealinthemanufacturingsec-tor.13Thefirstofthesestate-of-theartlabs,situatedin aonce-shutteredwarehouseinYoungstown,Ohio,al-ready is operational and trains workers in the intricacies of3Dprinting,atechnologicaladvancementwiththe potentialtorevolutionizethewayalmosteverythingis made.Atthestatelevel,PennsylvaniaGovernorTom Corbett noted that, [M]anufacturing in the U.S. is chang-ing.Itisimportantthatgovernorscontinuetolearnso they are able to determine the best way forward, ensuring In an efort to recruit and train workers to staf the so-phisticated 21st century manufacturing jobs springing up in many parts of the country, states are actively providing workforcetrainingprogramstotheirresidents.Anum-berofSLCstateeconomicdevelopmentagenciesplace agreatdealofemphasisonthesetrainingsupportpro-grams and work closely with their community college sys-tem and their corporate partners to ensure that students receive the most up-to-date and comprehensive training to staf these demanding positions.BusinessFacilities,amediaoutletspecializinginthesite selection marketplace, ranks state workforce training pro-grams.In2012,SLCmemberstates(Louisiana,Georgia, and Florida) comprised the top three state programs, fol-lowed by three more in the top 10 (North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas).Even in the prior year (2011), the SLC states performed admirably and six of the top 10, includ-ing the top three states (Louisiana, Georgia and North Car-olina), all were SLC states.WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATES 5goodbusinessesandjobsforourcitizens.14Similarly, FloridasGovernorRickScott,inreiteratingtheim-portanceofexpandingthemanufacturingsectorinhis state, commented that, [W]hen manufacturers purchase equipment in our state, they are investing in Florida for yearstocome.Wewantmoremanufacturerstomove to Florida, and our existing manufacturing companies to buy the equipment they need and grow and create more jobs to support Florida families.Manufacturings Resurgence: Emerging ChallengesEven though states have been very active for a number of decades, particularly several Southern states, in preparing theirworkforcestostaffmanufacturingjobs,thecritical importance of securing well paid employment for the mil-lionsofAmericanswholosttheirjobsandcontinueto remain unemployedduring and after the Great Recession has only been elevated.In that context, state policymak-ers want to ensure that workforce development programs theyarepromotingandfundingmeettherequirements of the companies that currently are operating (and might operate) within their jurisdictions.While increasing sup-port for job training in an effort to build human capital is a prudent, long-term strategy to build both a vibrant mid-dleclassandastrongfoundationforsustainedeconomic growth,satisfyingthelaborrequirementsofcorporate partnersremainsacriticalobjective.Inthecurrentera, anincreasingnumberofstatesareworkingcollabora-tivelywiththeircorporatepartnerstoensurethatthe workforcebeingpreparedcomprehensivelymeetsthe criteriaoftheparticularmanufacturingoperation.In addition to employers seeking skilled workers, these cor-porationsalsoareinvestedinensuringthattheworkers operatingtheirmulti-milliondollarpiecesofequipment are fully trained to do so.At the same time, the issue of skills transferability remains animportantelement.Forinstance,apersontrainedto workinanautoplantinaSouthernlocationoptimal-lyshouldhaveskillsthatmaybetransferabletoanother industry within the manufacturing sector, a move ensur-ing that the worker is not limited to only working in the autoindustry.Inanerawhenthereissomuchchurn, specifically in terms of waxing and waning industries and fluctuatingglobaleconomictides,theabilityforawork-er to seamlessly move from industry to industry remains a trait with considerable importance.On this front, com-mentsfromtheLouisianaWorkforceCommissionwere mosttelling:[E]ffortstoprepareabetterworkforcein Louisianagofarbeyondsimplypreparingjobcandidates foropportunitiesinspecificsectors(e.g.,manufactur-ing).Rather our efforts seek to create a pipeline of skilled, qualifiedworkerstomeetthedemandsofemployers seeking to fill vacancies in high growth, high demand oc-cupations. 15SLC States Move ProactivelyUnder the rubric of states accommodating employers with the workforce they need, the record of the following SLC states remains impressive. Alabama successfully wooed Airbus to build its first U.S. factoryandassemblethecompanysbestsellingjetlin-er, the A320.The state included $51.9 million as part of theincentivepackagefora40,000square-footon-site training center where workers will be prepared, at state expense, for their new jobs.16 Louisianasaward-winningprogram,LEDFastStart, which helps new and expanding companies recruit, train andscreenemployees,wasaninfluentialfactorinthe FrenchcompanyGameloft,oneoftheworldsleading publishersofmobilevideogames,locatingitsAmeri-canoperationinNewOrleansin2012.17Thecompany needed 150 programmers and other skilled employees to staffitsNewOrleansstudio.Evenbeforethecompany began operations in the city, FastStart launched a custom Gameloft New Orleans website and advertised on social mediasitesfrequentedbygamesoftwareprofessionals toattractthetalentpoolGameloftsought.FastStarts recruitmenteffortsgenerated1,350resumesthatwere screened and presented to Gameloft for final selection by thecompany.Morethan700resumesmetGamelofts hiringcriteria,demonstratingthatLEDFastStartwas pivotal in this process. Tennessee,inJune2013,announcedthata170,000 square-foot training facility, on a 22-acre property across fromtheSmyrna,TennesseeNissan plant,willopenin early2016totrainstudentsforcareersinhigh-paying, advancedmanufacturingjobs.18Thetrainingfacility, whichwillrepresentaninvestmentofabout$50mil-lion, including donation of the land and some equipment byNissan,willbepartoftheTennesseeTechnology Center in Murfreesboro.*A bulk of the financing of the newtrainingcenter($35.4million)willcomefromthe TennesseeBoardofRegentsalongwithsomeaddition-* TheTennesseeTechnologyCenteratMurfreesboroisoneof47 institutionswithintheTennesseeBoardofRegentsSystem,the seventhlargesthighereducationsysteminthenation.Thissys-temcomprisessixuniversities,14communitycolleges,and27 technology centers.6 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATESal support from the U.S. Department of Labor.The new center will teach students how to maintain and trouble-shoothightechmanufacturingequipment,suchasthe complexrobotsandothercomputercontrolledpro-cessesinuseatNissanandotherareamanufacturers, including Bridgestone, General Mills, Procter & Gamble andWirtgenCo.,andeventheAmazon.comandSaks FifthAvenuedistributioncentersinMiddleTennes-see.While Nissan plans to lease more than a third of the facilitytooperateitstrainingfacilityreplacingtheone it has used for three decades at its Smyrna complex, non-Nissan students will have access to nearly two-thirds of thenewcenteralongwiththestate-of-the-artequip-mentfortraining,includingsomerobotsdonatedby Nissan,andtheadvancedmanufacturingmaintenance curriculumormechatronics,i.e.,thecombinationof mechanicsandelectronics,sovitalinany21stcentury manufacturing operation.Preparing a Better Trained WorkforceTheSLCstateshaveundertakenanassortmentofmea-sures to create a better trained workforce for the various manufacturing operations in their jurisdictions.AlabamaTheAlabamaIndustrialDevelopmentTraining(AIDT) programwasestablishedin1971andhasworkedon continuouslyimprovingthequalityofthejobtraining providedinthemanufacturingsectorsinceitsincep-tion.The success of the AIDT program was one reason for the states selection in 2012 by Area Development magazine (a publication for economic development professionals) as havingthetoplaborclimateamongthestates.In2012 alone,AIDTdeliveredrecruitment,screeningandtrain-ingservicesfor115companies,representing23,000new jobsacrossthestate.19InJanuary2013,AlabamaGover-norRobertBentleysignedanexecutiveordercreating ataskforcedesignedtobetterpreparestudentsforpost high school life.Specifically, the Governors College and Career Ready Task Force will bring together members of K-12education,two-yearandfour-yearcollegesandthe business and industry community in an effort to strength-en the preparation of students for the workforce.20ArkansasGovernorMikeBeebeseconomicdevelopmentvision includesastrongerpartnershipbetweeneconomicde-velopment,educationandworkforcedevelopmentinan effort to attract, retain and expand the states high growth industries.KentuckyIn2010,theKentuckyWorkforceInvestmentBoardad-opted a strategic plan to transform the commonwealths workforcesystemintoademand-driven,business-led, solutions-basedserviceforbothindividualandbusiness customers.MississippiLegislation in 2004 consolidated employment and training programs into one new executive agency, the Department of Employment Security.MissouriThestateslong-standingcommitmenttosupportand engageindustrythroughflexibleworkforceprograms isadministeredbytheDepartmentofEconomicDevel-opment,operatinglocallythroughthe12community colleges workforce centers throughout the state.North CarolinaIn 2012, the North Carolina General Assembly merged the statesEmploymentServicesDivisionwiththeDepart-ment of Commerce, with the goal of improving planning andcommunicationforjobdevelopmentandplace-ment.Morerecentlyin2013,shortlyaftertakingoffice, NorthCarolinaGovernorPatMcCrorymadeaddress-ing the skills gaps and putting more North Carolinians to work a major focus of his administration.One of his first actions involved creating an Assistant Secretary for Man-ufacturingintheDepartmentofCommercetopromote there-shoringofadvancedmanufacturingjobstoNorth Carolinabyensuringthatthestatehadtheoptimalcon-ditions(suchasaskilledworkforce)toattractandretain companies.South CarolinaThestatesDreamIt,DoItprogramispropelledbythe objectivesofengagingindustryleadersandeducatorsto help students, parents, teachers and counselors better un-derstandtheadvancedmanufacturingsector;educate morestudentsinadvancedmanufacturingprogramsin the states high schools, two-year colleges and universities; andemploymoregraduatesfromtheseadvancedmanu-facturing programs in businesses across the state.TexasIn1996,theTexasLegislatureestablishedtheTexas Workforce Commission (TWC) to consolidate workforce trainingandeducationprogramspreviouslylocatedin several different agencies.WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATES 7VirginiaUnderGovernorBobMcDonnell,thecommonwealth continuestoemphasizebetteralignmentofeducation, economicdevelopmentandworkforcedevelopmentand hasfosteredthisprocesswiththeappointmentofthe stateschiefworkforceofficertoliaisebetweentheDe-partments of Education and Commerce and Trade.Establishing Workforce Development Policy in the SLCProactivelyguidingworkforcedevelopmentpoliciesre-mains critical in ensuring that a states employment pool isequippedforthechallengesofthe21stcenturyecono-my.States follow different administrative models in this respectandasurveyoftheSLCstateapproachesdem-onstratesthesedifferences.Forinstance,fiveSLCstates (Alabama, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma and West Virginia)indicatedthattheirworkforcedevelopment policies are implemented through their commerce or eco-nomicdevelopmentdepartments.Anotherfivestates (Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia) reported that they maintain separate workforce develop-ment departments.An additional two states (Georgia and Mississippi) handle workforce development policy out of thegovernorsoffices.Finally,workforcedevelopment policiesinKentuckyandTennesseeareadministered throughtheEducationandWorkforceDevelopment Cabinet and Department of Labor and Workforce Devel-opment, respectively.Workforce Development Agency Missions and StrategiesSLC state policymakers have enacted a number of strate-gies to enhance the quality of their workforces.ArkansasThe Arkansas Department of Workforce Services (DWS) vision includes serving as the preferred provider of work-forceservicesandsolutionsinthestate.Torealizethis vision, this Arkansas department aims to train the states workforcetocompeteintheglobaleconomybylink-ingacomprehensivearrayofservicesforemployersand jobseekers.Inaseriesofcross-programstrategies,part-nerships,moreefficientresourceleveraging,andbetter alignmentofagencypoliciesandprocedurestoaccom-plish this vision, DWS implements a number of strategies: Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) Program: a portable credentialingsystembaseduponWorkKeysassess-ments that demonstrates to employers that an individual possesses the basic workplace skills required for 21st cen-tury jobs; ArkansasWorks:acomprehensiveweb-basedcollege andcareerplanningsystemtoprovideeducation,job trainingandcareerplanningtoolsandinformationto students, job seekers and prospective employers; STEM(Science,Technology,EngineeringandMath-ematicsWorks):apilotprogramtofosterscience, technology,engineeringandmathematics(STEM) education; MicrosoftITAcademy:includesweb-basedinstruc-tionandopportunitiestoearnindustry-recognized certifications; Arkansas Workforce Data Quality Initiative:an effort to create a statewide longitudinal database (SLDS) on work-force that will link with the existing education SLDS; ArkansasCareerPathwaysInitiative:aprogramde-signedtocoordinatepubliclyfundedhighereducation withsocialservices,workforceandeconomicdevel-opmentprogramsinordertoproduceabettertrained workforce; ArkansasEnergySectorPartnership:acollaboration totrainparticipantsinenergyefficiency,greencon-struction, and renewable energy skills using grant funds received from the U.S. Department of Labor;Louisianas LED FastStart, launched in 2008, is designed to revamp the states workforce development system and ofer a faster, higher-quality workforce solution so compa-nieswillinvestinthestate,accordingtoGovernorBob-byJindal.LEDFastStartprovidescustomizedworkforce solutions(includingemployeerecruitment,screening, trainingdevelopmentandtrainingdelivery)frompre-employmentthroughpost-employmentphasesatnew or expanding facilities.These services are provided at no costtoeligiblecompaniesinvestinginthestate(typical-ly those creating at least 15 new manufacturing jobs or 50 newservice-relatedjobs)inspecifedsectors.LEDFast-StartsspartnersincludetheLouisianaCommunityand TechnicalCollegeSystem,LouisianaWorkforceCommis-sion,selectedLouisianauniversitiesandanarrayofpri-vate sector training experts.In December 2012, Louisiana announced that South Afri-ca-basedSasolwillbuilda$16billionto$21billiongas-to-liquidsandethanecrackercomplexinWestlake,Lou-isiana,aprojectbelievedtobethelargestforeigndirect investmentmanufacturingprojectinU.S.history.Sever-almonthsbeforetheannouncement,LEDFastStartcus-tomized a Sasol training program for the future sites 1,253 newworkers.BasedonSasolsneeds,LEDFastStartrec-ommended a training center be built at SOWELA Techni-calCommunityCollegeatLakeCharles,Louisiana.The $20 million facility will include the latest equipment for in-dustrial technology training.8 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATES PartnershipwithRegisteredApprenticeship:amecha-nismtoprovidegreenskillseducationtoapprentices statewide at mobile training centers operated by the Ar-kansas Apprenticeship Coalition; ArkansasPartnershipforNursingsFuture:aprogram totrainnursesandhealthcareprofessionalswith DWSandtheArkansasWorkforceInvestmentBoard partnering with the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sci-encesdeploying over $5 million in grant funds.LouisianaTheOfficeofWorkforceDevelopment(OWD)oper-ateswiththefollowingmission:WePutPeopleTo Work!Thestatecontinuouslyseekstoimproveits demand-drivensystembyrespondingswiftlytothe short- and long-term needs of employers and by enabling employerstofilljobvacancies.Tothisend,Louisianas OWD pursues a number of strategies including: increasing employer engagement; cultivatingacollaborativeregionalapproachforthe states18LocalWorkforceInvestmentBoards(LWIB)* andensuringthattheseLWIBsconsolidateworkforce training and support services into real one-stop centers; usingstateandregionallabormarketintelligenceto drive services; targeting workforce recruitment to meet employer demand; integrating all services provided by the Louisiana OWD; improvingtrainingandtechnicalassistancetoWIBs and staff of the business and career solutions centers; and reducing OWD administrative costs.North CarolinaThe Division of Workforce Solutions (NC DWS) seeks to align and transform economic development and education policiesinthestatetostimulateandsupportworkforce development.The state works toward this goal pursuing the following manner: mergingtheDivisionofWorkforceDevelopmentand EmploymentServicetocreatetheNCDWS,acon-solidationexpectedtoimprovecustomerservicefor employers and employees; integrating NC DWS services delivery model; streamlining NC DWS technology system and facilitat-ingjobmatchingandlabormarketdataforbusinesses and individuals;* WorkforceInvestmentBoards(WIB)areregionalentitiescreated to implement the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998.Every community in the 50 states is associated with a Local WIB or LWIB. enhancingNCDWSfinancialandparticipantrecords system; and obtainingwaiversfromtheU.S.DepartmentofLabor permittingNorthCarolinacitiesandcountiesgreater flexibilityinprovidingservicestothestatesbusiness-es and citizens.OklahomaThestateworkforcedevelopmentmissionisgeared tofacilitateatrainedandreadyworkforcebyen-suringtheexistenceofanappropriatelyskilledand credentialed workforce to support business expansion, retention and location in the state.Once again, an im-portant element listed by the state is aligning the goals ofworkforceandeconomicdevelopment.Inorderto accomplishthismission,Oklahomapursuesanumber ofspecificstrategies,including:focusingonparticular sectors(suchasenergyandaerospace);CRC;regional one-stopsystemcertification;stateandregionaljoint planning;andtaxincentivesfortalentattractionand employee retention.TexasThemissionoftheTexasWorkforceCommissionin-cludes promoting and supporting an effective workforce systemthatoffersemployers,individualsandcommu-nitiestheopportunitytoachieveandsustaineconomic prosperity.Thestatestrivesforthesegoalsthrougha number of mechanisms, such as:WorkforceFloridaInc.,thestatewideworkforceinvest-ment board of business and government leaders charged withoverseeingFloridasworkforcesystem,includesthe Department of Economic Opportunity, 24 regional work-forceboardsandnearly100One-StopCareerCenters.A keytoolinWorkforceFloridastoolboxistheQuickRe-sponse Training (QRT) program, the states performance-based,partialreimbursementworkertrainingprogram thathasbeenlaudedbysiteselectionconsultantsand economic developers across the country.For the upcom-ing fscal year 2013-2014, the Florida Legislature and Gov-ernorScottagreedtodoublethefunding(comparedto thepreviousfscalyear)forQRTgrantsto$12million,a notable achievement and confrmation of the importance placed on worker training by the state.An example of QRTs success is its work with Amcor Rig-idPlastics,aCentralFloridapackagingcompanythat deployedQRTgrantfundstotrainmorethan80exist-ing,andapproximately30,newemployeestooperate andmaintainspecializedequipment.Amcorisjustone ofmorethan400FloridacompaniesapprovedforQRT grants since 2000.WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATES 9 supportingeducationandtrainingeffortstoequipthe states workforce with the knowledge and skills that are indemandbyTexasemployers.Oneofthewaysthis isaccomplishedisthroughstatefundingfortheSkills DevelopmentFund.*Thesegrantshelpincumbent workersupgradetheirskills,orhelpcreatehigh-skill, high wage jobs; TWC devotes resources to increase youth competencies inSTEMfields.Theseinitiativesincludeexpanding statewideparticipationinhighschoolroboticspro-grams,supportingoneofthestatesmiddleandhigh school science fairs, and funding summer camps that en-courage student interest in STEM-related careers; and TWCs College Credit for Heroes (CCH) initiative which seeks to assist veterans by developing a methodology for them to maximize their college credit from Texas insti-tutions of higher education for experience and training earnedduringmilitaryservice.Thegoalistoexpedite thetransitionoftheseveteransintothecivilianwork-force.InthefirstphaseoftheCCHinitiative,seven community colleges were selected to develop accelerated paths toward workforce certifications and degree plans with an initial focus on careers in the healthcare field.Training Workers: States InvestmentsThere is a range of different costs associated with training workers for employment at different companies.AlabamaAlabamas AIDT program indicated several expense cate-gories including: in-kindexpensesforjobandtaskanalysis;pre-em-ploymentrecruiting,screeningandtraining;training manuals and videos; leadership development; industrial maintenance assessment; and AIDT project management; expensespaiddirectlytothecompanyforon-the-job training instructor reimbursement; travel reimbursement for instructor development; and*TheTexasSkillsDevelopmentFundisthestatespremierjob training program providing training dollars for Texas businesses and workers through collaboration among businesses, communi-ty and technical colleges, local workforce development boards and economicdevelopmentpartners.Theprogramalsomergesem-ployerneedsandlocaljobtrainingopportunitiesthroughskills grantsprovidingcustomizedtrainingtomeetspecificemployer needs.Fundadministratorsalsohelpconnectbusinesspartners in community colleges during outreach and project development andprovidetechnicalassistancetoensurethatthecollegehas completedallapplicationformsproperlyandthatacurriculum has been developed to accommodate the participating employers expressed needs. either paying completely or sharing the costs of vendor training with the specific company.GeorgiaThe Governors Office of Workforce Development (GOWD) actsasthestatepass-throughentityfordistributingfeder-al WIA funds to localities.These funds serve to encourage workforcedevelopmentinlocalareasthroughtutoring, mentoring, training, and other educational opportunities.MississippiLocalentitiesadministeringfundsfromthefederalWIA allocatedapproximately30percentoftheirWIAallot-ment to on-the-job training.MissouriIn terms of costs, Missouri officials indicated that depend-ingonahostofvariables(typeofcompany,occupation, numberofworkersrequired)thecostoftrainingaqual-ified worker could be as high as $3,000 and as low as $250.TennesseeWhiletheaveragecostperparticipantdependedonthe job,theskillsgapandavailabilityoftrainingprograms, approximately $2,500 was spent per participant.TexasFortheFiscalYear2012-2013biennium,theLegislature appropriated$48millionfortheSkillsDevelopment Fund.GrantsfromtheFundenablecommunityand technical colleges to provide customized job training pro-gramsforbusinessesthatwanttotrainnewworkersor upgrade the skills of their existing workforce.VirginiaAseriesofgrantsprovidedtoenhanceworkforcedevel-opment in the state include: A$150,000grantfromtheWellmontFoundation wasprovidedtotheAppalachianMountainHealth-careWorkforceDevelopmentInitiativeinSouthwest Virginia.Thesefundsprovidedscholarshipstolow-income,unemployed,anddislocatedindividualsfor healthcare skills certification or credentialing; Canonsdomesticmanufacturingfacility,CanonVir-ginia, manufactures copiers, printers, and cartridges and isamajorsourceofemploymentinSoutheastVirgin-ia.Thecompanyprovided$1.5millionoverfiveyears toThomasNelsonCommunityCollegetodevelopand delivercustomizedtrainingtosupportskilledworkers needed by Canon;10 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATES VirginiaDepartmentofBusinessAssistance,astate governmententitywhichconnectsbusinesseswithre-sources, provided a $150,000 grant to CGI Technologies, Inc., an information technology and business processing company with multiple locations in the commonwealth, for recruiting and training assistance in support of their expansion.This was a one-time disbursement that sup-portedthehiringof100additionalpositionsatCGIs Russell County (Southwest Virginia) facility; and A$150,000granttoBlueRidgeCommunityCollegeto train workers for employment at manufacturing facili-ties in the Shenandoah Valley.Partnering with the Community College SystemAll the SLC states indicated that the workforce development entitiesmaintainvibrantandongoingpartnershipswith thecommunitycollegesystemintheirstates.Theextent ofthesepartnershipsvariesfromtheextremelyconnect-ed example of Missouri, where the state community college systemisastatutorypartnerintheDepartmentofEco-nomic Development, to Tennessee, where the partnership isfosteredthroughworkforcedevelopmentofficialsserv-ingonthelocalboardsandgoverningbodiesofthestates community colleges.In Virginia, the Virginia Workforce Council is the systems office for all 23 community colleges, a development that ensures a strong partnership.AlabamaThe community college system is called upon if they are the best and most economical solution to the training needs of the company involved.For aviation certifications, for instance, AIDT partners with the Alabama Aviation Col-lege, a unit of Enterprise Ozark Community College.ArkansasTheDepartmentofWorkforceServicespartnerswith both the Department of Higher Education and the Associ-ation of Two-Year Colleges.GeorgiaThe GOWD has a strong relationship with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG).TCSG campuses con-ducttrainingprogramsinthenecessaryfields,aneffort overseen by the GOWD.KentuckyWhileanofficialfromtheKentuckyCommunityand TechnicalCollegeSystem(KCTCS)servesontheboard oftheKentuckyWorkforceInvestmentBoard,thetwo agenciescollaboratefrequently.Onesuchexampleis AcceleratingOpportunity,aprogramdesignedbyboth agenciesforqualifyingadultstoearncollegecreditsand skills at the states eight community colleges that can lead to better paying jobs.With regard to Kentucky, the role playedbytheBluegrassCommunityandTechnicalCol-lege(BCTC),amemberofKCTCSandoneofthefastest growingtwo-yearcommunityandtechnicalcollegesin the state, is important.BCTCs Bluegrass Advanced Man-ufacturing Center is located at the Toyota manufacturing facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, and offers, among oth-ercertifications,thehighlyacclaimedToyotaAdvanced Manufacturing Technician Program (AMT).LouisianaThepartnershipbetweenthecommunitycollegeand workforce development agencies is accomplished at both thestateandlocallevels.ThestatesWorkforceCabinet The Georgia Quick Start program was established more than45yearsagoandhasgainedareputationasana-tionalleaderinworkforcetraining.Theprogramscus-tomizedworkforcetraining,providedfree-of-chargeto qualifed businesses in Georgia, remains one of the states strongest assets in supporting and attracting new and ex-panding industries. Quick Start works closely with compa-niesandthestatescommunitycollegesystemtodeliver workertraininginclassrooms,mobilelabsordirectlyon the plant foor.Since its inception in 1967, Quick Start has trained more than 976,000 employees through 6,200 proj-ects across a broad range of industries.QuickStartworkswithanarrayofcompaniesacrossthe state, ranging from small (Solo Cup, 74 workers) to medium (Great Dane, 400 workers) to large (KIA and Baxter Interna-tional,both1,000+workers)operations.Forinstance,in November2012,DecostarIndustries(amanufacturing divisionofthegiantCanadianautomotivepartssupplier Magna International) announced an expansion of its facili-ty in Carrollton, Georgia, a move that would create a mini-mum of 120 new jobs with an additional investment of $26 million.(Decostar was employing more than 500 workers at its Carrollton location before the expansion).As part of this expansion, Quick Start will assist Decostar with a cus-tomized training program for its new workforce.Alongtheselines,thepolyesterflmmanufacturer,SKC Inc., is building a second manufacturing plant at the com-panysexistingCovington,Georgia,facility.QuickStart, workinginclosecollaborationwithGeorgiaPiedmont TechnicalCollege,isdesigningandimplementingacus-tomizedtrainingprogramforSKCInc.thatincludesjob-specifcadvancedmanufacturingcoursesalongwith training in quality, safety and leadership.SKC Inc. is enter-ing a new market at its expanding Covington facility man-ufacturing flms to protect solar cells, a move that will cre-ate 50 new jobs.WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATES 11includes multiple state agencies that impact workforce de-velopment with officials from the states Community and Technical College System being key members.MississippiTheWorkforceEnhancementTraining(WET)fund,es-tablishedin2005fromunemploymentcompensation contributions, provides millions of dollars in training funds annually to the states 15 community colleges.These WET grants are administered through the Department of Employ-ment Security, working in conjunction with the Mississippi Development Authority (the states economic development agency) and designed to help businesses with customized job training programs that meet their specific workforce needs.North CarolinaTheDivisionofWorkforceSolutionsactsasthepiv-otinthestateseffortstoprovidecompaniesinNorth Carolinawiththemostqualifiedandskilledworkforce possible.Inthisvein,NCDWSpartnerswiththestate communitycollegesystem,theeconomicdevelopment arm of the Department of Commerce, and other key state andlocalproviders indeterminingthetrainingneedsof, and delivering services to, employers locating or expand-inginthestate.Oneexampleofsuccessfulcollaboration between NC DWS and the states community college sys-teminvolvestheFocusedTrainingSeries,aprogram designed for short-term, concentratedtraining programs to address job orders requiring rapid employment expan-sions.Anotherexampleinvolvesthecollaborationwith the states 16-campus University of North Carolina (UNC) system.Recently, a certificate program in sustainable ag-ricultureatUNC-Pembroke,generatedwithfundsfrom NCDWS,wasincludedinthecampusformalcurricu-lumforstudents.Momentuminthestatetobettertrain workersformanufacturingpositionswasbolsteredata May 2013 summit in Raleigh, hosted by the North Caroli-na Community College System, that featured leaders from thebusiness,governmentandeducationsectors.21These leaderscommittedtoenhancingtrainingandeducation programstomeetthereawakeningmanufacturingsec-tor.Inthepasttwoyears,thestatescommunitycollege systemhasrevamped80technicalprogramstopromote certificationinawidevarietyofskillsandjoinedthe NationalAssociationofManufacturerstoimplementa comprehensive skills certification system and recruit stu-dents into manufacturing-related programs.OklahomaThecommunitycolleges,OklahomaDepartmentof Career and Technology Education (CareerTechs), Depart-ment of Commerce and the governors office work closely to advance the states one-stop system certification initia-tive.Theobjectiveistodevelopregionalcollaborations among workforce, education and economic development partners and carry out comprehensive planning for build-ingaregionaltalentpipelinetosupportkeyindustries inthestate.Thesealliancesareaccomplishedasaresult oftheGovernorsCouncilforWorkforceandEconom-icDevelopment(GCWED),initiallyestablishedthrough executiveorderbutlatercodifiedthroughlegislationin 2006.Oneoftheaccomplishmentsofthelegislationwas the creation of an interagency Workforce Solutions Staff Teamdesignedtoprovidehighlevelmanagementstaff toaworkinggroupthatmeetsmonthlytosupportthe GCWEDandresolveanyissuesrelatedtoworkforcede-velopment.Oklahomaofficialscredittheorganizational structure of the Council and regular meetings, interaction and relationships among senior staff as key factors for its success.Examples of this collaboration include renewable energy sector partnerships; wind energy training projects; andprojectsatboththestatescommunitycollegesand CareerTechstobuildtheskillsofTemporaryAssistance forNeedyFamiliesrecipientsandthoseadverselyaffect-ed by foreign trade.South CarolinaThe Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) collaborateswiththestatestechnicalcollegesystem through a variety of mechanisms, including: readySC, a unit within the South Carolina Technical Col-legeSystemandoneoftheoldestandmostexperienced workforce training programs in the United States, screens and tests applicants for new and expanding businesses; Apprenticeship Carolina (another unit within the South CarolinaTechnicalCollegeSystem)workstoensure thatallemployersinSouthCarolinahaveaccesstothe information and technical assistance they need to create demand-driven registered apprenticeship programs; WorkReadyCommunitiesinitiative,anationalini-tiativeenablingcommunityleaderstorallybehindthe concept of a ready-to-work workforce; and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) grants, with DEW working very closely with the technical colleges as they implementcurriculums,servicesandworkcentersfor trade-impacted workers through the TAA grants.Furthermore,SouthCarolinas12LWIBs,whicharere-sponsibleforexecutingthefederalWIA,consistently collaborate with the states 16 technical colleges to provide participant training; host job fairs at the technical colleg-12 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATESes;andpartnerwithreadySCtoscreen,hire,andtrain workers for new and existing businesses.TexasThe executive director of TWC (the entity that provides oversight, coordination, guidance, planning, technical as-sistance, and implementation of employment and training activitiestomeettheneedsofemployersthroughoutthe state)andthecommissionerofhighereducation(Tex-asHigherEducationCoordinatingBoard)servetogether on the Texas Workforce Investment Council.The TWC partners with the states community colleges through the Skills Development Fund.West VirginiaGiventhestatesfocusonremainingadominantplay-erinenergyproduction,thestateledbyWorkForce West Virginiaincreasingly is focused on training a new generationofmanufacturingworkerstotakemaximum advantageofthehugereserveofethanecontainedwith-intheMarcellusShalegasregion.Theseworkerswill beimmersedinanarrayoftechnicaljobsspanningthe chemical and polymer industries and, ultimately, finished consumer goods.For instance, West Virginia is an active player in Marcellus ShaleNET, a coalition between West-morelandCountyCommunityCollege(theleadagency), PennsylvaniaCollegeofTechnology,WestVirginia NorthernCommunityCollege,EasternGatewayCom-munity College in Ohio, and Broome Community College inNewYork,inamulti-stateefforttodesignacompre-hensiverecruitment,training,placement,andretention programforhighpriorityoccupationsinthenaturalgas drillingandproductionindustry.Inaddition,WestVir-giniascommunityandtechnicalcollegesareincreasing studentrecruitmenteffortsforchemicalprocessortrain-ingandotheradvancedmanufacturingprogramssuch asmechanicalandelectronicprocesses,i.e.,mechatron-ics.Furthermore,WorkForceWestVirginia,thestates network of services geared toward providing and upgrad-ing the skills of the states workforce, promotes a range of initiatives, such as the EarnMoreWV.com campaign, a state-wideeffortthatshowcaseshighdemandmanufacturing careersindrafting,machinetooltechnology,chemical plant operation and mechatronics, all careers that pay start-ing salaries of $40,000 or more, and the two-year training programs that can assist job seekers secure these careers.State Workforce Development Agency PartnershipsPartnerships between state workforce development agen-ciesandcompaniesareacriticalelementinensuringthe success for both the company and the state.GeorgiaTheGOWDcitedtheexampleofJCBNorthAmerica,a company founded in 1945 with its North American head-quarters in Pooler, Georgia.While JCB North America is theworldsthirdlargestheavyequipmentmanufacturer, thecompanyworkedcloselywithGOWDtostrengthen itsmanufacturingworkforcebyimplementinganon-the-jobtrainingprogram,i.e.,aformalmanufacturing skillsapprenticeshipprogram.Thisthree-yearappren-ticeship program comprises classroom work at Savannah TechnicalCollegeandhands-onworkonJCBAmericas manufacturing floor.MississippiThesuccessfulpartnershipswithbusinessesinthestate to enhance workforce development include OJT, custom-izedtraining,industrysectortrainingandrecruitment andreferralservices.Thefollowingexampleshighlight the states efforts in this connection: toaddressthestaffingneedsofutilitycompaniessuch asEntergybydeployingfinancingfromthegovernors discretionaryfundandtheDeltaWorkforceInvest-ment Area Board, Mississippi Delta Community College launchedanelectricallinemantrainingprogram.The program received additional funding from Entergy and other local power companies; aftertheopeningoftheToyotaplantinBlueSprings, theItawambaCommunityCollegeBeldenCenterbuilt atestingandtrainingcenterforToyotaanditsnearby suppliers.The Center has provided classes in blueprint reading, statistical process control and Japanese business cultureforseveralthousandtraineeswhilealsoscreen-ing job candidates for the facility; and Atlanta,Georgia-basedAdvancedTechnologyLogis-tics,Inc.(ATL)providesconsultingandsupporttoa widerangeofclientsthroughouttheSoutheastand beyond.WhenATLsoperationinOceanSprings, Mississippi,soughtqualifiedemployees,theMississip-piDepartmentofEmploymentSecurityworkedwith HarrisonCounty,Mississippiofficialstoensurethat qualifiedcandidateswereidentified.AsLeviRobin-son, president and CEO of ATL, wrote, Its great to see that the system actually works, and that employers and workforceagenciescanworktogethertoprovideem-ployment, especially in times like these. 22MissouriThe states Department of Economic Development, through theDivisionofWorkforceDevelopment,haspartnered with more than 5,000 companies in the last several years on WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATES 13statefinancedindustrytrainingprograms.Someofthese include the automotive, bio sciences, financial services, in-formation technology and logistics sectors.North CarolinaOpportunityNorthCarolina(ONC)isaprogram initiated in 2010 that encourages individuals receiving un-employment insurance benefits to volunteer for a training opportunity offered by a North Carolina employer.Busi-nessesparticipatingintheONCoffertraininguptosix weeksand,attheendofthetrainingperiod,thesebusi-nessesmayofferjobstotheprogramparticipants.More than 130 businesses have participated in ONC and 87 have placed nearly 200 participants in permanent positions.Al-soinNorthCarolina,theTriadRegionWorkforce DevelopmentBoardpartneredwithGuilfordTechni-calCommunityCollegeandseverallocalmanufacturing companiestodevelopanaccelerated17-weekcomput-er numeric control machinist training course.Graduates from this training course possess machining skills, an in-dustry-recognizedNationalInstituteforMetalworking Skills credential and a Career Readiness Certificate (CRC), allqualificationssoughtbymanufacturingandaviation clustercompaniesintheareasuchasTIMCO,HondaJet, Jeffreys Manufacturing, and Atlantic Aero.TennesseeManycompaniesoperatinginthestatehavebenefitted from a number of state workforce development programs includingon-the-job,customized,andincumbentworker training,aswellasgrantsprovidinginstructioninspeci-fied skills experiencing shortages in employees, where the company shares a portion of the training costs.Tennessee officialsalsocommentedthatmanyemployersarelook-ing for shorter training programs that better connect them to customized opportunities.Some of the companies that have worked with the Tennessee Department of Labor and WorkforceDevelopmentinrecentyearsincludeVolk-swagen, Asurion, LQK Keystone, AO Smith, NSK Steering, Gestamp,Wrigleys,Eastman,Weyerhauser,Wallanius Wilhelmson, ConAgra, Unilever, Bridgestone, Martinrea, ShoalsTechnologies,Akebono,MagnettiMarelli,Hem-lock, and Lennox.TexasEmployersareactiveparticipantsinthedevelopment andsupportofworkforcetrainingprogramsthrough-out Texas and, according to the states survey response, in fiscal year 2012, the Skills Development Fund served 111businessesthroughpartnershipswithcommunity andtechnicalcollegesonprojectstocreate5,108new jobs and retrain 14,732 existing workers.For instance, McLennan Community College in Waco addressed the trainingneedsofaconsortiumofsixmanufacturing businesses,includingMarsChocolateNorthAmerican andImperialWoodworks,Inc.,witha$998,974Skills DevelopmentFundgrant.Thecurriculumincluded training for 53 new and 693 incumbent workers on the operation and maintenance of complex manufacturing equipment,productivitysoftware,forkliftoperation, safetyandleanmanufacturing.Similarly,a$389,173 grantwasawardedtoTexasStateTechnicalCollege inHarlingenthatenabledfourmanufacturingbusi-nessestotrain94newand188incumbentworkersin Advance Manufacturing Integrated Systems Technolo-gy (AMIST) Basic Electricity, AMIST Electric Code and AMISTProgrammableLogicControllers.Employees atcompaniessuchasIndustrialTool&Die,PennAlu-minum International LLC, Mexican Snacks, and Valley InternationalColdStoragerealizedimprovementsin productivity,productqualityandsafetyasaresultof this training.Workforce Development Success StoriesAlabamaAnumberofcompanies(MercedesBenz,Hondaof Alabama,BoeingCorporation,ThyssenKrupp,Air-busEngineeringandAllstateInsurance)successfully securedassistancefromthestatetoexpandworkforce development.KentuckyThe commonwealth does not directly manage any training programs but rather delegates this responsibility to the spe-cificlocalworkforceboard,relevantcommunitycollege system and/or Bluegrass State Skills Corporation (BSSC), a unit within the Cabinet for Economic Development, and cited the following success story: BSSC coordinated incen-tives for workers at the Ford Motors facility in Louisville toretooltwoproductionplants,hireadditionalworkers and add an additional shift at the facility.InJanuary2013,Tennesseegrantedapproximately$3.8 million in FastTrack Job Training assistance grants to the Nissan plant in Decherd (south of Nashville) to fund train-ing for about 850 new jobs at the facility.23Nissan, which hasbeenatitsDecherdlocationsince1997,currentlyis goingthroughamajorexpansion,andthesegrantswill supportthreeprojects:buildingthe Emotorfortheall-electricNissanLeafmanufacturedinSmyrna, Tennessee; expanding casting operations at the facility; and produc-ing four-cylinder engines for Daimler and Infniti.14 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATESMississippiOn-The-Jobprogram,akeyelementofthestateswork-forcedevelopmentmission,hasbeenveryeffective, according to feedback received from the states Department ofEmploymentSecurity.Forinstance,AuroraFlight Sciences Corporation, a Columbus, Mississippi-based com-panythatavaileditselfofOJTassistancewithregardto personnel noted the following:It is with great pleasure to let you know that Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation has experienced tremendous success with the OJT program.As you know, last year, we had a hiring campaign which resulted in placement of numerous new hires.Because of the OJT program, we wereabletoenhancethenewhiresskillsandaddnew skills required to perform the job.We have and continue toseegreatbenefitfromparticipatingintheOJTpro-gram for both the company as well as the employees who needed training. 24MissouriThestatesDivisionofWorkforceDevelopmentsex-emplary record working with the aircraft manufacturer Boeingdemonstratedthedepartmentseffectiveness.In 2006,withassistancefromtheDivision,St.LouisCom-munityCollegeformedajointventurewithBoeingto developandprovideapre-employmenttrainingpro-gramforpotentialBoeingemployees.Theimpetusfor thispartnershipemergedfromBoeingsneedforahost oftechnicalpositions,suchassheetmetalassemblers and riveters.Not only is the program developed and de-signed by St. Louis Community College and Boeing, the pre-employmenttrainingprogramprovides208hours ofinstructioninaircraftassemblytechniques,accessing computer-based work instructions and teamwork.After a review of their performance in the program, candidates have the potential to be hired at Boeing.In fact, the proj-ects success has made it a national model for Boeing and, locallyinSt.Louis,theSt.LouisCommunityCollege wentontoestablishanAerospaceInstitutewhichhas attractedotheraerospace-relatedcompaniestobecome partners in the program as well.North CarolinaAnexampleofasuccessfulworkforcedevelopmentpro-graminvolvesthehealthcarearena.Specifically,the CharlotteareashealthcaresectorbenefitsfromtheAn-esthesiaTechnicianCertificationProgramdeveloped throughtheCarolinaCollegeofHealthSciences.While thefirstclassgraduatedinfall2012,theprogramad-dressedtheneedformeaningfulcareeradvancementfor anesthesia technicians and was developed to meet the em-ploymentneedsofmajorhealthcareemployersinthe Charlotte area including Carolinas Medical Center system and Novant Health (a healthcare provider to more than 5 million residents from Virginia to South Carolina).OklahomaTheOfficeofWorkforceSolutionsfosteredthepartner-ship between Oklahoma State University and OGE Energy CorporationtodesignandpresentaPowerTransmission Distribution Technology Associate Degree program geared towardacareerintheutilityfield.Graduatesofthepro-gramtypicallybegininanapprenticeshipprogramat thecompanybeforeadvancingtoajourneymanlineman position.Performance Ratings: Private Sector FeedbackIngeneral,companiesweresatisfiedwiththeeffortsof statestoprovideaqualifiedworkforcetostaffthesedif-ferent manufacturing facilities.AlabamaHondaandMercedes(twoofthefourmajorautomakers with manufacturing facilities in the state) had less than 1 percentattritionwiththeirworkerswhocamethrough the states AIDT process.One of the major factors driving thelowattritionratewasthequalityoftheAIDTtrain-ing program.Established in 1961, readySC is one of the oldest and mostexperiencedworkforcetrainingprogramsinthe UnitedStates.AsanintegralpartoftheSouthCaroli-na TechnicalCollegeSystem, TheCenterforAccelerat-ed Technology Training and its readySC program work togetherwiththestates16technicalcollegestopre-pare the states workforce to meet the needs of incom-ing and expanding.For instance, readySC, in cooperation with Spartanburg CommunityCollege,assistedESABWeldingandCut-ting Products in recruiting and on-the-job training for its newstate-of-the-artmanufacturingfacilityinFlorence, SouthCarolina.(ESABisoneoftheworldslargestpro-ducersofweldingconsumablesandequipment.)Sim-ilarly,BMWispartneringwithGreenvilleTechnicalCol-legeintheBMWScholarsprogram,providingpart-time workandtuitionassistanceforstudentsinmanufactur-ingareas,suchasmechanicalengineeringtechnolo-gy,electronicsengineeringtechnology,mechatronics, welding, machine tool technology, automotive technol-ogy and production technology.WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATES 15ArkansasAs a result of its CRC, companies including Hewlett Pack-ard,LMGlassfiberandHinoMotorsprovidedpositive feedback on the states efforts.MissouriCustomPowderSystems,aSpringfield,Missouri-based company that creates systems to transport, contain, blend andprocessdrymaterialsforpharmaceutical,biophar-maceutical,food,nutritionsupplementandindustrial manufacturing,notedthattheadditionalworkforcede-velopment assistance from the state:...affordedustheopportunitytodevelopunskilled workers during a period when most companies were lay-ing off employees, we retained our workforce without cut-ting our talent and allowing us to ramp up faster as we started seeing an upturn in production.As we are seeing an increase in production we also have utilized the train-ing skills our employees have benefited from allowing for faster lead-times required by our customers.In addition, we have increased our workforce 10 percent to 12 percent over the last year and are adding a third shift. 25OklahomaFeedback from employers on the graduates of the CRC has beenverypositive.Aftersecuringworkforcedevelop-ment assistance from the state, OGE Energy Corporation, oneofthemajorenergyproductioncompaniesinthe state,notedWeknowhowthosewhohavetheirCRCs scoredandtheirabilityratings.Thatknowledgereduc-esthetrainingtimeforthenewemployee.Andtimeis money.Also,basedinEdmond,Oklahoma,PelcoProd-ucts, Inc., the largest traffic signal hardware manufacturer in the nation, obtained workforce development assistance andcommentedthatWorkKeysassessmentisaconfi-dence builder.Employees can see exactly where they excel and where training is needed for job satisfaction.We will continue to use this system for hiring the right person for the job and also for promotions.The assessments ensure the right skill sets and training needs.TexasFeedbackfromseveralcompaniesdocumentedtheirsat-isfactionwiththestateseffortsonexpandingworkforce developmentprograms.Forinstance,NorthwestTexas HealthcareSystem,anacutecarefacilityprovidinginpa-tient, outpatient, emergency, and community health services and located in Amarillo, Texas, addressing the issue of em-ployeesreceivingcertificationscoordinatedbytheTWC, notedthathundredsofhealthcareprofessionalsachieved certification status, an accomplishment that will impact the qualityofpatientcarenowandinthefuture.Similarly, CoServ,Inc.,thesecondlargestelectriccooperativeinthe LoneStarstate,basedinCorinth,Texas,commentedthat theeffortsoftheTWCensuredthatCoServrecruitand retainasustainabletalentpoolofemployees.Finally,Os-teogenicsBiomedical,Inc.,basedinLubbock,Texas,anda leaderinthedentalbonegraftingindustry,indicatedthat, asaresultoftheTWC-propelledworkforcetraining,the skills acquired by our employees measurably improved op-erational efficiency in our company.Best Practices in the SLC StatesGiven that all the SLC states have operated workforce de-velopment programs for a lengthy period of time, honing in on some best practices to expeditiously create a trained workforceremainsausefulexercise.Inthisconnection, thestatesprovidedasamplingofbestpracticesthatpos-sibly could be adopted in other settings.In general, more than half of the survey responses stressed the importance of states working closely with companies to customize the requiredtrainingforworkers.Inaddition,therespons-es also emphasized the next step, i.e., the state working in harmony with the community college system to tailor the training received by workers for the different companies.More detailed information on best practices was provided by several states.GeorgiaThestatestressedapprenticeshipsandon-the-jobtrain-inginitsGoBuildGeorgiacampaign,aneffortbythe GovernorsOfficeofWorkforceDevelopmenttoedu-cate young people on the value of learning a trade, dispel theirmisconceptionsabouttheskilledtradeindustry and inspire them to consider building a career as a skilled tradesman. 26North CarolinaNorth Carolina highlighted several of its programs as best practices, such as: promoting the partnership between the NC DWS (a di-vision of the North Carolina Department of Commerce) and the states community college system, a collaboration thathingesonaffordability,geographicalaccessibility and programs to strategically provide and address in-de-mand occupation training; enablingtheNorthCarolinaWorkforceDevelopment Training Center, another agency operating under the ae-gis of the North Carolina Department of Commerce, to 16 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATESprovidehighquality,affordable,easilyaccessibletrain-ing and professional development services for the states workforcedevelopmentsystemat23LWIBs,JobLink Career Centers, youth programs, and partner agencies; ensuringthatthestatewaiversforfederalWIAfunds are used in the most efficient and effective manner, such asOJTslidingscalefortrainingreimbursements,max-imumtransferofAdultandDislocatedWorkerfunds, and using funds for incumbent worker programs; and emphasizingandsupportingthedeliveryofOJTpro-grams, including streamlining contracts and developing effective skills gap analysis processes to assist businesses in training new employees.OklahomaOklahomaidentifieditsTrainingforIndustriesPro-gram(TIP)asabestpractice.Inexistencesince1968, OklahomasTIPprovidesstart-uptrainingforahostof industries,frommanufacturingtowarehouseanddistri-butioncenters,aerospacetobusinessservices,biotechto food processing.South CarolinaSimilarly, South Carolina indicated that the states partner-shipwiththeSouthCarolinaManufacturingExtension Partnership (SCMEP) is one of its best practices in advanc-ingworkforcedevelopmentinthestate.TheSCMEPis aprivate,non-profitentitythatassistsSouthCarolina businesseswitharangeofinnovativestrategiesandso-lutionstostrengthenleadership,developcompetencies, drive growth, and eliminate waste. 27One of SCMEPs vi-talbusinessimprovementservicesisthenocostone-day CompetitivenessReview,acomprehensiveon-site,sys-tematic evaluation of a companys operations.TennesseeTennessee identified as one of its best practices the states team approach, a process that always includes multiple agenciesworkinginpartnershiptoenhanceanumber ofeconomicdevelopmentgoals,includingworkforce development.Forinstance,thestate,throughitsDe-partmentofEconomicandCommunityDevelopment (ECD),providesrecruitmentexpertstoidentifyeach team.TheDepartmentofLaborandWorkforceDe-velopmentprovidesresources(throughtheTennessee CareerCentersystemthatisdesignedtoconnectpeo-ple and jobs at locations across the state deploying WIA funds) to work with a company at the local level to en-sure connections to funds and training providers.Funds fromtheon-the-jobtrainingprogram,providedatthe TennesseeCareerCenters,aredevotedtocustomize trainingandensureapositivereturnonbothstateand federal monies.TennesseescollaborationwithVolkswagenisafineex-ample of this team approach, an instance where multiple publicandprivateentitiesworkinginconcerttofirst recruit the company to locate in the state and then to ad-equately train workers for the facility.At the outset, the statesECD,thecityofChattanooga,HamiltonCoun-ty,ChattanoogaStateTechnicalCommunityCollege andmanyotherentitiesplayedapivotalroleinrecruit-ingVolkswagentoTennessee.ThelocalCareerCenter* and funding from the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA)--thenationsprincipalworkforcedevelopment legislationprovidingfundstoaddresstheemployment andtrainingneedsofdislocatedworkers--washelpful inestablishingandfacilitatingaprocessforthejobap-* Tennessee Career Centers, run by the states Department of Labor and Workforce Development, are where people and jobs connect.NorthCarolinascollaborationbetweentheprivatesec-torandcommunitycollegesysteminfosteringworker training has a long history of national recognition.For in-stance, Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) and SiemensEnergy,bothlocatedinCharlotte,haveafruit-ful partnership building and developing a talent pipeline to address Siemens workforce needs with suitably trained workers.About 12 years ago, Siemens approached CPCC to devise a solution to the worker skills gaps the compa-nyfacedinhiringemployeesintheCharlottearea.Con-sequently, the two entities created an apprenticeship pro-gramthatenabledstudentstoworkatSiemenswhile attendingCPCCsMechatronicsdegreeprogram.While Siemens pays for each students tuition costs, participants earnapaycheckandreceiveintensivecompany-specif-ictechnicaltrainingandhands-onexperience.Notonly hasCPCCoferedmorethan680classestoSiemensem-ployees over the years, in 2010, CPCC also helped Siemens through its applicant screening process when the compa-ny announced it was hiring more than 700 new positions atitsfacilityinCharlotte.CPCCquicklyreachedoutto Charlotte Works (a private-public partnership bringing to-gether Charlotte area resources to educate, empower and engage the areas workforce to meet business needs) and Centralina Works(astatewideagencythatpartnerswith economic development, education and businesses to cre-ate innovative strategies to serve career seekers and busi-nesses),whichprovidedSiemenswithawaytotrackap-plicants through an online portal, signifcantly expediting the hiring process.During his 2012 State of the Union ad-dress, President Barack Obama highlighted the CPCC/Sie-menspartnershipasashiningexampleofacommunity college and private industry working efectively together to elevate workforce training.WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATES 17plicationprocess,staffingtheassessmentcenter,making qualified referrals, setting up appointments and meetings for interviews, and helping schedule worker training for the qualified candidates.While training was largely pro-vided at Volkswagens Lean Training Center, much of the costswereoffsetbyfundsfromECDandWIA.Inaddi-tion, WIA funds supported the on-the-job training (OJT) model through cost reimbursement grants.Furthermore, thistrainingmodelcontinuedandbecameinstrumental inprovidingfundingforworkersforthefacilitysthird shift in July 2012, a mere year after the Volkswagen facil-ity first opened.West VirginiaWestVirginiasbestpracticerecommendationinvolves assistancetotrainingfordislocatedcoalminers.In terms of the new areas of training preferences, the min-erschoseadvancedmanufacturing,dieseltechnology, heavyequipmentoperator,commercialdriverlicenses, weldingtechnology,healthcareandcomputertechnol-ogy.Importantly,thestatescommunityandtechnical collegeswereinvolvedintrainingtheseformercoal miners in other fields.Threshold for Customizing Workforce DevelopmentA number of states indicated a specific threshold that must bemet,eitherindollartermsornumberofjobs,inorder tocustomizeworkforcedevelopmentassistancetodiffer-entcompanies.Forinstance,Alabamalistedaminimum of10newjobswithaminimumstartingwageof$10per hour.Georgiarequiredaminimumof15newmanufac-turing jobs, 15 new warehousing and distribution jobs and atleast50newjobsattargetedserviceoperationssuchas callcenters,headquartersandbusinesscenters.Missouri requiredaminimumof10jobswhileNorthCarolina requiredaminimumofsixjobs,thoughtherewerecoun-ty-specific variations.West Virginia provided up to $5,000 for dislocated coal miners from National Emergency Grant funds.Twostates(KentuckyandOklahoma)provided trainingonacase-by-casebasiswhileothers(Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas) did not list a specific threshold.Ten-nesseeindicatedthatthestateisinfluencedbythelocal communityspotentialtorecoupthefederalandstatein-vestmentoffundsinaparticularcompanywithinfiveto sevenyearsinitsdecisionsrelatedtoadditionalassistance in the form of workforce development training.Unique Accomplishments and National RecognitionsAnaspecthighlightedbythreestates(Georgia,Tex-asandWestVirginia)involvedeffortsinitiatedbytheir workforcedevelopmentprogramsinassistingmilitary veterans to obtain the necessary training to secure jobs in a range of civilian fields.Georgias Troops to Trucks pro-gram seeks to expedite the entry of veterans into civilian employmentinthetransportationsector.InTexas,the Skills for Veterans initiative funnels funds to community andtechnicalcollegesandtheTexasEngineeringExten-sion Service to address the unique challenges and training needsofpost-9/11Texasveterans.WorkForceWest Virginiawonnationalrecognitionforconsolidatingall the resources available to returning troops, active military and veterans on a single, comprehensive website.Kentucky,MissouriandVirginiaallwerelaudedbythe U.S.DepartmentofLaborfortheirefforts.Kentuckys strategic planning and implementation was recognized as a model state workforce board, a development that result-ed in 19 states seeking technical assistance from the board on the topic.In the January 2013 issue of Area Development, apublicationforeconomicdevelopmentprofessionals, Mississippi ranked as one of the top 10 states in the coun-tryfordoingbusiness,arankingthatwasbuoyedbythe states focus on workforce development.OklahomasEducationandTrainingTinkerPartnership wasborninresponsetothephasingoutofoperations atTinkerAirForcebasesixyearsago,adecisionthat would have eliminated 60 percent of the workforce at the base.ThispartnershipincludedtheMidwestCitySec-ondary District, Rose State College, Langston University, University of Central Oklahoma, University of Oklahoma, sixCareerTechCentersandTinkerAirForceBase.En-tities belonging to the partnership assessed and cataloged every job at Tinker Air Force base, determined which po-sitions would be eliminated and which positions would be retained and designed specific curricula at these different institutionsfornewcareersforbothcurrentemployees and new entrants.Harvard Universitys John F. Kennedy SchoolofGovernmentrecognizedtheuniquecollabora-tionbetweenOklahomashighereducationsystemand TinkerAirForcebasetocreatecustomizedcoursesand curricula targeted to potential replacement workers with the Innovations in American Government award.ConclusionThecautiousresurgenceoftheAmericanmanufacturing sector in the last few years is a positive development at a juncture when there is a dire need for high tech, high wage jobs across the country.Even though the manufacturing sectors contribution to GDP has been on a downward tra-jectoryforanumberofdecades,theslightuptickinthe sectorhasgeneratedarangeofbenefits,includingin-18 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATEScreasedemployment,higherrevenuesattheindividual andcorporatelevels,andenhancedeconomicopportu-nitiesinpartsofthecountrythatneededthiseconomic boost.The recent trend of American companies relocating theirmanufacturingoperationsfromoverseaslocations tofacilitiesintheUnitedStatesisacriticalelementcon-tributing to this burgeoning manufacturing sector.Yet, it isimportantnottooveremphasizetheemploymentpo-tentialofthisresurgentmanufacturingsectorsincethe hugeadvancementsintechnologyandautomationhave resulted in tremendous output achievements with a much diminishedroleformanuallabor.Unquestionably,the enormous efficiency gains in manufacturing have enabled greater output levels with fewer workers contributing to these increased output levels.Giventhatahighlytrainedworkforceisacentralaspect of a thriving manufacturing sector, states across the coun-try,particularlyintheSouth,haveplacedagreatdealof emphasisonensuringthattheireconomicdevelopment strategiesincorporatetheworkforcedevelopmentneeds of these different companies.For instance, every state in the SLC region provides assistance to companies either lo-catingorexpandingintheirstatessothattheworkforce operating in these facilities is suitably trained.Statesgotogreatlengthsinthisregardandonesuchex-ampleinvolvestheKIAmanufacturingfacilityinWest Point, Georgia.Soon after the Korean automaker KIA an-nouncedtheopeningofitsfirstNorthAmericanfacility atWestPoint(nearColumbus)in2006,thefirststruc-tureonthefacilitywasa$14million,70,000square-foot training center constructed, staffed and paid for by Geor-giaQuickStart,thestatestrainingprogramforworkers in the manufacturing arena.28Georgia Quick Starts train-ingprogramsaredevelopedspecificallytofittheunique requirementsoftheindividualcompany,andevenbe-foretheactualKIAproductionfacilitywasoperational, the states Quick Start program had identified and trained averyskilledworkforceattheprototypetrainingfacil-ity.Infact,KIAofficialswereexceedinglypleasedwith the competency of the workers coming through the train-ingcenterbasedontheeffortsofGeorgiaQuickStart and the Technical College System of Georgiathat in ear-ly 2011 the company donated 20 new KIA Sorrentos to the Technical College System of Georgia.Economic development specialists generally are in agree-mentthattherearefourvitalingredients,i.e.,essential buildingblockstofostersustained,robusteconomic growth:highqualitypubliceducation;atransportation infrastructurethatpromotestheefficientmovementof goodsandpeople;abusinessclimatethatisattractiveto prospectiveinvestors,bothdomesticandforeign;and, critically for the purposes of this policy document, a work-forcetrainedintheskillsneededbylocalindustry.All theSLCstateshavebeenveryproactiveinpursuingand implementingmeasurestoenhancethequalityofthe workforceintheirstatestoaccommodatetherisingde-mand for better skilled individuals required by the rising manufacturingsector.Thesemeasureshavetakenthe form of various strategies, including the governors offices assuming a more active role and implementing workforce development policies through the state commerce and/or economic development departments.Another important component highlighted in all the state responsesincludedstatespartneringwiththeircommu-nitycollegesystemtofurtherworkforcedevelopment and better equip workers for 21st century jobs.One strik-ing example is the aforementioned Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Kentucky, locating its Bluegrass Advanced Manufacturing Center at the Toyota manufac-turingfacilityinGeorgetown,Kentucky,andoffering, amongothercertifications,thehighlysoughtafterToy-otaAdvancedManufacturingTechnicianProgram.This isastrategyapparentinmanyotherstatestoo,i.e.,com-paniessuchasToyotapartneringwiththecommunity collegesystemtooffertechnicalcertificationsforman-ufacturingpositions.Atypicalcurriculumalsoinvolves theseemployeesworkingatthedifferentmanufacturing facilities while earning their degrees or certifications, rep-licatingthehighlysuccessfulapproachincountrieslike Germany,whereadualeducationsystem,combiningan apprenticeshipinacompanyandtechnical/vocational education concurrently, has proven to be extremely effec-tive in preparing a well trained workforce.In closing, states across the country, and especially in the South, are realizing that a workforce adequately prepared todealwiththechallengesofthe21stcenturyeconomy is vital for economic success and have initiated a series of measures to strive toward this goal.These efforts have co-incided with the rising importance of the manufacturing sector in America, a development that offers the potential forhightech,highwagejobsforthousandsofAmeri-cans.Continuedinvestmentsandrefinementofcurrent state programs, especially in the form of workforce train-ing, to bolster the economic gains delivered by this sector will ensure that the Southern region remains competitive and takes full advantage of the recent growth in U.S. man-ufacturing operations.WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SLC STATES 19Appendix ASLC State Survey for Workforce Development Policy DocumentName:Title:Agency Name:State:1.Please provide a brief history of your states efforts to prepare a better trained workforce, i.e., establishing an office to oversee workforce development in your state such as South Carolinas ReadySC or Georgias Quick Start, to work in manufacturing projects.2.Does your office function as an independent agency or does it serve as a unit within the Department of Commerce/Economic Development?3.Please list the mission of your agency and some of the specific strategies adopted by it to enhance workforce training in your state.4.In your agencys experience, what are some of the financial costs involved in providing companies with qualified trained workers?Please list these examples by either specific project or on a fiscal year basis.5.Does your office partner with the state community college (or equivalent) oversight entity to achieve the goal of a technically proficient workforce?If so, please provide the specific ways this interaction is achieved.6.Please provide some of the success stories enjoyed by your state in the area of workforce training, including details on the specific companies that were provided an industry-specific workforce.7.Are there any companies in your state that have partnered in a workforce training pro-gram? If so, please provide details of this participation.8.Please provide specific feedback received from a company that was the beneficiary of your states program.9.What would your agency highlight as best practices in proceeding expeditiously in this effort to create a trained workforce in your state?10. What does your state consider as a threshold, either in terms of a dollar investment or number of jobs, to customize a specific workforce training program to assist a company either relocating or expanding its operation?11. Are there any other details regarding your states workforce training program that you would like to highlight?For instance, has your states workforce development program received regional or national recognition by an independent entity?THE SOUTHERN OFFICE OF THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTSPO Box 98129 | Atlanta, Georgia 30359 ph: 404/633-1866 | fx: 404/633-4896 | www.slcatlanta.orgSERVING THE SOUTH1.U.S. Economy Grew at 0.4 Percent in Fourth Quarter, Slightly Better than Previous Estimate, The Washington Post, March 28, 2013.2.Gross Domestic Product: First Quarter 2013 (Advance Estimate), U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, April 26, 2013, http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USESAEI/2013/04/26/file_attachments/207078/Gross%2BDomestic%2BProduct%2B%2528First%2BQuarter%2B2013%2BAdvance%2BEstimate%2529.pdf. 3.Full-Time Equivalent Employees by Industry (Thousands), Annual Data from 1929 To 2011, Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, File created 8/1/2012 8:30:15 PM, http://www.bea.gov//national/nipaweb/DownSS2.asp.4.Levinson, Marc, U.S. Manufacturing in International Perspective, February 11, 2013, Congressional Research Service, http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42135.pdf.5.Ibid.6.Samuelson, Robert J., Myths of Post-Industrial America, The Washington Post, April 7, 2013.7.Making Our Future: What States Are Doing to Encourage Growth in Manufacturing through Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Investment, National Governors Association, January 28, 2013, http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/2013/1301NGAManufacturingReportWeb.pdf. 8.Apple Mac To Be Made in USA, InformationWeek, December 7, 2012.9.http://www.aspeninstitute.org/news/2013/03/26/can-united-states-realize-manufacturing-resurgence.10.The Insourcing Boom, The Atlantic, December 2012.11.March U.S. New Car Sales Jump, The Wall Street Journal, April 2, 2013.12.Caterpillar Strikes Deal to Build Georgia Plant, The Wall Street Journal, February 18, 2012.13.Remarks by the president in the State of the Union Address, February 12, 2013, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/02/12/remarks-president-state-union-address. 14.Governors Offer Renewed Focus on Advanced Manufacturing, National Governors Association, January 28, 2013, http://www.nga.org/cms/home/news-room/news-releases/2013-news-releases/col2-content/governors-offer-renewed-focus-on.html.15.Moore, Bryan, Director, Louisiana Office of Workforce Development, Louisiana Response to SLC Survey, March 4, 2013.16.Alabama Wooed Airbus as Executives Were Skeptical of Deep South, www.Bloomberg.com, April 18, 2013.17.Gameloft: Off To A Fast Start, Louisiana Department of Economic Development, January 15, 2012, http://www.louisianaeconomicdevelopment.com/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/281.18.$50M High-Tech Training Center Set Near Nissan Plant in Smyrna, The Tennessean, June 10, 2013, http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130610/BUSINESS04/306100026/-50M-high-tech-training-center-set-near-Nissan-plant-Smyrna19.AIDT Training Programs Give Alabama Advantage in Industrial Recruiting, Alabama Department of Commerce, News Release, March 13, 2013.20.Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley Forms College and Career Ready Task Force, www.al.com, January 13, 2013.21.NC Community Colleges, High Schools Emphasize Training for Manufacturing Jobs, The North Carolina News & Observer, May 17, 2013.22.http://www.workforcems.org/index.php?id=14 (accessed on May 7, 2013).23.Gearing Up: Grants Fund Training for More than 800 Nissan Production, Administration Jobs, The Chattanooga Free-Times Press, January 12, 2013.24.Mississippi response to SLC survey, January 17, 2013.25.Missouri response to SLC survey, February 8, 2013.26.http://www.gobuildgeorgia.com/about/.27.http://www.scmep.org/who-we-are/.28.Why Kia Bet on Georgia?Incentives Only Part of the Reasons for First U.S. Assembly Plant, The Detroit Bureau The Voice of the Automotive World, November 30, 2009, http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2009/11/why-kia-bet-on-georgia/. Advance Manufacturing Integrated Systems Technology (AMIST)Advanced Technology Logistics, Inc. (ATL)Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT)Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC)Bluegrass State Skills Corporation (BSSC)Career Readiness Certifcate (CRC)Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC)College Credit for Heroes (CCH)Congressional Research Service (CRS)General Electric (GE)Governors Ofce of Workforce Development in Georgia (GOWD)Gross Domestic Product (GDP)Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS)Local Workforce Investment Boards (LWIB)Louisianas Ofce of Workforce Development (OWD)North Carolinas Division of Workforce Solutions (NC DWS)Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education (CareerTechs)Oklahoma Governors Council for Workforce and Economic Development (GCWED)On-the-Job Training (OJT)Opportunity North Carolina (ONC)Research and Development (R&D)Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP)South Carolinas Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW)Statewide Longitudinal Database (SLDS)Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG)Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD)Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)Training for Industries Program (TIP)University of North Carolina (UNC)Workforce Enhancement Training (WET)Workforce Investment Act (WIA)Report Acronyms Endnotes


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1761-6.3ES, Controladores programables MicroLogix …ucc.colorado.edu/allen-bradley/176163es.pdf · SLC 500, SLC 5/01, SLC 5/02, SLC 5/03, SLC 5/04, MicroLogix, PanelView, RediPANEL,

Procesadores SLC 503 SLC 504 y SLC 505

Slc Packageas

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT S IN THE SLC STATES A REGIONAL ... › Publications › EconDev › workdev_web.pdf · the SLC states in the arena of workforce development, a survey (Appendix

A Special Condition: Medical Marijuana in SLC States

DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE SERVICES - KSLimg.ksl.com/slc/2505/250536/25053677.pdf · DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE SERVICES FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30,

Inland Ports and Waterways in the SLC member States

Workforce Regulations, Laws, Rules – United States of America