Connect Long Island Partnership

1. Connect Long Island Partnership Long Island’s Regional Economic Transformation Strategy

2. I. Background • Began as an initiative of state and local workforce leaders in collaboration with the Long Island Forum for Technology, Inc. (LIFT), the Island’s major manufacturing industry association • Governed by an Executive Committee • LIFT serves as the project manager

3. I. Background (cont.) • Executive Committee includes the region’s three Local Workforce Investment Boards (LWIBs), the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL), the Long Island – Regional Adult Education Network (LI-RAEN), New York State Empire State Development Corporation • Executive Committee oversees workgroups that concentrate on the skills analysis, education and the workforce

4. I. Background (cont.) • Founded before funding was available • Designed to fit the model of the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) Workforce Innovation through Regional Economic Development (WIRED) initiative • Full partnership was convened in June of 2007 in a symposium

5. I. Background (cont.) • Regional Economic Transformation Strategies through a Sector or Cluster-Based Approach (Request for Proposals Number 13N) was awarded by NYSDOL in response to a collaborative proposal led by the Connect Long Island Executive Committee and submitted by LIFT NYSDOL • Grant was awarded to LIFT, in the amount of $1.6 million • Created a source of revenue, through which the three local workforce investment areas of the region conducted strategic planning and sector-based training

6. I. Background (cont.) • Strategy focuses on attracting, developing and retaining workforce talent for Long Island’s largest and fastest growing industries • After its initial implementation, several years ago, it is now driving Long Island’s regional economic transformation by aligning the services of multiple organizations

7. I. Background (cont.) • Result is higher quality services for employers, jobseekers and incumbent workers throughout the region • These services include skills training provided to an additional 1,000 individuals (to date), above existing funding capacity, through a regionally centralized process

8. I. Background (cont.) • Success of the NYSDOL 13N Transformation Grant led to the award of a Regional Innovation Grant (RIG) by the U.S. Department of Labor • Both the LIRIG and the 13N Projects have supported the Connect LItransformation strategy • The Long Island Regional Innovation Grant (LIRIG) Projectwas funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor to the Town of Hempstead Department of Occupational Resources (DOOR), on behalf of the Connect Long Island Partnership

9. I. Background (cont.) • The purpose of the LIRIG Project was to enhance our regional economic transformation strategy by creating a Strategic RegionalImplementation Plan to convert dislocated workers into skilled workers in our talent pipeline

10. I. Background (cont.) • Plan was composed after conducting a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats or “SWOT” Analysis in two categories • Category One of the SWOT Analysis, prepared by the LIFT, focuses on Rapid Response and Business Retention • The LIFT SWOT Analysis employed facilitated emergency management “table top” exercises, involving key stakeholders, including members of the LIRIG Innovation Workgroup, along with service providers involved in Rapid Response and Business Retention

11. I. Background (cont.) • Category Two, prepared by the Center for Governmental Research (CGR), in association with the Scott Skodnek Business Development Center of Hofstra University, focuses on Entrepreneurship, which is a pathway to reemployment whose potential is often not fully appreciated in the context of regional transformation efforts • The CGR/Hofstra team implemented a mix of surveys, research and information interviews to complete this portion of the SWOT Analysis

12. I. Background (cont.) • The purpose of the RIG Regional Strategic Implementation Plan is to create a regional strategic planning process to equip dislocated workers with the information and skills needed to navigate emerging career pathways in transformative industry sectors • Strategies contained in the Plan will also benefit economically disadvantaged adults, youth, veterans, individuals with disabilities, older workers and other underutilized workers • The Plan and a summary are available at: http://www.hempsteadworks.com/Ligrant.cfm.

13. Achievements and PromisingPractices • Trained 1,000 incumbent workers and unemployed individuals • Established a Regional Strategic Implementation Plan to help satisfy industry skill demands with dislocated and underutilized workers • Established annual regional meeting of the three Long Island Workforce Investment Boards • Implemented an Industry Skills Demand Survey • Implemented a Worker Skills Supply Survey at regional rapid response events • Cross-referenced worker skills supply survey data with industry demand data

14. Achievements and PromisingPractices (cont.) • Applied mapping technology to identify industry locations and worker skill clusters (For a demonstration, visit www.connectli.org) • Applied emergency management principles and techniques to evaluate and improve our rapid response process • Posted a Dislocation Event Log on-line for strategic planning • Conducted analysis and planning to develop a significant portion of our talent pipeline through entrepreneurial training

15. Achievements and PromisingPractices (cont.) • Enhanced our regional leadership and collaboration, evidenced by our success in forming grant project consortia and in accessing grant funds for the benefit of the region • Positioned Long Island to react quickly and effectively to opportunities for innovation created by the Recovery Act • Identified technology options that will support transformation activities • Developed the Green and Lean and YouthLink Projects (Funded under New York State Department of Labor Grants) • Implemented new curricula for Summer Youth Employment and Training Programs, developed by Paxen Learning Corporation, including: From STEM to Stern – Long Island’s Future and Green Jobs in the Economy

16. III. Leveraged Resources Grant funding and leveraged resources are continually pursued to sustain the Connect Long Island transformation strategy. For example, applications for the following grants have been submitted by on behalf of the region: • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/New York State Office of Mental Health Medicaid Infrastructure Grant • NYSDOL RFP for Emerging and Transitional Worker Training – Bid #: Q-37) • NYSDOL RFP for Disconnected Youth Training – Bid # 46-Q • USDOL American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Solicitation for Energy Partnership Grants, Funding - # SGA/DFA PY 08-18 • USDOL ARRA of 2009 Solicitation for State Energy Partnership and Training Grants # PY-08-20 • USDOL ARRA of 2009 Solicitation for Health Care Sector Grants, Funding # SGA/DFA PY 08-18

17. IV. Sustainability • The RIG Regional Strategic Transformation Plan is the blueprint for sustaining the Connect Long Island Partnership • The Executive Committee must approach all projects involving the stakeholders as part of this transformation effort • Social networking efforts will be undertaken on an on-going basis by the Executive Committee to ensure all regional stakeholders are engaged and that new stakeholder groups are continually added • The commitment of the Connect Long Island partners must consist, not only of time and the sharing of ideas, but also of leveraging resources • Grant funding awarded under the 13-N and RIG opportunities is merely seed money that represents a small fraction of the total assets needed to revitalize Long Island’s massive economy • Partners must continue to invest their resources in a concerted effort to achieve the transformation that Long Islanders envision and deserve

18. V. Alignment of Resources • Workforce Investment Act WIA Title I-B: Adults, Dislocated Workers and Youth) • Job Corps • Wagner-Peyser Act • Trade Adjustment Assistance and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Transitional Adjustment Assistance • Activities Authorized under Chapter 41 of Title 38 Local Veterans Employment Representatives and Disabled Veterans Outreach Programs • Programs Authorized under State Unemployment Compensation Laws • WIA Title II Adult Education and Literacy Act • Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 • Title V of the Older Americans Act • Post Secondary Vocational Education Activities Authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act • Employment and Training Activities under the Community Services Block Grant • TANF Programs Authorized under Part A of Title IV of the Social Security Act • Programs authorized under the National and Community Service Act • YouthBuild • Other Appropriate Programs, including Programs relating to Transportation and Housing, etc. • American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

19. V. Alignment of Resources (cont.) • Under 13N, courses of study provided by colleges and universities were selected and aligned with industry demands and worker skill gaps • Grant funds from a variety of sources are being applied to maintain continuity in the region’s transformation process • Through coordination with the work force system, economic development, education and organized labor, enhanced alignment is anticipated

20. VI. Business Engagement • LIFT is the major manufacturing industry association on Long Island • Serves in the role of Connect Long Island Project Manager • Non-for-profit economic development organization working with the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) • Serves as NYSTAR®’s designated Regional Technology Development Center for Long Island and one of nearly 350 MEP locations across the country • Recently opened its Applied Science Center of Innovation and Excellence in Homeland Security

21. IV. Business Engagement (cont.) • With its large membership and extensive networking capacity, LIFT provides an invaluable connection to the business community • This connection is utilized to access research data, such as industry skill demands, to convene joint strategic planning sessions and to implement workforce training • As an industry association, LIFT leverages its credibility with a variety of businesses and industries to engage business in the work of Connect Long Island

22. VI. Business Engagement (cont.) • Businesses are also engaged through the participation of other organizations in the partnership, such as the Alliance for Diversification in Peacetime Transition, Inc. (ADDAPT), the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council, etc.

23. VI. Business Engagement (cont.) • Connect LI initially engaged the industry sectors of Advanced Manufacturing and Information Technology because these sectors were considered to offer the greatest opportunities for economic transformation across the broadest array of industry clusters • Research conducted by LIFT under the 13N grant identified industry skill demand from the following clusters within these major sectors: Biotech; Defense/Aerospace/Homeland Security; Energy; Food; Health care; Medical Device; Pharma; Arts/Computer graphics; Test and Measurement; Software

24. IV. Business Engagement (cont.) • Businesses that provide research data regarding their skills demands have realized a return on their investment of time in the form of the delivery of targeted training from local colleges and universities, funded by13N to address skills gaps of both prospective and incumbent workers • Aligning industry skills demand data with worker skills supply data is a transformational approach that Connect Long Island is working to perfect through the application of technology and partnerships

25. VI. Business Engagement (cont.) • The process implemented in connection with the Advanced Manufacturing and IT sectors can be replicated in other sectors • Recently, on behalf of Connect Long Island, LIFT developed a map to depict the overlap of manufacturing skills identified under 13N with skills associated with “green” jobs by O’Net • In pursuit of transformation through development of green jobs in the economy, Connect Long Island is working to engage new partners, such as: Long Island Builders Institute, Long Island Power Authority and National Grid

26. For More Information Contact: Ana-Maria Hurtado Commissioner/WIB Director Town of Hempstead Department of Occupational Resources 50 Clinton Street, Suite 400 Hempstead, New York 11550 (516) 485-5000, ext. 1105 (516) 485-5009 (Fax) amh@hempsteadworks.com www.hempsteadworks.com