Innovations in Workforce Development

1. Innovations in Workforce Development Maria K. Flynn IAJVS Conference Cincinnati, OH May 18, 2009

2. Compelling Regional Challenges • Economic turmoil • Skill shortages and mismatch • Growing need for workers to upgrade their skills • Fragmented and under-resourced workforce

3. Overview • An innovative new approach: the National Fund for Workforce Solutions • Opportunities under the Recovery Act • Looking Ahead

4. THE NATIONAL FUND FOR WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS

5. National Fund for Workforce Solutions A $30 million fund to co-invest with regions seeking to address employer needs, provide career advancement opportunities, and reform workforce development systems through sector-based workforce partnerships

6. 5 Year Goals • Raise $30 million at national level • Support local collaborative efforts in 30 regions. • Leverage $200 million in local/regional investment. • Serve over 50,000 low-income, low-skill workers. • Serve over 1,000 employers.

7. NFWS Principles • Build regional funding collaboratives that align vision, strategies, and resources toward regional prosperity • Organize efforts around key industry sectors using a dual-customer approach that serves the needs of both employers and workers through workforce partnerships • Build career pathways that provide career advancement opportunities for lower-skilled workers and job seekers • Facilitate alignment across programs and systems involved in workforce development in the region

8. Overall Approach Align/Leverage Resources and Partners Local & National, Private & Public Engage Civic Leadership through Regional Funding Collaboratives Laser Focus Address Low-Skilled Workers & Employers: “Dual Customer” Career Advancement to Mid-Skilled Jobs Sector-Based Workforce Partnerships As Vehicle Build from Local Strategies Regional Adaptation & Differentiation Integrate disparate elements into holistic response to labor market challenges

9. NFWS National Funders • Annie E. Casey Foundation • Ford Foundation • The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation • Hitachi Foundation • U.S. Department of Labor • John S. and James L. Knight Foundation • Microsoft • Prudential Foundation • Wal-Mart Foundation

10. Partners • Implementation partner: Jobs for the Future • Leadership partner: Council on Foundations • Policy partner: National Center on Education and the Economy • Evaluator: Workforce Learning Strategies

11. ROUND 1 SITES OCT ‘07 Greater Cincinnati WF Network Baltimore WFC Central WI PWI (Rural) Bay Area WFC Dan River RC (Rural) Boston SkillWorks Opportunity Chicago Front Range WFC (Denver) Nationwide Learning & Action Network Los Angeles WFC Central IA Works (Des Moines) NYC WF Innovation Fund Workforce Solutions of Metro Hartford Pennsylvania FWS Milwaukee WFA Skill Up Rhode Island Omaha WFC San Diego WFC JOIN (Philadelphia) Greater Washington DC WDC 2nd Chance Washington (Seattle) Wichita PACES ROUND 2 SITES OCT ‘08

12. Workforce Partnerships Dual customer sector-based intermediaries that: Aggregate employer needs Understand needs of low-skilled adults Convene relevant partners Align resources to meet employer and job-seeker/worker needs Engage employers as planners and implementers Broker or deliver services

13. Workforce Partnerships May be led by a variety of organizations public workforce agencies Community colleges unions business groups community-based organizations Build pipeline for career advancement

14. Traditional Approach Focuses on increasing worker skills and job placement Transactional Works within existing funding systems and business practices Sharp boundaries around fixed organizational roles and practices Short-term focus Workforce Partnership Focuses on solving problems faced by workers and businesses Relational Works to change funding systems and business practices for a full array of solutions Flexible partnerships to solve problems and enhance value Long-term orientation Workforce Partnerships

15. Roles for JVS Intermediary: Boston (Heathcare Training Institute) Service Provider: Bay Area (health care) Los Angeles (health care)

16. THE RECOVERY ACT

17. NFWS and the Recovery Act Principles in the DOL ARRA guidance align with NFWS principles (from the 3/4/09 TEN) • substantial increase in numbers of customers served and receiving training • regional sector strategies • dual customer focus • approaches to reach low income and low skills customers…including engaging with community-based organizations

18. NFWS and the Recovery Act DOL vision in the ARRA guidance is aligned with NFWS principles: • adult education, job training, postsecondary education, registered apprenticeship, career advancement and supportive service activities are fully aligned with economic and community development strategies • seamless career pathways should be developed and offered

19. Competitive Grant Opportunities • See DOL TEN issued on Friday, May 15th. • $500 million for “green jobs.” • State LMI Improvement Grants • Energy Training Partnership Grants • Pathways Out of Poverty Grants • State Sector Training Grants • Green Capacity Building Grants • Some focus on auto industry. • $250 million for health care and other priority sectors.

20. Opportunities for JVS • Engage your state workforce agency as they revise their state workforce investment act plan. • Engage your local workforce investment board as they develop strategies for investing Recovery Act dollars. • Partner with others in your community to apply for the upcoming competitive grant opportunities.

21. LOOKING AHEAD

22. President Obama, 2/24/09 “I ASK EVERY AMERICAN TO COMMIT TO AT LEAST ONE YEAR OR MORE OF HIGHER EDUCATION OR CAREER TRAINING.”

23. WIA Reauthorization Common themes emerging from Senate listening sessions: • Alignment and close collaboration of WIA Titles I and II and other workforce-oriented programs • Alignment of workforce programs with state and regional plans for economic development • More funding for pre-employment and incumbent worker education and training • Career path education and training • Employer and work-based education and training

24. JFF Recommendations for WIA Reauthorization Governance • WIBs with greater focus on region, broader civic leadership, deeper employer engagement, and key industry sectors • Better alignment between WIBs & economic regions Services and Eligibility • More focus on career pathways and system alignment • More flexibility to serve jobs seekers and incumbent workers and over longer time period • Dual customer approach • Focus on credentials

25. JFF Recommendations, continued Funding • Leverage public, private, and philanthropic funds • More flexible funding Performance and Innovation • “Milestone” performance measures to align with and support career pathways • “Innovation fund” to support regional funding collaboratives, sectoral workforce intermediaries, career pathways, etc.

26. Workforce Groups Collaborating on Advocacy Efforts • IAJVS, JFF and 11 other groups have signed on to recommendations to the Obama Administration. • Common set of priorities and strategies.

27. Common Priorities • Help those hit hardest by the economic recession • Restore and grow a strong national economy • Rebuild the American middle class. • Reinvest in shared prosperity • Provide opportunity for every American to gain at least one year or more of higher education or career training.

28. For More Information: Jobs for the Future: www.jff.org National Fund for Workforce Solutions: www.nfwsolutions.org Maria Flynn Jobs for the Future mflynn@jff.org