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Presenter: Agnes Balassa Oregon Workforce Partnership

Presenter: Agnes Balassa Oregon Workforce Partnership. Better Skills • Better Jobs. Oregon Workforce Partnership (OWP). A non-partisan , private/public, statewide association Our mission a more highly skilled workforce to support and expand the state’s economy.

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Presenter: Agnes Balassa Oregon Workforce Partnership

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  1. Presenter: Agnes Balassa Oregon Workforce Partnership Better Skills • Better Jobs

  2. Oregon Workforce Partnership (OWP) • A non-partisan, private/public, statewide association • Our mission • a more highly skilled workforce to support and expand the state’s economy. • Our members invest to • better match the supply with the demand for skilled workers. • align economic, education and training systems based on community needs. • convene those with economic, labor market, programmatic and business expertise to identify trends and develop strategies for today’s and tomorrow’s economy.

  3. Oregon’s 7 Local Workforce Investment Boards Worksystems, Inc. Workforce Investment Council of Clackamas County Job Growers, Incorporated Linn Benton Lincoln Workforce Investment Board Lane Workforce Partnership Oregon Workforce Alliance Rogue Valley Workforce DevelopmentCouncil

  4. The challenge • “jobless recovery” = the “new normal” (high rates of long term unemployment are the norm) • growing number of “99-ers” • Oregon's per capita personal income slid to 90% of the U.S. average

  5. OWP: three “Smart Ideas” • The Oregon On-the-Job Training Program (Governor’s Budget) • Youth employment (SB 175) • Employer workforce training fund (SB 175)

  6. Oregon On-the-Job Training Program • Will put 663 Oregonians back to work in recovering industries in the next year. • $3.4 billion line item in the Governor’s budget (via CCWD) to support this effort. • Matched by OWP members who will use federal funds to put another 662 Oregonians back to work in the next year.

  7. SB 175: Current worker training • Local Workforce Investment Boards work with companies to identify worker training needs and find cost effective responses. • Provides matching grants for companies to train their own workers. • Companies match by sharing training costs and/or paying employee wages while in training. • Recognizes that most Oregon companies run on small margins and do not have Human Resources/Training departments. • Creates efficiencies by grouping companies in similar industries and/or with similar needs.

  8. Why Current Worker Training • Two-thirds of the workforce of 2020 is already working. • The ability to access training at times and places convenient to working learners is challenging. • Oregon is one of the 1/3 of states that do not invest directly in current worker training. • It is cheaper than retraining someone who’s lost a job. • Improves individual and company competitiveness.

  9. Federally funded program results • OWP members worked with 656 local companies to increase worker skills through this program. • OWP members staffed 21 industry consortia of 1,143 companies identify common, cost effective solutions to employee training, retention and advancement. • In 2009, 55 of these companies focused on lean enterprise techniques which resulted in improved competitiveness and career ladders for workers.

  10. The federal challenge • Federal dollars that supported this program have been re-purposed. • Federal funding has declined 20% since 2000 • H.R. 1 would eliminate Workforce Investment Act funding, the sources for these programs • WIA is likely to survive, but will face continued federal cuts.

  11. SB 175: Youth employment • Provides critical work readiness skills that youth can’t earn in the current economy. • Pairs work experience with educational and training opportunities and support services. • Youth earn college credit while working. • A strong return on investment.

  12. Youth Employment • Oregon youth face a 30%+ unemployment rate and stiff competition even for entry level jobs. • Research shows that • Those who do not work during teen years have difficulty getting and keeping jobs, and earn less over a lifetime. • Working while in high school can improve educational outcomes and reduce drop-out rates. • Young victims of past recessions face a variety of social and behavioral issues throughout their lives.

  13. Youth Employment Pilot • $13 mil put 4,000 youth to work. • Each youth had an education and career research plan. • Youth worked 650,000 hours earning an average hourly wage of $8.75. • Youth earned 619 high school credits and 1,730 college credits while working. • ROI analysis of 24 Oregon counties showed that each dollar earned by youth brought a return of $1.46 to their communities. • Participating businesses expressed strong support for the program.

  14. SB 175Creating the funds • No request for resources in this biennium due to the current budget situation. • Creates funds for each program for future investment. • Previous pilots show that • You could serve 4,000 youth with $13 - $15 million over the biennium. • You could effectively run the Employer Workforce Training Fund with between $2 - $5 million.

  15. Agnes Balassa Oregon Workforce Partnership 541.485.6956 agnesbalassa@comcast.net For more information

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