Building the Next Generation Workforce

Lisa Nisenfeld, Executive DirectorSouthwest Washington Workforce Development Council

Patrick Baldoz, Executive DirectorSouth Central Washington Workforce Development Council

IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO BUILD A WORKFORCE

Workforce Councils in Washington State

Purpose of Councils

WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT - SEC. 106. PURPOSE. The purpose of this subtitle is to provide workforce investment activities, through

statewide and local workforce investment systems, that increase the employment, retention, and earnings of participants, and increase occupational skill attainment

by participants, and, as a result, improve the quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency, and enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the

Nation.

In plain words… increase local worker’s skills assist workers in gaining and retaining employment help workers become self sufficient and reduce dependency on the public system; and improve the local workforce to address business

employment needs to assist businesses to stay competitive.

Council Make up

Local Councils are required to be a business-led community board (“a majority must come from private business”)

Public Partners• Labor• Education: K-12 and post secondary• The public employment system• Community-based organizations• Rehabilitation• Economic development • The public welfare system

Council Responsibilities

•Develop strategic and operations plans for local areas

•Set workforce policy for the local area

•Oversee training programs for youth, adult and dislocated workers

•Oversee the local WorkSource system

WorkSource

WorkSource is a franchise, not a single organization.

Partners include State Employment Security Department, WDCs and their contractors, DVR, community college(s), DSHS and others.

Partner roles differ by area, but all are overseen by the WDC.

Services provided to both job seekers and employers.

Employer Services

Worker recruitment, screening and assessment

Referral of qualified candidates

On-the-job training subsidies

Training resources

Grant funded special projects

Labor market data and analysis

CAVEAT: No training services allowed for 120 days after a business relocation from outside the area

Importance of a Workforce Economic Development Partnership

Workforce system can provide a wide range of tools for economic development staff.

Workforce Development is the third leg of the economic development stool.

More bang for the public buck…

Why is it important to your local community…

How to Develop an Effective Relationship

Common ground: What will help your business grow?

Economic and workforce development (staff or board members) serve on each others’ boards

Participate in common initiatives

Coordinated planning

Joint projects

Joint staffing

Examples of Partnerships

•Lean Manufacturing for incumbent workers

•Cluster assessment (Angelou Economics)

•SWWDC joint staffing with CREDC and CEDC

•Intertwined strategic planning, industry targeting

•Pub Talk

More Examples

•Industry engagement team

•Business outreach partnership (business expansion)

•Opportunity fund

•Resource development

•State LMEA augmented by local intelligence

Future opportunities

Joint advocacy Incumbent worker training/strategic

planning Ability to influence how local workforce

programs and services are carried out Ability to affect local and state policy on

programs and resources Change or create training programs to meet

industry needs