The Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities is a key part of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which was signed into law by President Obama on July 22, 2014 to help job seekers—including those with disabilities—access the services they need to succeed in employment and match employers with skilled workers. The committee is mandated by Section 609 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by section 461 of WIOA. The committee consists of both federal officials and private citizens from specific groups identified in the WIOA legislation. People interested in being nominated for the committee are encouraged to review the Federal Register Notice and submit the requested information. Questions about the committee can be submitted via e-mail to IntegratedCompetitiveEmployment@dol.gov.
More than 260 attend workforce leader forums
Labor markets, employment, jobs, workforce development—these topics are at the forefront of many communities throughout the seven states of the Tenth District. However, how they play out in each state and community differs greatly. This article from Steven Shepelwich, Senior Community Development Advisor takes a look at trends and resources available.
The Kansas City Fed recently hosted forums in Albuquerque, N.M.; Denver, Colo.; Kansas City, Mo.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Omaha, Neb., to share new research on labor force conditions faced by low- and moderate-income (LMI) workers and gain insight into local workforce issues. More than 260 leaders from the community and workforce development, business and education sectors participated in the forums.
Melissa Robbins from the South Central WIB and Jasen Jones from the Southwest WIB participated in the Kansas City event in July. This article from Steven Shepelwich, Senior Community Development Advisor takes a look at trends and resources available.
The Kansas City Fed’s Workforce Development program provides community leaders and professionals with research and resources about local labor markets, effective policies and innovative programs. Integrating these efforts into employee training helps promote mutual growth between employers, the labor market and the community.
During the forums, findings from the Bank’s new research report, the Tenth District LMI Labor Force Report, provided a foundation for the discussions. This report presents analyses of trends in unemployment rates, employment projections for workers with training and experience typical of LMI individuals, and wage and job availability data.
An important contribution of the report is an analysis of unemployment rates by income group using county unemployment rates. This new method provides insight into the complex relationship of income and unemployment. Unemployment rates in LMI counties were found to be much higher than unemployment rates in middle- and upper-income counties.
A key contributor to this difference in unemployment rates is that LMI workers tend to have lower education levels and more sporadic work experience. The report reviewed national job projections and found that wages and salaries in all occupations requiring little education or experience would place a worker in the LMI category. Low-skill, direct-care jobs in the healthcare sector are increasing rapidly and provide employment opportunities for many with limited skills or experience.
Given the rapid increase in direct-care positions in the healthcare sector and their low barriers to entry, the Bank has developed partnerships focused on improving the outcomes of these positions for LMI workers. Through one partnership, the Bank is working with the New Mexico Direct Caregiver Coalition to define career paths that will expand opportunities for those who provide direct care. This approach strengthens connections among employers, education providers and support organizations to provide workers with greater access to resources and support.
In Oklahoma, the Bank is collaborating with the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Oklahoma State University – Oklahoma City campus, and the Central Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board, to connect bilingual workers to high-demand jobs in the healthcare and public safety fields. This program focuses on outreach, assessment and establishing educational pathways to serve workers with limited education and work experience.
These engagements are based on the Bank’s understanding of workforce issues, its research and partnerships with local stakeholders. The Bank frames its work around activities of convening stakeholders, leading engagements with partners and developing resources for practitioners. See sidebar for a list of activities.
In each forum, participants discussed critical workforce development issues faced in their communities. The following were recurring themes:
- Coordination of resources: Participants identified the need for holistic, community-based approaches to develop jobs and employees with the skills needed to fill these jobs. Coordination between workforce and economic and social development organizations needs to be strengthened to ensure that resources are leveraged and address local conditions.
- Specific populations: Several LMI populations face specific barriers, such as reintegrating ex-offenders into the workforce, transitioning foster youth and individuals with mental and substance abuse into job training programs and careers. The populations often face unique challenges that limit their employment including drug use and failure to pass pre-employment drug tests.
- Job readiness skills: Despite relatively low unemployment throughout the region, participants noted that certain groups face difficulties in becoming employed due to a lack of basic job readiness skills. Participants noted the general effect of low education levels, limited work experience and weak ties to career networks and mentors as hurdles.
- Rural focus: Participants noted that in rural communities, workforce development approaches need to be tailored to specific workforce issues and opportunities. Limited infrastructure, sparse populations and larger geographic coverage areas increase pressure on service providers and can limit access to workforce services for clients. In addition, the types of jobs and availability often are more limited.
These issues represent significant challenges to ensuring that all individuals have access to gainful employment. The Kansas City Fed will continue to work with partners throughout the region to address these issues through its role in convening stakeholders, conducting research and developing programs and tools that support the development of a strong workforce.
Conference announced on transforming policy for the 21st century
The Federal Reserve Banks of KC and Atlanta teamed up with the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University for a conference on transforming U.S. workforce development policies for the 21st century. Slated for October 15-17, national experts will share their perspectives on transformative workforce development and education strategies and policies. The official conference page contains registration and logistical info online. Some highlights include:
- An esteemed panel of experts from McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, W.E. Upjohn Institute, MDRC, Aspen Institute, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce, National Governors Association, Urban Institute, Annie E. Casey Foundation, National Skills Coalition, CLASP, AARP, and National Association of State Workforce Agencies will discuss measuring success through research, evaluation, and data in the workforce development field.
- Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart and Kansas City Fed President Esther George will provide comments on the current state of the workforce system and implications for monetary policy. AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Elizabeth Shuler will address transformative changes in the economy and in public policy.
- Policymakers will give their perspectives on key issues facing American workers, education and training institutions, and local communities, and the policies they are embracing to respond to current labor market issues.
Ready to Work report debuts with WIOA signing
As President Obama signed the Workforce Investment Opportunity Act into law Tuesday, Vice-President Biden’s task force also released Ready to Work: Job Driving Training and American Opportunity. The report reflects an across-the-board review of America’s job training programs to ensure they share a single mission: providing workers with the skills they need to secure good jobs that are ready to be filled. Ready to Work identified three consistent themes.
- EMPLOYERS can’t find enough skilled workers to hire for in-demand jobs they must fill to grow their businesses.
- EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS need better information on what skills those in-demand jobs require.
- HARD-WORKING AMERICANS,whether studying, looking for work, or wanting better career paths, often aren’t sure what training to pursue and whether jobs will be waiting when they finish.
Among the various case studies and rationale, the report contains a seven-point Job Training Checklist to guide administrative reforms to ensure that what’s working best becomes what all Americans can expect from federally funded employment and training programs. Each of these checklist elements is based on evidence of what’s working, summarized in What Works in Job Training: A Synthesis of the Evidence.
- ENGAGING EMPLOYERS: Work up-front with employers to determine local or regional hiring needs and design training programs that are responsive to those needs.
- EARN AND LEARN: Offer work-based learning opportunities with employers – including on-the-job training, internships and pre-apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeships – as training paths to employment.
- SMART CHOICES: Make better use of data to drive accountability, inform what programs are offered and what is taught, and offer user-friendly information for job seekers to choose programs and pathways that work for them and are likely to result in jobs.
- MEASUREMENT MATTERS: Measure and evaluate employment and earnings outcomes.
- STEPPING STONES: Promote a seamless progression from one educational stepping stone to another, and across work-based training and education, so individuals’ efforts result in progress.
- OPENING DOORS: Break down barriers to accessing job-driven training and hiring for any American who is willing and able to work, including access to job supports and relevant guidance.
- REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS: Create regional collaborations among American Job Centers, education institutions, labor, and non-profits.
The U.S. Department of Labor and many workforce development associations are eager to get to work on the opportunities ahead. DOL issued an administrative notice (TEN 5-14), Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Announcement and Initial Informational Resources, to get the ball rolling on conference calls, input channels, important deadlines, and more related to implementation.
Local Workforce Investment Boards in Missouri are proactive as well. Five WIBs joined forces to bring together a training event in Branson next week. Diving Into WIOA is slated for July 30-31 featuring Rochelle Daniels.
Congress passes WIOA
Overhaul of America’s Job Training Programs Headed to President’s Desk Following Strong Bipartisan Support from Congress
Press release from the Education and Workforce Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Legislation to update the Workforce Investment Act, overdue for reauthorization for more than a decade, is headed to the president’s desk following overwhelming bipartisan support from both houses of Congress. The Senate and House authors of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) applauded the passage of the bill, which seeks to update and improve the nation’s workforce development system. The legislation was approved today by a vote of 415 to 6 by the House of Representatives; it was approved by the Senate last month by a vote of 95 to 3 and will be signed into law by President Obama.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act modernizes and improves existing federal workforce development programs, helps workers attain skills for 21st century jobs, provides supports to people with disabilities to enter and remain in competitive, integrated job settings, and fosters the modern workforce that evolving American businesses rely on to compete. In addition to winning strong bipartisan support in both chambers, the bill is supported by a broad array of labor, business, workforce development leaders, and disability advocates, as well as governors and mayors from around the country.
“Today is a good day for the American people. We’ve shown what’s possible when we work together toward a common goal and right now there is no greater goal than putting Americans back to work,” said Representative John Kline, Chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee. “This bipartisan, bicameral agreement will fix a broken job training system, help workers fill in-demand jobs, and protect taxpayers. I am proud to have helped lead this effort and want to thank my Republican and Democrat colleagues in the House and Senate for their hard work. Let’s build off today’s achievement and continue working together on behalf of the American people.”
“The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act modernizes our workforce development system to ensure that all our workers can prepare for and fill 21st century jobs, including individuals with disabilities. It also makes groundbreaking changes that will raise prospects and expectations for Americans with disabilities so that they receive the skills and training necessary to succeed in competitive, integrated employment,” said Senator Tom Harkin, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. “Access to education, training, and employment services is critical to helping our workers secure good jobs, gain access to the middle class, and become economically self-sufficient, and this bill is part of the solution to the challenges facing our middle class. This bill represents the best of what Congress can accomplish when we work together and I urge President Obama to sign it into law as soon as possible.”
“Last year the federal government spent more than $145 million in Tennessee through a maze of programs trying to help Tennesseans find jobs, and this legislation simplifies that maze. This bill will help our nation’s workers gain the skills to find jobs and give governors and local workforce boards the freedom and flexibility to make job training meet their local needs,” said Senator Lamar Alexander, Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee.
“The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act will update and improve our workforce training programs by aligning them with real-world labor market needs. This legislation will better connect job training programs with the needs of local employers, helping workers to learn the most in-demand skills and to be prepared for the jobs of tomorrow,” said Representative George Miller, senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. “I want to commend all my colleagues, and particularly Reps. Tierney and Hinojosa, for their commitment to and leadership on strengthening our nation’s workforce development system. For forty years, we have reauthorized these programs through bipartisan collaboration, and I am happy to see that tradition continue.”
“After receiving overwhelming, bipartisan support in the Senate, today’s vote in the House goes to show that both chambers of Congress are still capable of breaking through the gridlock and investing in American workers and the economy,” said Senator Patty Murray. “I’ve seen firsthand that federal workforce programs can change lives, boost our economy, and get people back to work, but we can’t expect to adequately train Americans for jobs at Boeing or Microsoft with programs designed in the 1990s. Today, we can definitively say that both chambers of Congress agree, and I’m thrilled that this long overdue legislation is now headed for the President’s desk to become law.”
“Today’s vote is the culmination of a long process of legislating the old fashioned way: discussion, negotiation and compromise. There is longstanding, bipartisan agreement that the current workforce development system is broken, and this bill turns that consensus into action,” said Representative Virginia Foxx. “The bipartisan, bicameral process through which The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act was developed serves as an example of what we can accomplish when we work together. This legislation is important for the millions of Americans who are looking for work and for the employers who have 4.6 million job opportunities that remain unfilled due to the skills gap. Closing this gap will specifically improve the lives of many American job seekers, while generally helping our economy grow. I urge the President to sign this legislation without delay.”
“Workforce training is critically important to help grow the American economy still recovering from recession and bridge the widening skills gap separating thousands of unemployed workers from promising careers in 21st century workplaces,” said Senator Johnny Isakson. “The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act will provide millions of Americans the opportunity to receive the training and skills necessary to find a job and keep a job. I am extremely pleased that my colleagues in the House acted today to pass this bipartisan measure with overwhelming support, and I urge the president to swiftly sign this bill into law so we can continue making critical investments in American workers to meet the modern demands of businesses in a global environment.”
“I am pleased to see the bipartisan support as well as the overwhelming support from business groups, labor unions, state and local elected officials, community colleges, workforce boards, adult education providers, youth organizations, and civil rights groups for this bill,” said Representative Rubén Hinojosa. “In my district in South Texas we have seen how these programs are successful in training our workforce and getting our residents back into good paying jobs. Importantly, this bill includes several key provisions from ‘The Adult Education and Economic Growth Act,’ which I introduced. In the area of adult education, this bill integrates adult education and workplace skills, authorizes the integrated English Literacy and Civics education program for Adult learners, and expands access to postsecondary education.”
WIOA represents a compromise between the SKILLS Act (H.R. 803), which passed the House of Representatives in March of 2013 with bipartisan support, and the Workforce Investment Act of 2013 (S. 1356), which passed the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee with a bipartisan vote of 18-3 in July of 2013. A one-page summary of the legislation can be found here. A summary of key improvements WIOA makes to current workforce development programs can be found here. A full list of WIOA supporters can be found here.
National CWRC symposium heads to Missouri
ACT’s Work Ready Communities initiative selected Missouri for the second annual Best Practices Symposium. Affording Communities a Competitive Advantage is the theme for the conference, slated for October 7th and 8th at Crown Plaza Hotel in Downtown St. Louis.
Register Now
ACT launched the symposium to inform and educate participants on building common frameworks that link, align and match their workforce development efforts. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn more about how successful ACT WRC states and counties are leveraging the WorkKeys System and NCRC to build an economic development strategy.
Who Should Attend?
- Economic developers
- Business and industry leaders
- Chamber of Commerce leaders
- State, county and local policy makers
- Educators
- Workforce development professionals
Registration is now open. For more information, contact ashley.wilson@act.org.
KC Fed Reserve to host workforce forum
The Federal Reserve Bank out of Kansas City is hosting four regional forum events targeted to workforce leaders. In addition to events planned for Omaha, Oklahoma City, and Denver, the Kansas City event is set for July 29th from 11:30 to 1:30.
According to the Federal Reserve Bank, this forum will present community leaders with information on employment and workforce development issues affecting low- and moderate-income workers. The Federal Reserve’s new research publication on the low- and moderate-income workforce will be presented along with an economic forecast for the region. Other Federal Reserve resources and initiatives that support workforce development goals will be discussed.
11:30 to Noon – Registration and Lunch Buffet
Noon to 12:10 – Welcome and Overview
12:10 to 12:45 – LMI Labor Markets and Regional Economic Forecast
12:45 to 1:00 – Workforce Development Resources and Tools
1:00 to 1:30 – Discussion of Local Workforce Issues
1:30 – Adjourn
This information will provide workforce professionals, community and economic development leaders and employers tools to support their organization’s mission. The forum is targeted to Leaders and staff of workforce investment boards, community and economic development organizations, community colleges, workforce readiness and employment programs, chambers of commerce, and employers. The forum is free though reservations are required. The forum is slated for the bank’s KC headquarters at 1 Memorial Drive Kansas City, MO. RSVP to Annette Phillips by email.
Workforce alignment essential for future of economic development
In the next ten to fifteen years, EDOs will be responding to changes and shifts that cannot be quantified today. While it is impossible to know with certainty what these disruptions will be, at a macro level there are existing trends – demographics, technology expansion, shifting global roles, and climate change – that act as signals for what may happen.
Looking Around the Corner: The Future of Economic Development is a new research paper from the International Economic Development delves into the implications of these emerging trends, considering the ways that economic developers can maintain competitiveness in a changing global economy.
The report’s writers offer an insightful on the role of workforce development to the future of the economic development profession.
In many communities, economic development is already aligned with the workforce development system. In the future, this link will be even more essential. Economic developers will need to take on the role of convener, connecting the workforce development community with business and education sectors to establish sustainable systems for talent development. Furthermore, economic developers will need to develop systems to cater to outlying populations, specifically immigrants and baby boomers.
The full report is available to IEDC members. Others may download the executive summary free of charge from IEDC.
Reauthorization takes next step forward
Running eleven years past its sunset, reauthorization take a major step forward Wednesday with Senate passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Hailed as bipartisan, bicameral legislation to reauthorize the WIA, the new WIOA gained strong bipartisan support with 95-3 passage. Both Missouri Senators, Blunt and McCaskill, voted in favor. The next step in the journey is back to the House of Representatives where WIOA may hit the House floor after the Fourth of July recess.
Current resources on WIOA to learn more
- Politico article on Senate passage
- Video Archive of Senate Floor Proceedings (including WIOA) from June 25th
- Statement on Senate Vote from National Association of Workforce Boards
- Summary from National Association of Workforce Development Professionals
- National Skills Coalition Initial Summary
- Comparisons of Performance Metrics from FutureWorks
- WIA Re-Authorization Resource Center from National Association of State Workforce Agencies
Toolkit helps disaster preparedness and response
Leadership in Times of Crisis: A Toolkit for Economic Recovery and Resiliency provides strategies and tactics for community leaders to focus on for economic recovery and preserving jobs, incorporating useful information for convening private and public stakeholders to identify key economic recovery strategies, tips on how to navigate federal resources for response and recovery, and implementation of recovery initiatives.
Developed by IEDC with nationwide input and funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration, the Toolkit is designed to benefit a wide range of public and private sector officials working with businesses and industries in the economic recovery process including economic development organizations (EDOs), Chambers of Commerce, business leaders, small business development centers (SBDC), community colleges and business schools, community development financing institutions (CDFIs), and other organizations that provide support to businesses.
Workforce Development is an important aspect in several disaster preparedness and response initiatives. The report includes the best practice model from Hancock County in the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The report also lists current DOL-ETA programs in the resource guide.