Kansas City Fed joins with partners to address workforce needs

February 20, 2012 By

Unemployment trends continue to confound the economy two years after the Great Recession and related financial crisis of 2007 to 2009.  As a result, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City is joining with other Reserve Banks to find ways to facilitate more workforce training programs.

Complementing the many workforce development activities being planned this year by Federal Reserve Banks across the nation is the National Conference on Workforce Development to be hosted by the Kansas City Fed, in partnership with the Atlanta Fed, on Sept. 19 and 20, 2012. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Events, Featured, Initiatives, Public Policy, Research

TEAM adopts policy position on workforce system reform

February 16, 2012 By

Members and officers with the Training and Employment Administrators of Missouri officially adopted a policy position on workforce system reform at its January and February meetings.  Re-Inventing the Workforce System is the title of the white paper that delivers the recommendations endorsed by TEAM members as the WIBs that administer the WIA Title 1 program in Missouri’s 14 local workforce investment areas.

The practical approach for improving the quality and effectiveness of employment and training services, builds on the success of the current system, address inefficiencies, and focuses on increasing direct services to customers.  Download the PDF white paper online from TEAM.

Filed Under: Featured, Initiatives, Public Policy

WEadership helps prepare workforce leaders for success

November 18, 2011 By

Something very significant is happening in Workforce Development: With a labor market in flux and public resources shrinking, workforce leaders are finding new ways to advance workforce development goals in their communities by finding new ways to lead.  The Enhancing Workforce Leadership Initiative was designed to explore the meaning and practice of leadership in workforce development, identify the skills and behaviors that help leaders succeed, and inform the development of tools, resources, and opportunities intended to build next-generation leadership capacity within the workforce system.

The Weadership Framework describes six practices of leadership that offer new approaches to workforce leaders and policy makers to advance workforce development goals in their communities. More online resources including video, audio recordings, slidedecks, discussion summaries, toolkits, and social media are available on the project’s web archive at EnhancingWorkforceLeadership.org

Filed Under: Featured, Initiatives

DWD report chronicles a unique year

October 4, 2011 By

The 2011 Annual Workforce System Report from the Missouri Division of Workforce Development chronicles the challenges faced this year and the successes in rising to those challenges.  In addition to regular features like performance attainment, business services, and job seeker services, the report profiled the Disaster Recovery Jobs Program and the Next Generation Career Center initiative.

Filed Under: Featured, Initiatives, News, Public Policy, Research, Training & Education

Disaster jobs program launches throughout Missouri

July 13, 2011 By

Workers who are unable to work due to the floods that occurred in Southeast Missouri or the tornado that struck the Joplin area on May 22 can apply for temporary jobs to restore those communities.

The jobs will focus on clean-up and humanitarian efforts, such as clearing and removing debris. Under the Missouri Disaster Recovery Jobs Program, the first priority will be to employ workers who lost their jobs because of the tornado or floods. Second priority will go to workers who are unemployed for other reasons.

Safety training and equipment will be provided for each worker, in addition to vaccinations or other preventive medical procedures necessary to work in the disaster area.

The following Missouri counties have been approved for Public Assistance:  Barry County, Bollinger County, Butler County, Cape Girardeau County, Carter County, Christian County, Douglas County, Dunklin County, Howell County, Iron County, Jasper County, Madison County, McDonald County, Miller County, Mississippi County, New Madrid County, Newton County, Oregon County, Ozark County, Pemiscot County, Perry County, Polk County, Reynolds County, Ripley County, Saint Francois County, Sainte Genevieve County, Scott County, Shannon County, Stoddard County, Stone County, Taney County, Texas County, Washington County, Wayne County, Webster County, and Wright County.

To apply for a job under the Missouri Disaster Recovery Job Program…

  •  You must be registered to become eligible for the program by going to www.MissouriCareerSource.com. You can register now. This is not an application, but will speed your application process when the time comes.
  • Visit the career centers in the following regions:
    • Central region—Camdenton, Fort Leonard Wood, Jefferson City, Lebanon and Rolla
    • Ozark Region—Branson and Springfield
    • South Central Region—West Plains and Poplar Bluff
    • Southeast Region—Cape Girardeau, Caruthersville, Kennett, Park Hills, and Sikeston
    • Southwest Region—Joplin and Monett

Filed Under: Featured, Initiatives

Strategic growth plan presented to Gov. Nixon

April 18, 2011 By

The final report of the Strategic Initiative for Economic Growth and an Executive Summary was delivered to Governor Nixon on April 11. The blueprint includes a specific strategy with five tactical goals on workforce development.

According to David Kerr, director for Missouri’s Department of Economic Development, this work concludes nearly 10 months of work of the Executive Advisory Committee, the 41 member Steering Committee, the six Regional Planning Teams, Market Street Services, MERIC, the 41 persons that submitted white papers, and numerous Missourians that participated in surveys and provided additional comments and suggestions. The Hawthorn Foundation funded the project.

To help design the strategy, planners used input from regional focus groups and white papers from eight subject matter experts in education and two in workforce development. Jasen Jones, director of the Southwest Missouri Workforce Investment Board, presented a white paper on behalf of the WIB titled, High-Octane Workforce Development as a Catalyst for Regional Economic Growth. This approach helped drive the launch of a new Workforce Committee with the Missouri Economic Development Council to help better integrate workforce and economic development stakeholders statewide.

From the workforce perspective, the strategy states that Missouri will attract, develop and retain a workforce with the education and skills to succeed in a 21st-Century economy. Overall, the workforce strategy is supported by five tactical goals:

  • Tactic 1: Develop a tuition forgiveness program for qualifying Missouri high school graduates to attend Missouri colleges and universities.
  • Tactic 2: Develop a statewide assessment to measure and certify core competency skills of Missouri’s graduating high school seniors. Assessment would be informed by college and career‐readiness criteria.
  • Tactic 3: Partner with the state’s colleges and universities to ensure students remain in Missouri after graduation.
  • Tactic 4: Develop optimized and coordinated cluster based career‐training pipelines, protocols and assessments.
  • Tactic 5: Provide a streamlined workforce training incentive for expansion and relocation prospects coordinated through Missouri’s community college network.

The final report and the executive summary can be obtained at the project website. The Targeted Cluster and Marketing Analysis, which was posted on the website about two months ago, is also an important component of the Initiative.

The purpose of the Initiative was to “identify specific strategic and tactical plans which must be accomplished over the next five years to transform Missouri’s economy for sustainable growth in the 21st Century.” The scope of the Initiative was to:

  • Develop a focused set of key strategies, which must be data-driven and have a statewide view, but recognize the uniqueness of Missouri’s regions;
  • For each strategy, develop tactical implementation plans;
  • Identify the high growth industry clusters that will drive the Missouri economy; and,
  • Concentrate on “primary” businesses (which are those that mostly sell and compete outside the local market area) due to their impact on the economy. Other sectors, including tourism, military installations, agriculture and others critical to Missouri’s economy, are unique and were not included in this study.

In his memo, Kerr outlined several actions already underway as a result of the initiative. The groundwork is being paved to enact the other recommendations

Legislative Initiatives

At the meeting on November 30, 2010, based on the surveys of the Regional Planning Teams, the Steering Committee recommended the development of three legislative initiatives to enact certain key strategies. These recommendations led to the creation of the Compete Missouri business incentives and workforce incentives, which was introduced in SB 279, SB 296, and HB 670. The Steering Committee also recommended the passage of the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act (MOSIRA), which was introduced in SB 79, HB 467 and HB 468. Both are still under consideration in this session, and DED is hopeful of passage.

State Small Business Credit Initiative Funding

Based on the recommendations of the Plan to develop funding for small business and growth/technology companies, Governor Nixon submitted an application for $27 million to the US Department of Treasury, and on March 22, 2011, the funding was approved. The funding involves $10 million for “conventional” business loans by the Department of Economic Development, and $17 million in seed and venture capital investments by the Missouri Technology Corporation. More information and a link to the applications can be found online.

“On behalf of Governor Nixon, I want to thank you for your valuable insight and forward thinking which we believe will have a significant impact on Missouri’s economy,” Kerr concluded. “Taken in full, this report represents a solid roadmap to jobs, growth, and prosperity in the 21st Century.”

Filed Under: Initiatives, Public Policy

Career Readiness Day marked by statewide summit, official proclamation

March 18, 2011 By

An official proclamation signed by Governor Nixon designating March 17, 2011 as “Career Readiness Day,” and a statewide summit of workforce and education practitioners will herald Missouri’s launch of a new National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC). NCRC is a new initiative administered by the Missouri Department of Economic Development’s Division of Workforce Development (DWD) that will help the state’s businesses and workers be more competitive.

The proclamation calls development of a well-prepared workforce “vital to the future success of our state, its people and its businesses,” and outlines how usage of the NCRC will make it easier for businesses to access talented workers.

Issued by ACT (American College Testing) and offered through the state’s 43 Missouri Career Centers and network of community colleges, the NCRC is a portable evidence-based credential that measures essential workplace skills and is a reliable predictor of workplace success. Job seekers can achieve a certificate in one of four levels — bronze, silver, gold and platinum — by successfully passing a series of skills assessments. Businesses can then consider the certificate among applicants’ résumé and other qualifications to select the employee who will have the best skills match for the job.

“States that best address their workforce training issues are states that are in the best position to move their economies forward,” said David Kerr, Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. “Under Governor Nixon’s leadership, Missouri has demonstrated an increased commitment to job training, as illustrated by the millions of dollars our administration has invested into training and education. The NCRC is another example of our commitment to a well-prepared workforce.”

An NCRC Summit held Thursday at the Governor’s Office Building in Jefferson City brought together leaders and practitioners from all of Missouri’s community colleges and workforce investment regions to strategize how to use the certificate to prepare a 21st century workforce for employers. The Summit featured practical implementation advice from the leader of the state of Michigan’s highly successful NCRC efforts. The Southwest and Jefferson-Franklin WIB regions presented local best practices through panel presentations.

Missouri’s NCRC initiative is being led by Molly Tallarico of DWD, the agency that administers the Missouri Career Center system in cooperation with the state’s 14 workforce investment boards. To learn more about the NCRC, visit the official website at www.ded.mo.gov/ncrc or call the nearest Missouri Career Center at (888) 728–JOBS (5627).

Filed Under: Initiatives, Research

Popular summer jobs program returns for 2011

January 7, 2011 By

Gov. Jay Nixon visited Finger Lakes State Park December 30th to provide details for the return in 2011 of the highly successful State Parks Youth Corps (SPYC) program, which the Governor initiated last February. In 2010, the SPYC program, a cooperative partnership between the Division of Workforce Development, local WIBs, and the Division of State Parks, provided employment for young people performing vital maintenance, restoration and research projects to enhance Missouri’s 85 state parks and historic sites.

The State Parks Youth Corps and Gov. Nixon were recognized in September with the President’s Award from the National Association of State Parks Directors for the innovative program. The Governor said the SPYC program carried several benefits, and that its return in 2011 would again be a boost for youth employment and for Missouri state parks and historic sites.

“At a time when it has been particularly difficult for young people to find employment, the SPYC program put money in the pockets of working families and helped further beautify our outstanding system of state parks and historic sites,” Gov. Nixon said. “I look forward to the next group of SPYC workers building on the success of the first year, and encourage anyone interested to apply online, beginning in February.”

At Finger Lakes State Park, the Governor saw examples of the work done by the SPYC team. Last summer they assisted parks staff in building the Kelley Branch Trail, a 2.25-mile loop trail for mountain bikers and hikers that is expected to open in spring 2011. SPYC workers returning next year will enhance and maintain the trail. While mountain biking has been allowed on the off-road vehicle trails throughout Finger Lakes, this will be the first trail open to hikers.

The Governor said that the 2011 State Parks Youth Corps will employ Missourians between ages 17 and 21, and will run between April 1 and Nov. 30. Applications will be accepted online beginning Feb. 1; a link to the application and information about the program will be provided on the state of Missouri website, mo.gov.

“The State Parks Youth Corps was a tremendous benefit for our state parks and historic sites,” said Bill Bryan, director of the Division of State Parks. “They brought a new energy to our state park system and, most importantly, they helped us enhance and improve our facilities for everyone to enjoy.”

In 2010, State Parks Youth Corps members did a variety of tasks from routine maintenance work and trail construction to interpretation and social media efforts. Examples include painting buildings and repairing roofs and windows; planting trees and maintaining landscapes; building and maintaining trails; inventorying historic artifacts and native plant species; assisting in offices and visitor centers and providing seasonal interpretation.

Throughout the year, SPYC workers put in more than 187,500 hours at the parks, including roofing 25 buildings; painting structures using 2,000 gallons of paint; signing and blazing almost 650 miles of trail in 58 parks and sites; and developing 145 videos for the state park website.

The State Parks Youth Corps has been compared to the Civilian Conservation Corps, which developed much of the Missouri state park system in the 1930s. Many of the buildings the State Parks Youth Corps repaired this year were built by the CCC.

“There are many benefits to this program but those who benefit the most are the people who come to visit Missouri state parks,” Gov. Nixon said. “Missouri state parks are truly a treasure, and we must do what we can to preserve and protect them for future generations.”

 

Filed Under: Initiatives, Training & Education

Workforce among top priorities in statewide strategy draft

December 2, 2010 By

Workforce Development is prominent in the strategies drafted statewide to advance the economic development efforts throughout Missouri. Missouri’s initiative to identify the tools and industries that will transform the state’s economy for the 21st Century reached an important milestone today, as the Strategic Initiative for Economic Growth submitted its initial recommendations to Gov. Jay Nixon.

“To compete in the 21st-century economy, Missouri must strategically review where we are investing our resources to create the jobs of tomorrow,” Gov. Nixon said. “Refining our economic-development efforts to ensure the best return on investment is what this strategic initiative is all about. I applaud Director David Kerr and the hundreds of leaders from the private sector, educational institutions and economic-development organizations who are stepping forward to share their insights and expertise through this process. The final result truly will be a roadmap to jobs, economic growth and prosperity for years to come.”

Following recent focus groups held in regional quadrants across Missouri, the project solicited white papers from various channel leaders to help guide the steering committee. The initiative now has 40 white papers across a wide array of economic development categories with two position papers specifically on workforce development and an additional eight on education.

Launched in May, Gov. Nixon established the strategic initiative to develop a five-year economic roadmap for Missouri. Under the leadership of Director of Economic Development David Kerr and an executive advisory board of private-sector leaders, the initiative today submitted its preliminary strategic objectives to Gov. Nixon.

When he announced the planning initiative, Gov. Nixon instructed the steering committee to submit a set of preliminary objectives to spark growth in targeted industries by Dec. 1. Over the next three months, the steering committee will develop detailed tactical plans, which could include legislative and policy proposals, to carry out each of the eight broad objectives identified by the group.

Eight strategic objectives

• Missouri will attract, develop and retain a workforce with the education and skills to succeed in a 21st-Century economy

• Missouri will support its local economic-development organizations in the retention and expansion of existing businesses and employers

• Missouri will optimize its tax, incentive and regulatory policies to best support the growth of high-value target business sectors

• Missouri will invest in technology and innovation to attract, launch and sustain the growth companies of the future

• Missouri will aggressively market the state to domestic and select international audiences

• Missouri will develop a best-in-class foreign trade initiative

• Missouri will develop a culture that encourages small- and minority-business development and entrepreneurship

• Missouri will provide the infrastructure necessary for companies and communities to be successful

Based on the data they have reviewed, the members of the steering committee believe these strategic objectives are important steps to create a business climate conducive for the development of the high-growth industries of the future, including:

• Advanced Manufacturing, including transportation equipment, aerospace and defense

• Energy Solutions

• Bioscience, including plant and agricultural technology; companion- and feed-animal science; and biomedical

• Health Sciences and Services, including health care innovation, services and sciences;

• Information Technology, including software, hardware, systems design and data centers

• Financial and Professional Services

• Transportation and Logistics, including freight haulers, warehousing and wholesalers

The final plan will outline specific steps Missouri should take to create jobs in these industries over the next five years.

“As Governor, my top priority is creating jobs and putting Missourians to work in the high-demand industries of the 21st Century,” Gov. Nixon said. “By focusing on these critical industries, we are laying a granite foundation for economic growth in our state.”

The strategic objectives are the product of three meetings of the statewide steering committee and six regional planning forums, which took place in every region of Missouri in September. The next step in the planning process will involve a second series of regional forums, in which local leaders will be asked to help formulate detailed tactical plans to execute the strategic objectives. Those regional meetings will take place in early January.

After the second round of regional meetings, the statewide steering committee and executive advisory board will finalize the detailed tactical plans. Those plans will be submitted to Gov. Nixon by March 31, 2011.

“From global giants to one-room start-ups, every successful business has a detailed plan for growth and development,” said David Kerr, director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. “Missouri should not be any different. To compete against other states and foreign countries for the jobs and investments of tomorrow, we need a clear roadmap of where we’re headed and how we’re going to get there. I encourage the local leaders who took part in our first round of regional forums to participate again in January. We need input from leaders in every industry and every corner of Missouri to make sure our plan is as detailed and comprehensive as possible.”

The members of the initiative’s private-sector executive advisory team are: Ann Marie Baker, UMB, Springfield; Paul Combs, Baker Implement, Kennett; Bill Downey, Kansas City Power & Light, Kansas City; and David Steward, World Wide Technology, St. Louis.

 

Filed Under: Initiatives, Public Policy, Research, Training & Education

Workforce systems examined in economic development statewide strategic planning

November 3, 2010 By

The Strategic Initiative for Economic Growth is a framework geared toward identifying a clear path for advancing Missouri’s economy. As part of the project launched by Gov. Nixon, project leaders engaged representatives from business, labor, higher education, and economic development across the Show-Me State. Following recent focus groups held in regional quadrants across Missouri, the project solicited white papers from various channel leaders to help guide the steering committee. The initiative now has 40 white papers across a wide array of economic development categories with two position papers specifically on workforce development and an additional eight on education.

Jasen Jones, Executive Director for the Southwest Missouri WIB in Joplin, was identified by project leaders to provide input on the workforce development system. Jones authored a white paper entitled, High Octane Workforce Development as a Catalyst for Regional Economic Growth. Jones constructed a logic model that promotes four key policy considerations: integration of outreach and service delivery, cohesive and balanced regional frameworks, diversified and value-added resource development, and building of social and political capital.

Workforce leaders from Missouri’s community colleges jointly submitted a piece titled, A Focused Response to Workforce Training to Support Economic Development and Job Creation. The five recommendations from this white paper included targeted industry strategies, common visioning and plan priorities within regions, additional collaboration among community colleges, Centers of Excellence based on industry sectors and other key disciplines, and established quality standards at community colleges.

The website gateway for the Strategic Initiative for Economic Growth includes links for all 40 of the white papers. Summaries of the strategic planning regional focus groups and lists of committee volunteers may be found online as well in the right hand sidebar of the homepage.

Filed Under: Initiatives, Public Policy, Research, Training & Education
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