New insights shared on predicting success of workforce programs

January 22, 2013 By

The Atlanta Federal Reserve recently showcased key components of successful workforce programs and how to improve existing programs.  The Fed shared these insights through a 15-minute podcast (and online transcript) from an interview conducted by Jen Giovannitti at the Richmond Fed and Dr. Elizabeth Weigensberg, a senior research at the University of Chicago.  Titled, Metrics for Success:  Critical Elements for Workforce Development Programs, the podcast and transcript may be accessed online from the Atlanta Fed.

Elizabeth Weigensberg, senior researcher at Chapin Hall at the University of ChicagoThe interview opens with an overview on the current landscape of workforce programs and how the workforce system responded to economic challenges nationally. Weigensberg shared her approach in the scope of working with the greater Chicagoland workforce programs, specifically the CWICstats, Chicagoland Workforce Information Collaborative.

The successful programs in the study had commonalities.  Each began with thorough assessment and intake, according to Weigensberg.  The comprehensive service approach included financial counseling and financial educational resources to complement the training services. Weigensberg cited flexibility as a key factor in the diverse needs of individuals and the changing demands of employers.  The final category covered external relationships, both at the community level and with employers.  Weigensberg shared that each program had strong engagement with policy and advocacy at all levels.  She stressed the importance of data and outcomes management as well.

 

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

CBS 60 Minutes examines workforce skills gap

November 12, 2012 By

The 60 Minutes program Sunday night, November 11th probed the workforce skills gap issue.  The feature promoted the importance of critical thinking skills and soft skills as the pathway to getting more workers connected with employers.  Click the video box below to watch online from CBS.

 

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

NCRC recommended for three college credit hours

November 2, 2012 By

The American Council on Education (ACE) has recommended that postsecondary educational institutions award college credit in applied critical thinking to individuals who earn the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC™). ACE recommends that three credit hours be awarded to recipients who earn specific levels of the credential. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Featured, News, Training & Education

Conference marks official launch of Certified Work Ready Communities

September 7, 2012 By

Certified Work Ready Communities (CWRC) in Missouri is a voluntary initiative guided by key community leaders (local elected officials, economic development, business leaders, chambers, educators, and workforce development). Whether a town is large or small, the community will be able to attract, retain, and develop a workforce with the education and foundational skills to succeed in the 21st century by utilizing the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC).

By strengthening the local workforce your community can prosper and grow together.  A certified Work Ready Community means a local county has job candidates in the pipeline with high-demand skills proved by the National Career Readiness Certificate. It also shows that local employers care about hiring the best and brightest your region has to offer.

CWRC got its official launch at the Missouri Governors Conference on Economic Development that concluded today in St. Louis.  The opening session of the conference featured a panel discussion featuring statewide business leaders.  One of the breakout sessions provided detailed information on launching CWRC in local areas.  Gov. Nixon referenced CWRC in his remarks to the conference on Friday.

Missouri’s statewide Workforce Investment Board (MoWIB) officially endorsed the CWRC and NCRC.  Chairman Keith Gary provided information on MoWIB’s role in accepting recommendations and making the designation approvals as part of the CWRC process.

Michael Holmes and Jasen Jones represented TEAM as ex-officio members of the DWD’s statewide CWRC leadership team.  As local workforce development is a required local partner for each county’s entry into CWRC, local WIBs and one-stop career centers have an important role in this initiative.  The partnerships of WIBs and one-stop centers, in collaboration with local colleges and tech-ed centers, provide the key delivery system for NCRCs in Missouri.

A wealth of information on CWRC, including the application and help in getting started, may be found online on the official CWRC website.  A printer-friendly brochure may be downloaded as well.

 

Filed Under: Featured, Initiatives, News, Training & Education

New web-based technical assistance resources launched

September 5, 2012 By

DOL’s Employment and Training Administration announced Tuesday the launch of Workforce System Strategies, an array of technical assistance resources designed to make it easier for workforce system professionals to quickly find information that supports positive customer outcomes. Published through Workforce3one, the repository is a highly-searchable tool populated with a growing number of experimental studies, implementation evaluations, and peer-informed how-to guides. Outcomes to the workforce system include

  • Help job seekers and employer customers achieve better outcomes
  • Identify preliminary evidence that may be useful in program design
  • Be at the forefront of the workforce system

The announcement came through official channels of Training and Employment Notice (TEN) 10-12.  For more information about Workforce System Strategies, visit http://strategies.workforce3one.org (see especially the “News” and “About” tabs). Questions, comments, or nominations may be submitted by using the “Help” tab on the Web site to contact project staff, or by contacting the appropriate Regional Office.  Missouri’s Regional Office for DOL is Region 5 in Chicago.

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

Online healthcare career exploration portal launched today

April 16, 2012 By

Today, at Goodwill Industries’ International Spring Advocacy conference, the Department of Labor (DOL) Assistant Secretary Jane Oates announced the launch of the Virtual Career Network (VCN), an online portal for career exploration and training for healthcare occupations.

“Health care continues to be one of the bright lights in our improving economy,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “In order to sustain this positive momentum, we must do everything we can to ensure that our workforce is equipped with the skills and experience that meet the needs of this growing industry. This exciting new platform will help connect people with the knowledge and training they need to qualify for available health care jobs.”

The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) and other organizations partnered with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), which had received a grant from DOL to develop the VCN. NAWB conducted research on healthcare occupations and education and training programs to populate the site, and partnered with Jobs for the Future to develop and deliver training on its use.

“Our members understand the demand for healthcare workers across the United States. Having a skilled healthcare workforce is essential to a community’s growth and infrastructure,” said Ron Painter, Chief Executive Officer at NAWB. “We have worked extensively with AACC and other partners to ensure that jobseekers have a comprehensive one-stop portal of information to enter and excel in the healthcare field. We hope that all WIB staff will share this tool and use it to get jobseekers into this growing industry.”

Jobseekers can use the VCN to:

  • Explore over 80 healthcare occupations, 11 of which require less than one-year of education and 37 that require a two-year degree;
  • Assess their interest, aptitude and readiness to pursue a healthcare career and complete the education and training needed to obtain a job;
  • Determine whether any gaps exist in their academic preparation or prior work experience that they would need to fill to prepare for their healthcare career;
  • Take foundation education and training online through the VCN to prepare them for enrollment;
  • Locate and enroll in a training or instructional program that will qualify them for a job; and
  • Access tools that will help them locate and apply for job openings.

The VCN allows users to set up a career management account and store career preferences and information. In addition, users can find national and local information about healthcare careers and see job listings in their area.  Also of interest to workforce professionals is the affiliation of VCN as a proud partner of America’s Job Center Network.

 

Filed Under: Public Policy, Training & Education

Summit marks launch of healthcare jobs program

March 19, 2012 By

The Missouri Community College Association’s MoHealthWINs grant office hosted a summit recently at Camden on the Lake in Lake Ozark for state workforce officials, local workforce investment boards and community college leaders. The statewide consortium grant partners came together to implement activities in support of the $20 million MoHealthWINs grant. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Initiatives, Training & Education

GOA touts nationwide results of LWIBs collaborating with employers

February 16, 2012 By

The Governmental Accounting Office (GAO) published a report recently touting the positive effects of local WIBs collaborating with employers.  DOL Secretary Hilda Solis echoed praises for the public workforce system in testimony to congress, as noted in her statement issued February 16th.

According to GAO, Workforce board officials and their partners in the 14 initiatives cited a range of factors that facilitated building innovative collaborations. Almost all of the collaborations grew out of efforts to address urgent workforce needs of multiple employers in a specific sector, such as health care, manufacturing, or agriculture, rather than focusing on individual employers. Additionally, the partners in these initiatives made extra effort to understand and work with employers so they could tailor services such as jobseeker assessment, screening, and training to address specific employer needs. [Read more…]

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MIT builds open source online training innovations

January 15, 2012 By

MIT announced in The Tech magazine their plans to build a new online learning platform.  This innovation should be of special interest to workforce professionals as it expands the reach of Open Courseware education.

The tools help enrich the classroom and lab experiences for students on campus by expediting knowledge transfer, according to MIT Provost L. Rafael Reif.   Non-students will have options to earn certificates, some free of charge and some with a modest fee.  “If we’re going to do the best job we can for our campus, why don’t we make that available to the whole world? So that everybody can have access to these learning tools, and if you can handle the learning of the MIT-quality of the material, you should just go after it and try,” says Reif.

 

Filed Under: Featured, Training & Education

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
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