Workforce Development Vic Rodgers Associate Provost, Workforce Development Harrisburg Area Community College

The Core Components of Workforce Development The State plan Funding sources Training providers Participants Partners, including non-profits Business

What is “workforce development?” Workforce development is just creative problem solving and spans the entirety of our communities. Some of the areas it addresses are: How to help our elementary and middle schools interact with the career options in their areas

What is workforce development? continued How to work with the high schools to ensure graduates are “college and career ready” by: Working to tie them into internship opportunities Working with the CTC’s to create an articulated pathway to industry credentials and post-secondary education Broadening the training base for many area schools who do not have access to vocational/occupational training Providing resources (through the WorkKeys program) for schools who are under resourced

What is workforce development? continued Working with the chronically unemployed or underemployed to provide them both essential skills and skilled training and helping connect them to existing employment opportunities Working with employers to assess their skills gaps and giving them the solutions to address not only their current needs, but filling their pipelines for the future

What is workforce development? continued Working with economic development leadership in partnership to retain/attract businesses The relevance for workforce development is that it is key to an economic developer’s efforts within a community. A strong partnership means a constant working relationship to find solutions and to integrate opportunities for both the community at large and the businesses which reside within those communities

Understanding Occupational Data You can of course use this to focus your efforts for recruitment and to decide on where resources should be spent It also can help you assess trends as it relates to demographics – especially age EMSI data

The WorkKeys System Over 20 years of R&D Validated by EEOC's 1978 Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures Most advanced measure of workplace skills

Utilizes three components: The WorkKeys System Utilizes three components: Job Analysis Assessment Training

Job Analysis Uses observed and statistical data to categorize over 20,000 occupations These categories are divided into one of four sections Bronze Silver Gold Platinum Numerically, these are categorized as 3, 4, 5 & 6

Example Occupations for CRC Holders

NCRCs Issued Nation Wide Leading States: http://workreadycommunities.org/SC http://workreadycommunities.org/NC http://workreadycommunities.org/GA

Utilization & Results WorkKeys - Mid American Energy Des Moines, IA Using WorkKeys as an effective, validated, pre-employment assessment tool for entry-level skilled positions Overall turnover for meter readers has dropped 83%

Utilization & Results WorkKeys - Bradner Village Health Care Center in Marion, Indiana Used WorkKeys provided by local One Stops Reduced training cost by 96% Reduced turnover by 37% Saved 75% of time previously spent in applicant screening

Recruitment and Retention Some key points: With the low unemployment numbers, those who have the skills are already working The normal demographics which have been the core workforce has shifted; new strategies are required to attract a different workforce WEDnet is available http://www.wednetpa.com/pubs/WEDnetPA-AnnualReport.pdf

The Role of Higher Ed Community Colleges: Career and technical training Act as a partner for workforce development initiatives Create a pathway for articulated career clusters Provide innovative solutions for business Provide a less expensive start to a 4-year degree

New Initiatives S.T.E.P Harrisburg Promise Apprenticeship programs Working with local high schools WorkKeys across the Commonwealth

SUMMARY I hope this has given you a better understanding of workforce development and how it ties into economic development at several levels. Regional and local economic development needs to be an active partner in the workforce initiatives within their scope of responsibility because the workforce is becoming a prime driver of business and industry. V. Rodgers 717-221-1361 vrodgers@hacc.edu