Two Great Things That are Even Better Together: Integrating Sector Strategies and Career Pathways at the Regional Level Tom Hooper, Senior Director, Building Economic Opportunity, JFF Mary Clagett, Director, National Workforce Policy, JFF Keith Lawing, President and CEO, Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas

Sector Strategies and career pathways – common goals Both intended to: Result in systems change; Meet the skill needs of employers in in-demand industries and occupations; Restructure education and training in ways that encourage accelerated attainment of industry credentials and family sustaining employment.

What are Sector Strategies and Career Pathways Regional, industry-focused approaches to building skilled workforces Sector partnerships convene multiple employers from targeted industries – working with workforce, education, economic development, labor, and community partners to: Identify industry skill needs; Design education and training programs; and Build skilled worker pipelines. Align education, training, and support services in ways that enable individuals, including those who are underprepared, to attain the skills and credentials needed for in-demand, family supporting careers. Offer multiple entry and exit points aligned with stackable credentials. Carefully articulate each educational level to the next. Offer contextualized learning, acceleration strategies, work-based learning, and extensive counseling.

Career Pathways (in WIOA) Sector Strategies Key Components Career Pathways (in WIOA) Sector Strategies Focus on addressing workforce and other challenges facing employers within specific regions Use LMI to identify regional skill needs and job demand Serve the full talent pipeline – youth and adults, unemployed and incumbent workers, helping individuals prepare for and advance within specific industries Convene employers within an industry to identify and address their shared workforce challenges, with one or more employers serving as “champions” Staffed by an intermediary (WDB, community college, chamber, other organization) Can develop employer-validated career pathways and WBL models Align with the skill needs of industries in a regional economy, and help an individual enter or advance within a specific occupation or occupational cluster Use LMI to help align education and training with regional skill needs and job demand Include, as appropriate, education offered concurrently with and in the same context as workforce preparation for a specific occupation or cluster Organize education, training, and other services to meet the particular needs of an individual in a manner that accelerates educational and career advancement Enable an individual to attain a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, and at least 1 postsecondary credential Prepare an individual to be successful in a full range of secondary or postsecondary education options, including apprenticeships

Sector Strategies and Career Pathways – why align? Sector partnerships should use career pathways approaches for the delivery of education and training within their industry – especially for jobseekers and workers who are low-skilled – to increase the odds of credential and career attainment. Career Pathways systems should fully align with sector initiatives/industry partnerships – to ensure that education and training is fully aligned with the needs of high demand industries and occupations in their states and regions.

WIOA INCREASES EMPHASIS On -- Cross-system alignment, strategic planning, performance measurement, data collection/utilization. Regional convening, planning, service delivery. Training for high-demand industry sectors; establishing sector strategies and industry partnerships. LMI to ensure high-demand focus. Establishing Career Pathways Convening, facilitating, and leveraging roles for state and local boards. New educational progress measures – encouraging longer term service delivery (pathways approaches).

Wioa and sector strategies A central focus of WIOA. Requires state Workforce Boards to assist in the development and expansion of strategies for meeting the needs of employers and workers particularly through industry partnerships. Requires local WDBs to engage in regional planning to develop and implement sector approaches. Gives WDBs authority to: Develop and implement sector and other strategies, such as industry partnerships, to meet the employment and skill needs of workers and employers in demand industries; and Focus training activities using a sectors approach.

WIOA and career Pathways Career Pathways – also a central focus in WIOA. Requires that state boards assist in the development of strategies in support of Career Pathways approaches. Requires local boards, working with secondary and postsecondary education partners, to lead efforts to develop and implement Career Pathways for youth and adults. Includes multiple planning provisions, requiring state and local boards to describe how they will align programs and services in the development and implementation of Career Pathways.

Better together Successful sector strategies require substantial changes in how workforce systems provide training. Similarly, successful career pathways fully engage high-demand employers to ensure system relevance and support. Sector-focused training should be designed in ways that provide job seekers and workers with skills assessments, counseling, and guidance – with pathways mapped for participants, showing the most accelerated routes to credential attainment. Career pathways should have multiple entry and exit points that are aligned with stackable credentials and employment – with entry points determined based on a participant’s skills at entry.

Better together If job seekers and workers can be provided with credit for prior learning, training can be accelerated – a win for employers and workers. Career pathways should offer flexible scheduling, contextualized learning, opportunities for work-based learning, and extensive supports and counseling services throughout. Sector-focused career pathways approaches help employers expand their pipeline of skilled workers and are particularly effective in helping low-skilled individuals to successfully complete training. Sector-focused career pathways approaches help employers expand their pipeline of skilled workers and are particularly effective in helping low-skilled individuals and returning service members with relevant experience to successfully complete training.

In Louisville, KY -- KentuckianaWorks has created two industry- focused One-Stop Career Centers. The Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center, with Jefferson Community and Technical College, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Adult Education, JCPS Career and Technical Education, and JCPS Iroquois High School Magnet Career Academy partner to offer manufacturing skills training that leads to certifications and college credit hours. The center provides a single location for employers to advertise manufacturing jobs, carry out assessments, and provide specialized training for job seekers and existing employees. Training is offered through Career Pathways approaches. In the fall of 2015, a second sector-focused One-Stop was opened – a partnership between KentuckianaWorks and the Health Careers Collaborative of Greater Louisville.

Sector panels in Seattle-King County engage targeted employers to: Define career pathways for high-growth jobs within an industry; Develop training within the industry; Assist businesses to address turnover and job retention; Increase skills for current employees; Encourage more youth and jobseekers to consider careers in the industry; Document workforce skills that will be required in the near future; Expand apprenticeship opportunities; and Develop/improve articulation agreements between educational institutions to advance the pipeline of trained workers.

Tom Hooper thooper@jff.org Contact Information Tom Hooper thooper@jff.org Mary Clagett mclagett@jff.org TEL 617.728.4446 FAX 617.728.4857 info@jff.org 88 Broad Street, 8th Floor, Boston, MA 02110 (HQ) 122 C Street, NW, Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 505 14th Street, Suite 900, Oakland, CA 94612 WWW.JFF.ORG