Maximizing the synergies between different interventions and negotiating trade-offs Ensuring that training is being well targeted to local business needs Understanding how local supply and demand fits within the wider economic fabric

Skills gaps and shortages High skills equilibrium Low skills equilibrium Skills surplus LowHigh Supply Low High Demand

A skilled workforce is crucial to long-term growth, prosperity and social inclusion at the local level Ability to create, communicate, and innovate and problem solve are the skills most in demand What we can do to make ourselves more attractive to new skilled workers?

Strategic objectiveTool Attracting TalentInvesting in local quality of life, architecture, cultural development and effective city planning. Promotion of cosmopolitanism and diversity. Developing universities and training institutions. Encouraging university graduates to stay in the area (career advice, etc.) and developing post-graduate courses. Marketing localities, regions, local sectors, and clusters to attract new labor. Incentives for returning migrants e.g. recognition of qualifications overseas, grants to set up new businesses. Integrating disadvantaged groupsOutreach training centers/IT kiosks, better marketing of education and training, early years of education. Alternative forms of learning e.g. practice firms, work experience, mentoring, training through culture, sport and music schemes. Activities targeted towards improving retention during training courses, apprenticeships and employment. Developing career clusters and providing adult career advice. Developing better ladders between basic skills courses and higher-level training. Support for immigrants, ethnic minorities, indigenous populations (e.g. anti-discrimination, recognition of qualifications, skills audits and portfolio approaches, languages). Development of basic training for adults with very low skills. Up-skilling those in employmentCustomized training. Developing career clusters and career ladders. Employers co-managing training centers, training provided on the premises of major industries. Business partnerships focusing on sharing of innovation. Setting up centers of excellence for particular sectors. Career planning and mentoring for new starts. Source: Designing Local Skills Strategies, OECD 2009 Setting up partnerships to share innovation and promote technology transfer, and management training on different aspects of work organization.

Put in place mechanisms to improve the attractiveness of local jobs to local people Provide training adapted to business needs in modules that workers can easily participate in Conduct skill surveys of the unemployed

- Develop a balanced approach - Pay close attention to problems of low-skilled equilibrium - Join up delivery - Ensure skills needs are better signaled - Make sure strategies are clear and robust - Support the development of generic skills

Highest job losses of any occupation in Flathead County What occupations require similar knowledge, skills, and abilities? - That pay as much or more as carpenters are paid - That grew from 2008 to That had an employment of at least 10 employed in Occupations were grouped into 9 clusters. Carpenters was in a cluster with 123 other occupations.

$20.91/hr$19.82/hr Source: EMSI $19.50/hr

$19.82 $17.65 Source: EMSI

$25.55/hr $14.51/hr $13.21/hr $11.94/hr $10.43/hr Source: EMSI

$15.84/hr Source: EMSI

Source: FVCC & MT Dept. of Labor and Industry

Brad Eldredge Executive Director of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning Flathead Valley Community College (406)