Sustainability and Impact Virtual Policy Academy Webinar 3 of 4

Presenters Lindsey Woolsey Corporation for a Skilled Workforce Erin Andrew NGA Center for Best Practices Jim Torrens National Network of Sector Partners Rebekah Lashman Commonwealth Corporation

Remaining Webinar Discussion Forum – Selected Topics in Sector Strategies Thursday, September 17, 2:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern

Sustainability: Why Now? “Build it to last.” “Begin with the end in mind.” “If you wait, it’ll be too late.”

Sustainability Challenges Change of administration or state leadership Change in funding environment Change in economy and labor market Loss of champions or other key support Change in capacity of regional partners Short attention spans

For Today EvaluationCapacity-BuildingMessaging

EvaluationCapacity-BuildingMessaging

Evaluation of Sector Strategies: What We Know Matters to States Impact on Jobseekers and Workers Increased availability of good jobs Improved working conditions Expanded work supports Increased opportunities for education and training for high-demand occupations Increased employment and wage gains Impact on Employers and Industry Shared costs and risks Increased availability of skills training Guidance on ways to improve human resource practices Reduced turnover Effectiveness of the Partnership The right partners “at the table” Industry challenges identified Appropriate solutions designed/implemented Plan of action, road map, goals and outcomes Partners agree the Partnership is valuable New and leveraged funding Systems Change Changes in how education, workforce, economic development and employers work together New social and business supports Changes in public policy Changes in employer practices 9 Two Notes: 1) NGA White Paper and Evaluation Framework offers full detailed discussion on these categories; 2) a 5 th category of growing interest is “impact on community” (such as reduced poverty/unemployment)

Is There One Formula for Evaluation? First, can we fairly compare outcomes? Consider... Over 1,000 healthcare service workers trained every year by a metropolitan sector partnership About 130 students per year trained and placed in employment by a solar installation sector partnership 3 Journeyman apprentices supplied to Grand Coulee Dam as a result of a Power Generation partnership Second, do we assume training outcomes? Consider... A small manufacturing sector partnership that focuses on career awareness Or an energy partnership that develops skills standards (that can be used to develop training) but that primarily is valuable to align titles and HR selection criteria across employers 10 No single formula, but there are templates to capture some consistent data across partnerships.

From Washington State

PA INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP ANNUAL REPORT * Category of ImpactDescribe ActivityImpact? Incumbent Worker Traininge.g. new/revised curriculum or new credentials based on industry needs Organizational Effectiveness (of the workplace/business) e.g. mentorships, management training, career pathways, support svces, case management Building the Pipelinee.g. career awareness, job shadowing, internships, outreach to special populations Influencing Regional Institutionse.g. changes by lwib, one-stops, post-secondary, k-12, business associations, labor orgs, CBOs, econ. dev. Governance, Collaboration & Sustainability (of the IP) e.g. core competencies such as industry analysis, capacity building, planning, coordinating, implementing, self-evaluating their business impact Annual Report also includes requests for 1) testimonials; 2) greatest success; and 3) greatest challenge From Pennsylvania *Note: Adapted and condensed from 7-page Annual Report Template – PA Overview: Pennsylvania’s Workforce Development system is increasingly focused on promoting Industry Partnerships (IPs), a key institutional innovation for meeting the skills needs of businesses, the career goals of workers and the economic development goals of the commonwealth. To help improve the effectiveness of IPs, the Department of Labor and Industry requires each IP to complete an Annual Report, also known as the High Performance Standards for Industry Partnerships.

Annual Report August 2009* Purpose: To provide an opportunity for each project to reflect on its progress toward meeting its goals and share what is learned with Commonwealth Corporation. These reports offer a means to learn more about how projects are unfolding - both at the level of individual projects and across the WCTF initiative. From Massachusetts Category of PerformanceType of Information Requested Part I: Quarterly UpdateDescribe activities during last Qtr, successes, innovations, challenges, next steps Part II: Program Goals (of jobseeker or worker participants) # participants; # un-/underemployed; # incumbent; # completers; # new credentials; # wage increase; other On Track? Y/N Will reach goal when? Part III: Outreach, Recruitment and Selection (of participants) Describe any successes/challenges, changes you plan to make within each area. On scale of 1-5, rate your success with each. Part IV: TrainingHow are providers selected? How do they participate? Please provide your assessment of training to date. What changes will you make? Part V: Participant SupportsWhat types of supports do your participants need (paid release time, coaching, case management, tutoring, childcare, etc)? Describe challenges and changes. Part VI: PartnershipList partners, their roles and indicate in which types of activities they participate. Describe benefits for partners, challenges, future partner contributions. Part VII & VIII: Employer Engagement and Biz Impact How are employers involved? Is engagement low, medium or high? Using the “Getting Started” plan, what baseline and impact data do you have? Part IX: Products of ProjectDescribe progress on contractual deliverables. Describe other products such as new curriculum, new certificate program, new partnerships, others. * Note: Adapted and condensed from 10-page WCTF – Annual Report, Round Two, Year 1, August 2009

Some Evaluation Resources Evaluations of Sector Initiatives Targeting Industries, Training Workers, and Improving Opportunities: Final Report of the Sectoral Employment Initiative, Public-Private Ventures, 2008: BEST (Building Essential Skills through Training) Benefits: Employer Perspectives, Volume 2, Issue 4, Research and Evaluation Brief, Commonwealth Corporation, 2004: Benefits of a Sector-Based Approach, Volume 2, Issue 3, Research and Evaluation Brief, Commonwealth Corporation, 2004: Performance and Evaluation Models for Sector Initiatives An Evaluation Framework for State Sector Strategies, product of 11-state project of the National Governors Association, The Corporation for a Skilled Workforce and the National Network of Sector Partnerships, 2008: Evaluating Industry Skill Panels: A Model Framework, Commissioned by the Washington State Workforce Education and Training Coordinating Board, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce with the Paros Group, June 2008: Business Value Assessment for Workforce Development Organizations: Handbook. The Aspen Institute – Workforce Strategies Initiative, 2005:

Question: Rebekah, the annual report example from MA shows how regional partnerships can track important benchmarks and progress. Can you give us the snapshot of what else you do at the state level to supplement this?

Questions for You If you had to sit down now and outline benchmarks for your sector strategies, what would they look like? (Or if you’ve begun this work, what do they look like?) – How will you help regional partnerships benchmark and share success? – How will you share your sector strategy success at a statewide level? 16

EvaluationCapacity-BuildingMessaging

What Capacity? State-level: understanding sector strategies Regional level: – Understanding the sector model – Using data to drive decision-making – Functioning as a workforce intermediary – Convening and building effective partnerships – Communications and marketing – Sharing information and best practices

Capacity-Building Activities Training for state-level team Up-front training for regional partners Ongoing technical assistance and training for regional partners Information and data resources Dedicated staff Platform for sharing information and best practices

PA: Industry Partnerships Industry Partnerships in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Workforce Development

Question: Rebekah, what has Massachusetts done to build the capacity of regional partners? How do you see these efforts as fitting into the sustainability and growth of your state sector strategy? Question: Adam, what is Montana doing to help state agency leadership understand the sector strategy framework?

Questions for You Where do you see capacity- building as most needed in your state? What issues arise for you as you consider building capacity-building of your partners? What have you done already? What do you plan? 24

EvaluationCapacity-BuildingMessaging

Messaging : The Role of States in Promoting Sector Strategies 26 SECTOR STRATEGIES Develop and Communicate Brand Leverage Develop and Communicate: State partners should collaborate to develop and communicate a succinct message to promote their sector strategies Brand: States should brand their sector strategy, either by itself or as part of a broader competitiveness strategy Leverage: States should assist in leveraging and maximizing local/regional marketing resources

It is Important for States to Message their Sector Strategies 27 Why How Who

From Michigan, Massachusetts and Georgia

From Oklahoma – Grow Oklahoma Marketing Boards

Top 9 Steps: How to Best Design Promotional Tactics 33 1.Differentiate sector strategies from other things 2.Keep the end in mind 3.Gather and use outcome and impact data to support your message 4.Focus on “telling the story” 5.Do not wait to begin messaging

Top 9: How to Best Design Promotional Tactics 34 6.Differentiate your messages to the various constituencies 7.Leverage limited resources and minimize duplication 8.Use lessons learned and case studies to promote your strategy 9.Maximize the use of e-communication

Long-Term Planning: Winning Legislative Support 35 Engage Business Engage Business Engage business champions and advocates to support legislative efforts Engagement should begin before the legislative planning process, but can occur during it Examples -Pennsylvania -Massachusetts Embed in State Statute Embed in State Statute Include in State Funding Include in State Funding Work with the legislature and the Governor’s Office to imbed sector strategies into various pieces of legislation Examples -Pennsylvania -Washington State Include sector strategies in state funding legislation and budget processes This should occur during the budget planning process

Top 4: How to Best Win Legislative Support 36 1.Use national attention to your advantage 2.Pay attention to the needs of key industries 3.Don’t appear to pick winners unless it is to your advantage 4.Utilize major state level sector reports to leverage resources and legislative support

Question: Brad, Wyoming has done some work to brand and communicate your sector strategy. What have you done, what do you still hope to do, and how do you see it as important for your efforts?

Questions for You Who are the key audiences in your state for information about your sector strategy? What do they want to know? How will you get them that information? What have you done already? What do you plan to do? 38

Remaining Webinar Discussion Forum – Selected Topics in Sector Strategies Thursday, September 17, 2:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern