Skills and competencies required to make informed decisions Nick Kremer Eva Schiorring Vocational Research and Accountability Committee June 21, 2013 Labor Market Information Project

Agenda Introduce LMI Study Present findings from LMI Expert User Interviews Launch conversation about LMI training needs/opportunities 2

Research Question What are basic and advanced competencies CTE leaders and practitioners need to have/develop to effectively use LMI to inform CTE decision-making? 3

Research Design Environmental scan Interviews with expert users of LMI Round 1: Expert perspective (7) Round 2: Scenarios (10) Survey through COE 4

Definition Labor Market Information = Information about and related to employment derived from both primary and secondary sources 5

Environmental Scan 6

Secondary sources No shortage of resources on how to use LMI Although, nothing found specifically targeted for CC use Limited use of even carefully developed, user- friendly sites Case Studies on LMI use in CCs Aspen Institute College Excellence Program publication w RP Group: “A guide for using labor market data to improve student success” 7

Interviews w LMI Expert Users (17) Perspectives Represented: CEO LMI Research Group (1) Director LMI Research Group (1) Representatives, Statewide Pathways Project (2) CACT Director (1) CTE Regional Consortium Chair (1) VP Instruction (1) Instructional Dean (1) Workforce/Economic Development Directors (2) CTE Dept. Chair (1) Faculty (2) 8

For what purpose do you use LMI? o Feasibility of new program o Sustained need for existing program o Program review o Curriculum development/updating o Grant/report writing o Partnership development (colleges/employers) o Outreach to students, parents, other users of CTE programs o Accreditation o Environmental scans, regional cluster analysis 9

Scenario-based interviews  Assess feasibility of new CTE Program (5)  Assess viability of existing CTE Program (4)  Develop grant to support CTE Program (2)  Present CTE program to stakeholders (3)  Develop/update CTE curriculum  Conduct CTE Program Review (4)  Promote CTE Program to employers/students 10

Feasibility of New Program Questions LMI experts ask Resources LMI experts consult Skills required 11

What LMI-related questions do you ask? What is supply and demand in occupational area? Regional, state, national? What is the projected demand? Regional, state, national? Who are regional and local employers? What type of companies are in the local labor market? Size, number of companies? What kind of skills are needed? (entry, advanced) What are the (real) education requirements for different jobs in the occupation? What certifications are required? What type of companies are in the local labor market? Last year, how many people were actually hired in the targeted occupation by local employers? What are starting, long-term salaries, median salaries? What may be the impact of regulations? What factors/trends/events affect demand for labor/viability of the industry/occupation? What is the composition of future demand? 12

What LMI-related questions do you ask? Last year, how many people were hired in targeted occupation by local employers? What changes may occur in terms of skills required by labor? Which other CCs in the region are offering training in related field? Which other (non-CC) training institutions are offering programs targeting this occupation? Are students finding training-related jobs? What wages are students completing the program earning? What increase in wages? Who else might be thinking of starting a new program in this occupational area? What are real education requirements for different jobs in the occupation (according to local employers) What career paths are available to those entering the occupation? 13

What LMI-related questions do you ask? 34 questions identified with many repeats btw 5 interviewees LMI-related questions can be organized into four categories: Demand (primary sources) Demand (secondary sources) Supply Employment outcomes 14

Questions LMI experts ask Demand (Secondary Sources) Profile of current and future demand Drivers/volatility of demand Employer profile Career opportunities Salaries Skills, competencies, credentials required 15

Questions LMI experts ask Local Employers (Primary Sources) Profile of current and future demand Salaries Skills, competencies, credentials required 16

Questions LMI experts ask Supply Other CC training providers in region (current, planned) Other non-CC training providers in region (current, planned) 17

Questions LMI experts ask Employment Outcomes Training-related jobs Salaries 18

Resources LMI experts consult 19 Demand EDD EMSI Burning Glass` COE O-NET Regulatory Documents Local Employers Employers Trade/industry associations, local WIB Advisory Boards Supply CCC Curriculum of Programs Other training providers in region CCCCAOE AACC/DOL for national models Conferences Outcomes CTE Employment Outcomes Survey Perkins UI

Skills LMI experts say are required Technical Identify and find information using EDD, EMSI, Burning Glass, OMI, CCC curriculum of programs, CTE Employment Outcomes survey findings, etc. Research Skills Assess reliability of data sources Cross-walk occupational categories btw CC, EDD, DOL Design and conduct interviews, surveys etc. w. employers and other stakeholders Analytical Identify right questions to ask Integrate information from different sources/perspectives Relate local to regional, state, national information and trends 20

Summary Findings 21

Four types of LMI perspectives required Employment Outcomes Current/ projected demand, skills requirements wages, etc. Employer assessment of current and projected demand for skills, labor Supply side information CTE Program 22

Reliability, integration of data collected WITHIN each perspective Employment Outcomes Current/ projected demand, skills requirements wages, etc. Employer assessment of current and projected demand for skills, labor Supply side information CTE Program Reliability of each source consulted Relationship of source to other information collected regarding demand 23

Integration of info ACROSS perspectives Employment Outcomes Current and projected demand,skills requirements, wages, etc. Employer assessment of current and projected demand for skills, labor Supply side CTE Program 24 Relationship of each perspective to the other three Every perspective is changing over time

Who can/should do this? CTE Program Employment Outcomes Current and projected demand,skills requirements, wages, etc. Employer assessment of current and projected demand for skills, labor Supply side Tools, training needed? 25

Advice from the experts Statewide Director:”Make sure you don’t reinvent the wheel.” Expert analyst: “Don’t just dump the data, analyze it and pull out what is important.” CACT Director: “The information is only as good as your understanding of the information.” VP Instruction:” Information is dangerous if you don’t know how to use it.” 26

More advice and quotes from the experts Program Director: “EDD data is advantageous because it is “noncontroversial ” Dept Chair: “What I’m required to use to meet reporting requirements lacks relevance compared to information obtained from actual employers” VP Instruction:”Case studies is a good way to engage faculty with LMI.” Faculty leader: “Presentation approach makes a big difference in engaging faculty in LMI conversations.” 27

Starting the conversation about training opportunities and tools o Technical training in web search and retrieval o Technical training in compiling data and assessing the validity of each statistic o Training in approach/methodology (four different perspectives) o Training in how to conduct the analysis:  Analysis w/I each perspective  Analysis integrating perspectives o Training in how to present the findings 28

What is at stake?  Cost of not using LMI or using it incorrectly can be high  Benefits of informed use can be significant  Providing students with best selection of courses and programs w/I colleges and w/I regions  Providing training that reflects local and regional employers’ (changing) needs and priorities  Increasing capacity to secure federal grants  Increasing capacity to engage employers in regional conversations and in real partnerships 29

Conversation about findings and next steps What do you think about these findings? Is the framework complete? Accurate? Helpful? What is the best way to ensure that colleges use LMI to inform CTE decision making? What are reasonable expectations? How can practitioners be helped access the many resources available? What is the next step? 30

Thank you Thank you to those who contributed their time and expertise by participating in the interviews Centers of Excellence for including in their annual survey our research question 31

For more information Eva Schiorring, Senior Researcher 32