Changing the Workforce System Equation: A Work in Progress WIRED65 Regional Workforce Partners/ The National Fund for Workforce Solutions

National Fund for Workforce Solutions  A collaboration between the nation’s top foundations and a nationwide network of companies, workforce intermediaries, government agencies, and foundations.  Provides seed money to regional sites to build a localized approach.

NFWS Approach  Create regional funding collaboratives  Organize workforce partnerships  Develop strategies for specific industry sectors  Build career pathways  Coordinate local workforce programs

National Fund for Workforce Solutions Grant-WIRED65 Counties  Partnership of 4 WIBs, 26 counties KentuckianaWorks (fiscal agent) Lincoln Trail Lake Cumberland Region 10 (Southern Indiana)

WIRED65 Regional Workforce Partners - Sector Focus  “New Auto” (manufacturing & repair)  Healthcare  Food & Beverage Manufacturing

NFWS Grant – Overall Goals  Establish Funding Collaborative for Workforce Programs  Establish Industry-Led Partnerships in the 3 Sectors  Systems Change

NFWS Grant Outcomes-2 years  200 enrolled in sector-based training, education  175 credentials earned  175 job placements in sector jobs  80% six-month retention  100 incumbent workers served  80 participants receive wage increases

Funding Collaborative  NFWS required a local match  Local private funders must form a funding collaborative  For the first time, private funders begin: Identifying which of their grants are workforce related Thinking collectively about their funding and its overall impact on workforce

Funding Collaborative Members  James Graham Brown Foundation  Gheens Foundation  Community Foundation of Louisville  PNC  JP Morgan Chase  Making Connections Network (Casey) More will be recruited in the region.

Industry-Led Partnerships  Expand efforts to identify skill shortages and training initiatives for workers at all levels.  Identify career pathways and market skill- development opportunities to working adults, particularly those on the bottom rungs of career ladders.  Design and implement training to meet the needs of employers with a particular focus on training designed to move lower-skilled workers onto career paths.

Partnership-Automobile Repair  Partnership with Greater Louisville Automobile Dealers Association to address shortage of auto repair techs  JCTC leveraging AOK grant to address this need  GLADA service managers reviewing curriculum  NFWS project will cover tuition  GLADA will hire graduates

Partnership-Food & Beverage  Greater Louisville Inc. identified sector need for food & beverage manufacturers  NFWS project partnered with JCTC to develop pre-hire training  Those completing training were guaranteed interviews and 80% were hired

Other Activities  Considering implementation of National Association of Manufacturers “stackable credentials” system  NCRC as base credential plus MSSC “Certified Production Technician”  Developing manufacturing career pathway with other credentials

Systems Change  Create ongoing methods to better understand and respond to employer demand  Better align skills of jobseekers to needs of employers  Work collaboratively with economic development and education partners to make the right training available for high growth jobs  Create ongoing private funding for workforce development efforts