California Competes: Higher Education for a Strong Economy

Pam Sornson, JD on September 6, 2022

A new report by California Competes: Higher Education for a Stronger Economy (California Competes) discusses the barriers and opportunities for building partnerships between higher education providers and regional and local employers. The scholastic think tank coordinates the efforts of government, education, business, and policy experts to forge partnerships that develop solutions to solve California’s economic and social problems. Leadership bodies across the State rely on its research that connects common goals across higher education, equity and equality goals, and industrial ambitions to build solutions and develop as-yet unrealized potential.

 

Broad Reach + Inclusive Action = Student Success

Launched in 2011, the California Competes organization has experienced notable success in its advocacy for inclusivity and enlightened practices across California’s community college environment.

One population of California Community College (CCC) students that is gaining increasing attention from both this group and the California Community College Chancellors Office (CCCCO) is its growing cohort of nontraditional learners. Typically, nontraditional learners are over the age of 25, enter school after military service, work history, or other civic activities, and often have previously achieved credentials and awards. Currently, they comprise 43% of California’s Community College student population, and more than half of those are people of color. Additionally, another six million potential learners in the State have high school diplomas but no further degree or certification. The collective skills, talents, and capacities of these populations offer highly valuable resources for many industries and businesses but are overlooked because of the lack of official recognition.

The California Competes panel contemplated that these populations bring with them existing and valid learning successes that can or should be recognized within their CCC academic transcript. The challenge was to quantify them in ways that accomplished the institutional requirements for their diplomas. In its “Credit for Prior Learning Initiative,” the CCCCO determined that students with previous life skills and abilities could apply those as college credits to their transcripts. Doing so helps them complete their programs faster, increase the value they receive from the school, and underscore the significant economic and equitable benefits that flow when a person’s achievements are appropriately recognized. While the initiative is still in development, the CCCCO already recognizes those individual college campuses that accept military and workplace training as authentic educational experiences, as well as the procedures they follow to validate those claims.

 

Other California Competes initiatives assist different nontraditional student populations in achieving the education and credentialing they seek:

For students who don’t have the time or opportunity to complete a regularly scheduled college course or program, California Competes advocates utilizing a “Competency-Based Education” (CBE) strategy that accepts demonstration of knowledge or skills mastery as evidence of course comprehension. The organization provides guidelines for schools with which to measure varying competencies in appropriate CBE programs.

Students who are also parents fall into the nontraditional learner cohort, as well. These learners include students on parental leave, pregnant students, and students with dependent care responsibilities. Hundreds of thousands of CC learners have dependent children and, therefore, have a greater financial need than their non-parenting colleagues. Further, they are less likely to persist at school from year to year or to graduate with a diploma, degree, or certification.

To address the very specific needs of this group, California Competes recommends using a dedicated pathway both to and through the higher education system to support both the student parent and their child. Recommended activities at each CCC include, for example, enhanced childcare opportunities, reduced fees or improved affordability for student parents, and facility design that accommodates the needs of these families.

 

Driven by Data

Another ambition of the California Competes organization is to (finally) bring the State’s educational data collection system into the 21st century through its unique “Cradle to Career Education Data Initiative.” Currently, California is one of just a handful of states that have no post-secondary education data links to either workforce information or K-12 educational data. Yet, like other states in the nation, California recognizes that connecting educational data with workforce data is the only way to fully understand how its educational system is supporting its industrial and economic foundations.

Of course, developing, implementing, and managing such a complex data collection and organization strategy presents immense challenges:

At present, the State permits its K-12 system and each of the three public higher education segments to report their student outcome data in the format of their choosing. None of these four systems coordinate with the others, so there is no way for any organization to accurately track a student’s activities through its organization and into either another school or the work world.

 At the same time, there is no system in place to track what happens to students who leave school prematurely. These students may attend other schools, find successful employment, or both, but none of the educational entities they attended previously have a way to know where they went or what they may have achieved.

 Not insignificant is the fact that the current system does not track those graduates of the two-year school who continue on and achieve a degree at a four-year school. The lack of this information means that the two-year school does not know about the long-term success of their graduate.

The “Cradle to Career” data collection system seeks to remedy these situations by coordinating language, structure, collection points, and other relevant data across all four educational sectors as well as the workforce sector to follow the progress of individual students from kindergarten to college graduation and beyond.

The system will also track data to inform the educational sector and its ancillary social services agencies, financial aid providers, and employer partners about relevant education and workforce drivers that require attention, including but not limited to:

the breadth and scope of supports students need to stay in school, graduate, and obtain work;

information helpful for teachers, parents, advisors, and employers regarding opportunities and decision-making capacities;

 providing agency information to ensure educational, social services programs, and workforce initiatives respond to emerging education and workforce demands.

The aggregated data will inform policymakers about services, education and workforce trends, education budgeting, and other critical social service incidentals so that State, regional, and local budgeting reflects and supports those economic foundations.

 

California Competes is led by Dr. Su Jin Jez (listen to her podcast here), who brings her years of California-focused Educational Leadership experience to this critically important education and public policy enterprise.

College to Career: Engaging Employers in College Success

Pam Sornson, JD on September 6, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

September 6, 2022

The push to reform America’s higher education system is evolving as technology drives the transformation of our global society. Today’s colleges are changing their strategies away from traditional values and dictates and towards more fundamental economic directives. Their goal now is to facilitate career and job training that supports local and regional economic growth. To attain that goal, universities and colleges must engage with local and regional employers to ensure that students get the occupational training they need to find work and that employers have the well-skilled workforce they require.

 

A Reconsidered Culture

Perhaps the most significant reason colleges aren’t yet known as ‘workforce development engines’ is that, until very recently, that hasn’t been their role.

The country’s higher education sector began as a series of evangelical schools designed to train missionaries in specific religious doctrines. Over decades, the industry evolved through phases that correlated with the morals and standards of the day, from the development of moral character appropriate for democratic citizenship, to training opportunities for specific professional occupations, to a place where learners could achieve personal economic advantages. Through these years, there were few, if any, interactions between school leadership, policymakers, or even faculty and the local businesses and industries in the communities with which they shared a community.

That communication gap between education and occupation also created a rift in society’s economic foundation. Over time, the skills instilled by university degrees evolved further and further away from the occupational needs of the business community. In turn, the divide has been driving a drop in college enrollment that began early in the 21st century. The National Center for Education Statistics asserts that enrollments in America’s post-secondary institutions grew by 19% from 2006 to 2010 but then fell by 7% from 2010 to 2016. It appears that the overall value of a college education (specifically a four-year university degree) has declined over time as those institutions turn out graduates who are often overqualified for the jobs they ultimately land. (As many as 35% of workforce laborers are considered overqualified, according to Forbes education experts.) In fact, between 1992 and 2010, the number of jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree grew by only 2%, while the percentage of university enrollees grew by 45%. The statistics beg the question, “why is there such a disconnect between the skills needed on the job and the training programs provided by universities and colleges?”

 

The Short and the Long Answers …

One (of many) short answers is “because employers haven’t yet fully engaged with the higher education community to explain or share their knowledge and occupational standards.”The long answer is “that the disconnect is dissolving as the country’s college system scrutinizes its curricula and community relations practices to achieve better communications with the future employers of its student body.”

This enhanced and growing focus on employer engagement is good news for those business owners, college students, and the economy of their region. The value proposition that such an extensive partnership promises offers each constituent benefits that they cannot gain without the involvement and effort of the others.

According to California Competes, a California State think tank that envisions thriving communities fueled by racially just and equitable workforce outcomes, students, employers, higher Ed institutions, and local economies all benefit greatly when they all focus on achieving common goals.

Students enrolled in occupationally directed training programs receive enhanced clarity about career pathways, readiness skills, and job opportunities and outcomes.

Businesses that contribute to college curricula gain access to larger, better-informed cohort groups of talented students, as well as expanded workforce development programs for their existing staff.

Colleges that actively engage with local businesses achieve a stable enrollment pipeline for students, improved outcomes for their students, and an optimized capacity to contribute to the economic growth of the entire community.

Local economies benefit from these collaborations as the workforce supply and demand gap shrinks, the demand for social safety net services also shrinks, and enhanced civic engagement activities improve local, regional, and state revenues.

 

… Build True Solutions

Understanding the barriers to communication among these disparate populations helps leaders in each group to forge responses that overcome those hurdles.

In addition to addressing challenges to students (which are many – affordability, access, language, etc.), the Dean’s office must also contemplate how these changes will affect teaching staff contracts, existing curricula, labor and demand statistics, industrial standards, and future growth possibilities.

At the same time, businesses must articulate the skills and abilities they need to perform the workflows that generate their company’s value. Recent technological advances can make these “job descriptions” more difficult to craft.

Finally, local, regional, and state governments must evaluate current rules and regulations that govern but may also inhibit businesses, workforce and labor capacities, and industrial activities.

Dedicated communication practices can help all understand the challenges the others face and collaborate on responses that can address those individual and joint concerns:

Navigating through the varying demands, opportunities, and expectations is easier when the group can identify shared goals and interests and build initiatives based on those common factors.

 At the school, leadership should note that full engagement must include more than just upper-level and administrative staff. The faculty, in particular, is a critical player in developing occupationally relevant curricula. Engaging the teaching staff in these conversations is almost mandatory if the “employer engagement” project is to be successful.

 Governments can contribute to the work by facilitating readily accessible spaces where these collaborative conversations can occur. Business leaders, industry leaders, school leadership, and even economic development groups can engage in convenient locations to grow communication and economic capacity across them all.

 All engaged groups can further the greater project by clarifying and tailoring their individual messaging throughout the community to showcase these shared goals and the values they offer. Joint communications that span multiple media across multiple industries and community sectors build widespread awareness and inclusion and encourage further engagement by the greater community itself.

 

The emerging community conversation about employer engagement, Community College curricula, and economic development promises to provide solutions to the economic and social challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, un- and under-employed workers, and inequities and inequalities that exist in today’s workforce landscape. At the same time, participants in these collaborations are building a stronger, more resilient, more robust economy that will support today’s and tomorrow’s workforce demand.

 

Upskilling the Future: Employee Learning and Development

Pam Sornson, JD on August 15, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

August 16, 2022

The past two decades have ushered in profound workplace changes, as technology absorbed many menial tasks while facilitating the previously unthinkable but now globally accepted ‘work from home’ standard. Employers struggled to accommodate drastic workplace disruptions and are still struggling to reorganize as those disruptions evolve into the ‘new normal.’ While many companies may be looking at new technology or infrastructure investments to take them to their next goal, others are looking closer to home to an asset they may have disregarded in the past: their existing workforce. The world is seeing a shift to an ’employee-centric’ workplace, and businesses that embrace both the concept and their current staff may be the farthest ahead in the game. 

 

A Global Phenomenon

A World Economic Forum report issued in 2021 (WEF) suggests that ‘upskilling’ today’s existing workforce has the potential to boost the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by as much as $6.5 trillion by 2030. Those investments in workforce training, learning, and development would close the current skills gap by ensuring that all available workers have the training (or access to training) needed to succeed in the increasingly technical world economy. In addition, augmenting existing skills with new capacities will boost worker productivity, leading to enhanced corporate success. 

The report surmises a surge in ‘upskilling’ will bring several benefits to individual countries and the world as a wholly connected economic system:

China will most likely achieve the highest gain within that time frame, potentially increasing its GDP by as much as 7.5%. The United States is second, with a potential yield of 3.7%.

Around the world, the business services, manufacturing, and consumer services sectors will gain the most return on those investments, all growing by close to 5% over that decade.  

And there could be a net of over five million new jobs created by 2030 in occupations that require innovation, creativity, and so-called ‘soft’ skills like empathy, collaboration, and partnering. 

Based on its research, the WEF recommends that all stakeholders in any economic system review their specific sector to discover emerging occupations that can enhance current corporate fortunes and then invest in integrating those jobs into their future workforce strategy.  

  

Connecting Worker/Employer L&D Needs

Other research indicates that employers, too, can retool their existing training programs to be more productive, both for the business and its individual workers. According to NYUC LearningHub, a Singapore-based workforce development think-tank, there’s often a disconnect between the training the business offers and the skills and abilities that workers want to attain – the training the company provides might not address the needs of either group. While almost all employees and employers (99% and 98%, respectively) agreed that continuous employee learning and development (L&D) is critical to company success, significant percentages of both populations aren’t satisfied with the content of those learning opportunities. Thirty-eight percent of employees and 45% of employers classify their current occupational training opportunities as ‘fair,’ ‘bad,’ or ‘very bad.’

Further, while most of the workers polled (88%) agreed that their employer fully supported worker training programs, almost one in three (32%) also said they weren’t offered enough support to access those resources. Workers cited three major concerns that interfered with their ability to obtain additional work training:

    1. They were too busy in their job to take the time to learn more.
    2. Their productivity would suffer if they were to leave work during the day. Workers who were expected to achieve certain daily milestones weren’t comfortable trusting someone else to attain those benchmarks in their absence.   
    3. Their personal obligations outside of work prevented them from accessing additional training while off work.

These disgruntled employees shared, too, their thoughts on what their boss could do better to ensure they got the training they wanted:

They wanted to be paid for the time off work they’d take to attend training courses. 

They also wanted to be sure their work obligations were appropriately covered while they were away. Some suggested their immediate supervisor would be an appropriate interim substitute.

They also suggested changing the training format into shorter refresher courses that didn’t take much time out of the day but still offered new learning capacities. 

While these comments may be specific to those workers polled, they may also be relevant to workers in other sectors and industries, and, therefore relevant throughout the global economy.

 

Enhancing Employer Effort 

There are several steps employers can take to enhance the skill set of their existing labor force, each of which will provide the data needed to determine the optimal type and style of learning required by each employee:

Assess current skill levels, especially digital skills. Approximately one in three American workers still have no comprehensive digital skills, even though they may be using computers in their occupation. While these workers may be able to manage their occupational programming on a day-to-day basis, they don’t know how to repair or address computer glitches that may crop up, nor would they be able to advance to a higher occupational level. Not surprisingly, most organizations these days prioritize digital skills as critical assets in their new hires. 

Upskill or Reskill? 

Upskilling enhances existing skills by building on them to achieve new goals and capacities. Upskilled workers frequently also advance faster in their careers.

Reskilled workers learn new skills to perform new and different types of work. A computer programmer, for example, can obtain training to become a systems analyst, which is a separate occupation even though it’s based within the same technical environment.  

Think ahead. Most companies have long-term goals, and their employee L&D initiatives should encompass the skills that will be needed to attain those long-range plans. In many cases, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning are on a company’s radar, even though they don’t as yet have the equipment to implement those strategies. 

The work world is decidedly different now than it was just two years ago. Workers are willing to provide better service to their employer when that employer facilitates the L&D opportunities they need. As the global economy evolves through the pandemic and beyond, companies that invest in maintaining and enhancing the skillsets of their existing workforce will be more stable and, therefore, more successful than those that don’t.  

 

What Works in Workforce Development Programs

Pam Sornson, JD on August 15, 2022

There’s a reason why ‘economic’ and ‘workforce’ development initiatives are so closely aligned: they individually address complementary sides of the same challenge. ‘Economic’ development focuses on increasing the growth of regional economic activity. ‘Workforce’ development focuses on the skill sets of workers whose efforts will generate those financial gains. When pursued strategically as a single goal (building both simultaneously), extending capacity in one should result in increased capacity in the other.

 

Workforce Development as Economic Driver

These days, ‘workforce development’ (WFD) is the primary focus of many communities, and multiple WFD programs have materialized to provide topical and timely training for both unemployed and employed people. While it may be too soon to assess the success of any one of them individually, there are certain elements to a WFD program that have proven their worth over time. It is likely that programs that incorporate some or all of these elements into their practices will also demonstrate success when those assessments do occur.

It’s important to note, too, how the COVID pandemic has transformed the work world. By forcing isolation on almost all populations, the coronavirus eliminated those jobs that required human interaction. But the digital response to the health crisis also introduced new ways of doing traditional work, opening new and as yet unfilled job opportunities. Consequently, many workers lost their jobs and now need to find both new skills and new work. At the same time, currently employed people may find their skill sets no longer match the post-COVID demands of their occupation. They may also need additional training and skill building to remain competitive in the job market. Incorporating efforts to address all these variables (in addition to those otherwise required for any WFD effort) will be necessary for a WFD project to fully and truly thrive.

 

What Makes a Successful WFD Program?

In 2012, the Federal Department of Labor (DOL) commissioned a survey to understand how and why some WFD programs were successful. Using data gleaned from the evaluation of several Chicago-based WFD programs, the survey assessed both the program activities that resulted in trainee/employee success as well as the data used to track that information. While the report is a decade old, its conclusions still resonate in today’s WFD sector.

According to the survey, a range of factors influenced program success, including program and practice elements, individual participant circumstances, and training provider organizational components. Another field of factors related to individual participant success was also influential, including their social and economic situation, barriers to employment, and their ability to access and acquire support resources. Cumulatively, the survey tracked how the programs managed the realities of individual people on their path through occupational training to successful employment. Successful participant outcomes (people becoming employed) were more likely in programs that checked both personal resources and occupational development practices as integrated elements of the overarching strategy.

Data

Data on WFD efforts are even more critical now than in 2012. This study parsed out four data-related recommendations to clarify not just what researchers should look for but also why and how gathering that information is of value.

    1. A well-defined common set of WFD performance measures is needed to establish community-based standards, with a subset of criteria that facilitates flexibility for both program providers and funders. Measured factors can include, for example, the number of participants who complete the program (not just attend it), the impact of social support on the success of program graduates, and the number of graduates finding relevant employment, to name just three.
    2. Follow subpopulations as they progress through the program. A well-implemented Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategy can provide support tailored to specific subgroups (i.e., previously incarcerated, ESL, etc.). Tracking their activities through the program will also show how well those systems are working.
    3. Tracking individuals through hiring and beyond based on their particular circumstances will reveal how well the social support systems and the training program elements work together to achieve WFD goals.
    4. Collect data across the entire WFD enterprise, including organizational operations, individual program activities, individual client successes, and external engagements outside the program. Analysis at each level can help researchers and WFD professionals understand not just what works but also how to replicate it in other communities.

Outcomes

In terms of specific activities, the survey also identifies several distinct program initiatives that proved to achieve better participant outcomes in most WFD organizations:

Organizations that developed comprehensive intake assessments and built programs around meeting those criteria were most likely to have successful participants. Those organizations that remained flexible, too, in the resources they had available (or were willing to obtain) were also superior in responding to their client’s needs. Perhaps the most critical revelation here is that successful programs are designed to meet their participant’s needs; participants aren’t asked to try to fit into an organizational structure that doesn’t suit their situation.

Collaboration among program providers, area and regional employers, and other WFD partners is also key to participant success. In some cases, employer partners and other WFD entities were treated more like customers, with the organization working to achieve a satisfactory ‘customer experience’ similar to that found in the retail sector. In other cases, success was had when incorporating the labor force needs of program system ‘end users,’ those entities that hire program graduates but can’t participate in the program itself. Enhanced collaboration among these WFD leadership populations to meet all their ‘customer’s’ needs also reverses the value stream by facilitating the sharing of industry and occupational insights by industry insiders with program developers.

Not surprisingly, the most successful WFD program providers had strong organizational leadership and administrations that were dedicated to pursuing the ultimate goal of a well-trained, economically beneficial workforce. These programs maintained their focus on participant and ‘customer’ goals while also planning for future growth and advocating for more and better public policies and funding.

Programs that pursued these types of initiatives and collected data relevant to all of them demonstrated solid WFD program success while generating the information needed to prove that point, which can be used to build on for future iterations.

 

If this were a ‘cart’ and ‘horse’ analogy, then WFD efforts would be the horse, while economic growth would be the cart. Communities looking to improve their economic situations can learn how first applying sound WFD principles can help them achieve that goal.

 

WIOA – Federal Policy Drives EWD Effort

Pam Sornson, JD on July 29, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

August 2, 2022

Coordinating multiple social systems to achieve a common goal is a challenge. That challenge is made bigger when those systems exist in multiple regions, have multiple layers of stakeholders, and the ultimate goal for all is the economic success of the country.

Despite its complexity, this IS the challenge for the federal, state, regional, and local agencies tasked with implementing economic and workforce development initiatives. United by an overarching constellation of policies and practices, they’re crafting the educational, industrial, and social services network that is expected to drive the economy of the future while ensuring economic success for the country’s citizens and residents.

Policy at the Federal Level: The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act – WIOA

The WIOA came into effect in 2014 as the first legislative reform of the public workforce policy since 1998. Its funds facilitate training and education support services to both job seekers and employers, uniting the skill sets of one with the labor demand of the other.

Primarily, WIOA’s purpose is to align the work of the diverse workforce and economic development agencies with the federal policy of building a strong labor force in every state. It sets publicly accessible performance goals and encourages regional collaborations, so each business, entity, and government can work, for the most part, in harmony with each other toward the same end.

 

… Coupled with Services

But WIOA and its accompanying federal agencies are also invested in providing direct services to the workforce development sector. Perhaps WIOA’s most valuable assets these days are its employment and job training resources, administered through the federal Employment and Training Administration (ETA). This 2,400-strong network of service providers spans the national workforce development environment, helping workers at all stages of their careers find the jobs they want and employers to find the labor force they need.

The array of services available through the ETA is impressive:

The American Jobs Center system acts as a nexus between workforce and employment. Its program areas encompass support for individual workers (veterans, dislocated, laid-off, youth, etc.) while also offering services related to apprenticeships, certifications, re-entry needs, and other employment-related concerns.

CareerOneStop offers career guidance and training resources for employment seekers with unique challenges. Some are related to their particular status; entry-level workers, 55+ workers, young adults, and previously incarcerated people can all find resources specific to their concerns to help them find the job they want. Notably, while the guidances and employment information resources are uniform for everyone, their job listing and training opportunities are categorized by state. The resources are relevant and helpful for workers across the country.

The Apprenticeship center leverages employment opportunities with hands-on training to provide the most relevant form of ‘work-based learning’ (WBL). These roles offer a myriad of benefits to both the worker and the employer, in addition to the WBL capacity:

They are paid jobs, not volunteer opportunities, so learners earn while they train.

They can (and often do) consist of both work-based training and classroom education, so apprentices gain both practice and theory.

They facilitate critical mentor relationships between the apprentice and their employer, often becoming a foundation for a long and fruitful working partnership.

They generate the credentials needed to qualify for other jobs within an industry. ‘Stacking’ credentials earned in apprenticeships advances a career since many careers these days require mastery of multiple skillsets.

The agency’s ‘MyNextMove‘ portal guides those who haven’t yet decided on their next employment step and offers both personal interest surveys and career and industry resources to help worker-wannabe’s pursue an occupation that suits them well. In partnership with industries and companies around the country, the Apprenticeship center provides a ready-made foundation for many careers and jobs.

JobCorps is the most extensive residential career training program in the nation, working for 50 years to support people ages 16 through 24 years to finish high school, obtain job training, and ultimately find gainful work. High school students can direct their personal interests and skills toward one or more of the country’s top ten high-growth industries. With this credential as a foundation, these young people will have already launched their life-long career path.

State-based training providers – Each state maintains an ‘Eligible Training Provider List’ (ETPL) that compiles the names and contacts of those entities receiving federal funding for their training services. Workers seeking training can find no-cost options through their state’s ‘America’s Job Center’ (AJC) (California’s agency is here). These providers also offer local and regional labor market information and a variety of employment-related materials designed to connect people who want jobs with the employers who need them.

 

… and Funding

Not least significant to the ETA’s function is its administration of millions of dollars worth of federal grants. These funds tie directly to the regional and local agencies tasked with upskilling and retraining their local unemployed clients. Grant recipients can access training and trainee guidance ‘best practices’ to ensure their beneficiaries receive the best possible service.

The grant funding also facilitates the wages offered to apprentices through the Apprenticeship program.

 

… And More

Another resource available through the ETA is its ‘WorkforceGPS‘ website which provides more granular data about how to seek, obtain, and administer federal grants directed to economic and workforce development:

‘Retention and advancement‘ resources offer employers insights on how to optimize their workforce after the hiring and onboarding process is complete. They can also assist those looking for self-employment as entrepreneurs.

Labor market information provides employers, workers, educators, and industries with critical information about how the economy is faring based on earnings, benefits, high-growth sectors, occupation data, and more.

The ‘Communities‘ page collects all available resources onto a single page, so users can find the information they’re looking for and continue to more detailed advice and direction.

 

The federal policies embodied in the WIOA guide the actions, funding, and decision-making activities at every state level and in the regional and local governments in the communities where the work is actually done. By providing a (relatively) ‘single’ focus on ‘economic and workforce development’ as the primary goal, regional workforce development agencies can pursue their particular goals while also moving forward with this overarching national strategy.

 

 

 

 

California’s WIOA

Pam Sornson, JD on July 29, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

August 2, 2022

The Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) provides federal funding for state programs that offer training and employment services to eligible state residents. Every four years, all states must submit a State Plan report on how it used (and plans to use) those funds, emphasizing how they contributed to furthering or achieving economic and workforce development (EWD) goals.

 

California filed its latest report in 2019, which set out its intentions for the following four years (2020-2023). Although it pre-dates the COVID-19 pandemic, it sets a clear moment-in-time snapshot of the state of the State’s economy in that year. The data it furnished can be used as a baseline for future analysis and action on many critical EWD elements, such as:

the extent to which the State accomplished those pre-pandemic initiatives in the intervening three years;

the impact of the pandemic on the EWD system itself – which sectors grew? Shrank? Disappeared? Appeared?;

the EWD system’s short-, mid-, and long-term responses to pandemic-driven disruptions;

the emergence of new sectors, industries, or economies that the 1029 report didn’t include,

and more.

California’s plan offers not just a view of how far it’s come in developing its EWD structure but also acts as a road map as to where it plans to go in the future, with or without the intervention of a public health crisis.

 

 

WIOA State Plan Structure

Each state reports general information about its workforce and economic development activities. In addition to asking about the State’s vision and goals, strategy, and operational activities, the report also calls for:

an economic analysis,

a workforce analysis, and

an analysis of its workforce development, education, and training activities.

As of the report’s publication date, California asserted that it had weathered and recovered from the ‘Great Recession’ of 2007-2009 and was building new economic activities and opportunities on that seemingly stable foundation.

Significant statistics from the report act as a juxtaposition to where the State finds its economic status today:

 

Economic Analysis – 2019

Employment:

California’s unemployment numbers were at a 30-year low due to a decade of significant economic growth and its corresponding employment boom.

That job growth expansion was the longest in State history after World War II.

The workforce demographics were changing as the predominantly White Baby Boomer generation continued exiting the workplace to be replaced by a more racially and economically diverse younger crowd.

Industrial:

Ten of the 11 major industries in the State added jobs throughout the February 2010 – October 2019 period, with the most growth seen in the education, health, and professional and business services industries. Only the mining and logging sector lost jobs over the course of that decade.

Overall, the State’s economy grew by 23.8% over those ten years. Individual industries surpassed that growth rate, with construction expanding by over 58%, hospitality and leisure by 37.4%, and business services by 34%.

Of the State’s 14 Regional Planning Units, eight surpassed one million new jobs between 2010 and 2019.

Based on this data, California’s EWD policies and practices generated a bright economic future for the state and its residents.

 

Workforce Analysis – 2019

This section examines employment and labor market trends, education and skill levels, and skill gaps among employed and unemployed people.

Even then, the state’s economy was in flux as companies and industries emerged and faded, with technology and innovation opening new opportunities while changing the nature of skill sets and competencies.

Technology, in particular, was eroding decades of job security as more machines took over routine and mundane business chores. At the same time, those software programs needed coding, tuning, and maintenance, giving rise to a demand for a new set of digital skills that transcended all industry lines.

Employee ‘churn’ was rising. During that decade, approximately 30% to 40% of the U.S. workforce changed jobs, leaving employers with the cost of hiring and training replacements. This phenomenon was particularly notable in low-skilled and inexperienced workers.

The demand for some amount of post-high school education was also on the rise to land a quality job. ‘Middle skills,’ those requiring more than a diploma but less than a four-year degree, were growing in demand, and organizations were raising wages for well-qualified middle-skilled workers.

The labor market analysis revealed that the State’s recovery had been uneven, with some regions experiencing significant gains while others did not. Regions with strong industry sectors were doing better economically than their less industrial neighbors. The report concluded that changing labor and market conditions required building new, sustainable career paths for workers at all levels of the economy.

 

Workforce Development Activities – 2019

This response details the activities and efforts of 17 state-wide initiatives in the workforce development sector. Loosely organized into three categories, the initiatives direct government, public, and private resources toward solving EWD challenges and building a more robust economic future:

 

Business, Workforce, and Employment Development Activities

At the state level, the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) advises the Governor on EWD concerns. Building policy based on EWD, labor force, and industrial data, the CWDB also informs the work of 49 Local Workforce Development Areas and their corresponding Local Workforce Development Boards. The State Employment Development Department administers federal employment-related funding streams and maintains employment records for over 17,000,000 workers.

 

Training and Education

California’s 115 Community Colleges provide training and education sources for 2.1 million students annually. Administered by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, collectively, they offer 8,000 certification programs, 350 unique fields of study, and more than 4,500 associate degree programs. The California Employment Training Panel provides funding for businesses looking to train new hires or upskill their current labor force. The State Board of Education oversees the curricula, materials, assessments, and accountability activities for California’s K-12 school system. MEanwhile, the Department of Education manages Career Technical Education (CTE), special education, English Learner and Support Division, and the Coordinated Student Support Division.

 

Specific Population Programs

Special populations receive dedicated funding and attention, depending on their needs and goals. The 2019 WIOA State Plan includes information on the education and workforce opportunities for people with disabilities, low-income families, seniors, veterans, Native Americans, farmworkers, and more.

 

In California, hundreds of agencies employing thousands of workers offer support and guidance to millions of employed or wanna-be employed people. All follow a similar track through these federal and state-level policies to generate a stronger, more robust economic outlook for the state. Come 2023, It will be interesting to read in the State Plan how the State fared in its actual EWD activities during its 2020-2023 term.

Evolving Employment Trends – 2022

Pam Sornson, JD on July 19, 2022

Two trends impacting current employment practices are evolving in response to both the COVID-19 pandemic and the technological disruption of traditional work structures. First, workers are rethinking their job expectations and reevaluating their loyalties to their employers and their careers. Second, enterprises are trying to maintain their competitiveness within industries that technology is redesigning daily. How to keep workers happy is just one puzzle they must solve; how to remain ahead in their sector is another.

What’s becoming more apparent is that both sides of the employment relationship are restructuring how they view their contribution to that pact. Their efforts are remaking how ‘work’ will be considered and experienced in the future.

 

The Employee-Centric Workplace

Historically, employers would post their job openings, and potential hires who filled those qualifications got the work – on the employer’s terms and under the employer’s rules. Those days are gone; high employee turnover and its accompanying costs are driving employers to offer more than just a paycheck to their current staff. Instead, their workplace now supports employee ‘engagement and satisfaction’ initiatives, which are quickly becoming the workforce norm, especially for businesses that struggle to find the quality workforce talent they need.

Many businesses are taking up an ’employee-centric’ mindset as they work to lure and retain top talent in a very heated job market. These are just a few of the employee retention efforts being seen across America’s labor market:

Some companies are offering high salaries coupled with fewer work hours. Over the course of 2021, annual salaries grew by 4% (over the historical norm of 2%), and companies that could afford those increases made that choice. Companies that did not have that financial resource elected, instead, to reduce the number of workweek hours, which had the effect of increasing pay. It also responded to the employee’s quest for a better work-life balance.

How employees feel at work is also being considered, as employers invest more in ‘worker well-being’ programs. The belief is that these efforts will encourage both higher employee performance metrics and better retention metrics for the business. A 2020 Gartner survey revealed that of 52 leaders polled:

94% had invested in enhanced worker well-being programs;

85% put at least some funds into mental health support;

50% added physical health supports, and

38% added financial health incentives to their worker benefits packages.

A ‘Chief Purpose Officer’ may now be patrolling office corridors, keeping an eye out for signs of disgruntled workers or employee discord. To encourage a more inclusive workforce, many organizations are asking their staff to bring ‘their whole self’ to the office, including their personal preferences and beliefs. Often, these disparate views and opinions can cause disagreements or worse; the CPO’s role will be to calm ruffled feathers and return worker demeanor to its more productive stance.

Creative responses to both employee demands and a stressed job market will help most employers find and build the workforce they need.

 

The Employer-Centric Effort

Ultimately, a happy workforce builds a successful business, but that’s not enough for the organization to withstand future sector upheavals. To guard against more workforce instability in the future, some employers are building in new and novel ways to ‘future proof’ their business:

They are adding ‘career pathways’ as elements of their hiring and onboarding processes. Rather than simply filling a job opening, business leaders are looking at how that sometimes limited occupation might expand in the future and are hiring to fill both the current and prospective roles. Engaging in ‘career conversations‘ early in the onboarding process gives the new hire a clearer vision of what will be expected of them and, therefore, what they can expect from their employer. Further, both the worker and the employer gain confidence and optimism when those discussions include notes on future possibilities and expanded career opportunities within the company. Again, keeping the employee engaged and looking forward to more work satisfaction is an excellent retention tool.

Companies that build in advance training opportunities to enhance employee skills are also ahead of their competition on the ‘future proofing’ scale. Rather than looking at the actual ‘job’ to be done, corporate leaders are looking at the skill sets they need to accomplish those tasks. In many cases, similar occupations may have ‘adjacent’ skills that can enhance the work—filling job openings with existing employees whose adjacent skills match those needed both provides a new career path for the worker and retains highly skilled talent for the organization.

Some companies go further by converting the ‘enhanced training’ opportunity into a ‘career training’ exercise. They see the new hire as a long-term employee, capable of working towards loftier – and better paying – roles within the enterprise. Hiring with this long-range view in mind can reduce turnover while also giving the organization the long-term stability it needs.

Another element newly emerging as a critical ‘future-proofing’ tool is the ‘soft’ skill set. Many jobs these days are ‘middle-skilled’ jobs – they don’t require the advanced education of a four-year degree, but they need more training than a high school diploma provides. It is becoming more imperative to business success to add ‘soft’ skills to the middle-skill set. ‘Soft’ skills are those that require some level of critical thinking or analysis to accomplish the set goal. Rather than just ‘run a machine,’ for example, operators will be expected to review incoming data streams and make decisions based on minute-by-minute developments. Middle-level employees who bring these soft skills to their work also bring their employer a better, more comprehensive employee.

 

The work world is considerably different from how it was just a few short years ago. These days, both employees and their employers are seeking better, more fulfilling outcomes from their employment effort. Organizations that follow these trends will most likely thrive as the world adapts to a post-COVID, revised economic reality.

 

California’s ‘Strata’ of Workforce Development Sectors

Pam Sornson, JD on July 19, 2022

California’s workforce development sector has rarely been in more turmoil than it is today. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, technology-driven upheavals in workplace norms were already causing struggles between employers and employees. Pandemic-driven technological innovations and the public health crisis exacerbated those challenges, making large segments of the state’s traditional employment roles and jobs obsolete. Workers who kept their jobs started examining their attachment to their work – and their loyalty to their employer. Some wanted better working conditions; others simply quit to find new employment opportunities elsewhere.

And everywhere, economic disruptions drove – and continue to drive – the discontinuation of traditional work standards and the emergence of whole new systems of occupational expectations. Understanding the consequences of all that turmoil and structuring the state’s subsequent economic reality to optimize those changes is the single common focus of California’s workforce development ‘strata.’

 

California’s Workforce Development Strata

‘Strata‘ – a series of layers – appears to be an apt description of the aggregate of governments, agencies, and industries investing in building a stronger, more robust economy in the wake of technological and biological disruptors. In California, each ‘stratum’ – single layer – is working in high gear within its sphere of influence to address the myriad of economic and workforce challenges and opportunities that continue to evolve within its individual purview. Together, all those ‘stratum’ – ‘strata’ being plural – are contributing to the State’s emergence from these crises with a more robust economy and a healthy, well-trained, well-employed population.

 

Workers at the Heart of it All

This economic and workforce development process is based partly on the state’s mandate to convert its community colleges into workforce development engines. The community college system didn’t start with this lofty goal, though, and its efforts since its inception in 1910 haven’t been directed at tailoring all operations to meet a single (albeit varied) goal. However, that lack of vision changed in 2012 when California’s leadership began its investment in this new direction. The State tasked the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) with implementing its ‘Strong Workforce Program‘ to tie the education and training outputs of community colleges with the labor and workforce demands of the state’s thousands of businesses and industries. By connecting the efforts of both strata – education and employment – the State intends to raise the economic fortunes of both.

 

Mapping the Strata

In the effort to accomplish that long-term goal, the coalescing strata of workforce development entities are now exploring ways to tap into and engage with community college resources and each other. Mapping this constellation of players helps explain who is doing what work, and why and how they’re coming together to remedy these critical economic and social situations.

Foundational Players:

Educators, Employees, and Employers

From the community college perspective, current students are future employees, so coursework and programs must provide them with the skills and abilities they’ll need to pursue their chosen careers. For many students, however, college success requires more than just the right class availability. Sometimes it also requires peripheral support to ensure the learner can focus on their education, such as transportation or food assistance, special needs accommodations, or added remedial courses. Today’s community colleges are stepping up services to provide these foundational supports in addition to relevant programs to ensure tomorrow’s workforce is fully prepared to contribute their best on day one of their first job.

Employers are also a foundational element of the workforce development strata. Industries are comprised of businesses, and businesses are run by their workforce. Helping employers attain the best trained and equipped staff is also a goal on the community college radar. California’s community colleges are building new relationships with local and regional employers and strategizing with them to develop current, appropriate, and timely job training opportunities. These partnerships – educator and employer – are essential to economic growth because the effort of one is so critical to the success of the other.

Community Players: Governmental, Economic, and Industrial

Social policies also drive workforce development efforts, and local, regional, and state-level governments add incentives and support to make the process easier for all.

Governmental Entities

At the federal level, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 was the first new legislation since 1998 to address workers’ and employers’ needs. In California, these activities are connected through America’s Job Center of California, which manages employment-related benefits for job seekers. In addition, California’s Workforce Development Board (CWDB) oversees statewide efforts and develops policies and initiatives to move the process forward.

Economic Entities

At the state level, the Centers of Excellence (CoE) work as the labor market research resource for California’s community colleges. Based regionally, these research organizations provide leaders in all sectors with the crucial workforce, industry, and economic data needed to drive decisions.

In Los Angeles County, the Center for a Competitive Workforce (CCW) collaborates with industries, businesses, and educators to respond to emerging skills, programming, and occupation demands. In addition, the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) and the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership (SGCEP) contribute insights, guidance, and advocacy to regional workforce development entities and initiatives.

Industrial Entities

In its quest to build the most robust possible economy, California established a series of ten ‘priority’ industries that reflect those industrial sectors most likely to grow and help the state prosper. From agriculture to technology, leaders in these industries routinely collaborate with governments, educators, and economic experts, providing data, insights, and other assets to the workforce development agenda.

 

Thinktank Players

Of course, there are experts outside these sectors that contribute significant assistance to the workforce development discussion. A notable few include:

Jobs for the Future (JFF): With its focus on equity, JFF offers guidance and connections to work-based learning and apprenticeship opportunities, among many other projects.

The Milken Institute (Milken): Milken provides pivotal research on medical, healthcare, financial, and economic topics designed to help all strata of the global society achieve their next best step.

The Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW): Based at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., this organization evaluates the economic impact of schools and education avenues on students’ lives and the communities in which they live.

The ECMC Foundation (ECMC): The Educational Credit Management Corporation focuses its attention on ensuring all learners get the support they need to achieve college success. Its Basic Needs Initiative, for example, donated over $3 million to support college students experiencing food or housing insecurity.

 

California has one of the most complex and diverse economies in the world. Not surprisingly, any unrest in any sector will affect all other sectors eventually. Fortunately, the strata of organizations that populate its workforce development sector are working together to address common concerns and challenges that threaten its economic future. With this much talent directed to those achieving common goals, California will certainly maintain its role as a global leader in workforce development policy and practice.

White Collar. Blue Collar. New Collar: The Future of ‘Career’

Pam Sornson, JD on July 5, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

July 2, 2022

The number of ‘new collar’ career options continues to grow as technological innovations upend traditional job descriptions. A four-year college degree is no longer necessary to secure a rewarding job and successful life. Learners looking to find their ‘non-traditional’ path to the occupation of their dreams should consider the emerging offerings in these key industries.

 

What’s A ‘New Collar’ Job?

Just a few years ago, employers relied primarily on education transcripts when searching for new hires. Education level – high school, some college, college graduate, etc. – was used as the key indicator of an applicant’s capacity to do the work, and the four-year degree track was considered the ‘best’ path to a successful career. Those who achieved that goal often went on to attain ‘white collar’ jobs, which were typically based in an office setting and offered higher wages and a more lucrative career path. Learners who didn’t attain the degree were often assigned to ‘blue collar’ jobs, those that typically paid less and involved physical labor or more menial tasks. There were only rare opportunities for blue-collar workers to achieve white-collar levels of success.

That standard is changing, however. These days, a growing percentage of the population doesn’t pursue a ‘traditional’ educational path yet still gains significant skills and abilities by accessing ‘non-traditional’ training resources. Newly dubbed ‘new collar’ jobs don’t require a four-year degree, but they do require more skill than a high school diploma, so some form of education or training is still necessary. Many of these occupations also pay the same wages as those received by four-year degree graduates, which makes them that much more desirable. These opportunities offer many community members not just a rewarding career but also the upward mobility that they might not otherwise have the capacity to achieve.

The demand for these ‘new collar’ workers is growing as these ‘middle skills’ – more than high school and less than university caliber – are becoming more available. In many, if not most, cases, the addition of occupationally related technical knowledge is now the employer’s critical resource need.

New Collar Jobs

Several industries, in particular, are experiencing a high demand for these ‘middle skilled’ workers:

Healthcare

Perhaps not surprisingly, healthcare jobs related to ‘vaccines’ are now in high demand as viruses continue to evolve. The medical clinic, sales department, and community outreach sectors all have openings for vaccine management and administration personnel.

The pandemic also opened many job opportunities for molecular biologists. These lab-based scientists search for clues and solutions to cellular-based healthcare issues.

Technology

Also not surprising is the rise in the scope and number of technology-based occupations. As a stand-alone industry, the technology sector continues to evolve as innovations build on existing platforms to provide more services and capacities.

‘Cybersecurity specialist‘ is an especially valuable career option. Cybercriminals are everywhere, and many, if not most, consumers have been victimized by evil-doers breaching their digital accounts.

Cloud computing specialists are also in demand. The rise of ‘remote’ work shifted much of the world’s workday to the cloud, and keeping those digital resources safe and functioning correctly requires constant attention.

The global population of data scientists is also growing. These technology wizards use their comprehensive knowledge of databases, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other digital assets to search out ever more granular insights from vast quantities of raw data.

Finance

Technology has disrupted the world of finance as much as it has disrupted every industry. These days, financiers must be competent not just in financial standards and capacities but also in the technologies through which much of the global finance activity now takes place:

Much of the global banking sector now relies on automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to manage many routine but sensitive financial chores. Mastery of both security and compliance standards is also critical to achieving career success.

The demand for advanced analytics is also on the rise in this sector. Gartner’s research indicates that 80% of financial institutions are using advanced analytics to guide investment, mergers, and other critical financial decisions.

The traditional ‘accountant’ career is also becoming more attractive as digital resources provide better management and control of financial assets. Most businesses benefit from the input of an accountant who is familiar with both IRS regulations and state and local tax rules.

There are many more jobs and occupations available in each of these sectors, all of which don’t require an expensive four-year degree and most of which do offer fulfilling work that can sustain a fulfilling lifestyle.

 

Community Colleges Rise to the Challenge

A consequence of the demand for these newly defined job skills is the emergence of ‘non-traditional’ training opportunities, and California’s community colleges are reinventing themselves to provide those very specific educational opportunities. New courses are developing as employers and industry insiders offer direction and insights to college curricula development. Businesses are building internship and apprenticeship opportunities to connect with future employees. The ‘workforce development’ community is collaborating to ensure that education (at most levels) leads to both employment and economic success.

California designed its Strong Workforce Program (SWP) to respond to these specific demands by investing billions of dollars in upgrading the middle-skill training capacities of its community colleges. Launched in 2016, the SWP uses labor market research to guide the development of relevant, occupationally based curricula for its colleges, to ensure that:

      1.  California’s community college students aren’t wasting their resources studying subjects that have little to no chance of sustaining lifelong employment, and
      2. California’s economic resources are invested in building and growing its economy through strategized workforce development initiatives.

As the new post-COVID-19 economy emerges, more ‘new collar’ occupations will materialize. California’s community colleges are well on their way to providing the training needed to both attain and succeed in those careers.

California’s High Road to Economic Success

Pam Sornson, JD on July 5, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

July , 2022

California has been a trendsetter since its establishment, and it continues to blaze trails today. It’s in the process of converting its community colleges into workforce development engines, connecting those students to the jobs and careers that will grow the State’s economy. It’s also in the process of transitioning over to carbon-neutral energy sources, and it’s planning on connecting its economic goals to that project, too. Its ultimate goal is to ensure all “Californians thrive during and after the transition into a carbon-neutral economy,” and its strategy to pursue that goal is outlined in a 2020 report, “Putting California on the High Road: A Jobs and Climate Action Plan for 2030.”

 

Intentional Paths to Intentional Goals

Developed by the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), the strategy aligns with that agency’s ‘Unified Strategic Workforce Development Plan,” a platform of actions to coordinate and leverage the impact of the State’s many and varied workforce, education, and economic programs. Additionally, the plan follows the mandate established by Assembly Bill 398 (E. Garcia, Chapter 135, Statutes of 2017), which requires California’s workforce development efforts to also address its equity and social justice concerns while pursuing a carbon-neutral economy. California’s plan is remarkable because it encompasses multiple sectors of social, economic, and environmental problems within a single, albeit complex, strategy to provide a better life for all its residents.

 

The ‘High Road’ Framework – In Pieces

Policymakers kept each sector’s (education, economy, and environment) fundamental policies at the center of the strategy and built connections and pathways from those through a series of three approaches to achieve the outcomes that unite them all.

Overarching Policies

Climate Sector Policies

California’s climate concerns continue to evolve, and the State is expecting another dry, hot summer. To address the climate conditions causing its environmental distress, the State is pursuing several initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint. It’s developing its renewable energy resources and its electric vehicle infrastructure, and encouraging the embrace of ‘Investor Owned Utilities Energy Efficiency’ (IOU EE) programs.

Economic Development Sector Policies

To build new economic strength and maintain existing economic assets, the State must attract and keep the attention of its businesses and industries. It does so by ensuring its economic policies offer appropriate incentives to ensure their success. Those incentives include public investments in private enterprises and providing access to a robust, well-trained labor force.

Education Sector Policies

Both existing and emerging industries require access to a talented labor pool, and California’s community colleges are on track to become that labor pool. Policies now connect programs and coursework at the community college level to the jobs in demand, which will continue to be in demand in the future. Further, the State has identified several key industries that promise significant growth opportunities; the colleges are designing training programs to meet that escalating demand.

 

Overarching Approaches

Achieving strategic outcomes requires developing approaches that both conform to policy and encompass the three fundamental sectors.

The ‘Demand Side’ Approach

Specifically related to achieving climate goals, the ‘demand side’ approach contemplates building a stronger, more robust renewable/alternate energy industry capable of meeting the State’s energy demand:

State-level investments will support new and established forms of renewable energy.

Workforce agreements will standardize performance metrics.

Wage disparities will be eliminated across all sectors.

The ‘Supply Side’ Approach

The supply side approach contemplates developing the workforce needed in response to the demand for well-trained labor:

Higher education schools and training facilities will include apprenticeships and pipeline training as fundamental elements of the educational process.

Businesses and industries will collaborate on training materials and methods.

Curricula upgrades will match industry demand, so students graduate ready to work.

The ‘Justice’ Approach

A ‘Just’ transition assumes that all Californians will benefit from the overarching strategy, especially those workers who’ve lost their jobs or haven’t had the resources to pursue a career path. By offering wrap-around social support to citizens who need them, the State is increasing their opportunity to engage and succeed in the new economic sphere.

 

 Intended Outcomes

Assuming policies are met, and approaches succeed, California’s intended outcomes will provide a sound infrastructure that will support its economy for decades to come:

The number and scope of ‘high quality’ jobs will grow, ensuring more workers have the opportunity to achieve the upward mobility they seek. ‘High quality’ jobs are those that pay well, respect the worker’s other obligations, provide a safe and fair workplace, and offer the opportunity to build new skills.

The number of eligible workers will increase as those who’ve previously been shut out of workforce development opportunities find access through new educational and social programs.

Companies and industries will find the skilled workforce they need in the communities in which they operate. Collaborations will ensure that the goals and activities of all parties – the schools, businesses, and policymakers – tie together to deliver economic benefits to the community as a whole.

Of course, the overall ‘High Road’ strategy report outlines how these efforts will impact the political, industrial, and economic sectors involved, and there are many of those, including the energy, transportation, logistics, waste and water, and natural land sectors.

 

Conclusion

California’s approach to resolving its climate concerns through strategic workforce and economic development policies is laudable and, again, sets a trend that other groups will certainly study and adopt. Each tenet of the plan’s strategy involves rethinking current practices and reworking them to reflect today’s economic realities:

Too many people are unable to achieve economic stability due to unnecessary political, biased, or ability barriers or constraints.

Current training resources don’t meet the needs of local businesses or industries.

Existing environmental threats caused by climate change and global warming will exasperate the economic malaise unless the State adopts and implements intentional and direct interventions to reduce or eliminate their impact.

While still in its infancy, the strategy offers hope and optimism that California will continue its role as a treand=setting leader for many more years.

Workforce Training From an EWD Perspective

Pam Sornson, JD on June 1, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

June 21, 2022

Leslie Thompson has made ‘Higher Education’ her career for 26 years. Currently serving as the Director of Operations in Economic and Workforce Development (EWD) at Pasadena City College (PCC), she oversees the work of the division’s seven pillars, including that of the Workforce Training pillar.

 

Each day, as she looks over all the division’s activities, she focuses on a central theme to guide her thoughts and next steps: clarifying and pursuing the true purpose and goal of the division’s work. From her perspective, the EWD’s ultimate goal is to offer a ‘people-focused’ approach to training, upskilling, and preparing its student body to achieve maximum economic mobility in their chosen fields. Achieving that goal also means finding sufficient educational and employment opportunities so PCC students can actually attain that mobility. It’s only after a long series of interim goals are pursued and accomplished that both aspirations can be met.

Structuring a path toward those realities, however, is a complex task:

She sees the work of the EWD as both inward and outward facing:

Inward-facing – Its educational assets must be appropriate to achieve student goals, and its seven pillars provide information, support, and training on career research, academic pathways, and job searching.

Outward-facing – It should also provide upskilling and training facilities and resources to improve the regional community workforce for the benefit of EWD’s enterprise partners.

She’s also invested in what’s going on in the greater workforce development ecosystem, exploring possible barriers, and focusing on maximizing the points where systems intersect.

The need to reskill the existing workforce is also critical. Entire economic sectors have had to change how they do business, communicate with each other, and sometimes coordinate totally new resources to achieve milestones that may or may not now be obsolete.

And, of course, her primary focus is on the student’s success – ‘people-focused,’ in Thompson’s mind, means leveraging on- and off-campus resources to offer supports necessary to facilitate student success, whether those address transportation, housing, or financial needs, or achieving basic educational foundations. 

Thompson’s job, then, is to maintain the division’s attention on the school’s ultimate goals while also monitoring the new labor force environment for barriers and opportunities.

 

Existing Programs

PCC engages with several state and federal agencies to deliver appropriate training and upskilling for both incumbent and displaced workers:

The Employment Training Panel (ETP)

ETP is a funding source for employers to provide upskilling training for new and existing workers. Funded through a California state payroll tax, the ETP resource helps workers improve their wages and long-term job opportunities. EWD serves as a contractor to access that funding and facilitate training.

Contract Education

‘Just In Time’ training provides the upskilling training needed by the existing workforce of the local business community. These training services eliminate the need for businesses to develop training in-house and maximize the value of state-based ETP funding and other employer resources.

California Training Initiative

The California Workforce Association granted EWD’s participation in this initiative, providing growth opportunities for EWD to deliver quality training to a variety of local employers to upskill the existing workforce.

TAA & I-TRAIN

These federally funded programs subsidize a student’s journey to obtain skills and credentials via PCC. EWD partners with local EDD and Workforce Development Boards to attract and support student clients by assisting with their applications and supporting their program engagement from entry to PCC to program completion.

PCC collaborates with regional agencies as well, all of which also operate within the workforce development ecosystem. Cooperative business organizations such as the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) and the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership (SGVEP) offer their unique assets and perspectives to the effort. They, too, are rethinking how they will move forward in light of how evolutions in the work world are impacting their internal processes and outward-facing programs.

 

New Opportunities

Despite the complexity of the work, Thompson intends to build on successes already achieved by existing workforce development initiatives, including those within the EWD, the region, and the state. She staunchly believes in California’s several billion-dollar investment in its community colleges as its workforce development engines. The EWD pillars work to maximize the impact of their effort by intersecting with these entities so that all can achieve their common goals.

The Robert G. Freeman Center for Career and Completion provides employment attainment training for PCC learners, including resume development, mock interviews, and job fairs. It offers student career development services, helps students find job opportunities, prepares them for job searches and interviews, and curates alumni engagement.

The Small Business Development Center offers small business owners guidance, training, insights, and resources to start, build, or scale their enterprise as they contribute labor and workforce insights to PCC.

The PCC Extension provides not-for-credit courses for a variety of adult learners. Workforce training, professional development, and life-enrichment programs encourage learners of all ages to continue their intellectual growth.

Workforce Training develops and delivers customized training programs to meet the needs of individual businesses and organizations to upskill their employees.

 

Thompson sees these PCC assets as the foundation of an exceptional opportunity to attain a high-quality education, appropriate job-training skills, and ultimately, a life-sustaining occupation or career and the economic mobility that that entails. While there may be systemic barriers within the workforce development ecosystem to explore and address, she believes that the ‘collective objective’ of the greater community to address economic and social concerns through collaboration and communication will facilitate social and economic success for all its residents.

 

 

Workforce Talent Development: Upskilling Your Staff

Pam Sornson, JD on June 1, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

June 21, 2022

It’s hard to fathom how the COVID-19 pandemic changed things for the better, but, in some cases, that seems to be the case. In many businesses, it’s acted as a catalyst to innovation and renewal as they retool their enterprise to embrace new consumer expectations. They’re also rethinking how to go about their ‘business as usual’ in light of the explosion of technology, the transition to remote work, and the new economic opportunities that have opened up as the world shifted its activities to comport with COVID’s digital demands.

What some business leaders have come to know, too, is that their existing workforce is not yet capable of managing all the changes that have arrived or will arrive in the next few years. Their challenge is now is deciding if they hire a new, more capable workforce or retrain their existing one to meet emerging needs. According to experts, investments in workforce upskilling are beating all others in terms of corporate ROI metrics.

 

‘Tom-A-to/Tom-AH-to’ – It’s all the Same Thing

‘Upskilling.’ ‘Workforce Training.’ ‘Workforce Talent Development.’ ‘Corporate College.’ Whatever you call it, it still refers to the practice of improving the skills of existing employees instead of hiring a set of new, already trained workers to take their place. In some cases, standardized programs that teach a standard set of (new) skills are available through many sources, such as basic computer skills, office management procedures, or basic hygiene techniques. In other cases, a specialized training program is designed to fulfill a specific company’s occupational or systemic requirements. In both cases, the employer retains all the value already invested in its workforce while the workers improve their job skills and set themselves up for future career growth.

 

 

Upskilling is Now an Imperative

Even before the pandemic, the C-Suite was aware of the lagging of its workforce skill base compared to newly emerging tools and practices. According to SHRM, in May 2020, one in four CEOs (79%) reported concerns about their employees’ lack of essential skills. Almost two out of three (60%) believed the skill level of their workforce would be out of date within three to five years. And nearly half (46%) said they considered retraining and upskilling as their best strategy to close skills gaps in their organization.

There are more benefits, too, apparently, to be had by making the upskilling investment:

It boosts morale. In most cases, a happy worker is a productive worker, and the most productive workers are those whose skill sets meet their job description demands. Employees, too, are watching how technology is upending occupational standards; investing in their future with your company is a win/win for both of you.

It improves retention. Well-trained workers are proud of their efforts and of the company that has invested in them. Reducing employee churn saves the time and money needed to recruit, hire, and train the replacements.

An upskilled workforce can also improve your customer’s satisfaction. When existing customers can count on your employees to keep them up-to-date and informed on the latest (product/service/options), they’re more likely to repay that service with enhanced customer loyalty.

 

Developing the Workforce Talent Development Strategy

Like any business investment, the most successful workforce talent development project begins with an informed and comprehensive strategy. It makes sense, then, to also invest the time needed to tune that strategy to meet specific corporate goals.

Keep Your Focus

These steps offer insights into appropriate upskilling strategy goals:

      1. Focus on your business values. If you want to sell more, upskill existing sales activities to include up-to-date technology and practices.
      2. If you’re looking to grow, retrain production lines to see new opportunities in existing systems or products. The opportunities available to add value to existing inventory are growing as technological tweaks add improved performance and function.
      3. Focus on talent. You already have an IT department (probably), but have you connected your entire workforce to emerging technological tools? In many companies these days, truly skilled and technologically savvy workers are making a significant impact on their employers’ outcomes because they:
      4. know how to optimize their technology usage, and
      5. don’t waste the IT team’s time with mundane, non-corporate-critical repairs.

Your current workers are already your biggest corporate investment; enhancing their value maximizes their already proven value to the company.

Engage Your Workers

These steps illustrate how some organizations embraced the task:

    1. They made it an actual corporate asset investment. More than $300 million is invested annually in corporate education, but many projects fail because they aren’t tied directly to business impact. Without that clear focus, the training may provide interesting updates and new skills but have little or no return on investment in terms of corporate growth.
    2. They made it easy to achieve. Rather than immersing employees in weeks-long training seminars, many successful employers provide upskilling activities in smaller batches that are easier to access, obtain, and retain. Also, the training packages themselves are related directly to work already being done. Workers were upskilling the skills they used in their daily jobs, making those more effective and productive.
    3. They made it fun. Today’s immense online gaming industry speaks to its embrace by millions of people. Educators, too, have learned that student participation goes up, social and emotional skills evolve, and even (appropriate) risk-taking actions improve when lessons are taught in a game format. Workers with focus challenges also improve as their focus and attention are drawn into the game.
    4. They reduced silos by building teams through upskilling activities. People ‘playing’ together develop stronger bonds and emotional attachments as they pursue success in mutual tasks, negotiate strategy, and collaborate on problem-solving.

 

Changes in workforce expectations are already here, as COVID-19 forced more workers than ever into remote positions. More change is coming as the global economy adjusts to the new situation. Companies that invest in retooling their workers to meet both today’s and tomorrow’s workforce demands will be better prepared to lead the way into those emerging economic opportunities.

 

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