Skill Up WA

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Skill Up WA
SkillUp WA Key Initiativeswww.skillupwa.org
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Photosynthesis and Sector Work
An Illustrative Example of Photosynthesis
created by the Michigan Environmental Education
Group
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Skill Panels
What is a skill panel
"Skill panels bring together competing employers
who might not otherwise work together to address
their labor force needs. By sharing their issues
and ideas with each other and with government,
educators and labor, the group can find the root
causes of their workforce problems and get a
glimpse into the future of the industry. The aim
of skill panels is not just to fill current
vacancies, but also to build a pipeline for the
future of the industry.
Eleni Papadakis, Executive Director
Washington State Workforce Board
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Means of Sector Work
Successful Skill Panel Elements

• Industry driven Employer facilitates meetings
• Collaborative in nature
• Clear on expectations at outset, but flexible as
  information and experts weigh in
• Embrace Forming, storming, norming,
  performing principle
• Before first meeting distribute a timeline of
  meetings and how often the group will meet and
  what the primary purpose of convening is
• When convening skill panels, the perfect mix
  50 employers, 50 CBOs, education, workforce,
  labor, econ.devel, and other
• Keep attendees the same (Do not encourage
  alternates to attend)
• Food at meetings (breakfast or lunch)
• Change venues/meeting locations

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Health Care Skill Panel Outcomes
Health Care Skill Panel Means
Outcomes

• MEANS
• Facilitated by large, well respected hospital
• Staffed by WIB 20 month duration
• Divided into two subcommitteesYouth - Long term
  strategies addressed (I.e. outreach)Incumbent
  workers - New Project Career Pathways launched
• Six hospitals participated in Career Pathways
  Project leveraged resources
• Career Pathways Initiative funded half by
  employers and half by WIB and some colleges funds
  provided
• OUTCOMES
• Career Pathway Specialist worked with incumbent
  workers weekly
• Over 2,500 served Coordinated workshops, career
  planning, and scholarship training in high growth
  health care fields and IT training
• Career Pathways model expanded to other counties
• Replicated in other sector(s)

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Green Jobs Employer Survey

• MEP engineering at the university level
• Energy efficiency engineering
• Energy system fundamentals
• Basic process (industrial) engineering
• HVAC controls/building automation systems
• Building commissioning concepts
• Systems thinking
• Life cycle cost economics
• Technical sales training
• Applied traditional trade skills to new
  industries
• Quality construction and equipment installation
• Writing skills
• Presentation skills
• Business finances/business skills
• Energy modeling/simulation
• Critical thinking skills

GREEN BUILDING SURVEY (Over 1,000 employers
surveyed)
What important skill sets are currently being
overlooked by the educational system or union
trainings?
From report 2009 King County Green Building Jobs
Employer Education Survey
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Outcome of Sector Work
Outcome of Sector Work

• GOOD WORK
• Industry is engaged in ongoing training and
  relationship-building with labor, postsecondary,
  workforce, and government entities
• Outreach material disseminated to target
  populations (e.g. K-12 teachers and counselors)
• Increased public awareness of workforce demand in
  sector
• X number of individuals or workers trained in
  high demand job
• EXCELLENT WORK
• Career pathways and/or lattices developed
• Skill gap analysis published
• Next workforce initiative is easy to identify
  subgroups continue to meet
• Policy improvement Legislators involved and
  aware of key workforce opportunities
• GOLD PHOTOSYNTHESIS STAR
• Industry standardized training developed shared
  between college system
• Financial resources leveraged for next sector
  initiative
• Sustainable and replicable model Other
  regions/sectors implement similar initiatives
• Demonstrated significant wage progression as a
  result of initiative

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Photosynthesis Sector Work Example
On the back of your handout is example of EE
sector work that is in the planning phase.
Questions? Helena.Haas_at_seattle.gov