Workforce Programs and RISE

1
Workforce Programs and RISE

• Regional Industry Skills Education (RISE)
• Workforce Policy Forum
• Julie Strawn
• Center for Law and Social Policy
• jstrawn_at_clasp.org
• February 19, 2008

2
CP Core Elements and Policy Issues

• WI Career Pathway Draft Core Elements
• Industry Engagement
• Instructional Design
• Pathway Support for Lifelong Learning
• Systems and Partnerships

3
Possibilities for DWD CP Support

• DWD programs explored in matrix
• WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker Training
• TANF Food Stamp Emp. Trg.
• Job Service Apprenticeship
• Veterans
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Trade Adjustment Assistance

4
WIA Adult and Dislocated Workers

• Can support statewide and regional career
  pathways start-up activities, such as the core
  elements under Employer Engagement and
  Instructional Design.
• State discretionary funds (either Gov.s 15
  funding or state performance incentive funds) can
  be used strategically for a broad range of
  start-up activities. Examples OR, KY, and OH.
  NY used state funds to support local mapping of
  career pathways.
• Local WIBs can use formula funds by assigning
  staff to work with business and other partners on
  creating career pathways.

5
WIA Adult and Dislocated Workers

• Can support operational costs of career pathways
  for WIA participants. E.g. WI core elements
  under Pathways Support for Lifelong Learning.
• WIA can fund education and training through ITAs
  and WIA staff can counsel participants about
  financial aid options. E.g. Portland, OR
  Elizabethtown, KY.
• WIA staff can cover pre-vocational services as
  intensive services, e.g. workforce bridge
  prgms. in IL.
• WIA staff can support pathways through customized
  training and on-the-job training, through the
  definition of demand occupations, and through ITA
  polices.

6
WIA and career pathway operating costs

• Local WIA formula funds can pay for support
  services, career counseling, and case management.
  
• States can seek waivers to allow more flexible
  use of local funds for pathways (31 states).
  E.g. IL and OH waivers to allow more local WIA
  funds to be used for incumbent workers in
  pathways.
• In limited instances local WIA formula funds can
  pay for education and training through contracts.
• States can encourage WIB support of pathways
  through state guidelines, review and approval
  process for local WIA plans, etc. E.g. IL
  definition of state floor for training
  expenditures.

7
WIA Opportunities in Wisconsin

• Use state WIA discretionary funds to seed the
  development of Career Pathway programs
• Build RISE initiative into state plan and
  guidelines for local plans, e.g. focus on
  long-term job advancement
• Align roles of WIA and Job Service local staff to
  maximize WIA resources available for training and
  pathway support
• Consider revisiting state 35 training
  requirement to ensure it supports full range of
  RISE core elements
• Pursue state waivers that support RISE elements
• Ensure RISE ed. and trg. prgms. are on ETPL

8
Temp. Asst. to Needy Families (W-2)

• Can support statewide and regional career
  pathways start-up activities, such as the core
  elements under Employer Engagement and
  Instructional Design. Example Arkansas
• Funding from TANF must be in proportion to extent
  to needy families will be served in the pathways
• Families can be served even if not receiving cash
  assistance if they are needy (including noncust.
  fathers)
• The career pathways activities should be included
  in the state TANF plan

9
Temporary Asst. to Needy Families

• Can support operational costs of career pathways
  for needy families e.g. core elements under
  Pathways Support for Lifelong Learning. Examples
  AR, CA, KY, OR
• Can enter into statewide agreements with
  workforce development prgms., community colleges,
  etc. for funding operating costs of career
  pathways core elements at the local level.
• Can set various TANF policies to support career
  pathways participation, such as how voc. ed. trg.
  is defined, how work activities are verified,
  etc. Local funds can pay for support services and
  ed. and trg.

10
TANF Opportunities in Wisconsin

• RISE career pathway and bridge programs can work
  with local W-2 contractors to make sure case
  mgrs. know about them as activities for W-2
  participants.
• Needy families, not just W-2 recipients, who
  participate in bridge and career pathways
  programs can receive child care, case management,
  and other supportive services.
• To the extent that the state spends additional
  funds on needy families, the excess MOE can be
  used to reduce the states work rate.

11
Apprenticeship

• Can support RISE statewide and regional career
  pathways start-up activities within
  apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship prgms.
• Can work with employers and labor to develop
  apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship prgms.
• Can work with employers and labor to define core
  competencies for apprenticeship or
  pre-apprenticeship prgms.
• Can help to articulate steps of pathway within
  apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship prgms.

12
Apprenticeship

• Cannot fund directly most operational costs of
  career pathways and bridge programs, such as core
  elements under Pathways Support for Lifelong
  Learning.
• Apprenticeship prgm. staff can help with job
  placement, as individuals placed into
  apprenticeship programs are employed.
• Apprenticeship prgm. staff can work with
  employers and other apprenticeship sponsors to
  help secure private funding for apprenticeship
  and pre-apprenticeship ed. and trg. in RISE.

13
Apprenticeship Opportunities for WI

• Develop new Registered Apprenticeship prgms.,
  e.g. encourage more employers to offer
  apprenticeships by subsidizing training costs
  with other prgm. funds.
• Support the development and expansion of
  Pre-Apprenticeship programs, such as bridge
  prgms. in RISE.
• Create closer connections between WIA and
  Registered Apprenticeship.
• Put Registered Apprenticeship programs on the WIA
  Eligible Training Provider List.
• Coordinate employer engagement activities between
  Registered Apprenticeship and WIA.

14
Food Stamp Employment and Trg.

• Cannot support statewide and regional career
  pathways start-up activities.
• Can only be used to reimburse programs for costs
  of serving eligible individuals
• Can support operational costs of career pathways
  for Food Stamp recipients, such as core elements
  under Pathways Support for Lifelong Learning.
  Examples Milwaukee, Denver, CO and Seattle, WA.
• In addition to federal FSET funds received by a
  state, state can submit an open-ended amount of
  additional FSET expenses for 50 federal
  reimbursement
• Provider of services must have agreement in place
  with state or local FS agency for reimbursement
  of specified services

15
FSET Opportunities in Wisconsin

• State and local FS agencies can work with locals
  to help set up agreements for reimbursement and
  identify eligible services and viable,
  non-federal matching funds.
• Local providers of RISE career pathway and bridge
  prgm. services can provide book vouchers or other
  incentives to encourage participants to identify
  themselves as current Food Stamp recipients or as
  being interested in applying for Food Stamps.

16
Job Service/Veterans

• Support for statewide and regional career
  pathways start-up activities is limited.
• Job Service can identify sectors and employers in
  need of qualified workers.
• Veterans staff can reach out to employers seeking
  to hire eligible veterans.

17
Job Service/Veterans

• Can support some of the operational costs of
  career pathways and bridge programs in RISE.
• Job Service can conduct assessments and provide
  counseling to jobseekers. Veterans staff can
  provide these services to eligible veterans.
• Job Service can provide job search and placement
  assistance. Veterans staff can offer placement
  assistance to eligible veterans.
• Neither prgm. can fund ed. and trg. costs or
  support services such as child care and
  transportation.

18
Job Service/Vets Opportunities in WI

• Job Service counselors and Veterans staff can
  help guide jobseekers toward jobs and training in
  career pathways and bridge programs.
• The WI Job Service Operations plan, which calls
  for targeting of occupations and industries, is
  potentially supportive of the goals of RISE.

19
Trade Adjustment Assistance

• Support for statewide and regional career
  pathways start-up activities is limited.
• Can work with Job Service to identify employers
  needing qualified workers
• Can support most operational costs of career
  pathways for TAA eligible individuals.
• TAA funds long-term income support and financial
  aid for certified workers. Co-enrollment of
  workers in WIA can expand the range of available
  services.

20
Vocational Rehabilitation

• Support for statewide and regional career
  pathways start-up activities is limited. Can
  identify employers seeking to hire persons with
  disabilities.
• Can support wide range of operational costs of
  career pathways participation for eligible
  individuals, e.g. core elements under Pathways
  Support for Lifelong Learning.
• Opportunities work with VR counselors to ensure
  they are aware of suitable career pathway and
  bridge prgms.

21
Labor Market Information

• State LMI data and products can help regional
  partnerships identify promising sectors for
  pathways.
• Local LMI analysts understanding of occupations
  and local industries can help regional
  partnerships develop road maps for specific
  career pathways.
• Local analysts can identify and coordinate
  information resources from multiple
  sourcespublic sector, private sector, and
  university.
• Because of cutbacks in federal funding, local
  analysts are not widely available across
  Wisconsin.

22
Putting the Pieces Together

• Matrix helps show which core elements can be
  covered by which programs, and where the gaps are
  generally
• Where are the gaps in your region?
• What are the options for covering those gaps?
• What are the supporting policies or policy
  barriers?