Gary Yakimov

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• Gary Yakimov
• Director of Business and Industry Strategies
• Corporation for a Skilled Workforce
• June 25, 2009

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• Industry-centered partnerships among firms in key
  industries with educators, workforce developers,
  and economic developers
• Wholesale, not retail strategy
• Organize around industry needs, not public
  programs
• High leverage possible with limited funding

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• Multi-employer, industry specific, employer led
• Regional, flexible geography based on industry
• Sustained over time
• Engage broad array of key stakeholders
• Led by a strategic partner with industry
  credibility
• Promote systemic change

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• Provides focus on key industries success
• Aligns resources and strategies
• Win-Win proposition for all stakeholders
• Venue for innovation
• Create career ladders and lattices for workers
• Connection to/with Adult Literacy and Education
• Compliments existing workforce and economic
  development efforts

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• Turnover 41 reduction
• Rework 19 reduction
• Customer complaints 23 reduction
• Companies that said partnerships with other
  companies were valuable 100
• Source 3rd party evaluation of Massachusetts
  Sector Initiative

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• Employees who participate in sector-related
  training earned an average of two dollars more
  per hour
• Participants in sector skills-training programs
  saw decreases in poverty (from 64 to 35)
• Participants gained new jobs as a result within
  targeted sectors
• 83 of participants agreed that the training
  prepared them well for work in the targeted
  sector
• 78 said the program had improved their chances
  of getting a good job
• Source Public-Private Ventures
• http//www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/263_pub
  lication.pdf

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20 States are using or developing Sector
Strategies as a framework for regional economic
competitiveness
California Colorado Georgia Illinois Indiana Louisiana Massachusetts Maryland Michigan Minnesota North Carolina New York New Hampshire Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania South Carolina Washington Wisconsin Wyoming
Hundreds of local areas use sector initiatives to
connect workers to critical industries in their
region.
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• Industry-focused regional partnerships are at a
  tipping point across the country
• Key Factors
• Growth in number of communities adopting the
  model or planning to do so
• Need for innovative approaches to workforce,
  economic development in every industry
• The success of the model in improving the bottom
  line for employers and in increasing
  opportunities of job seekers in the community
• Widespread interest among state and local
  policymakers to support the partnerships
• Federal interest in the model also growing

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• Focus An Industry within a Regional Labor Market

• Operations
• Provide programmatic services to workers and
  employers
• Coordinate activities to produce outcomes
• Obtain resources for sustainability and expansion
• Bring about system change

• Design and Development
• Convene partnership
• Conduct research
• Target occupations
• Design services
• Determine new needs
• Obtain start-up resources

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• Definition and resolution of key human capital
  issues facing the industry, including
• Short and long-term hiring challenges
• Retention issues
• Incumbent worker skill development
• Work reorganization
• Institutional and regulatory obstacles

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• Sector partnerships tackle mix of immediate
  challenges and long-term issues
• Beyond training, the work may involve
• Identifying and naming sets of skills needed for
  the industry and its occupations
• Developing new or revised curriculum and
  credentials to address skill shortages
• Developing supports for workers undergoing
  training
• Raising awareness about career opportunities
• Helping employers improve HR processes
• Aligning local education, workforce, economic
  development activities

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• Employers and Employer Associations
• K-20 Education Counties and Cities
• Workforce Development
• Economic Development
• Social Services
• Community Organizations

• Across geographic jurisdictions (e.g. multiple
  counties)
• Across public entities (e.g. education and
  economic development)
• Across types of organizations (e.g. public,
  private, non-profit, philanthropic, education)
• Across levels of education (cradle to grave)

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• Employers shared cost, a place to solve major
  talent issues, a single table at which to work
  with public entities
• Educators venue for faster understanding of
  changing industry needs play out of educational
  career pathways
• Workforce Developers strategic focusing of time
  and resources for high leverage with key
  industries while meeting worker needs
• Economic Developers place for focused work with
  key industries on talent questions can be major
  tool in retention and growth strategies

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• Successful State Sector Strategies
• Promote Regionalism
• Increase Funding Opportunities
• Align Resources and Strategies
• Use Data to Drive Decisions
• Present Opportunities for Unified Messages
• Build Legislative Support

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• Economic and workforce activity is localized
• Artificial boundaries are not important to
  employers, workers, and job seekers
• Laboratories for innovation and transformation
• Examples of State-Regional Strategies
• Illinois Critical Skills Shortage Initiative
• Michigan Regional Skills Alliances
• Pennsylvania Industry Partnerships

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• Industry Clusters
• Career and Technical Education
• Adult Literacy and Education
• Business Networks
• Existing networks and relationships across
  workforce Councils, Economic Development and
  education providers

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• Unemployment in MD continues to rise (April 2009
  data)
• 3.2 since beginning of recession
• All industries except two showing job declines
  over the year
• Healthcare and Education (7,600)
• Government (6,500)
• Businesses are tightening their wallets including
  time resources
• But..there are opportunities

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• ARRA Competitive Funds
• Employment and Training Administration (750m)
• Economic Development Administration (150m)
• National Science Foundation (STEM Teacher Grants)
• Department of Energy and EPA (Weatherization
  Grants)
• National Sector Legislation
• Various federal statutes up for reauthorization
• Sectors and Adult Literacy/Education will be at
  the forefront of policy/funding

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• Gary Yakimov
• Director of Business and Industry Strategies
• CSW
• 301.765.0437
• gyakimov_at_skilledwork.org