A Demand Driven Approach

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A Demand Driven Approach Workforce Innovation
2002 Nashville, TN July 9, 2002
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Orlando, FLDebbie WillifordVice President,
Community LeadershipOrlando Regional Chamber of
Commerce

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What will we cover?
Overview of the WorkForce 2020 project
Floridas survey of Academy graduates Lessons
learned during the project in Florida and in
progress across America Questions Answers
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Creating a more effective welfare-to-work system
requires more than just developing a new set of
strategies and implementation tools. It requires
developing relationships with an additional and
new constituent business. Brandon
RobertsWelfare to WagesStrategies to Assist
the Private Sector to Employ Welfare
RecipientsSeptember 1998
Opportunity
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Traditional Welfare-To-Work Model
Job Seeker Advocate
GAP
Job Seeker
Business
Business
Business
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WorkForce 2020 Model
Job Seeker Advocate
Business Advocate
Business
Job Seeker
Business
Business
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To build a better community by linking
businesses that need qualified workers with
potential workers who need competitive,
promotable, sustainable work . . .
Goal
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Key Components
Research Academies of Learning
Business Community Roundtables Faith Based
Outreach
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Process

• Began in Central Florida in 1998
• Replication grants awarded to Chambers in Palm
  Beach, Broward, Brevard, and Jacksonville
• National Model introduced in partnership with CWP
  and DOL
• Each site customized components to fit local
  community

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Focus Groups, Community Briefings and Individual
Meetings
Research
What we heard from over 3,000 Central Florida
business and community leaders across the state

• Acute Labor Shortage
• Lack of Knowledge about Welfare
• Willingness to hire Welfare Recipients who are
  Work Ready
• Willingness to Learn and Participate in
  Solutions

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Key Themes
Academies of Learning

• Workforce Trends Labor Market Information
• Cost of Turnover
• Best Practices/Community Resources for Hiring,
  Training and Retention of Entry-Level
  Workers
• Barriers to Success/Entry-Level Workers
• One Stop Career Centers/Welfare-to-Work

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Academies of Learning

• Completed 64 one-day academies
• Over 2800 participants representing almost 1600
  companies graduated
• 99 of Academy participants said they would
  recommend the Academy of Learning to business
  colleagues with entry-level workforce issues
• 90 said they significantly increased their
  knowledge about workforce/welfare issues

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Business Community Roundtables

• 68 Industry and Topical Roundtables
• Key Business and Community Leaders chair each
  Roundtable
• Opportunity for graduates to participate in
  problem-solving activities.
• Participants offer suggestions for improving
  workforce delivery

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Business Community Roundtables
Key Themes

• A good attitude and work readiness are the top
  skills employers
• are seeking
• Mentors are a key component in the retention of
  entry-level workers both at the business site and
  the One-Stop Career Centers
• Employers are requesting more effective job
  matching and skill assessments

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Faith Based Outreach
The Jobs Partnership of Florida, Inc.

• Twelve week course combining Biblical work
  disciplines with Human Resource Training
• FIVE Pilot classes graduated 64 students,
• 54 have found better jobs and 6 continue training
• Partnership between many diverse faith
  communities and the business community

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Replication Across Florida Dennis
GradyPresidentChamber of Commerce of the Palm
Beaches

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Impact of Academies and Roundtables
Telephone Survey of Academy Graduates
Survey Population from Companies Brevard
County Central Florida Broward County
Palm Beach County Focus Groups Same 4
geographic regions
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Research UpdateBarcelo Company, Targeted
Employer Impact Survey Update, 2001Central
Florida, Palm Beach, Brevard, Broward
Pre- Graduates Academy

• Hiring qualified workers is a problem
• The tight labor market impacts my bottom line
• During the past 3 years we have recruited from
  a One-Stop Career Center

• 81 71
• 66 64
• 11 33

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Research UpdateBarcelo Company, Targeted
Employer Impact Survey Update, 2001
Pre- Graduates Academy

• My company measures turnover
• Recruiting Training costs as a result of
  turnover are significant
• I am personally very knowledgeable about the
  status of entry-level workers

• 39 46
• 45 67
• 22 37

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Research UpdateBarcelo Company, Targeted
Employer Impact Survey Update, 2001
Pre- Graduates Academy

• It is important for someone in my company to be
  knowledgeable about entry-level workers.
• Businesses will need to be more flexible to
  retain workers (general pop.)
• Businesses will need to be more flexible to
  retain workers (HR managers)

• 46 65
• 8 15
• 19 34

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Key Themes
Brevard County

• WorkForce 2020 Expanded Knowledge and Prompted
  Action
• A Transformational Experience
• Recruitment Was a Significant Topic for Some
  Employers
• Utilizing Community Resources
• Responding to the Issues and Financial Needs of
  Low-Income Working Families
• More Direct Assistance to Employers is Desired
  and Would be Valued

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Key Themes
Broward County

• WorkForce 2020 Provided a Clear Vision on Future
  Labor Market Trends
• The Academy Connected Workforce Issues to A
  Companys Bottom Line
• WorkForce 2020 Provided the Tools and
  Information to Advocate For and Make Change
• Organizational Change is Not Easy Participants
  Think That More Targeted Assistance/Follow-up
  Could Strengthen Change Efforts

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Key Themes
Central Florida

• WorkForce 2020 Expanded Knowledge and Was A
  Catalyst for Action
• Employers Learned About New Avenues for
  Recruitment Connecting Workers with Community
  Resource
• Community Colleges are Key Sources for Worker
  Training
• Turnover is a Major Concern and Many Employers
  Are Taking Action to Promote Job Retention

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Key Themes
Palm Beach County

• Information on Community Resources Was of
  Significant Value to Employers
• The Roundtable on Vocational English as a Second
  Language Addressed a Key Need
• Employers Eager to Work with Non-Profits and
  Faith-Based Organizations
• Acting on New Ideas is Challenging Employers
  Would Like Assistance

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Key Themes
Focus Groups Survey

• Demand and Concern for Entry-Level Workers Is
  High Among Employers
• Employers are Using New Avenues for Recruiting
  Entry-Level Workers
• Addressing Turnover Problems is Now a Major
  Focus of Many Employers
• Businesses Are Willing to Help Welfare
  Recipients Stay Employed Provided They Are
  Prepared for Work Initially

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Replication Across America Michelle
CarreraWorkForce 2020 Project DirectorClarksvill
e Area Chamber of Commerce

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Phase One 6 Sites

• Brockton, Massachusetts
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Enterprise, Alabama
•  Kalispell, Montana
•  Salina, Kansas
• Tucson, Arizona

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Phase One Results Relationships

• Banks/WIB partnership in Brockton for training
  grant
• Created Vice Chair of Workforce in Cleveland
• Salinas Early Childhood Development Summit
• Design of Kalispells community job portal
• Major employers in Enterprise assessing True
  Cost of TO
• All communities raised 1-Stop usage

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Phase One Results Satisfaction Action

• Employers were extremely satisfied with the
  experience
• Overall satisfaction 4.4/5.0
• Employers changed internal behaviors as a result
  of the experience
• 62 formed new partnerships with providers
• 54 altered retention practices
• 53 improved training practices
• 48 adjusted hiring practices

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Phase Two 5 Sites

• Bozeman Helena, Montana
• Clarksville, Tennessee
•  MetroJackson, Mississippi
•  North Clackamus, Oregon
• (NOTE This work runs through December of 2002)

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Clarksville, TN Key Findings

• 78 of employers say applicants have POOR
  skills, NO skills, or the WRONG skills for their
  needs.
• 83 of employers believe it is important for a
  member of their staff to be knowledgeable of
  labor market issues.
• The Career Center sees more than 1500 job
  seekers each month.
• Yet only 8 of employers use the Career Center
  to post jobs.

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Clarksville, TN Academy Impact

• In two months over 100 business leaders attended
  the 1-day Learning Academy.
• 6 employers contacted the Chamber to follow up
  on Career Center contacts.
• 2 companies requested a presentation of the
  Real Life activity to all supervisors.
• Education Roundtable working towards a policy
  recommendation that will promote alignment
  of skills with actual businesses needs.

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So Why a Business Association?

• Business Associations, such as Chambers or
  Economic Development Commissions, have
  established relationships with members of the
  business community
• Business relationships can and should be
  leveraged
• Its not about Market Share
• - its Share of Customers
• Treat Customers Individually not Equally

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Building a Relationship

• KNOWLEDGE
• INTRODUCTION
• SHARING
• TRUST
• RELATIONSHIP
• PARTNERSHIP

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WorkForce 2020 Model
Job Seeker Advocate
Business Advocate
Business
Job Seeker
Business
Business
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As a Result

• Workforce 2020 and the Workforce Academies
  Model lead the nation in innovations which test
  the theories of business-driven workforce
  development.

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