Massachusetts High Performing Workforce Board Initiative

1
MassachusettsHigh Performing Workforce Board
Initiative

• Overview
• Jennifer James
• Executive Office of Labor and Workforce
  Development
• Mary Sarris
• North Shore Workforce Investment Board
• Christine Abramowitz
• Regional Employment Board of Hampden County

2
Introduction

• Workshop Presenters
• Audience Mix

3
Governors Priorities

• PRIORITY ONE Build Capacity of the Workforce
  System
• PRIORITY TWO Close the Skills Gap
• Increase worker skills to match job vacancies and
  new openings
• Build capacity of boards to act as catalyst!
• PRIORITY THREE Enhance the Youth Pipeline

4
Regional Structure Chart
Workforce Board Region/ Chief Elected Official
Area
One-Stop Career Center
Agency Officei.e MRC, DMH, DTA
Community Based-Organization
Adult Education(ESOL)
K-16 Partners
One-StopCareer Center
WIBs charter One-Stop Career Centers and build
partnerships with the other entities represented
in their regions.
5
Strategy of HPWB Initiative

• Set Expectations, Build and Support optimized
  Workforce Boards across the state

• Create consistency across state system
• Demonstrate evidence ofstatewide capacity of
  allBoards to align labor market demands and
  service delivery
• Support Boards with technical assistance based on
  HPB criteria

• Define standards and expectations
• Document strategic objectives and ROI for
  strategies
• Build out state network of technical assistance
  for Boards

6
Intended Results of the High Performing Board
Initiative

• Increase the capacity of Workforce Investment
  Boards
• require a Board to design and meet strategic
  goals
• require a Board to design and implement effective
  business practices for the Board
• design and implement customer focused
  management practices for the Boards and regional
  service delivery system
• encourage regions to leverage additional
  resources through strong partnerships and
  generate additional revenue for the region
• Require evidence of regional business
  partnerships
• sector grants with employers that align business
  needs with labor market supply
• Require evidence of special populations within
  the regional workforce
• Require evidence of youth services and increase
  youth employment

7
HPWB Application Process

• Built 1 application process to review a) federal
  requirements and b) high performing criteria
• 3 application cycles
• Technical assistance on assessed strengths and
  weakness
• Achieve High Performing Status 100,000

8
Criteria Development

• Analyzed other state and national models
• Refined language, definition of terms,
  relationship to other processes etc. with field
• Built political support
• Feedback on a broad set of standards and criteria
• Focus groups with WIB Directors, OSCCs, CEOs,
  state agency partners, private sector chairs
• Presentation to local Boards
• State Workforce Board approval (co-chaired by
  Governor)

9
Overview of Criteria

• Strategic Planning and Implementation
• Road map for service delivery, priority
  populations, partnerships
• Accountability and Oversight
• Managing the Work of the Board
• Revenue generation

10
Strategic Planning and Implementation

• Major Product A Strategic Plan for the Region
• Based on a comprehensive analysis of regional
  labor market needs, challenges and opportunities
  and high priority populations of the workforce
• Based on private sector input
• Aligned with local and regional economic
  development partners
• Aligned with the workforce priorities established
  by Governor Patrick
• Strategy connected to Services
• Descriptive of strategic objectives, policies and
  service strategies for broad-based and targeted
  populations, the youth pipeline and business needs

11
Managing the Work of the Board

• Major Product A Business Plan
• Board functions that support the service delivery
  infrastructure to better serve business and
  workers, including the promotion of key services
  like the Workforce Training Fund.
• Alignment of Board membership (type of
  organization) with strategic objectives for the
  region, decision making authority and engagement
  in recruitment practices of new members.
• Active participation of Board members
• Continuous Quality Improvement practices for the
  Board as an organization and compliance with the
  business plan.

12
Measuring Success

• Major Product A Performance Management Plan
• Board Impact Benchmarks/measures that
  demonstrate Board growth and relevance to the
  community and Board members.
• Board Initiatives Quantitative and qualitative
  measures of activities.
• Service Network Policies and practices to
  improve performance.
• Continuous Quality Improvement practices for the
  OSCCs and youth programming.
• Process and use of analysis of customer data from
  service delivery system, with emphasis on
  business customers.

13
Oversight Development of Financial Resources

• Major Product A Revenue Plan
• Articulate regions fund raising goals as aligned
  with strategic objectives
• Critical industries/occupations
• Critical populations
• System(s) to organize and track existing regional
  resources
• Sound financial audits and use of funds
• Strategies to increase or leverage resources for
  initiatives
• Establishment of basic Return on Investment
  measures to communicate value of resources
  brought in by the region

14
Technical Assistance

• Organized by the State Partners
• Orientation to HPW Board Application
• Strategic Planning for Workforce Investment
  Boards
• Skill Gap Strategies
• Continuous Quality Improvement
• Revenue Planning / Revenue Generation
• Leadership Institute

15
Results Building Best Practices

• 2 regions with regional strategic plans
• Vocational Training Plan, North Shore
• City of Springfield Plan, Hampden
• Private sector members in the driver seat
• Private sector members welcomed state standards
• Board Framework Data Analysis and Strategic
  Plans
• Meeting agendas, Initiatives, fundraising
• Board Strategies Connected to OSCC Service
  Strategies
• Meaningful OSCC Standards/ Re-chartering
• Performance-based, including employer services
• Expanded pathways services for customers due to
  business partnerships
• North Shore 4 sector partnerships 400 new and
  incumbent workers
• Hampden 9 partnerships 120 employers 1,000
  new or incumbent workers
• Robust Youth Strategies and Services
• North Shore 256 youth jobs (wia, youthworks,
  wib programs)/ 89 increase
• Hampden 1280 youth (500 wia, youthworks,
  private sector)/ 30 increase since 2006

16
North Shore WIB

• Characteristics of High Performance
• Strategic Plan/Blueprint
• OSCC standards
• Business Partnerships
• Youth Strategies
• Special Populations
• Preparation to Apply
• Impact of Process
• Reinvigorate Board members
• Businesses and partners seek out membership
• Other

17
Hampden County Regional Employment Board

• Characteristics of High Performance
• Strategic Plan/Blueprint
• OSCC standards
• Business Partnerships
• Youth Strategies
• Special Populations
• Preparation to Apply
• Impact of Process
• Reinvigorate Board members
• Advantage in seeking new funding
• Authority within the region

18
Results Raising Capacity

• 14 Regions Working To Standards
• Developing evidence and products
• Building sector models, youth programs, special
  population services
• Participating in Technical Assistance
• Peer pressure to achieve a state goal
• Updated or launched strategic plans
• Benchmarking against strategies
• Regional Skill Gap Data Packages

19
Contact Information

• Jennifer James
• Executive Office of Labor and Workforce
  Development
• 617.626.7124
• Mary Sarris
• North Shore Workforce Investment Board
• 978 741 3805
• Christine Abramowitz
• Regional Employment Board of Hampden County
• 413 755 1358