Sector Strategies and Adult Career Pathways in Wisconsin: A Win-Win for Business and Workers Julie Strawn Senior Fello

1. Sector Strategies and Adult Career Pathways in Wisconsin: A Win-Win for Business and Workers Julie Strawn Senior Fellow jstrawn@clasp.org Sector Strategy and Career Pathways Conference February 26, 2013

2. Brings together at the regional level stakeholders representing industry, workforce and economic development, education and labor. Purpose is to identify industry needs that can be addressed in a collaborative approach – such as increasing the number of skilled workers. New North Manufacturing Alliance is one example of successful collaboration. WIRED grants in WI launched new sectors in Milwaukee, South Central and Southwest regions. National Governors’ Association Sector Academy, WIA grants for convening partnerships and for sector training. What are sector strategies in WI?

3. Sector strategies widespread nationally • More than half of the states have sector initiatives. • There are more than1000 local sector partnerships. • State studies: “Employers report increases in productivity, reductions in customer complaints, and declines in staff turnover, all of which reduce costs and improve the competitiveness of their companies.” • 2009 rigorous evaluation of 3 sector partnerships: “participants earned significantly more. . .They also had higher-quality jobs, as measured by benefits such as health insurance, paid vacation, and paid sick leave.” (from State Sector Strategies Coming of Age)

5. Skill Panels: Grants to convene flexible mix of key partners (companies, colleges, workforce boards, econ. dev. agencies, community organizations, elected officials) to collaboratively: Assess current and future skill needs in industry or industry cluster Dual goals of advancing workers and helping businesses prosper Enhance effectiveness of existing state workforce and economic development investments Solve diverse workforce education issues, such as modernize education and training programs, development or updates of curricula, new credentials, creation of apprenticeships, design training ELL, other pops May be short term or long term in nature. Not advisory, push for change Initially 41 skill panels created in 2001-05 Complemented by other strategies, such as Centers for Excellence, I-BEST and Opportunity Grants High Skills, High Wages grants fund latest Skill Panels Washington State Industry Skill Panels

6. State provides financial support to community colleges to establish centers of excellence in particular industries to ensure they can develop trained workforces to meet regional labor market needs Colleges partner with companies and other colleges to develop “best practice” industry-based curricula, training facilities, and product incubator labs Provide system coordination, coaching and mentoring to assist in building seamless educational and work-related systems Example: Renton Technical College’s Construction COE serves as a resource for industry, colleges, and others, showcases innovative educational offerings at RTC and elsewhere, promotes awareness of career pathways within construction, runs statewide network of construction Skill Panels involving 5 workforce regions. Why Adult Career Pathways?

7. Why Adult Career Pathways: The Challenge Business Workforce Technical education Noncredit training Pre-College Needs Workforce and Economic Development • Many workers academically underprepared for college technical programs. Need help with reading, writing, math, and/or English language skills to succeed in college. • Pre-college services (ABE/ELL, dev. education) often not connected to college occupational programs and/or sequence of services too long. • College technical education sometimes needs updated or re-sequenced to better meet current business needs and to align with demand jobs offering good wages. • Business finds array of public workforce, economic development programs confusing, sometimes unclear how college programs link to specific workforce needs.

8. Adult Career Pathways (RISE) in WI

9. Career pathways and bridges growing • At least 10 states have significant career pathway efforts aimed at adults and out of school youth. • AR, CA, FL, KY, IL, MA, MN, OR, VA, WA, WI • More than a dozen states have career pathway bridge initiatives • GA, IL, IN, KY, KS, MD, MN, NC, OH, OR, VA, WA, WI • Hundreds of local, career-focused basic skills bridge programs, according to 2010 WSC bridge survey. Little uniformity among them. • Career pathways and bridges now a key focus of federal policy and competitive grants. • DOL’s TAACCCT and Workforce Innovation Fund grants • ED’s Career Connections and Policy to Performance • DHHS’ Health Professions Opportunity Grants • DOL-ED Workforce Innovation Fund grants

10. Early outcomes for newer career pathway bridges • Illinois Bridge Programs: Outcomes for 2,436 adults enrolled in 7 career pathway bridge sites (as of fall 2011 44 bridges total in IL). • 89% of students completed the bridge program. • 92% of those who completed went on to higher education or a new job. • Minnesota FastTRAC: Outcomes for 1,139 students enrolled in FastTRAC bridge or integrated programs (as of fall 2011 34 FastTRAC programs total in MN) • 88% of students in integrated, credit-bearing FastTRAC programs completed their initial course.  • 67% of students enrolled in FastTRAC ABE bridge courses completed and moved into an integrated course • Wisconsin RISE (Regional Industry Skills Education): Outcomes for 700 participants in early phase (as of spring 2011 64 career pathway bridges in WI). • Colleges report 90% of students complete postsecondary certificates. • RISE students’ math skill gains exceed those of students in standard math instruction (based on pre/post testing at several locations).

11. Sector strategies + career pathways = industry-specific workforce development Industry-specific workforce development

12. Sector strategies, career pathways help each other be more successful—but takes work • Sector strategies and career pathways share common goals around economic growth and shared prosperity—but have to work at bridging different backgrounds, perspectives, language, performance expectations. Be explicit: • Who’s the customer? • How do you measure success? • What will each partner contribute? • How will each partner benefit? Quantify—crosswalk performance metrics, consider ROI • Two-way street, compromise essential • Partners have to cede some control to each other

13. Sector strategy + career pathways = advantages to business • Can get help in identifying workforce skill needs. Businesses aren’t always clear on what they need. • Can work with economic development agencies, colleges, workforce boards to create supply chain of skilled workers at lower cost than would be the case if did it alone – sharing cost with other businesses and with public sector. • Less risk (of investing in training a worker who then leaves to work for competitor) because all businesses in the partnership have access to the same training and the same pool of potential workers. • Because lower costs of building the pathway, may mean can offer more advancement opportunities to existing workforce. • Can get more diverse pool of workers than might otherwise be true • All of this can lead to higher productivity, less turnover, lower job vacancy rate, higher quality products and services.

14. Employer-led initiative, representing 50 percent of health care employment in the region HCC’s mission: “provide access to health care careers to underutilized labor pools, including lower-wage incumbent workers and unemployed or underemployed individuals; alleviate regional health care workforce shortages; and increase the diversity of the heath care workforce in Greater Cincinnati.” http://hccgc.org/ Strategies include: Career pathways, with cohort-based instruction Pre-paid tuition for incumbent workers Remedial courses (both hard and soft skills), called “Learning Community” courses, that range from college math and introductory chemistry to “professionalism in health care”. Training delivered close to or at the employment site. Health Careers Collaborative, Cincinnati

15. For HCC, collaboration has been imperative to progress thus far, and will remain a foundational element to future success in the development of the region’s health care workforce.

16. HCC Guiding Principles: • Job creation & advancement for low income adults that meet employer needs • Mapping career pathways within sectors which are important to region’s economic growth • Commitment to systemic & sustainable change within and across institutions

17. Employer –Led Industry Responsive • Employers lead the Collaborative as Chair of the Steering Committee • Employers and Gr. Cincinnati Health Council define current workforce needs • All partners sign MOU to signify commitment to founding principles and goals • Collaboration not competition in training & hiring • Policy & process accommodations re: tuition, assessments, academic readiness, clinicals

18. Career Literacy & Pathways to Employment • Comprehensive system of intake, assessment, guidance and planning prior to formal academic work • Innovative remediation and readiness supports • Completion Advisors, Job Coaches, Retention Specialists (connection to community resources, e.g. Ohio Benefits Bank) • Employer Engagement & Job Placement

19. Some HCC statistics 2009-early 2012 Many of the credentials are entry-level certificates and work readiness certificates (likely because lack career pathway bridges) Some are advanced certificates and associate degrees Developing new credentials, e.g. pathway in Health Care Information Technology leading to bachelor’s degree Health Careers Collaborative, Cincinnati

20. Benefits: Employer Perspective • Program Return on Investment • Stewardship of our tuition budget • Overall 12% ROI on associate degree (tuition plus turnover, re-training, productivity costs) • Enhancement of existing educational partnerships • Dynamic support of current and projected workforce needs • Recognition vehicle for high performers seeking career pathway opportunities • Supports a culture of employee engagement

21. Some lessons from state and local efforts • Staff the functions involved in care and feeding of the partnership. • Take time for the partners to get to know each other. • Consider tradeoffs of different approaches, strategies for addressing. Especially important to balance needs of both workers and business. Make sure there is enough common ground for it to be a good fit. If not, walk away. • Spell out roles and responsibilities through MOUs, MOAs or other means, not letters of support. • Start small to score early wins, build trust. • Document outcomes, and if possible, costs, benefits so that partners and external funders see benefits, return on investment. • State policy should support collaborative work, remove obstacles. • Figure out end game for sustainability from the beginning. Special grants jumpstart innovation but it will end when the grants end unless thought is given up-front to which ongoing funding streams can support new models. One reason why it’s so critical to create for-credit pathways.

22. Benefits from HCC student perspective • http://www.trihealth.com/discover-trihealth/your-trihealth/careers/success-stories/Kevin-Thomas/

23. Getting concrete about what is involved in a sector-pathway partnership: examples from Courses to Employment

24. Getting concrete about what is involved in a sector-pathway partnership: examples from Courses to Employment

25. From Aspen Institute, Courses to Employment, Partnering to Create Paths to Education and Employment, 2012.

26. Based on successful experience with Health Workforce Institute at WDC—jumpstarted health career pathways in the region with employers covering half the cost of college-based health career specialists. WDC also has Skill Panel sector initiatives in manufacturing, logistics/maritime, construction. Objective: Train students for entry-level automotive technician positions and place in jobs at independent shops and dealerships. Prepare students to continue education in dealer-sponsored training. Students Served: 92% low-income (below 200% poverty), 64% minority; 87% men; mix of new immigrants and longer-term residents; English is 2nd language for many; 42% working (mostly part-time) at enrollment; 71% had never attended college; median age 25. Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County & Shoreline Community College Automotive Partnership (GST)

27. Workforce Development Council’s Role: Assists with recruitment; coordinates funding for students; provides case management. Funds the Advancement Navigator position. Shoreline’s Role: Delivers GST 3-quarter training via I-BEST model (combining basic academic instruction with technical skills training). Provides significant flexibility in a number of institutional areas that help Advancement Navigator operate on behalf of students he supports. Delivers GST in state-of-the art dealer-sponsored training facility. Provides ongoing education opportunities after GST. Joint fundraising for services that comprise the GST program Seattle-King County General Services Technician program – background from Shoreline

28. Shoreline Auto Tech pathway--highlights of participant outcomes from Aspen Institute study • 126 students enrolled 2006-2009 • 64% earned General Service Tech certificate (avg 8 months). • 89% of GST graduates employed soon after graduation • $10.00 median hourly wage—59% full-time • 90% of GST graduates employed one year later • $11.81 median hourly wage—84% full-time • 91% of GSST graduates employed two years later • $12.50 median wage • 45% of all GST students continued education after program, median credits earned 56. • 35 students continued on for AAAS (22 completed, 11 active)

29. Shoreline Auto Tech: best outcomes were for students helped by Advancement Navigator • Advancement Navigator works for Workforce Development Council (nonprofit, serves as WIB). Recruits students, helps coordinate funding for students, does case management, helps students access a range of support services, places students in internships, does career and education counseling. • Students served by Advancement Navigator were more likely (than those not served by Navigator) to: • Graduate GST (81% vs. 42%) • Obtain employment (93% vs. 68%) • Be employed full-time (69% vs. 32%) • In addition WDC staff collect enrollment demographics and employment and wage data for participants and combines these in database with Shoreline transcript info. on educational milestones achieved.

30. Advancement is what makes it a pathway • Critical to help individuals advance to higher level credentials and jobs in the pathway—otherwise it’s not a pathway, just short-term training. • This is especially true for workers who enter the pathway with lower skills since the first credential in a pathway often only qualifies them for relatively low-wage jobs. • Partnering with businesses that invest in their employees can mitigate this problem—e.g. HCC Tri-Health partner pays tuition, offers other benefits like “no-wait” clinicals for entry-level employees who want to continue in pathway education and training.

32. Daley College/Central States SER Medical Bridge