Building Effective Career Pathways

1. Building Effective Career Pathways Debbie Davidson, ConsultantCenter for Occupational Research and Development ddavidson@cord.org

2. The Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD) Founded in 1979 Located in Waco, TX Prepares individuals for greater success in careers and higher education. Serves school districts, community college systems, community and technical colleges, state and local economic and workforce development agencies, all 50 state departments of education, and 20 nations Initiatives include workforce analysis, career pathways design, curriculum development, leader and practitioner training, program delivery, technical assistance, and research and evaluation.

3. My Background • 30 Years Higher Education • Gateway Technical College – Southeast Wisconsin • Vice President – Business & Workforce Solutions • 5 Advanced Technology Centers • Contract Training • Apprenticeship • Business & Community Partnerships

4. Our Plans for This Session • Career Pathways 101: Connecting Education and Economic Development • Partnerships as the Basis for Career Pathway Transformation • Where’s the Easy Button? Engaging Employers • Building Bridges Instead of Walls: Program Design and Implementation • Managing the Moving Parts

5. WhyCareer Pathways?

6. Today’s Headlines Innovation Skilled Workforce Economic Development Global Competition

7. 100 students in 9th grade... • 69 Graduate HS • 42 Enter College • 28 Return Soph. Year 13 Graduate (4 AAS, 9 BS) 65% Jobs will require some college or better Source: Anthony Carnevale, et al. (June 2013). Recovery 2020. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Complete College America, 2010 Where Are the Jobs? Where Are the Graduates?

8. Skills Reports – A Call to Action

9. What?

11. Broad Federal Support • National Activities (ETA, OCTAE, HHS) • Interagency Joint Memo, April 2012 • WIOA Passage • Vice President’s Job-Driven Training Report • Career Pathways Request for Information

12. Career Pathways in WIOA • Align with skills needed by industries in state or regional economy; • Prepare individuals to succeed in a range of education options, including apprenticeships; • Include counseling to support an individual in achieving education and career goals; • Include, as appropriate, concurrent education and training opportunities for a specific occupation or occupational cluster; • Organize education, training, and support services to meet individual needs and accelerate educational and career advancement; • Enable individuals to attain a high school diploma or equivalent, and at least one recognized postsecondary credential; • Help individuals enter or advance within an occupation or occupational cluster.

13. In other words….. • Labor market demand • K-12 and post-secondary partners • Wrap around services • Earn and learn options, employer consortia • Collaboration • Skill validation • Lifelong learning

14. Moving from Point A to B…and Beyond

15. Career Pathways Support student transitions Eliminate barriers to completion Offer multiple entry and exit points Communicate systemic change Build culture of learner success

16. Pathways of Opportunity

17. Career Pathways Features Shared Vision, Strong Systems: The Alliance for Quality Career Pathways Framework Version 1.0, June 2014

18. < What you earn < Credential < Duration < Where to go < What you know

19. Systems Support for Local Programs • State System • Programs • Programs • Local/Regional System • Programs

20. US DOL-ETA Career Pathways InitiativeSix Elements of Career Pathways

21. System Building Areas of Emphasis • State system • Partnerships & policies • Common vision • Data and continuous improvement • Professional development • Local/regional system • Partnership development • Employer engagement • Program design • Support services Critical themes: Seamless Supportive Same message {

22. Local Program Engagement

23. What’s My Line? Defining Roles and Building Partnerships

24. Career Pathways Partnerships Educators Employers Community Leaders

25. Career Pathways Desired Return on Investment ROI • Employers • Access to qualified workers • Increase productivity • Reduce recruitment costs and turnover • Shorten new employee orientation times and reduce expenditures • Ability to promote from pool of loyal employees • Access to skill upgrading for incumbent workers • Community • Alignment of economic development vision and workforce advancement • Enhance labor pool to retain and attract employers • Increase income levels in the community • Reduce poverty, crime, and support costs

26. Career Pathways Desired Return on Investment ROI • Educators • Reduce drop-outs • Reduce remedial course enrollment • Enhance student engagement • Increase number of students going on to college • Increase number of students earning credentials and degrees • Policymakers • Increase impact of funded programs • Drive economic and quality of life success

27. Potential Partners • Workforce Agencies • Educational Institutions and Agencies • Economic Development Agencies • Human Services Agencies • Community-Based Organizations • Employers

28. Potential Roles and Responsibilities Florida AECP Toolkit, p. 44

29. Spotlight on Massachusetts • Statewide Adult Career Pathways Network • State Adult and Community Learning Services • 16 Local Workforce Investment Boards • 29 One-Stop Career Centers (OSCC) • 40 ACP pilot sites at Community Adult Learning Centers • MA Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, Dept. of Career Services, and Dept. of Higher Education • Working group in each of the 16 WIB regions; shared responsibility for ACP programs • State Task Force comprised of WIB directors, OSCC directors, community colleges, and ACP directors meets bimonthly; designed state guidelines for ACP

30. Where’s the Easy Button?Strategies for Engagement

31. Career Pathways at the Nexus Workforce Development Economic Development

32. Labor Market Information What is it? Where do we find it? What do we do with it once we find it? Why should we care?

33. The US Economy is Expected to Create 55 Million Job Openings by 2020 24 million of these jobs (43%) will be entirely new positions. 31 million (56%) will be due to baby boomer retirement. Recovery: Job Growth and Education Requirements Through 2020, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce

34. Recovery 2020 in Summary • Most jobs will require applicants to have postsecondary education and training beyond high school. • More jobs will be available as baby boomers begin to retire. • The fastest growing fields will be in STEM, healthcare professions, healthcare support, and community services. • Employers will be looking for cognitive skills such as active listening, ability to communicate well, and critical thinking. • Despite the existing variation between states’ educational attainment, nearly all states will need to boost their rates of postsecondary education

35. How Do You Engage?

36. Southwest Oklahoma Impact Coalition Career Pathways Project Stage 1: Industry Needs Assessment: Industry Forum Stage 2: Visioning and Stakeholder Engagement Stage 3: Career Pathways Leadership Training Sessions Career Pathways Implementation Plan Career Ladders Development Career Pathways Visioning Session: Participants: Influential senior executive community, industry, and educational leaders Manufacturing Education Collaboration Session Participants: Influential executive level education leaders from K-12 and higher education Healthcare Energy Distribution Community Organization Collaboration Session Participants: Influential executive level community organization leaders Simulations CORD, 2010

37. Industry Engagement Process • Inventory community, industry, and current workforce development/support structures • Determine industry sector(s) with greatest needs/opportunities • Identify key stakeholders • Convene top business leaders (CEOs, plant managers, senior execs) of companies in identified sectors • Conduct in-person dialogue session(s) • Develop plan of action

38. Example Healthcare Questions • What are the top three challenges facing the region’s healthcare industry over the next five years? • What are the top five occupational areas in which the healthcare industry is facing the most severe employee shortages? • At entry level, what are the three greatest skill and/or employability weaknesses you see in your current skilled labor workforce?

39. Example Healthcare Questions • Do you anticipate the region having a large enough pool of skilled and/or certified employee candidates from which to draw employees within the next 18 months? In the next five years? If you have varying answers by skilled area, (i.e. CNAs, Phlebotomists), specify accordingly.

40. Adopting Common Terminology Net Profit Satisfaction Ratings Market Share Cycle Times Operating Margin Production Yield Return on Investment

41. Before You Get Down to Business… Shared willingness to develop a common language Clear understanding of motivation of each partner Agreement on expected outcomes — ensure alignment of stakeholders’ end product needs Clear evidence the proposed program will increase worker productivity

42. The Power of Employer Partnerships • Not a Rubber Stamp of Approval • Two-way Dialogue of Important Issues • Frequent, Continuous Feedback

43. Snapshot of Employer Engagement • Curriculum Review and Revision • Career Development and Work-based Learning • Staff Development • Marketing and Advocacy • Recruitment, Mentoring and Placement • Resources

44. Potential Challenges • Moving from discussion to partnership commitment • Finding the right people to make things happen • Finding common ground and developing mutual respect • Understanding each other’s needs and “decoding” unfamiliar technology • Engaging the right combination of employers who can articulate skills and workplace competencies needed by entry-level employees • Keeping all partners engaged to maintain momentum

45. Bottom Line • Programs that match the economic development needs of your community • Graduates that possess the skills to ensure a high-quality workforce

46. Spotlight on Gateway Technical College • Bootcamps for Manufacturing • Partners: Workforce Development Boards of Racine, Kenosha, and Walworth Counties; Local Employers • Industry Sector: CNC machine operators, welders/fabricators, machine repair technicians • Target Population: dislocated and underemployed individualsin three counties; reading/math scores at 9thgrade level or above, NCRC silver level • Challenge: CNC program not meeting size of demand among area employers; applicants not qualified; employers said “find a way to teach people the importance of being on time and showing up daily for work.”

47. Spotlight on Gateway Technical College • Bootcamps for Manufacturing Strategies: • Faculty met with employers to identify skill sets for entry-level positions; align to existing curricula; add courses where needed; designed intensive 15-week program • Program structure simulates work environment; M-F, 8-4:30, strict attendance policies • Case management services available • Tutoring sessions mandatory when grade drops below a B on test or quiz; resume writing workshops, interviewing skill sessions; NOCTI precision machining assessment • Employers attend graduation and conduct interviews

48. Identifying Sectors/Engaging Employers Create a culture of employer leadership. Know Your Audience Develop Your Programs Mine for Deeper Engagement Generate Support Join Voices

49. Building Bridges Instead of Walls:Program Design and Implementation

50. Adult Career Pathways • Supports the unemployed and underemployed • Supports career-limited adults needing a wide range of support services • Requires significant employer and community engagement • Focuses on long-term solutions with short-term objectives • Offers a model that’s flexible and adaptable to local/regional needs