Goals and Strategies Status Report - Goal 1 Initial Update - Goal 1 February 09, 2009 The High Country Workforce Development Board identified new local measures by which the Board will determine the success and quality of local workforce system. Goals were set in five key areas: services to adult and dislocated workers; services to youth; business services; board administration, and the Workforce Development Board itself. Goals to directly influence strategies that supply a qualified workforce include a Return On Investment goal (the employment of 60% of customers will be related to the training received during participation in the Workforce Investment Act). Another goal is aimed at guiding customers toward growth sectors (minimum of 65% of enrollments in WIA-subsidized training will be in high-growth sectors). The Board will formally review the goals annually during the plan period, following the end of each program year. In the interim, committees conduct quarterly reviews to identify trends, issues, and needed changes in course direction. July 2008 - March 2009: Goal 1 April 16, 2009 The High Country Workforce Development Board appointed a broad-based Economic Recovery Task Force to review regional economic conditions and make policy and program recommendations to the Board. Task force members include Board members and interested community leaders with expertise in key industry sectors. The first meeting of the task force was held March 26, 2009. Recommendations have been forwarded to Board committees. The Workforce Development Board sponsored a regional forum on energy issues in February, with particular interest on relevance to workforce development. Forum results were forwarded to the Southern Growth Policies Board for its annual thirteen-state report. Due to forum participant interest, follow-up meetings are being planned. Economic forecast reports have been developed and distributed upon request to Ashe and Watauga Economic Development Commissions, Lowes’ Home Improvement, Mayland Community College, Alleghany County, and Appalachian State University’s Gear Up program. The High Country Workforce Development Board’s Quality Assurance Committee has identified local performance goals to ensure that customer services meet the needs of the region’s businesses over the course of the strategic plan period (2008-2011). The committee established a goal that at least 65 % of customers participating in skills training will be enrolled in sectors targeted by the committee as high-demand career fields. As of the end of the second quarter (12/31/08) 87% of WIA training participants were enrolled in these high-demand training fields. The Quality Assurance Committee also established a goal that over the course of the three-year strategic plan period, at least 60% of customers who enter employment upon completion of training will be placed in jobs related to their training. As of the end of the second quarter (12/31/08), 61% of these customers had entered jobs related to their field of training. Board meetings feature educational programs to inform Board policy and to provide relevant workforce and economic development information to the public. To date, program topics have included engineering technologies; an update of multi-regional strategies and initiatives; lessons learned from WIRED (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development). Special invitations were sent to individuals and organizations with special interest in these topics. Informational meetings have also been conducted with Workforce Investment Act service providers and JobLink partners to ensure that these key players in the workforce development system have current workforce information. Board books contain meeting agendas, relevant news articles and communications, labor market data, and pertinent information on high-demand industry sectors. More than seventy board books are published bi-monthly and mailed to members; local, state, and federal elected officials; Economic Development Commissions, Chambers of Commerce. Presentations have been made to the Blowing Rock Leadership Challenge, the High Country Council of Governments Executive Committee, area high schools, Chamber of Commerce events, interagency meetings, and the High Country Workforce Development Consortium. News articles have been prepared and distributed to area newspapers. The Board web site has posted articles of interest on a weekly basis. The HC WDB has advocated and supported the development of the Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) throughout the region. As of December, 2008, CRC is available in all 7 counties of the region and certifications have been issued to participants who have successfully completed tutorials and certification tests. The HC WDB has worked with local businesses to apply for Incumbent Worker Training Grants, including marketing the service, assisting with applications, reviewing and recommending grant applications, and monitoring progress of grant recipients. By March 31, 2009, two Incumbent Worker grants were awarded in the High Country Workforce area (Wilkes Regional Medical Center and Southern Industrial). Five grants have been active during the program year to date. April 2009-June 2009: Goal I July 02, 2009 The High Country Workforce Development Board has collaborated with the region's three community colleges to submit proposals for skills training in response to specific workforce needs identified by local employers in today's marketplace. Board collaboration and concurrence with these plans is required for the schools to obtain grants under the Workforce Investment Act provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Schools will receive $250,000-$300,000 to increase their capacity to meet the increased demand and to prepare workers for the new skills needed as the state’s economy recovers. Board staff and key administrators from Appalachian Regional Health Care System met during the quarter to discuss health care training needs and existing workforce development services as well as to discuss potential training needs and roles as the nation's Electronic Medical Recordkeeping system is being established. With the addition of workforce development stimulus dollars available through June 30, 2010, the High Country Workforce Development Board's goal for participation by adults and dislocated workers in need of skills trianing has doubled. The Board anticipates that at least 600 individuals will participate in workforce training activities with the help of stimulus funds. Since implementation of ARRA, the region's WIA service providers have enrolled 137 adults and dislocated workers in stimulus workforce development activities. More employers continue to make use of JobLink Centers and the workforce system; in particular, employers are using JobLink Centers as sites for mini-job fairs and other recruiting efforts and have approached the Workforce Board staff for labor market data to assist in decision-making regarding expansion of business services. The Workforce Development Board has added new members who are using the system. The Board assisted four businesses in applying for Incumbent Worker Training Grants during the most recent grant round. Key City Furniture and Watauga Opportunities, Inc. were awarded grants by the NC Commission on Workforce Development. The Board has established a unique website for the duration of economic recovery period: www.RecoveryInTheHighCountry.com, which provides an array of resources for any individuals and businesses affected by the economic downturn or who just want to keep up with current economic news. This website contains a small business blog which serves as a one-stop page for people interested in beginning their own small business or who want to learn more about how small businesses are functioning in today’s economy. Activities and initiatives reported in earlier quarters are continuing. Program Year 2008 Local Performance Measures Report August 25, 2009 The High Country Workforce Development Board identified locally meaningful goals as part of its three-year strategic plan update, we identified measurable locally meaningful goals to supplement federal Workforce Investment Act performance standards. Program Year 2008 (July 2008 - June 2009) local goals that support the development of strategies to supply a qualified workforce to target industries include: Return On Investment: 60% of Adults and Dislocated Worker customers get training-related jobs. Program Year 2008 Performance: 68.7% 65% of Individual Training Accounts are in targeted sectors. Program Year 2008 Performance: 88.6% The number of individuals using self-serve JobLink services increases over time, as reported by JobLink Centers. Three-year goal: Base performance (PY 2007 = 11,677). 6,398 (55% of goal) The number of businesses using JobLink assistance, as documented by JobLink reports, increases over time. (Program Year 2008 numbers will form base performance). New business customers: 72; Repeat business customers: 366 July-September 2009—Goal I October 22, 2009 To help identify workforce needs of area businesses, the Workforce Development Board Business Services Coordinator position was filled. To increase awareness of Board products and services, board staff produced and distributed an Incumbent Worker Grant brochure; 50 news articles and announcements were posted on the High Country Workforce Development Board website, with an additional 75 postings made to the RecoveryInTheHighCountry.com website. Articles about Incumbent Worker grant awards were placed in area newspapers; staff participated in ten business organization events; and information on the Incumbent Worker Grant program, Workforce Investment Act Services, JobLink Centers, and Workforce Development Board was presented at various community meetings. To identify skill sets, one area employer has tested all employees using the WorkKeys assessment and is using the assessment as a pre-employment requirement; 22 Workforce Investment Act adult and dislocated worker customers and 57 participants in the WIA summer youth program have obtained Career Readiness Certificates. October-December 2009 February 15, 2010 The Board is giving special attention to workforce funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) during Program Year 2009. Towards this end the October Board meeting featured updates from Workforce Investment Act service providers on ARRA achievements, challenges, and activities, and the December meeting included a panel presentation by employers who have hired WIA ARRA participants and from participants who have obtained regular employment as a result of ARRA-funded work activities. To publicize availability of services that result in the development of a qualified workforce, Board staff participated in a media interview that aired on MTN TV and local radio outlets; posted 77 news articles on the Board’s economic recovery website (www.recoveryinthehighcountry.com), posted 37 articles, announcements, and notices on the Board’s official website (www.highcountrywdb.com) , placed four news articles are area newspapers; distributed relevant information to Unemployed Professionals Networking group, seven JobLink Career Centers, and Goodwill Career Connections; and made a presentation at Wilkes Interagency meeting. To build work readiness skills, the Board required WIA service providers to help youth who participated in NC Summer Jobs to pursue Career Readiness Certifications. Sixty-seven participants were successful in obtaining this national certification. January - Mrch 2010: Goal 1 April 20, 2010 To prioritize area business needs, the High Country Workforce Development Board sponsored a forum in late January to identify and discuss needs of the region’s small business community in the current economy. Thirty-six of business and community leaders participated and 93% of attendees rated the session good to excellent. A workgroup has been identified to review ideas generated at the forum and to make recommendations for action to appropriate organizations. The Board also served as host for a “Road to Recovery” Forum sponsored by the Southern Growth Policies Board (SGPB). Discussion and recommendations were forwarded to SGPB for inclusion in its annual conference and report. Other efforts this quarter to support development of strategies to supply a qualified workforce included a presentation was made to the HC WDB Youth Council on the JobsNow 12-in-6 training program funded by the Workforce Investment Act and conducted by the state’s community colleges. The Youth Council also benefited from a presentation about Appalachian State University’s Young Entrepreneurs Symposium. Public awareness efforts to educate individuals and organizations to the Board’s services and products during the quarter included visits by the Board’s Business Services Coordinator to several area businesses; development of and at-least weekly updates to a new HC WDB Facebook page; the two community forums discussed in previous paragraphs; participation in JobLink, interagency, and Unemployed Professionals meeting; 76 news articles, event notices, and announcements posted on the Board’s economic recovery website; (www.recoveryinthehighcountry.com); 29 news articles, event notices, and announcements on the Board’s regular website (www.highcountrywdb.com) as well as other updates on both the Board and the seven JobLink websites. Area community colleges continue to use Key Train assessments and to issue Career Readiness Certificates to job seekers, including those participating in the 12-in-6 training programs. Other Goal One objectives are compiled and reported annually following completion of the Program Year. April-June 2010/Program Year 2009 Summary: Goal 1 July 29, 2010 The High Country Workforce Development Board’s Workforce Investment Act service providers have once again exceeded the Board’s annual Return on Investment goal, which states that at least 60% of adult and dislocated worker customers obtain jobs related to their WIA-funded training. Actual performance: 64% The Board’s goal that at least 65% of customers who are enrolled in WIA-funded career training will participate in industry sectors which have been targeted as in-demand by the Board was also exceeded for Program Year 2009. Actual performance: 94% The High Country Workforce Development Board identified increased usage of JobLink Career Centers as evidence that business has confidence in the public workforce development system. Both business and individual customer service levels increased in Program Year 2009. The Board’s Business Services Coordinator position was filled in Program Year 2009 and a Business Services Committee was established. The committee sponsored a well-attended community forum of regional business leaders to identify current workforce needs of the business community, which resulted in the establishment of a time-limited business services workgroup to address issues raised by the forum. As a result of the workgroup’s efforts, JobLink Centers throughout the region will establish and maintain local directories of services available to businesses to improve their competitiveness. Implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was a focus for Program Year 2009. The number of adult and dislocated worker customers served with regular Workforce Investment Act funding and Recovery Act funding was 1323, 145% of previous year service levels. Board staff met with leadership from the three community colleges in the region to identify training needs to be met through the Recovery Act’s WIA-funded “12-in-6” short term training programs. During Program Year 2009, “12-in-6” course offerings resulted in over 800 student enrollments. More than 650 of those students have completed their training. WIA service providers in the region have provided direct tuition payments for more than 250 of the enrollees. 100+ “12-in-6” courses have been offered in the region.