WIOA at the Local Level: What’s Next? Michelle Carson, Carson Consulting & Training March 2016

WIOA Big Picture 2

The World Has Changed 3

Figure 5 Current U.S. reality: only 40% of 27-year-olds have earned an A.A. degree or higher Bachelor ’ s Degree Master ’ s Degree or above Associate ’ s Degree Some College No Degree High School Diploma or Equivalent Less than High School Educational Attainment by Age

Thinking about Advanced and Emerging Economies From various national and international data sources

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Economic Vitality Formula of Success CTE Programs Workforce Development Economic Development ECONOMIC VITALITY STEM Focus Industry Certifications Business Partnerships STEM Proficiency Certifications Desired Skill Development Skilled Workforce Business/School Partners Economic Vitality Desired Jobs CTE creates a career pathway leading to an educated and skilled workforce, creating a vibrant economy. Adapted from Konopnicki, P.M. (2012) The Economic Vitality Formula of Success Adult Education

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN A NUTSHELL Source: Ed Morrison, distributed under a Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN A NUTSHELL Source: Ed Morrison, distributed under a Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License

FOCUS ON COLLABORATION--WIOA “We are actually quite pleased to see the increased focus WIOA places on coordination at the federal and state and local levels between workforce development, adult education, vocational rehabilitation and health and human services programs…[and] very, very encouraged by the provision of the combined state plan in the new law that would allow the governor to include other federal programs including the Carl Perkins Career and Technical Education Act…”

WAIT THERE’S MORE - WIOA “The second area…is around the rethinking of the purpose of Title II which basically says that high school completion for adults, while it continues to be of primary importance, is simply not enough and it cannot be an end in itself…it needs to become more of a means to further opportunity whether that’s training or employment…the law speaks about ways of making that happen through the development of career pathway systems.” – Johan Uvin, Assistant Secretary, US Department of Education, OCTAE from Conference Call on Next Steps for WIOA Implementation November 24, 2014

WORK CONTINUES…

Global competitiveness Too many Americans undereducated Economic growth linked to postsecondary education One size does NOT fit all Rising demand for employability and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills …And the times they are a changin’ Why Career Pathways?

DESIGNED TO SUPPORT ADULTS IN COMPLETING POSTSECONDARY TRAINING/EDUCATION AND EARNING CREDENTIALS TO: --IMPROVE EMPLOYABILITY --INCREASE SECURITY --BOOST EARNING POWER 15

Lead to the attainment of an industry-recognized degree or credential Include academic and career counseling, and support services Are organized to meet the particular needs of adults, with flexible and (sometimes) non-semester- based scheduling, and the innovative use of technology 16

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All training counts (college credit) Provide academic credentials and increased educational opportunities for individuals with experience and training Collaborative efforts among workforce providers- Separation of institutional missions (workforce, academic, remediation, student affairs and categorical programs) promotes silos 18 Bridge gaps in the education & training pipeline adult basic education to college and developmental to for- credit courses Brain-based instruction integrated academics Pipeline Fixes

What is the Level of Understanding: Career Pathways System What is the level of understanding of your Career Pathways System in your program? Low   High Adult Education Administration ABE Staff GED Staff ESOL Staff CTE Faculty Counselors & Advisors Adult students 19

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Career Pathways: Six Elements

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Career Pathways Readiness: Partnerships Examples of what this means: Programs have current, formal partnership agreements documented through memoranda of understanding Programs have a Career Pathways Advisory Committee Program services align to postsecondary and advanced job training systems as well as local workforce demands and entry-level employment – Without need for remediation Connections to business and economic development Questions to answer: Who are your key partners? What existing partnerships do you have? Have you identified and clearly outlined roles, responsibilities and contributions? Is your program represented on local workforce and economic development committees or efforts? Do you have a vibrant Career Pathways Advisory Committee with appropriate business leadership and community stakeholders?

Readiness: Guidance Counseling and Goal Planning Examples of what this means: Career advising means providing services to students on planning for their academic, career and life/family goals. Advisors help students develop strategies and skills in exploring academic and career options All programs offer advising either through partnerships, use of volunteers, or part of their staffing structure. Questions to answer: Who fulfills the career advising role in your program? How are these services offered? How is your program aligning the career development services to the students’ needs and in alignment with local labor market demands? What tools do you provide to assist learners with goal setting and getting?

Readiness: Curriculum and Instruction Examples of what this means: Instruction is aligned to the AE College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS), where applicable. Contextualized instruction is short-term, targeted instruction to contextualize skills for specific academic and career purposes. Integrated education and training with multiple entry/exit points Employability skills, i.e. CTE Employability Skills Framework are integrated within the curriculum at all education levels. Orientation, intake, enrollment, and class schedules are appropriate for learners to take advantage of integrated education and training, career pathways and career awareness instruction. Questions to answer: How is your program’s curriculum aligned with the Adult Education CCRs and contextualized? What does the labor market information tell you about the middle skill jobs in your region? What integrated education and training and career pathways programs have you identified? Are they articulated/co-developed with postsecondary partners? How are you involving employers (especially) and other stakeholders in the design and delivery of instruction? How has your program identified the sequence and alignment of career awareness and employability skills within its existing curriculum? Considering managed enrollment for at least some of your program classes?

Readiness: Support Services Examples of what this looks like: Logistics support—transportation & child care Whole person supports—substance abuse counseling, housing, learning disabilities assessment, case management Academic, career and employment services—assessment, tutoring, financial aid, career exploration, internships, on- the-job training, apprenticeships, job shadowing, resume writing, job search and interview prep. Questions to answer: What about case management? Have you considered this approach to deliver program services? Who are your community partners in providing student support services with logistics and whole person needs? Do you have memorandums of understanding (MOUs)? How are you providing academic, career and employment services? – Who is responsible for each aspect? What about your state workforce development system regarding apprenticeship and internship programs? How can you engage your workforce development partners in coordinating services?

Readiness: Professional Development Examples of what this looks like: Assess professional development needs by individual and program Develop a plan to meet targeted program needs Provide resources for individuals to obtain PD needed to meet new demands of program #1 need—planning time for teachers and instructional leaders Questions to answer: How will you identify the professional development needs for staff? What assessment for academic needs? Career services? How will you engage employers in providing updates regarding industry needs and specific skills? What about job shadowing for your AE teachers in CP programs?

Career Pathways Review 28 Transitions from AE to postsecondary Student academic performance Retention rates Program completion rates Workforce placement rates *Employer satisfaction

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For More Information Michelle Carson