The PA Experience The Road to Common Measures

Why Common Measures? Rendell Administration’s vision of integrating workforce development – Deputy Secretary Sandi Vito named to head all workforce development programs in the Commonwealth – The myth of the $1.3 billion in workforce development funds

Why Common Measures? Quantitative Measures – Methods applied to 28 workforce programs in PA – Includes programs not under DOL/ETA governance – Integral part of workforce program reform Performance Management Plan Resource Mapping Industry Clusters Industry Partnerships

Why Common Measures? High-Priority Occupations High-Performance WIBs Comprehensive Workforce Development System Common Measures follows in this strategy of integrating and applying similar standards to all workforce development programs

Birth of the Idea Common Measures should be implemented to move toward a vision, not to “escape” from the 17 WIA measures USDOL began to advance idea of Common Measures when TEGL was issued in December 2003

Process of Getting Partner Buy-In Get right internal team Bring right people to table – Education is key Communicate, communicate, communicate! Lots of meetings, discussions, informational s

Working With USDOL Communicate, communicate, communicate! Recognize varied and diverse partners at the federal level No single repository of information at the federal level Lots of back and forth with requests for more information

Working With USDOL Delays in getting answers (on both sides) Was over a year from PA’s request for a waiver until federal approval; another five months until it was effective Challenge of negotiating performance levels with no benchmarks available

Working With USDOL Gave up eligibility for incentives for period of waiver Minimal financial support for system and policy conversion

Changes That Were Required Biggest changes in youth – All positive outcomes based on serving out-of- school youth – Change in serving OSY and older youth – Retaining youth for longer periods of time

Changes That Were Required Biggest changes in youth – Restrictive guidance on credential/certificate imposed under Common Measures WIBs cannot set policy anymore Lost workforce readiness certificate – big hit! – Literacy/numeracy changes System changes in tracking participation in partner programs

Changes That Were Required Single entrance/exit concept Labor Exchange exit date and measures based on exit New information required for Labor Exchange participants at time of participation

System Changes Common Measures Activity Log – a comprehensive view of all programs tracked under Common Measures and tracked in the PA CareerLink – Identifies first and last service received in each program covered under the common measures – Identifies the date of first and last service received in a program – Identifies beginning and ending of the reporting cycle

System Changes Participant Searches – modified the participant searches to allow staff to work with participants in programs covered under Common Measures – Will Exit in the Next 29 Days or Less – Identify participants based on program participation and status of participation

System Changes Exclusions from Performance – WIA – added additional exclusions of family care and relocated to a mandated residential program (youth only) – Labor Exchange – added the ability to add “Exclusions” to Labor Exchange Services

System Changes Assessment Testing – added the ability to record pre and post-testing results Based on functional area selected and test score entered system will determine educational functioning level and grade level for both pre and post-tests

System Changes Significant changes for Labor Exchange – Modified service detail screens to provide for estimation of exit dates which did not previously apply – Added a “planned gap in services” functionality for Labor Exchange/ES Participation program – Added exclusions to Labor Exchange services – Modified ES participation so it is only added automatically as the result of a value added service

Training Extensive training is necessary 4 sessions in June ’05 – 1 high-level – 3 regional sessions for front-line staff Numerous updates

Training Quarterly discussion at LWIA meetings Conference call follow-up after six months Draft WIIN

Was It Worth It? Yes – our Workforce Development report to the PA Legislature is much more coherent – We better understand real outcomes or programs and can make comparisons – Other benefits will become clearer over time

Contact Information Sandi Vito – Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development – Phone: – Ali Cleveland – Director, L&I Policy Office – Phone: –

Contact Information Cindy Gnech – Chief, Program Management Section, Bureau of Workforce Development Partnership – Phone: – Keith Bailey – Workforce Development Research Supervisor, Center for Workforce Information and Analysis – Phone: –