1. Early Intervention to Prevent Layoff
Kathy Heady
Sector Manager, WEDC
Gesina Mentink
Dislocated Worker Program Coordinator, DWD

2. Business Retention/Expansion and Layoff Aversion Strategy
Goal: Help prevent layoffs from occurring or to minimize the impact of layoffs when they are unavoidable.

3. Complement Existing Strategies to Minimize Duration of Unemployment:
Rapid Response
Re-Employment Services
WorkShare Program
WEDC’s Business Retention and Expansion Activities

4. Began as an effort to better coordinate services between DWD and WEDC

5. Convened a Stakeholder Group to solicit input on the creation and vision for the strategy
Labor * Utilities * Banks * Lawyers * Local and Regional Economic Development Organizations *
Workforce Boards * State Agencies
November 2012 and April 2013

6. Secured Technical Assistance from Tom Croft, Executive Director of the Steel Valley Authority (SVA), Administers Pennsylvania’s nationally recognized layoff aversion program.
In Program Year
Assisted 106 companies - Preventing 1,097 job losses at an average cost of $957 per job saved
Saved the state more than $30 million in State Unemployment Insurance Benefits alone

7. SVA Program Model + Stakeholder Input = Pilot Program
Desire to have a strategy that dove-tails into existing economic activities at the state and local levels
Take into account feedback on:
Existing Services
Service Gaps
Information Sharing Abilities and Concerns

8. PILOT PROGRAM – IN DEVELOPMENT
Development of a Data Sharing System
Up to a two year pilot depending on funding
Target Manufacturing companies that employ between employees
Development of New Core Turnaround Services

9. Pilot Program – in development
2 WEDC Regional Account Manager (RAM) Territories
One Urban and One Rural

10. DATA SHARING SYSTEM
DWD-Managed Centralized Data Warehouse for Input and Analysis of Information from Multiple Sources
Examples: Unemployment Insurance Information, Labor Market Information, Tax Delinquency, Bankruptcy Filings, Employer Closings/Layoff Notices

11. DATA SHARING SYSTEM Stakeholder Committee Data Sharing System (DSS)
WEDC
Regional Account Manager
Other Stakeholders
DWD
(UI, LMI, RR)
DOR
Workforce Development Boards
ED Stakeholders
Stakeholder Committee

12. DATA SHARING SYSTEM
Will be designed to help identify companies at risk for layoffs as well as for potential expansion and growth opportunities
Incorporate mechanisms to communicate and share information with economic development and workforce systems utilizing the Salesforce.com platform through the Skills Wisconsin Project.

13. TURN AROUND ASSISTANCE
WEDC RAM (QUARTERBACK) – Local Partners – Initial Screening of At-Risk Employer
Business Retention & Expansion / Layoff Aversion
Regional Account Manager – Quarterback
(a.k.a., Regional Point of Contact)
RAM Duties
General Marketing of BRE Services
Core/BRE duties
Work with ED officials to help businesses grow by providing business consulting assistance and linkages to business to available financial, workforce, & assistance resources
Work with ED officials to deploy consistent economic development tools
Support ED officials in efforts to provide regular business relationship building and data collection
Work with ED officials to ensure full communication on ED resources available from the state of WI
Work with businesses who have received WEDC related assistance to ensure ongoing performance and support

14. TURN AROUND ASSISTANCE
In-Depth Evaluation of Business Operations/Needs and Provision of Core Turnaround Services – Contracted out
At-Risk Company must be evaluated as having the likelihood to persevere through challenges

15. TURN AROUND ASSISTANCE
Proposed Core Services:
Financial Restructuring
Operations and Cost Management
Ownership Transition
High-performance Workplace Strategies
New Market Opportunities

16. TURN AROUND ASSISTANCE
Gaps in Services – Develop new services including contracting with approved vendors for service provision
Maximize use of existing services

17. MINIMIZE DURATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT WITH EXISTING RESOURCES
Transition strategy tailored to specific circumstances of the impending dislocation
Examples:
Onsite Workshops
Peer Counseling
Onsite Transition Centers
Transition Teams
Referrals
Onsite Job Fairs

18. QUESTIONS?