1. Regional Workforce Skills Planning Initiative
Berkshire Regional Skills Team
Session III
October 18, 2017, 12-3PM
BCREB, 66 Allen Street, Pittsfield
Heather

2. Today’s Objectives Introductions and where we are in the process
Confirm regional criteria, priority industries, and occupations
Share challenges facing business and industry
Share challenges facing labor supply
Break
Brainstorm regional planning team’s vision for the region in 2027
Brainstorm goals and strategies for region
Heather
Review this slide – talk a bit about “where we are in the process” make sure everyone is on the same page.

3. Our work today and in future sessions
Today, we will:
Begin to articulate our regional vision, mission, and goals, all guided by our…
Criteria
Priority industries and occupation
Challenges and opportunities facing businesses and our labor supply
Our goal today is not to finalize vision/mission/goal statements, but to gather enough material from you to inform draft versions of these statements
In future sessions, we will:
Refine strategies that will help us reach our vision, mission, and goals
Heather

4. Criteria Supply Gap (more openings than qualified)
Our criteria for prioritizing industries and occupations will reflect what we value as a region.
Supply Gap (more openings than qualified)
High growth, high wage Occupations (4 and 5 stars)
Supportive employers (job growth, wages, benefits)
Aligned with economic development strategies (fit with 7 year vision, leverage existing assets)
Career pathways (pathways with entry-level points and growth potential)
Support industry resilience (emerging, stable, attract workforce, ripple criteria, supporting small business and entrepreneurship)
Heather

5. Priority Industries and Occupations
Healthcare and social services
Educational services
Professional and technical services
Accommodation and food services
Arts, entertainment, and recreation (Creative economy)
Manufacturing
Trades
Construction
Allied health professions
Nurses
Community health workers
Teachers
Software engineering
Commercial license drivers
Engineering pipeline
Technicians
Heather

6. Regional Industry/Occupation Priorities, Sub-BA
Confirming Occupation Priorities
Regional Industry/Occupation Priorities, Sub-BA
Industry Priorities
Supply Gap, 4-5 Star, Associates/Cert/Some College
Supply Gap, 1-3 Star, Associates/Cert/Some College
High Indexed Demand
4 and 5 Star Occupations, HS or Below
Career Pathway Entryway
Supportive Employer/Aligned with Econ Dev
1. Healthcare and Social Services
Dental Hygienists
LPNs
Nursing Assistants
Home Health Aides
Social and Human Service Assistants
Medical Secretaries
2. Education Services
Teacher Assistants
Preschool Teachers
3. Accommodation and Food Services
Food Service Managers
Chefs and Head Cooks
Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
4. Manufacturing
Trades
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians
Technicians
HVAC
Team Assemblers
Construction
Heating, AC, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
Electricians
Construction Laborers
Carpenters
FirstLine Supervisors of Construction Trades
5. Professional and Technical Services (IT and Engineering)
Computer User Support Specialists
Accountants
Business reps
Management/Sales
Analysts
Heather

7. Industry Overview
Camoin

8. Top 5 Industries by Jobs, Growth, LQ
Camoin

9. Top Occupations
Camoin

10. Health Care Top Occupations
Camoin

11. Challenges facing our businesses
Review
Challenges facing our businesses
According to our data, research, and engagement with employers, we understand that the top 3 challenges facing regional businesses are…
Not having a skilled workforce (less young people in labor force and older residents working longer)
Large job vacancy rate/low unemployment
{Insert}
Heather with Camoin facilitating

12. Labor supply challenges
Review
Labor supply challenges
According to our data, research, and engagement with team members, we understand that the top 3 labor supply challenges are:
Aging workforce/Transfer of knowledge
Livable wage
Limited solid career pathway opportunities
Loss of young/working population & less educated
[Insert]
Heather with Camoin facilitating

13. Opportunities Collaborative spirit Quality of Life [Insert]
Review
Opportunities
Given our analysis, we note the following opportunities in our region:
Collaborative spirit
Quality of Life
[Insert]
Heather with Camoin facilitating

14. Blueprint-Aligned Outcomes
Aligned with Blueprint Section III (Where do we want to go?) and Section IV (How do we get there?)
Vision. State 2-5 things you hope will be true in your region 10 years from now through the lens of education, workforce development, and economic development to address priority industries and occupations identified in your blueprint.
Goals. Describe your shared goals. What will you accomplish by 2018, 2020, and 2022?
Shared Strategies. Describe how your region will work collaboratively to achieve your vision, mission, and goals.
Heather

15. What is a Vision Statement?
Looking ahead to 2027, describe what a successful workforce system would look like and mean for the region?
Jim

16. Example Vision Statements
The education, economic development, and workforce development spheres have a common understanding of where their roles intersect in creating a vibrant and prosperous region in which to live and work.
The region’s workforce successfully supports the expansion and the attraction of key industries.
Opportunities exist for all people in the region to learn and develop skills to remain or become employable.
Jim.

17. Key Components of a Vision Statement
What words or phrases should be part of a vision statement for the region?
Examples to get started
Career opportunities
Meeting Business needs
Connecting workers to training opportunities
Jim

18. Creating Vision Statements
Thinking about the words and phrases that ought to be part of a vision statement, construct statements for use in the vision.
Jim facilitate, Rachel take notes.

19. Goals and Strategies: What are we doing in the near-term?
High-level things we want to accomplish, and how we want to accomplish them
Our goals will focus resources and enables team members to make decisions in alignment with each other and with organizational commitments. It clarifies and helps to resolve resource conflicts
Our strategies will show us how we get there
What will we do by 2018, 2020, and 2022, and how will we get there?
Camoin

20. Goals and Strategies: Sample Output
Goal: By 2020, we want to increase new pipeline capacity for X industry by X credentialed workers/students.
Strategies: Our shared strategies to do this will be…
Strategy X
Strategy Y
Strategy Z
Camoin.

21. Goals and Strategies: Consensus Workshop
How might we train/prepare/equip the regional workforce to meet employer needs in each of our priority industries and occupations in 2020 and beyond?
Camoin

22. Goals: where will we be in 2018, 2020, 2022?
By 2018, what do we want to see?
New programs, initiatives, or policies?
By 2020, what do we want to see?
What results have been achieved through those programs, initiatives, and policies?
By 2022, what do we want to see?
What are the longer-term results achieved by our work in 2018 and 2022?
Sample metrics may include - economic impact; industry development cycle; demographics; skill gaps closed; general labor pool educational level; credential level; etc.
Camoin

23. Next Steps Focus Groups Blueprint Development Upcoming meetings
November 13th (Session IV)
November 16th (State Meeting)
Session V (TBD)
December 12th (State meeting)
Heather