1. Regional Workforce Skills Planning Initiative
Berkshire Regional Skills Team
Session IV
November 13, 2017, 10-12PM
BCREB, 66 Allen Street, Pittsfield
Heather

2. Today’s Objectives Introductions and where we are in the process
Confirm industries, occupations, vision, and mission
Break
Group work to 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. Berkshire Region – Priority Industries & Occupations
Hospitality & Management
Advanced Manufacturing
Health Care & Social Assistance
Nurses and Nurses Aides
        Registered Nurses
        Personal Care Aides
        Home Health Aides
        Nursing Assistants
        Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
        Medical Assistants
        Nurse Practitioners
Community Health Worker
Rachel
Are there specific occupations within these groups that are priorities?

4. Berkshires’ Vision Statement
Looking ahead to 2027, describe what a successful workforce system would look like and mean for the region?
The Berkshires are able to recruit and retain an effective workforce with jobs that offer competitive pay, high quality of life, economic mobility, and support a diverse and sustainable economy.
What 2-3 things do you hope will be true in your region in 10 years?
Every Berkshire County employer has access to a skilled workforce.
Every job seeker has access to meaningful employment.
That the Berkshires are the premier place to live, work and play.
Rachel

5. Region’s Mission Statement
To promote economic vitality in Berkshire County by implementing creative solutions for business, workforce, and community challenges through a demand-driven, integrated system.
What has each set of core partners agreed to do in order to achieve your vision? What will education do? What will economic development do? What will workforce do?
Commitment to collaborate and support a workforce network driven by employer demand
Strengthen partnerships between workforce, education, and economic development to ensure job seekers and incumbent workers have tools need to enter viable career pathways.
Greater integration of employers with college and career readiness in both pre-K-12 and post-secondary programming
Rachel

6. Quick 10-Minute break
- Regroup in designated areas

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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

10. Draft Goals: where will we be in 2018, 2020, 2022?
By 2018
Strengthen partnerships between One Stop, education and industry/economic development
Develop, coordinate, and integrate a common industry demand assessment tool to track changes in industry needs and connect to jobseekers.
Greater engagement of Berkshire employers with area high schools, colleges, and graduates.
By 2020
Develop a definitive set of career pathways for three high priority sectors
Create a CNA day program.
Create an enhanced one-stop career center for the whole spectrum of jobseekers including support for trailing spouses.
Establish 1 well defined cross-sector pathway, chart out the opportunities, and communicate with related industry and occupations.
Establish 3 new trades courses in the county (e.g., electricians, plumbers)
By 2022
Decrease the average age of those working in the manufacturing sector
Decrease number of job openings unfilled for longer than 6 months.
Increased number of trained/certified workers for prioritized occupations
Stabilize or grow total number of jobs in the county
Camoin

11. Group Work - Strategies
How often and in what way will you meet to review progress towards shared goals and make course corrections?
What data and measurement systems will you rely on to support shared understanding of how well you are meeting your goals and making progress towards a shared vision?
What other shared strategies will the region adopt to ensure progress towards the common agenda?
This will give you your goal content.

12. Group Work – Strategies
Education. Describe the changes in programming, recruitment, retention and placement strategies, assessment, tracking, or other strategies specific educational partners have committed to meet shared regional goals.
Workforce Development. Describe the changes in programming, employer relations, recruitment, retention and placement strategies tracking, or other strategies specific workforce development partners have committed to meet shared regional goals.
Economic Development. Describe the changes in economic development strategy that economic development partners have committed to meet shared regional goals.
This will give you your goal content.

13. Next Steps Blueprint Development Upcoming meetings
November 16th (State Meeting)
December 6th (Tentative Workgroup Session)
December 12th (State meeting)
January 31st (Blueprint Due)
Heather