1. Steering Committee Meeting

2. Agenda Initiative Overview Common themes across plans Sector Plans Implementation Structure Next Steps

3. GOAL Skills@Work is a statewide campaign to engage employers, educators, community and workforce organizations in developing solutions to increase adult credential attainment in demand occupations. THREE BROAD STRATEGIES Engage key stakeholders in creating sector-based regional plans for recruiting, training, retaining and advancing employees to skilled jobs. Align strategy, resources and policy. Develop a statewide goal and shared metrics across systems to measure increased credential attainment.

4. Sector Initiatives Sector initiatives are industry-specific, regional partnerships that address employers' needs for skilled workers and workers' needs for good jobs. Skills@Work Sectors:  Healthcare (Older Adult Services)  Information Technology  Manufacturing

5. Cross Sector Barriers/Challenges 1. Lack of Skilled Workers  Need to adapt to changing industry needs 2. Lack of workplace skills (soft skills)  Prepare people for range of workplace needs 3. Inaccurate perception of industry  Increase awareness Healthcare Information Technology Manufacturing

6. Cross Sector Strategies 1. Lack of Skilled Workers  Evaluate and enhance higher education and other training program curriculum to meet evolving occupational needs  Increase stackable, industry-recognized credential attainment for credit  Create/scale experiential learning (internships, on-the-job training, apprenticeships)

7. 2. Lack of workplace skills (soft skills)  Expand career pathway models that include workplace education  Create/Scale experiential learning opportunities (internships, on- the-job training, apprenticeships)  Assess employer’s interest in a credential that demonstrates acquisition of workplace knowledge and skills (Mfg and IT) Cross Sector Strategies

8. 3. Inaccurate perception of industry  Enhance Image/Increase Awareness  Attract high school students into sector  Provide financial assistance  Increase screening/assessment tools for incoming students and employees Cross Sector Strategies

9. Healthcare Challenges/Barriers Themes High Turnover/Low Retention  Wages and benefits are not competitive with acute care settings  Opportunities for enhancing image of industry (older adult services)  Need more workers with skills, knowledge and abilities specific to working with older adults Current training programs not meeting needs  Not responsive to industry (older adult services) needs  Employees aren’t aware of skills specific to older adults  Need for contextualized remedial education

10. Healthcare Strategy Themes Alignment of training for older adult services ◦Improve education to focus on adult care competencies ◦Expand on-the-job training and paid internships Increase employment and improve retention for specific occupations w/in older adult services ◦Address wage and benefit disparities ◦Enhance the image of opportunities ◦Build out innovative educational: employer partnerships focused on transition into employment

11. IT Challenges/Barriers Themes Maintaining relevant curriculum in context of rapidly changing environment Lack of awareness of IT opportunities and pathways Lack of access to necessary real-time data analytics

12. IT Strategy Themes Collaboration ◦One stop shop for all IT jobs, internships and job seekers ◦Coordinated information and communication across business, education and government agencies Credential attainment ◦Increase credential attainment ◦Promote career pathways Relevance ◦Expand on-the-job training and paid internships ◦Update higher ed. curriculum to meet industry demand

13. Manufacturing Challenges/Barriers Themes Negative image of manufacturing industry Relevance of training to industry need ◦Need to adapt to changing demographics ◦Need to redesign training programs to align with industry needs ◦Lack capacity ◦Desired core competencies and agreed upon credentials across industry unclear ◦Remedial education needs

14. Manufacturing Strategy Themes Industry awareness ◦Increase understanding and awareness of industry and career opportunities ◦Increase awareness of necessary aptitudes for manufacturing careers and educational/training programs Relevance ◦Identify recognized upon industry defined core competencies and credentials ◦Align education with industry needs

15. MnSCU System Alignment with Skills@Work MnSCU Focused Strategies: Advance Competitiveness of MN Workforce  Internships and apprenticeships  Leveraged Equipment Program  Faculty-Driven Educational Innovations Increase Access and Affordability  Provide access to the state grant program for part-time students Accelerate completion  Increase student retention and completion  Expand PSEO and concurrent enrollment (get students into the manufacturing industry) Produce Graduates w/ Required Technical & Foundational Skills Increase Student Enrollment Accelerate Completion

16. Itasca Project Higher Education Task Force’s Alignment with Skills@Work  Align training, education and supports with workforce skill needs  Develop a sustainable method for identifying and responding to employers’ skill needs  Develop and clear credentialed pathways for building and demonstrating competencies  Create and expand ways to inform and engage current and prospective students in high-demand career pathways

17. Implementation Strategy Industry Skill Panel Plans

18. Sector Initiatives: Key Characteristics Adapted from presentation by Insight: Center for Community Economic Development and National Network of Sector Partners Industry Focus Capacity Career Pathways Systemic Changes

19. Sector Initiative Research and Design Identify Needs and Opportunities What are possible sectors and industries to target? Conduct Focus Groups Do you have a viable industry for a sector project? Identify Strategies What are your points of leverage and influence? Project Design What kind of program fits target industry and population? Implement the Sector Project Are your strategies the right ones? Current Next Steps

20. Implementation Structure Implementation Structure Lead Implementation Organizations Propose and execute approved project plans Industry Skills Action Alliance Accountability for objectives, strategies activities and outcomes to close the skills gap Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3 Objective 4 Strategy 1 Strategy 2 Strategy 1 Strategy 2 Strategy 1 Strategy 2 Facilitation Entity Provides staff support for Alliance and process for decision making, communications, project formation, evaluation and reporting Strategy 1 Strategy 2

21. Business Composition of Industry Skills Action Alliance Higher Education Other Training and Support Entities Workforce Centers Adult Basic Education Community- Based Organizations K-12

22. Role of Industry Skills Action Alliance Blueprint for closing skills gap Project collaboration Resource efficiencies Regular analysis of training needs Agent of accountability Facilitate funding

23. Role of Facilitation Entity Administration ○ Provides staffing for the Action Alliance ○ Fiscal agent ○ Fund development and grant management Evaluation ○ Monitors and reports on projects adopted by the Alliance ○ Maintains an outcomes dashboard related to plan objectives Project Management ○ Bring funding recommendations to the Action Alliance for approval ○ Manages the work and reports progress to Action Alliance

24. Competencies of Facilitation Entity  Industry expertise  Experience developing and driving community initiatives in partnership with employers and education and training entities

25. Role of Lead Implementation Organizations (Per Strategy)  Convene key stakeholders  Create and execute project plans  Measure success

26. Policy Role of Greater Twin Cities United Way and Governor’s Workforce Develop Council Start-Up Funding Report Card