NWA 2

Here in the Renaissance Vinoy the NWA workforce meeting got started at 2pm with the presentation of colors and a beautifully sung national anthem. The first up is John Twomey.

This is the sixth NWA Conference. He spoke on the Florida model of workforce development and the good information that we will have on the legislative side. USA Works will also be speaking as a sister organization on some of the legislative advocacy we need to do with the system.
John acknowledged this blog.

David Bradley started with the fact that there is bad weather in New York. Mr. Brownstein was delayed with the flight out of New York. So, the schedule will be rearranged to the Monday morning at 8:15am. So the two speakers that are stuck in weather will be back to back on Monday morning. Monday morning was approved by the crowd. Sig Nelson will speak after the popcorn break. Sig will be here via video conference. David Obey will be on tomorrow via video conference on what is likely to happen between the white house and the congress.

Mr. Miller was invited to come; it appears that this will not happen due to a trip to China.
It appears he is the key person to help this system move forward. No Child Left Behind has yet to be introduced. Higher Ed is moving forward. WIA is still not on the table. There seems to be a need to pause and wait until after the new president is elected.

Mr. Miller sent a video to the conference. I think we need to have Mr. Miller take the lead in the reauthorization and I hope the system works hard to make sure Mr. Miller understands that this system serves this serious need. He stated we need to have a system that trains the workforce to be globally competitive.

So what is the lay of the land? David outlined the current status. I will comment on this in another blog.

Sigurd Nilsen began his presentation 3:50pm. Sig is now the Director, Policy Research, the Council on Foundations. He retired from the GAO, and works for Steven Gunderson (former Wisconsin US Representative). He was able to fly in to present in person.

National Fund for Workforce Solutions – rolled out on September 6 at the National Press Club. Anne E. Casey Foundation along with others have joined this fund. Objective: To improve the quality of the workforce system, invest in workers, and sustainable employment.
He said “work is changing” and looking at flexible and adaptive work. Create value – Real time and over time, decentralized, networked.
There is a laser focus on low wage workers and employers and how we can move those workers into sustainable wage jobs. The AEC foundation focused on workforce intermediaries. This was tested in five sites across the nation. Boston was more invested in workforce issues as foundations than what was sent by DOL to the regional WIB.

There was frustration with the workforce system from the foundations point of view. Soft skills get you retention of about three months. Vocational skills will get you a worker for more than a year.

The local investment will be matched 4:1. Goal is to help 50,000 people and more than 1,000 businesses. Foundations will invest at the beginning of the funding and develop sustainability. Clarify what we know and what we need to know. Demonstrate success in getting the workforce system to be successful. Stephanie Powers is the connector to the other foundations to get more collaborative. Evaluation component and research and DOL will invest in the research.

Implications for the public workforce system

A major concern with this foundation initiative and the WIRED grant and HGJI being developed outside the system to invest money in innovative initiatives.

Currently, not perceived as successful, as an innovator, and not connected outside its domain. We need to network with the local community system. How do we represent ourselves and tell our story.

We still do not tell our story well. We need data collection system that tells the story well.

We need to look at the entrepreneur model for our system.
We do not want to be the same system we replaced. We need to be associated with energy, innovative and entrepreneurial.

We are helping the economy and the employers and raising the standard of living for our region.