Our Six-Month Review: How Are We Doing?
Earlier this month, we had our first Board of Directors meeting of 2017, where I recapped our activities addressing the 10 action items that were laid out by County Executive Ike Leggett’s Call to Action. I thought it would be helpful to devote this column to informing people about what we’ve accomplished in just six short — but very busy — months.
Action Item: Create a single readily identifiable structure to lead, elevate, and coordinate a comprehensive system of workforce development. The workforce development system must be industry-driven, data-informed, skills-oriented, and population-specific.
Results: WSM structure has been established to align and engage key policies and stakeholders to be responsive to County employers and job seekers. WSM, Inc. is the operational board, while the Workforce Development Board (WDB) addresses programs and activities in alignment with federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) policies.
To ensure we incorporate comprehensive perspectives, both the WSM and WDB boards are comprised of decision makers from a variety of industries, community-based organizations, education an training organizations, faith-based groups, employment unions, and the County government.
To help carry out our mission, I have hired four leadership staff positions and established central office space in Rockville and on the Montgomery County Germantown Campus.
I am pleased to report that we have expanded our funding and revenue with less than 10% used for operations. Moving forward, my goal is to continue to diversify our funding stream.
Ongoing communications play a key role in getting the word out about our work. We’ve developed a monthly e-newsletter, a website, and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn) and have conducted targeted media outreach. In addition, I continue to meet with community and business organizations to talk about our mission and develop relationships both locally and regionally.
During our first six months, we have increased our capacity, diversified resources, and convened key stakeholders. We’ve been awarded grants to enhance several customer demographics, including being designated a “Ticket to Work” program, Disability Employment Initiative, and Two-Generation Poverty. We have been active in developing an age-friendly strategic plan, and I serve as co-chair of both the Age Friendly Commission and the Immigrant-Refugee Task force.
Action Item: Coordinate and integrate the best of current strategic efforts into a single county wide approach responding to the needs of diverse constituencies.
Results: To be responsive to the diverse needs of career seekers, our Job Centers — known as the “one-stops” — in Wheaton, Germantown, and Boyds have been enhanced. The service delivery process and capabilities have been expanded to include increased case management and barrier supports by engaging County and community partners. Systems are being designed for stronger collaborative and integrated services among County workforce providers that give more options for career pathways and cohort training opportunities. Youth providers under WIOA are being expanded and strategically coordinated to ensure diversity of backgrounds and abilities are leveraged for the success of our County’s young adults.
Training places more emphasis on skills attainment and stacked credentialing to better prepare job seekers for sustainable employment. In addition, WSM will be creating pop-up job centers to be more accessible to the job seekers. New individual training plan procedures are under development as guided by WIOA. WSM is currently expanding partnerships for approved training providers and integrated services within the non-profit community. We have established formal collaborative partnerships with several community-based programs to ensure strong case management, integrated skills, rapid response, and customer-focused services.
And, finally, our Wheaton Job Center is getting a makeover (read more about what we are doing and why we are doing it here). WSM convened a community work group to develop the WIOA local plan that was approved by Gov. Larry Hogan in December, and is described as “the most innovative plan in the State.”
Action Item: Maintain, analyze, and widely disseminate current data about industry and cluster trends and job forecasts, demographic and population trends.
Results: Based on current data, trends and forecasts, WSM has established four targeted industry alliances: Healthcare, Hospitality, IT/Cybersecurity, and Construction. Each alliance programming is industry-led and will include industry briefs (data and trends), pipeline development, recruitment, certification and work-readiness training, work experiences (internships, shadowing, or apprenticeships) and employment placement. WSM will coordinate with the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) to support talent development needs in additional targeted industries as indicated in the Comprehensive Economic Strategic Plan.
WSM has also been awarded as either the lead or partner entity several grants to enhance talent development for the following industries: Energy, IT/Cybersecurity, and Healthcare.
WSM has also established a Business Solutions division that will address the needs of the job creators and support business growth.
WSM has researched labor market databases and will be purchasing two highly regarded databases that will provide up-to- date labor market data by both industry and geography. We have also developed a talent data dashboard that will go live at the end of January (see related article).
Action Item: Document and remove obstacles to success.
Results: WSM’s Pam Klahr, vice president of targeted initiatives, is conducting outreach to create partnerships with County and community agencies to provide comprehensive, coordinated, and integrated support and services that address barriers to employment. We are working with the Collaboration Council to enhance infoMontgomery. Using a stronger case management system, WSM will be able to track and support individuals from initial referral to 12 months after job placement.
WSM continues to update our community-based organizations and social services about new job opportunities to connect job seekers with job creators. WSM and the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services are working closely to align our mission to address barriers to employment through co-enrollment programs and data sharing.
Action Item: Create and maintain accessible quantitative and qualitative information on current training and workforce development programs.
Results: Training calendars and schedules are posted on our website and marketed to community and County organizations. Training programs will collect ongoing performance data such as: demographic data, skill/credential attainment, employability data, wage increase, and job retention/promotion.
Other initiatives we are engaged in include the following:
Action Item: Design career and college pathways.
Results: WSM is collaborating with our education partners to establish strong career and college pathways. In addition, we have contracted with EDSI to develop career pathway maps in the targeted industry alliances. Through our business solutions enhancements, we will be better able to respond to changing career pathways and prepare for jobs of the future. We have partnered with MCPS to establish a countywide summer youth work-learn program (see related article).
We have partnered with MCPS to establish a countywide summer youth work-learn program (see related article).
Action Item: Develop a continuum of work-based learning opportunities to strengthen the connections between education and work.
WSM will actively pursue several work-based learning opportunities, including the following:
Action Item: Ensure that public and private investors are in regular dialogue to provide resources and bring programs to scale.
Results: WSM is currently pursuing workforce development grants to diversify our resources. Through strategic industry-led partnerships, we anticipate scaling employability programs through project-specific resources to employability demand.
To date, we have had several leverage or direct resource supports, including office space (valued at $9,000/month), office furniture (valued at $65,000), and direct sponsorships from MedImmune ($10,000) and PEPCO ($5,000).
Action Item: Explore less traditional avenues of economic empowerment and entrepreneurship.
Results: WSM looks forward to working closely with MCEDC and the County government to convene keystakeholders to enhance economic empowerment and entrepreneurship across demographic areas. WSM is currently visiting community groups and local employers across the County to better understand the community needs to best customize programs.
Action Item: Adopt a checklist of principles and measurement to use when evaluating and monitoring programs.
Results: WSM will be using our Critical Outcome Measures that focus on establishing outcomes versus outputs. Based on the balanced scorecard approach, the Critical Outcome Measures will examine the customer perspective, internal process perspective, and the financial perspective.
We are very proud of what we have achieved so far, but know there is so much more to do. This year is already shaping up to be an exciting one as you will read about in this issue of the newsletter.
In the meantime, please keep checking our website for the latest news, like us on Facebook/WorkSourceMontgomery and follow us on Twitter @WorkSourceMD.
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