California Promotes Construction Trade Apprenticeships

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has launched the “I Build It-Youth” campaign to begin training California’s future skilled workforce. The campaign aims to promote careers in the construction trades to junior and senior high school students through apprenticeship opportunities. As part of the “I Built It-Youth” Campaign, a dynamic and engaging video featuring apprentices working in the field and highlighting the benefits of participating in an apprenticeship program will be distributed to counselors, teachers and educators through junior and senior high schools and youth organizations across the state. The video is available at: www.IBuiltIt.org.

Chicagoland Green Collar Jobs Initiative Releases Green Collar Workforce Publication

“Building a Green Collar Workforce in Chicagoland,” a new report by the Chicagoland Green Collar Jobs Initiative, points to the job creation potential of green collar jobs in the Chicago region. It highlights the numerous policy opportunities – including climate legislation, additional resources for environmental programs, and changes to environmental standards – that may help spur the development of new green collar jobs throughout Chicagoland. The report also explores the specific green occupations most likely to experience significant growth in the Chicago region. To view a related Webinar on Chicagoland, go to: http://www.workforce3one.org/view/web105/info

New York City Green Collar Jobs Roadmap

The Center for American progress has released a new resource entitled “New York City Green Collar Jobs Roadmap.” The Roadmap is a product of the Green Collar Jobs Roundtable, which was convened by Urban Agenda. The Roundtable was a participatory effort of over 170 job-training organizations, community-based programs, businesses, and labor unions that compiled data on green jobs and workforce development best practices while developing more than 30 recommendations for achieving the shared vision of a more sustainable, prosperous, and just New York City. The Roadmap includes recommendations related to green economic development, talent engagement and development, job creation, employer engagement, and partner collaboration.

New Publication on Career Pathway Models and Programs

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW) and the National Career Pathways Network (NCPN) have released a joint publication, Thriving in Challenging Times: Connecting Education to Economic Development Through Career Pathways. This resource highlights successful career pathway models that create relevant, challenging learning environments for students and are designed to increase American employers' access to highly-skilled, qualified workers. Thriving in Challenging Times profiles 17 local and two statewide career pathways programs in multiple industry sectors, documenting the challenges, strategies, results, and business engagement each partnership has experienced.

The Workforce Strategy Center Releases New Report on Education Strategies for Disadvantaged Youth and Young Adults

The Workforce Strategy Center’s recent report, “Employers, Low-Income Young Adults, and Postsecondary Credentials: A Practical Typology for Business, Education, and Community Leaders,” highlights programs in 14 communities that are successfully addressing the challenge of providing disadvantaged youth and young adults with the technical and postsecondary education that may qualify them for skilled positions. Programs discussed in the report meet the following four basic criteria: Getting low-income youth and young adults postsecondary credentials that will allow them to enter and advance in career track employment. Working with employers in industry sectors important to the region’s economy. Maximizing employer roles and commitment. Demonstrating portability, scalability, and replicability. Programs discussed are based on a variety of models, including community-based organization models, community and technical college models, employer models, industry sector models, and social enterprise models.

Opportunities for Rural Community and Economic Development

The Rural Sociological Society’s latest Rural Realities publication, “Homegrown Responses to Economic Uncertainty in Rural America,” explores three interconnected "homegrown" approaches for reinvigorating and growing struggling rural economies, which have been particularly hard-hit by the economic recession. The paper also offers several policy and strategic options for fostering homegrown rural development efforts. Related resources: Link to "Innovation in Action" article:http://www.workforce3one.org/view/3000929241996925905 Economic Gardening http://groups.google.com/group/econ-dev?msg=subscribe&hl=en The Farm Act of 2008 established the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program. This program will provide technical and financial assistance in the form of loans and grants to qualified Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) to support microentrepreneurs in the development and ongoing success of rural microenterprises. An MDO is an organization that provides access to capital and business-based training services to very small (micro) businesses. A microentrepreneur is an owner and operator, or prospective owner and operator, of a rural business with not more than 10 full-time equivalent employees who is unable to obtain sufficient training, technical assistance, or credit. USDA’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service today has published a proposed rule in support of the implementation of this program to meet the goals and requirements of the Act. Comments are due by November 23, 2009. The October 7, 2009 FEDERAL REGISTER" contains the proposed rule.

Iowa Leverages Social Networking Media to Launch Career Hub

The Iowa Coalition for Innovation and Growth has launched the Iowa Career Hub on the Facebook social networking platform. The Iowa Career Hub is designed to raise awareness about career pathways and related academic opportunities among Iowans of all ages. Through the Career Hub, Iowans can access organizations in both the public and private sectors to learn more about career opportunities and planning.

Workforce Solutions 2009 Update

Since 2008, The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has disseminated 541 solutions through the Workforce3One innovative solutions project developed under the Community-Based Job Training Grants and High Growth Job Training Initiative. This flyer provides information on the 2009 Updates to these solutions.

(Presentation Slides Zip File) Office of Apprenticeship: State Apprenticeship Agencies’ Grants Management Webinar

Apprenticeship Washington

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has deployed a new website designed to introduce K-12 students to the world of apprenticeship. This visual site, designed to attract young people, covers the why, what, who and how of apprenticeships. Apprenticeships offer students viable career opportunities in fields with tremendous unmet demand and this site provides information that workforce professionals can use to explain apprenticeships or as a model to educate youth about apprenticeships. Related resource: ETA's News Release announcement, new Apprenticeship grants. http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/eta20090916.htm

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Resources for Union-Sponsored Occupational Training Programs, Including Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship Programs

This updated guide, produced by the AFL-CIO Working for America Institute and its Center for Green Jobs, focuses on the implications of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for union-supported occupational training programs and their training partners.

Puget Sound Industrial Excellence Center

Linking economic development to workforce development can spur economic growth by aligning the needs of the community with the needs of industry. The Puget Sound Industrial Excellence Center (PSIEC), at the South Seattle Community College, s a collaborative effort to train the area’s low-income residents for employment in high-demand jobs and to assist established and emerging businesses in the area. Article describes the services and is an example of a an apprenticeship model being expanded to address the needs of the relatively unskilled and the needs of new and established businesses.

The Benefits and Challenges of Registered Apprenticeship: The Sponsors' Perspective

This report, by the Urban Institute, analyzes a survey of a nationally representative sample of sponsors of registered apprenticeship programs. Commissioned by the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor, the survey includes questions about how sponsors (mainly employers) view their registered apprenticeship programs. The study analyzes these survey responses on the value, benefits, and drawbacks of registered apprenticeship, its integration with the workforce investment systems, apprentice completion and reasons for non-completion, and suggestions for possible improvement. In general, sponsors report highly positive attitudes about registered apprenticeship as a system for training their workforce. Related resource: Other recent ETA research publications may be found http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/keyword.cfm

Senate Hearing on Workforce Reauthorization

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety held a hearing on July 16 about the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) where witnesses highlighted components of the workforce system that are working well and identified areas to change in any WIA reauthorization. The witnesses included ETA Assistant Secretary Jane Oates. The witnesses’ testimony and a webcast of the hearing are available on the Senate HELP Committee Website.

Puget Sound Industrial Excellence Center

Linking economic development to workforce development can spur economic growth by aligning the needs of the community with the needs of industry. The Puget Sound Industrial Excellence Center (PSIEC), at the South Seattle Community College, s a collaborative effort to train the area’s low-income residents for employment in high-demand jobs and to assist established and emerging businesses in the area. Article describes the services and is an example of a an apprenticeship model being expanded to address the needs of the relatively unskilled and the needs of new and established businesses.

Austin Green Job Task Force Initiative Report

In February 2009 the Austin Chamber of Commerce began efforts to coordinate a community-wide approach to green job education and training. The Chamber’s Business Retention & Expansion team coordinated a “Green Job” Task Force to coordinate regional workforce training issues for the Austin and Round Rock areas of the state around the numerous opportunities in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors. This Task Force report is a Community Roadmap that identifies, defines and sizes green collar job opportunities specifically for the Austin region. Although the data contained in the report is geographically-specific, the featured strategies and plans may serve as models for the many communities and regions with similar circumstances.

(Presentation Slides) Los Angeles City Partnership for Construction Careers

The Office of Apprenticeship is highlighting, a unique collaboration called “The Los Angeles Partnership for Construction Careers”. This Partnership has developed an economic development model that leverages existing funds (in economic depressed areas) to drive social equity goals, and meet training needs for skilled workers who will perform new green jobs.

(Podcast) Structuring The Youth Work Experience

This Podcast offers a glimpse into the webinar moderated by Melissa Goldberg, who spoke with Joseph Gerena and David Sullivan on “Structuring The Youth Work Experience.” The actual Webinar discusses ArtsTech's mission is to help at-risk youth achieve academically, socially, and professionally through the development and application of their artistic, technological and entrepreneurial skills. ArtsTech accomplishes this by operating a center for youth enterprise, building collaborative partnerships, and managing programs for private and public entities. As well as, Year Up’s intensive training program that provides urban young adults ages 18-24 with a unique combination of technical and professional skills, college credits, and educational stipend and corporate apprenticeship. Both speakers will address the challenges they have faced and lessons learned in creating work opportunities for their young customers. Please review the actual Webinar recording on Workforce3One for a more in depth review of this Webinar. Related Resources: Completed webinar recording: http://www.workforce3one.org/view/5411/info Presentation: http://www.workforce3one.org/view/2000907554575802760/info

(Podcast) Registered Apprenticeship and WIA Funding and Measures: How to Make it Work

This Podcast offers a glimpse into the webinar moderated by Laura Ginsberg, who spoke with Sean Kelly, Mike Qualter, and Linda Sorrell, about “Registered Apprenticeship and WIA Funding and Measures: How To Make It Work.” The actual Webinar provides in-depth details on Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 2-07, titled "Leveraging Registered Apprenticeship as a Workforce Development Strategy for the Workforce Investment System.” This TEGL provides information and guidance on collaboration strategies, including how WIA funding sources can be used to support Registered Apprenticeship and guidance on tracking apprenticeship activities through the WIA performance measurement system. Please review the actual Webinar recording on Workforce3One for a more in depth review of this Webinar. Related Resources: Complete webinar recording: http://www.workforce3one.org/view/4810/info Presentation: http://www.workforce3one.org/view/4805/info

Ann Arbor SPARK Helps Michigan Shift Gears

The decline in Michigan’s overall workforce infrastructure has put numerous well-seasoned and well-educated managers, engineers, and technical professionals in a position of needing to analyze their vocational options. A new initiative, Shifting Gears, hopes to provide an opportunity for these professionals to do just that, and to assist professionals in the transition to an entrepreneurial environment.