Okaloosa County BOCC — April 19, 2016 — CareerSource Okaloosa 2016-2020 Plan for County Commissioners Review — reading text

April 30, 2016 76 | P a g e Below are samples of CareerSource Sector Strategies: a. Be ready and available to assist in the recruitment of potential new and expanding businesses with the guidance, direction, and coordination with the CareerSource Board and its coordination with the economic development organizations. b. Provide mass recruitment services for new and expanding businesses by offering on-site services, use of CareerSource Center facilities, assessment services, extended or designated hours or other customized services to meet the needs of the businesses. c. Provide employers on-site recruiting including provisions for on-site interviewing at one or more of the CareerSource Centers d. Plan and conduct job fairs and other special events: In addition to the two major Florida Panhandle job fairs conducted annually, Business Services in coordination with the CareerSource Board, shall conduct a minimum of two other specific job fairs based on customer needs, such as a targeted audience of veterans, senior workers, youth graduating from high school, dislocated workers in response to a large business or industry downsizing, specific industry needs, mass hire for new and expanding businesses, or other initiatives identified by the Board. e. Continue to promote the “Florida Ready to Work” credentialing for appropriate and potential employees (5) Industry Partnerships: Describe how the LWDB will identify and work with key industry partnerships where they exist within the local area, and coordinate and invest in partnership infrastructure where they are not yet developed. WIOA §134(c)(1)(A)(iv). WIOA establishes the development and implementation of industry or sector partnerships as a required activity at both the state and local levels. WIOA section 134(a)(2)(B) provides that states must use a portion of state set-aside funds to assist local areas by providing information on and support for the effective development, convening, and implementation of industry or sector partnerships. Section 134(c)(1)(A)(v) requires that Title I-B funds allocated to local areas must be used to develop, convene, or implement industry or sector partnerships. These statutory changes reflect the growing recognition of sector partnerships as a key element of successful workforce development systems. Therefore, the CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board will work with CareerSource Florida and the Department of Economic Opportunity to obtain additional funds to assist with developing industry and sector partnerships. The Business Competitiveness Council will assist the CareerSource Board in the development and expansion of strategies for meeting the needs of employers, workers, and jobseekers, particularly through industry or sector partnerships related to in-demand industry sectors and occupations. In order to meet the statutory requirements under WIOA section 134(c)(1)(A), the CareerSource Board will go beyond simply providing career services or training to employers within in a CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 77 | P a g e particular sector or industry and invest in partnership infrastructure where they are not yet developed. The Board will emphasize the value of engaging multiple partners connected with a target sector — including business, labor, higher education, and other stakeholders – to support the development and sustainability of local and regional industries. The Board recognizes the value in addressing the workforce needs of both workers and businesses in target sectors is necessary to the success of these partnerships. (6) In-demand training: Describe the process utilized by the local board to ensure that training provided is linked to in-demand industry sectors or occupations in the local area, or in another area to which a participant is willing to relocate. WIOA §134(c)(G)(iii). The CareerSource Board will ensure training provided is linked to in-demand industry sectors or occupations in the local area; or in another area to which a participant is willing to relocate. The Board believes that the needs of b usinesses and w orkers w i l l d rive workforce solutions in several ways. First, the needs of businesses will inform and guide the workforce system. As businesses shape and drive regional workforce investments to build a pipeline of skilled workers, they will have access t o skilled and talented pool of workers. This engagement will be facilitated by CareerSource and include other leadership in the workforce system. Active participation in the development and provision of education and training, work-based learning, career pathways, and industry sector partnerships, will ensure business has a voice at the table. Through these partnerships, job seekers and workers, including those individuals with barriers to employment, such as individuals with disabilities, as defined by WIOA, will have the information and guidance to make informed decisions about training and careers, as well as access to the education, training and support services they need to compete in current and future labor markets. In addition to direct input from businesses, the best and most reliable source of information on the jobs of today and tomorrow is the demand side. In Florida, the demand-side solutions or Job-driven demand means programs that are developed to advance the workforce are derived from employer driven data. It is important to ensure that businesses, as ultimate customers of the workforce system, are integral participants in developing and implementing policies and programs of the system; and that the workforce system is designed with the needs of employers as well as employees, in mind. The CareerSource Board staff will better utilize the workforce supply and demand reports to anticipate employer needs in targeted industries and to tailor training programs to meet those needs. This approach is based on the understanding that analyzing occupations and critical skill sets within targeted industry clusters can help identify which occupations provide the best opportunities for investment to build different types of skills, identify gaps and build career ladders in high growth areas. The supply and demand model that focuses on demand- driven solutions can help guide both new and incumbent workers into the workforce by providing them with the best possible data to inform their decision about which career path to CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 78 | P a g e choose. The LWDA 2 Board will provide a platform for creating and receiving input of industry specific training programs by staying informed on local and state initiatives. The CareerSource Board has a great relationship with the five area Chambers of Commerce, two economic development organizations, SHRM, education, and other business organizations. The Board will continue to develop opportunities for these organizations to come together and jointly develop strategies that will continue to focus on forming strong ties with economic development, educations and business partners to establish programs goals and objectives that keep pace with a demand- driven economy and maximize the delivery of services to business. The Region Two CareerSource Board’s Business Competitiveness Council has in the past hosted an Information Technology (IT) focus group and job fair. As the Board continues down the path to sector partnerships, it intends to host more focus groups in the coming year. Florida’s Great Northwest is a prime location for business relocation and expansion of existing businesses. Both the Okaloosa and Walton County e conomic d evelopment organizations are very active in promoting the area as part of Florida’s Great Northwest (9- county area). The CareerSource Board is a fully participating partner with these three leading economic development organizations; consequently, the Board stands ready to seize new employment opportunities with new targeted businesses and business expansions. The CareerSource Board will promote the special Incumbent Worker Training Program and the Quick Response Training Program provided through CareerSource Florida. Additionally, the CareerSource Board and its Training Service Providers offer targeted businesses training for its employed workers designed to increase the skill-level and award certification to the newly trained employees. The CareerSource Board will focus on demand-driven jobs, which will ensure the voice of business is the driving force for designing all services for workforce development. This will also ensure the competitiveness of local businesses not only for employee recruitment but also employee retention. CareerSource will partner with industry to promote training for employed or incumbent workers using local and state resources. Identifying and taking action to solve workforce needs have established the CareerSource Board as the recognized convener and facilitator for developing workforce solutions that meet the needs of businesses, job seekers, employed workers, and the community for stable economic growth. (7) Employer Engagement: Please describe the strategies and services that will be used in the local area to: A. facilitate engagement of employers, including small employers and employers in in-demand industry sectors and occupations, in workforce development programs; WIOA emphasizes the creation and use of industry or sector partnerships, which bring together CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 79 | P a g e stakeholders connected to local industries to develop short and long-term workforce strategies in those industries. The CareerSource Board will engage employers in order to ensure that workforce investment activities meet the needs of businesses. CareerSource partners will be included in planning local sector partnerships in order to engage employers and ensure that participants can access emerging job opportunities. The CareerSource Board will facilitate engagement of employers, including small employers, and employers in in-demand industry sectors and occupations, in workforce development programs by increasing awareness of the workforce system in Okaloosa and Walton Counties. The employers need to know that CareerSource is here for them. They need to know that CareerSource exist to primarily meet their employment needs. Businesses need to know the important role and contributions of CareerSource, with a great emphasis on the investment in economic development; and the demand-driven needs of employers. To that end, CareerSource will continue to develop relationships with businesses through membership and participation with chambers of commerce, Florida Great Northwest, the two local economic development organizations, and regional economic development initiatives to ensure the needs of existing businesses are being met and to facilitate recruiting targeted industries for expansion into the workforce region. The CareerSource Board will pursue workforce solutions that position the region for stable economic growth. Keeping in mind that the voice of business is the driving force for designing program services for workforce development, the CareerSource Board will work to ensure the competitiveness