Tell Congress: Invest in what works to put people back to work

Posted on February 22, 2012 by skillworks

Last week, I was privileged to be part of Massachusetts’ delegation to the 2012 Skills Summit.  Held each year by the National Skills Coalition, the Summit brings together workforce professionals and advocates from around the country to be briefed on recent developments in federal workforce policy and funding and then to advocate with our state Congressional delegations on behalf of federal investments in skills training and education.

It seems unbelievable that at a time of high national unemployment anyone should be arguing for drastic cuts to skills training that helps people get back to work and that helps companies find the people they need, but these arguments are being made, and it’s up to us to counter them.

I thought I’d share just a few talking points from the Summit, which you might consider passing onto your own Representatives and Senators!

The Problem:

  • Despite continued high unemployment, employers face difficulties finding qualified workers: a recent Manpower survey found that 52 percent of US employers struggled to fill critical vacancies in 2011.
  • About half of all job openings over the next decade will be middle-skill jobs–jobs that require more than a high school diploma but not necessarily a four-year degree.  This is where the skills gap is most pronounced.
  • Without meaningful public investments in a skilled workforce, the skills gap will stifle job growth and slow our nation’s economic recovery.

The Answer:

  • Federally-funded workforce programs arepartof the solution to our  jobs crisis.  Yes, we need more jobs, but we also need to help employers fill the job openings they have now and the ones they will have as the economy recovers.
  • In 2011 alone, more than 9 million individuals received training and employment services through Workforce Investment Act Title I programs.
  • Pell Grants helped more than 9 million low-income students pursue post-secondary degrees and credentials, including many working adults trying to better their career prospects.
  • Workforce training that engages employers, leads to recognized credentials, and directly link training with jobs in in-demand, middle-skill industries are key to our nation’s economig growth.  And this kind of training is proven to be effective, according to a recent GAO report.

The Challenge:

  • Despite sky-rocketing demand from both workers and employers for workforce training, Congress continues to propose extremely deep cuts to job training and employment services.
  • In the last decade, federal funding for workforce programs has declined by more than 30 percent–including more than $1 billion in just the last two years.
  • Congress  just enacted changes to the Pell Grant program that could eliminate access for nearly 150,000 students next year alone and reduce grants for up to 250,000 additional students.  These changes will most impact non-traditional students, likely even further reducing access to skills training for working adults.

Three Asks:

  • Reject cuts to the Workforce Investment Act and other federal workforce programs, including any consolidation proposals that would result in net funding reductions for workforce programs.
  • Maintain the current maximum Pell Grant award at $5,550 and reverse policy changes that restrict or eliminate access to postsecondary education for more than 400,000 low- and moderate-income students next year alone.
  • Invest in effective, targeted employment and skills training strategies–such as sector partnerships, career pathways, training connected to subsidized employment–that lead to industry-recognized credentials.  Ensure workers and employers alike have access to the skills they need for our nation to compete in the global economy.

Ready to take action?  The National Skills Coalition can help you get started!

 

Filed under: Federal Budget and Policy | Leave a Comment »

Weekly Workforce Roundup: Feb. 13-Feb. 20

Posted on February 21, 2012 by skillworks

Here’s this week’s roundup!  Please add anything we missed by using the “comments” field.  I’ll be posting more details about federal workforce policy and funding asks tomorrow.

Workforce Development In the News

Research and Analysis

 Tools and Resources

Funding Opportunities

Upcoming Events

Filed under: Weekly Roundup | Leave a Comment »

Weekly Workforce Roundup: Feb. 6-Feb. 12

Posted on February 13, 2012 by skillworks

Here’s this week’s roundup!  Please add anything we missed by using the “comments” field.

Workforce Development In the News

Research and Analysis

 Tools and Resources

Funding Opportunities

Upcoming Events

Filed under: Weekly Roundup | Leave a Comment »

Weekly Workforce Roundup: Jan. 30-Feb.5

Posted on February 7, 2012 by skillworks

Here’s this week’s roundup!  Please add anything we missed by using the “comments” field.

Workforce Development In the News

Tools and Resources

Funding Opportunities

Upcoming Events

Filed under: Weekly Roundup | Leave a Comment »

Weekly Workforce Roundup: Jan. 23-Jan. 29

Posted on January 31, 2012 by skillworks

This has been a busy week for workforce and community college issues.  Congratulations to the Boston Foundation, whose report inspired many of the recommendations in the Governor’s State of the State related to community colleges.  The Governor’s recommendations to unify and align the state’s 15 colleges in one budget line item are a good first step to helping more students obtain the credentials needed for middle-skill jobs.   In addition, on Wednesday, the Governor released his House I budget, which not only included the $10 million for community colleges that he promised in the State of the State, but also included $10 million for recapitalizing the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund for the purpose of creating ”regional centers of excellence,” which are very similar to what this coalition proposed in the Middle Skills Solutions Act.  On top of all this, President Obama discussed the importance of workforce training in his State of the Union address last Tuesday night.

Read on for more coverage.  And thanks for your continued support!

Please add anything we missed by using the “comments” field.

Workforce Development In the News

Tools and Resources

Funding Opportunities

Upcoming Events

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First look at workforce priorities in the Governor’s FY2013 Budget

Posted on January 26, 2012 by skillworks

Thanks to the Workforce Solutions Group and the Massachusetts Workforce Board Association, here’s a first look at what’s in the Governor’s House I budget for FY2013 as far as workforce priorities.

Workforce priorities fared pretty well in the Governor’s House I budget proposal for FY2013.  In particular, we are excited to note that the Governor has included one of this coalition’s top priorities–the recapitalization of the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (WCTF) for the purposes of establishing regional centers of excellence, which is very similar to the regional skills academies proposed in our Middle-Skills Solutions Act legislation. 

As far as other workforce priorities in the budget:

  • One-Stop Career Centers $4.752 million (slight decrease from FY2012)
  • School to Career Connecting Activities: $2.770 million (slight increase from FY2012)
  • Summer Jobs/YouthWorks: $8.609 million (over $1 million increase from FY2012)
  • Adult Basic Education: $30.707 million (slight decrease from FY2012, with supplemental)
  • Employment Services Program: $7.109 (level-funded)

WCTF Budget Language

Expenditures from Fiscal Year 2012 Surplus

SECTION 17. 　 (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, after complying with clause (a) of section 5C of chapter 29 of the General Laws, the comptroller shall dispose of the consolidated net surplus in the budgetary funds for fiscal year 2012 in the following order to the extent that funds are available: (1) the comptroller shall transfer $15,000,000 from the General Fund to the Massachusetts Life Sciences Investment Fund established by section 6 of chapter 23I of the General Laws; (2) the comptroller shall transfer $10,000,000 from the General Fund to the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund established by section 2WWW of chapter 29 of the General Laws, but the department of career services shall make expenditures from the Fund to establish regional centers of excellence at community colleges, vocational or technical high schools, or collaborations between community colleges and vocation or technical high schools; (3) the comptroller shall transfer $65,000,000 which shall be distributed to cities and towns in proportion to the amount by which each municipality’s unrestricted general government aid in fiscal year 2011 exceeds such aid in fiscal year 2013; and (4) the comptroller shall transfer the remaining balance from the General Fund to the Commonwealth Stabilization Fund.
(b) All transfers pursuant to this section shall be made from the undesignated fund balances in the budgetary funds proportionally from the undesignated fund balances; but no such transfer shall cause a deficit in any of the funds.
　
This section distributes any surplus at the end of fiscal year 2012 in the following order, to the extent that funds are available: * $15,000,000 to the Massachusetts Life Sciences Investment Fund * $10,000,000 to the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund, including funding to establish regional centers of excellence at community colleges, vocational or technical high schools, * $65,000,000 in additional local aid; * the remaining balance to the Commonwealth Stabilization Fund.

Community College Reform language:

SECTION 30. 　 (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, for the purpose of ensuring that the commonwealth’s community colleges are aligned to execute a coherent mission that best serves students and are responsive to the needs of the workforce and employers in the region where each college operates, the board of higher education, in consultation with the commissioner of higher education, shall determine allocations of appropriations to the individual community colleges, with a specific focus on the colleges’ role as regional work training and skill development centers. The board shall develop a system for making allocations, which shall be based on: (1) accurate enrollment data for each college and the board’s assessment of the operational goals and needs for each college; (2) institutional performance with respect to clearly defined goals and metrics established by the board, including but not limited to provision for transferable and stackable credits; and (3) discretion to incentivize innovation and institutional action with respect to labor market and board priorities, including but not limited to additional funds for partnerships with vocational-technical schools. The board shall consult with the chairs of the joint committee on higher education and the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means in developing the funding system. The board shall establish parameters for the setting of fees by boards of trustees of the community colleges, as well as the appropriate uses of income derived from such fees. The board’s system of allocation and related fee parameters shall be implemented during fiscal year 2013.

(b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, by March 1, 2013, each community college board of trustees shall update its mission statement to reflect the system-wide priorities articulated by the board of higher education under subsection (a). The mission statement shall be forwarded to the secretary of education and the board of higher education for approval. The local board of trustees shall, after its approval, make the mission statement available to the public.

(c) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the board of higher education shall appoint the chief executive officers of the community colleges. If a vacancy occurs in any such position at a community college, the board shall convene a search committee, appoint a chairperson, and select individuals to serve on the committee, at least 1 of which shall be an employer or a representative of the regional workforce and which may include campus representatives, including members of the board of trustees of the community college The board shall set criteria for reviewing candidates’ skills and qualifications and shall establish timelines for reviewing candidates, as well as work in concert with the department of higher education to manage other responsibilities related to the search committee. The designated search committee shall choose at least 3 candidates to recommend to the board. The board, in consultation with the commissioner of higher education, shall review and interview those candidates. The board may approve a new chief executive officer from among those recommended candidates. The board may also reject all recommended candidates and request additional candidates from the search committee or propose re-opening the search process. The board shall, by a majority vote of all its voting members, appoint a new chief executive officer of a community college.

(d) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the board of higher education may, in its discretion, remove a community college chief executive officer by a majority vote of all its members. The board shall establish specific criteria and procedures for such an action. The board of trustees of a community college may recommend removal of its chief executive officer to the board of higher education, but the board of higher education may act on its own initiative.

(e) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the board of higher education shall establish the terms of appointment of a community college chief executive officer, including, but not limited to, salary and benefits, in consultation with the board of trustees of the community college. The board shall establish a procedure for the annual review and evaluation of chief executive officers of the community colleges. The board, in consultation with the boards of trustees of the community colleges, shall determine all salary adjustments and other contractual terms for community college chief executive officers.

(f) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the governor shall appoint the chairperson of each community college board of trustees. Within 45 days after the effective date of this act, the governor shall appoint the chairperson of each community college board of trustees either from among the current members of each board or from outside the current members if a vacancy exists on that board. The existing term of a trustee who is newly designated to be chairperson shall not be affected by this appointment.

(g) There shall be a special commission to study higher education financing in Massachusetts. The commission shall consist of 15 members: the secretary of education, or his designee, who shall serve as chair of the commission; the chair of the board of higher education; the chair of the university of Massachusetts board of trustees; the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on higher education, or their designees; the speaker of the house of representatives, or his designee; the president of the senate, or her designee; a member of the house of representatives appointed by the minority leader; a member of the senate appointed by the minority leader; 4 persons to be appointed by the secretary of education; 1 person to be appointed by the secretary of housing and economic development; and 1 person to be appointed by the secretary of labor and workforce development. The commission shall examine, report on, and make recommendations on the full range of issues impacting higher education financing in the commonwealth, including but not limited to determining spending levels, raising resources, and allocating state funding. In particular, the commission shall recommend revisions to the current funding formulas for the community colleges, the state universities, and the university of Massachusetts. Subject to appropriation, the commission shall hire temporary staff and support services. The first meeting of the commission shall take place within 45 days after the effective date of this act. The commission shall file a report containing its recommendations, including legislation necessary to carry out its recommendations, with the clerks of the house and senate not later than 12 months following the first meeting of the commission.
　
　

Summary:
In order to ensure that the community colleges are aligned to execute a coherent mission that best serves students and responds to the needs of the workforce and regional employers, this section authorizes the Board of Higher Education to allocate funds among the community colleges and to appoint and remove their presidents. It also provides that the Governor will appoint the chair of each community college board of trustees. This section also establishes a study commission on higher education financing, chaired by the Secretary of Education

7100-4000 Massachusetts Community Colleges
For funding to community college campuses in the commonwealth; provided, that the specific allocation of the funds shall be determined and approved by the board of higher education in consultation with the commissioner of higher education; provided further, that the allocation methodology shall include but not be limited to: accurate enrollment data for each college and the board’s assessment of the operational goals and needs for each college; the current capacity of each campus to provide focused and effective workforce training and career readiness to the region they serve; an analysis of any plans each campus presents to the board to improve their efforts in these areas; institutional performance with respect to the Vision Project and other clearly defined goals and metrics established by the board, including but not limited to provision for transferable and stackable credits; innovation with respect to labor market and board priorities, including but not limited to additional funds for partnerships with vocational-technical schools; a review of the efforts made by each campus to streamline their administrative and overhead costs, including joint purchasing and staffing efforts; and an analysis of the existing per-pupil state subsidy for each campus and any inequities that that distribution causes; and provided, further, that up to $900,000 may be expended by the board and department of higher education on the administration of this allocation and other tasks associated with implementation of section 30 of this act
$218,562,027

Consolidated with 7502-0100, 7503-0100, 7504-0100, 7505-0100, 7506-0100, 7507-0100, 7508-0100, 7509-0100, 7510-0100, 7511-0100, 7512-0100, 7514-0100, 7515-0100, 7516-0100, and 7518-0100.　

　
　

Filed under: Middle-Skills Solutions Act, State Budget and Policy | 1 Comment »

Quite a week for skills training

Posted on January 25, 2012 by skillworks

In last night’s economy-focused State of the Union address, President Obama devoted a significant amount of time to skills training and helping people get back to work.

Pointing out the skills gap we’ve been talking about through the Skills2Compete MA campaign (and similar campaigns acros the country), President Obama encouraged investment in more public-private partnerships, particularly mentioning partnerships between community colleges and employers that “teach people skills local businesses are looking for right now, from data management to high-tech manufacturing.”

Though his speech mentioned places “where this is happening, like Charlotte, Orlando, and Louisville,” he might also have mentioned Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, and the Cape, among other communities in Massachusetts.

The MA Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund has helped create over 30 such partnerships between community colleges, community-based organizations, labor and employers. The partnerships provided training and education services in a range of industries including health care, manufacturing, clean energy, life sciences, trades, financial services and hospitality.  Altogether 229 businesses and 46 training and education organizations were part of regional partnerships.  6,751 individuals were trained.  5,395 experienced a positive employment outcome.

Through the SkillWorks initiative, over the last 3 years, more than 1,100 individual in the greater Boston area have received training.  Training is still ongoing, but participants have already experienced significant gains, including nearly 300 who have found new jobs; more than 300 who have experienced wage increases, and nearly 500 who have earned industry-recognized credentials.

Participating businesses in both initiatives have documented significant improvements in  productivity, profitability, increased sales, employee retention, diversity, safety, communication skills and customer service as a result of these investments.

We know skills training isn’t THE answer to put everyone back to work.  To do that, we need to increase consumer demand and create new jobs through the other investments the President discussed, including in infrastructure, manufacturing and other sectors of the economy.

However, skills training is clearly part of the answer, and we need to both increase access to training and improve the quality and coordination of that training.

As we await the Governor Patrick’s budget later today and further details of President Obama’s plan to increase, improve and streamline training, we hope to see support for initiatives like the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund, a major component of the Middle-Skills Solutions Act that our coalition has been advocating for, and the partnerships they foster.

Read the full text of the State of the Union address.

A relevant excerpt follows:

I also hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can’t find workers with the right skills. Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job. Think about that – openings at a time when millions of Americans are looking for work.

It’s inexcusable. And we know how to fix it.

Jackie Bray is a single mom from North Carolina who was laid off from her job as a mechanic. Then Siemens opened a gas turbine factory in Charlotte, and formed a partnership with Central Piedmont Community College. The company helped the college design courses in laser and robotics training. It paid Jackie’s tuition, then hired her to help operate their plant.

I want every American looking for work to have the same opportunity as Jackie did. Join me in a national commitment to train two million Americans with skills that will lead directly to a job. My Administration has already lined up more companies that want to help. Model partnerships between businesses like Siemens and community colleges in places like Charlotte, Orlando, and Louisville are up and running. Now you need to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers – places that teach people skills local businesses are looking for right now, from data management to high-tech manufacturing.

And I want to cut through the maze of confusing training programs, so that from now on, people like Jackie have one program, one website, and one place to go for all the information and help they need. It is time to turn our unemployment system into a reemployment system that puts people to work.

These reforms will help people get jobs that are open today.

Filed under: State Budget and Policy | 1 Comment »

Governor’s State of State address focuses on community colleges and their role in addessing middle-skill gap

Posted on January 24, 2012 by skillworks

Governor Patrick proposed sweeping changes to the Commonwealth’s community college system in his State of the State address tonight, focusing on the role the colleges can play in helping the Commonwealth address its middle-skill gap, which we discussed in the Massachusetts’ Forgotten Middle Skill Jobs report in 2010 and accompanying Skills2Compete Massachusetts Platform.

We are thrilled to see the Governor focusing on middle-skill jobs and how community colleges play a particularly important role in preparing the Commonwealth’s residents for these jobs.  Although the changes proposed in governance will doubtless be difficult, they will go a long way toward helping more students and working people attain a post-secondary certificate or degree with meaning in the labor market.

Specifically, the governor outlined the following vision in his remark:

  • Community colleges become “a fully integrated part of the state’s workforce development plan…aligned with employers, voc-tech schools and Workforce Investment Boards in the regions where they operate”;
  • Community Colleges are “aligned with each other in core course offerings”;
  • Community Colleges are “aligned with the Commonwealth’s job growth strategy.”

The Governor plans to move toward this vision with a more aligned system, proposing  “a unified community college system in Massachusetts” which would streamline the funding and governance of community colleges under the Board of Higher Education and increase overall funding by $10 million.  He also proposed to channel more state workforce training dollars through the community colleges.

As for channeling more training dollars through community colleges, we would only say that we’d like to see these decisions made on the basis of performance–program completion and job placement rates.

Overall, however, the Governor really honed in what we can do better to get people back to work and help employers find the skilled workers they need to compete.  The Governor touched on several model programs in his remarks–including the Academy of Health Professions at Middlesex Community College–where innovative approaches to partnering with employers, instruction, registration, financial aid and student support have led to greater success for students and businesses.

These are the types of programs our coalition has been advocating for through the Middle Skills Solutions Act (SB921/HB2713), which would provide much of the regional infrastructure and coordination to support the vision and system-wide alignment the Governor proposed tonight.

We look forward to working with the Governor and the legislature as these proposals move forward in the budget process.

As Sue Parsons of the Workforce Solutions Group so eloquently put it, “Community colleges play a critically important role in helping Massachusetts develop a workforce that is second-to-none.  We support measures that align our state’s community college system with employers’ needs for training and mid-level skills development. A highly skilled, well educated workforce is our state’s most important competitive advantage, which enables Massachusetts to compete effectively in the global economy.”

An excerpt from Governor Patrick’s speech:

There are 240,000 people still looking for work in Massachusetts – and nearly 120,000 job openings. Why? How can we have so much opportunity available and so many people still looking for their chance? Business leaders tell me over and over again that it is because the people looking for jobs don’t have the skills required. Many of these openings are for so called “middle skills” jobs that require more than a high school diploma but not necessarily a four-year degree: jobs in medical device manufacturing or as lab technicians or solar installers, for example. And a lot of those forced by this economic downturn to make career changes, people in their thirties or forties or fifties, don’t have the proper training for those jobs. We have a “skills gap.”

We can do something about that. We can help people get back to work. And our community colleges should be at the very center of it.

We have fifteen public community colleges across Massachusetts. Each strives to meet a whole array of needs: preparing high school graduates for four-year college; training workers for new careers; helping newcomers master the English language; enabling people to scratch an intellectual itch. They give a chance to people who often times have few. For the work they do, community colleges rarely receive proper recognition, let alone adequate funding. I have visited their campuses and seen their good work. They are an important resource, and we must ask more of them.

I believe community colleges are uniquely positioned to help close our skills gap and get people back to work.

Some are already making impressive contributions to workforce development. Middlesex Community College for example runs an Academy of Health Professions in Bedford and Lowell tied to industry growth in Merrimack Valley. Springfield Technical Community College is an indispensable source of trained workers for precision manufacturing companies in Western Massachusetts. Bunker Hill Community College just this month launched a pilot co-op program that gives students a combination of classroom learning and on-the-job training at some of our largest employers.

We need that kind of sharper mission across the Commonwealth, so that community colleges become a fully integrated part of the state’s workforce development plan. They must be aligned with employers, voc-tech schools and Workforce Investment Boards in the regions where they operate; aligned with each other in core course offerings; and aligned with the Commonwealth’s job growth strategy. We can’t do that if 15 different campuses have 15 different strategies. We need to do this together. We need a unified community college system in Massachusetts.

In a unified system, students would find courses specifically tailored to meet local workforce needs alongside a core curriculum that emphasizes STEM subjects and with credits that are easily transferable to another community college or a four-year college. In a unified system, we could create “learn and earn” programs across the entire state enabling students to get practical workplace experience while completing course work. In a unified system, students would earn a certificate of workplace readiness that would open doors in their chosen field anywhere in the state. And as they near course completion, one-stop career centers right on campus would help them move into, or back into, the workplace.

To support this mission, I will propose in my budget to streamline the funding and governance of community colleges, and to increase overall funding by $10 million. I challenge the business community to match that new funding with an additional $10 million. I also propose to channel more state workforce training dollars through the community colleges. With this sharper focus, simpler structure, increased funding and greater accountability, community colleges can help us better prepare people for the middle skills jobs of today and tomorrow.

Now, for some, this will be another tough vote, another challenging reform.

But consider what it would mean if those 120,000 open positions were filled. It would mean the Commonwealth’s unemployment rate would be cut in half, to its lowest in a decade. It would mean 120,000 people would go from being unemployed, at a cost to the state of $800 million, to being earners, contributing more than $500 million in new tax revenue, a revenue that we can invest in further growth. And most important of all it would offer a way forward to those who are wondering tonight whether there is a place for them in tomorrow’s economy.

Read the full text of the Governor’s address.

Read the Governor’s press release.

Filed under: State Budget and Policy | 1 Comment »

Weekly Workforce Roundup: Jan. 16-Jan 22

Posted on January 23, 2012 by skillworks

Here’s this week’s workforce round-up.  As always, please add anything we missed by using the “comments” field.

Workforce Development In the News

Reports, Research and Analysis

Tools and Resources

Funding Opportunities

Upcoming Events

Filed under: Weekly Roundup | Leave a Comment »

Weekly Workforce Roundup: Jan. 7-Jan 15

Posted on January 16, 2012 by skillworks

Here’s this week’s workforce round-up.  As always, please add anything we missed by using the “comments” field.

Workforce Development In the News

Reports, Research and Analysis

Tools and Resources

Funding Opportunities

Upcoming Events

Filed under: Weekly Roundup | Leave a Comment »

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