Workforce development (WFD) involves partnering with economic development and education entities to develop skills in the workforce. WFD partners include employment and training organizations, technical schools, community colleges, universities, K-12 education, local governments, industry groups, and businesses. These partners can help with jobseeker recruitment, skills assessments, training programs, scholarships, and labor market analysis. The document discusses specific WFD tools like career readiness certificates, on-the-job training funding, and analyzing labor market trends and wages. It provides an example of a local WFD effort that resulted in over 850 job hires through career center recruitment and on-the-job training contracts totaling $50,000.

1. Jan McKeel,
Executive
Director
South Central TN
Workforce
Alliance
WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT

2. Is WFD different from economic development?
Is WFD part of economic development?
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

3. Where do you find WFD partners?
What can WFD partners add to economic
development?
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS

4. PARTNERSEconomic
Development
Employment Education

5.  Employment & Training Organizations
 Workforce Boards – State & Local
 Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development
 US Department of Labor – Regional & National Offices
 Associations such as the US Conference of Mayors Workforce
Development Council, National Association of Workforce Boards
 Technical Schools, Community Colleges, & Universities
 Local Leadership – Presidents, Provosts, Directors, Boards
 Subject Matter Experts including Deans & Faculty
 K-12 Education
 Local Leadership – Directors, Superintendents, Boards
 Career & Technical Education Directors
 Faculty
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS

6.  Local Government, Industrial Boards, ECD Councils, &
Chambers of Commerce
 Associations & Sector Interest Groups
 Targeted Employment Groups, such as Vocational
Rehabilitation, Goodwill, Veterans Services, and Offender
Programs
 Business & Industry, including small business clusters
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS

7.  Recruitment & screening of applicants
 Assessments
 Career Readiness Certificates
 Employer identified tools
 Industry Specific Training
 Special classes if necessary
 Initial investment to start new programs
 Incumbent Worker Training
 OJT funding for new hires
 Scholarships for individual jobseekers
 Availability and analysis of Labor Market Information
WORKFORCE BOARD TOOLS

8.  Determine overall trends in the region
 Determine where to invest funds for new training
 Determine availability of specific skill sets
 Determine wages by percentile in specific occupations and/or
industries.
LABOR MARKET INFORMATION

10. Training
Conference
Center
Career
Center
Entrepreneur
&
Accelerator
Commercial
Development

11. TRAINING
http://www.trainatnorthfield.org/schedule.php

12. CONFERENCE CENTER

13. CAREER CENTER

14. Job Loss from
Small Business
Closure
GREAT
RECESSION
• More job loss from closures and layoffs than gains from
companies starting and expanding than prior two downturns.
• Very small firms were hit the hardest with 50% of job loss
coming from companies with fewer than 20 employees,
compared to 10% in 1990-91, and 2% in 2001.
• Much more job loss from business failure, much less job
creation from company formation, and more concentrated in
the smallest businesses.

15. ENTREPRENEUR & ACCELERATOR

16. ENTREPRENEUR & ACCELERATOR

17. COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT

18.  Job Fairs and Recruitment
efforts by our Career
Center system have
resulted in 3,000+
applicants, assessments,
and 850 hires.
 Of these 850 employees,
SCTWA has awarded OJT
contracts (The Big Hire)
totaling over $50,000.
 Plans are to reach over
1,400 hires by the end of
2013 – well ahead of
initial plans which called
for 400 positions!
Workforce
Development
Efforts
IBEX
GLOBAL

19. Jan McKeel,
Executive
Director
jan.mckeel@
sctworkforce.org
South Central TN
Workforce
Alliance
QUESTIONS?
THANKS FOR YOUR
PARTICIPATION!