1.
Raising the Bar Together
Successful Strategies for Workforce
and Economic Development
Collaboration
Webinar presentation for the
North East Regional Employment and Training Association
By Dee Baird and Swati Ghosh

2.
Economic Development Research
Partners
• To provide top-level economic developers
with a means of directing cutting-edge
research that advances the economic
development profession as a whole.
• Publications on globalization,
entrepreneurship, manufacturing, high
performing EDOs, working with site
consultants, etc. available to download on
IEDC website.

3.
Introduction
• Human capital is essential.
– Economy restructuring from industrial system
to one based in knowledge.
• Talent is a major force in economic
development.
– It attracts companies and helps existing
companies grow.

4.
Workforce and Economic
Development at Odds
• Traditionally, economic developers
attracted businesses, while workforce
developers trained employees, often
without collaborating.

5.
Differences Between Workforce
and Economic Developers
Economic Development Workforce Development
Philosophy/Language •Business Focused
•Deal Driven
•Tax policy, financing
•Individual focused
•Program driven
•Social service orientation
Funding •Public and private
sources
•Primarily federal sources
Target Populations •Business firms,
chambers of commerce,
EDOs, local government
•Job-seekers, low-skilled
workers, low-income
adults and youth, training
providers

6.
Differences Between Workforce and
Economic Developers Continued
Economic Development Workforce Development
Performance Metrics •Businesses/jobs created
•No. of high-paying jobs
•Public and private
investments
•Placement
•Retention after 6 months
•Earnings
•Skill
attainment/credentials
What They Offer •Relationships with local
businesses
•Market knowledge on
industry trends and
employer needs
•Creativity in finding
resources
•Resources, expertise on
training
•Flexible, reliable funding
•Information on local
labor market
•Alliances with employers

7.
Workforce Investment Act (1998)
• Provides assistance to unemployed workers
through education and skills training.
• Sets up one-stop workforce investment
systems.
• Systems most often structured by workforce
investment boards (WIBs), staffed by
professional workforce developers and
representing public, private, and educational
institutions.

8.
Emerging Mutual Realizations
Economic Developers
• Realizing the
importance of a
talented labor supply.
Workforce Developers
• Realizing the need to
align programs with
local employer needs.
• Professionals in both fields are realizing that
it does not make sense to work in isolation.
• Working together, and with business and
education partners, is essential for sustained
economic growth.

9.
Paradigm Shift to Collaborative Model
• Collaboration is necessary if sustainable
and effective workforce development is to
take place.
– Both groups need to adjust focus from short-
term gains to long-term thinking about labor
supply and talent development.
– Focus on competitive and growing industries.

10.
New Collaborative Model for
Knowledge Economy
• Groups can align around long-term goals of
talent attraction, development, and
retention.
– This shift requires new metrics that are focused
not on job growth or placement rates, but
instead on the quantitative and qualitative
improvements in human capital.

11.
Methodology
• This paper identifies successful
collaborations between workforce
development organizations and EDOs.
– Paper is intended to be a guide for economic
development and workforce development
professionals.
– Range of geographical focus.

12.
• Profiles Three Collaborative Programs:
– Los Angeles Workforce Systems Collaborative
– Eastern Carolina Workforce System Innovation
Network
– Oklahoma Governor’s Council for Workforce
and Economic Development
• Showcases Two Emerging Programs:
– Middle Tennessee Regional Workforce Alliance
– Grand Rapids Apprenticeship Program
Methodology

13.
Los Angeles Workforce Systems
Collaborative (LAWSC)
• Created in 2007 under the leadership of
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Deputy
Mayor Larry Frank.
• Serves region of 88 cities, 10 million
people, and seven workforce investment
boards.

14.
Goal of LAWSC
• Collaborate to redirect misguided
resources.
• Create a comprehensive and fully
integrated workforce and economic
development system.
– Synchronize recruitment, support services,
education and training programs, employer
engagement and job placement, funding, and
government policy.

15.
Partners
• Economic
Development
– Los Angeles
County Economic
Development
Corporation
(LAEDC)
• Workforce
Development
– Los Angeles
County Workforce
Investment Board
– City of Los Angeles
Workforce
Investment Board
– State of California
Employment
Development
Department
• Education
– Los Angeles
Community
College District
– Los Angeles
Unified School
District
• Business Interests
– Los Angeles Area
Chamber of
Commerce
– Unite LA
• Charitable Interests
– United Way of Los
Angeles
– Los Angeles
Workforce
Funders
Collaborative
• Labor Interests
– Los Angeles
County Federation
of Labor

16.
Benchmarking Progress
Goal 1
Cross-sector cooperation, communication, collaboration, and
joint advocacy.
Goal 2
Support demand-driven industry sector initiatives and sector
intermediaries.
Goal 3
Cultivate innovative labor-business partnerships .
Goal 4
Leverage Resources to increase access and impact through
joint-use facilities.
Goal 5
Expand regional youth employment opportunities.

17.
Eastern Region Workforce
Innovation Network (WIN)
• Regional Profile:
– 13 rural counties.
– 4th largest active military population.
– Main economic drivers: value-added agriculture &
advanced machinery.
• Regional partnership combats threats of new
economic realities.
– Industry/sector losses threaten jobs.
• Downsizing of DuPont and other loss of tobacco and
apparel manufacturers.

18.
Changing Opportunities
Jobs Lost
• DuPont Chemical scaling
back
– From 4,000 workers at
peak to 200 in 2005
• Loss of apparel and
tobacco jobs
Jobs Gained
• Increased military activity
• Value added agriculture
• Advanced manufacturing

19.
Members’ Roles
• North Carolina Eastern Region (NCER)
– Provide staff assistance and financial resources.
• Eastern Carolina Workforce Development
Board:
– Acts as the fiscal agent and drives
communication.
• Region Q and Turning Point Workforce
Development Boards:
– Leads local area activities.

20.
Oklahoma Governor’s Council for
Workforce and Economic Development
(GCWED)
• Serves as state Workforce Investment Board.
• Housed under & administered by Oklahoma
Department of Commerce.
• Integrated policy and activities increase efficiency &
leverage resources.
• Fosters collaboration among 77 counties and
several economic development regions.
• Establishes alignment as the new normal from the top
down.

21.
Role of the GCWED
• Make workforce and
labor system
recommendations
• Oversees local
workforce boards
ADVISE
GOVERNOR
• Identify talent & skills
necessitated by
industry
GATHER
INFORMATION • Convene education,
workforce & economic
development players
• Expedites public-
private collaboration
FACILITATE
ALIGNMENT

22.
Role of the GCWED
• Scanning – Researching trends and issues
specific to workforce and economic
development.
• Convening – Fostering community
engagement.
• Providing – Building governance and
leadership capacity.
• Facilitating – Aiding workforce preparation for
the industry.
• Evaluating – Creating benchmarks and
measuring return on investment.

23.
Emerging Best Practices
• Two innovative programs that can lead to
successful integration of workforce and
economic development strategies.
1. Middle Tennessee Regional Workforce
Alliance (MTRWA).
2. Grand Rapids Advanced Manufacturing
Training Program.

24.
Middle Tennessee Regional
Workforce Alliance, Nashville TN
• Middle Tennessee is a 10-county region
anchored by Nashville.
• Need for a higher skilled workforce was
identified due to series of studies
conducted with three regional WIBs.
– 2010 study found that the region would add
151,000 new jobs, and that the current
population did not have skills and education to
fill them.

25.
Grand Rapids Advanced
Manufacturing Training Program,
Grand Rapids MI
• Apprenticeship program designed to satisfy
the workplace needs of local
manufacturers.
• Dual education system to train advanced
manufacturing workers by combining both
apprenticeships and vocational education.
• Students work 4 days a week and study on
1 day at the community college.

26.
Partners and Other Programs
• Kent-Allegan Michigan Works Board is the
first partner to be engaged in this program.
• As this program grows, it is expected that
other workplace development boards will
also join.
• A similar program has been developed by
the Michigan Economic Development
Corporation.

27.
Conclusion
• Paradigm shift for both WIBs and EDOs
towards long-term thinking.
• Programs have been introduced to develop
specialized training for emerging industries.
• Analysis will have to be undertaken to
determine industries with potential for
growth and the current labor market’s skill-
set.

28.
Recommendation 1
Adopt a Shared Vision but Different Metrics
• EDOs and WIBs must have a detailed strategic
plan to ensure that the collaborative process is
as efficient as possible.
• Different organizations may pursue different
metrics provided they contribute to the overall
strategic vision.
– For example, EDOs may concentrate on jobs
created or maintained, while WIBs may focus on
training numbers or placements.

29.
Recommendation 2
Organize and Collaborate with Partners in
Education and Business
• Stakeholders from both the business and
educational sectors work in conjunction to
operate thriving programs.
• It is critical that the cultural divide between
business operators and educators is bridged
to ensure an efficient and successful
collaborative process.

30.
Recommendation 3
Utilize Effective Partnership Frameworks
• One of the most difficult problems is that
the service areas of EDOs and WIBs do not
always match up.
• This can be either geographically or in terms
of the relative sizes of the partners, where
sometimes the biggest EDO/WIB will be
unsuitable.
• A smaller joint venture may result in greater
results than otherwise expected.

31.
Recommendation 3
• Effectively structuring partnerships is
crucial to direct resources to the most
appropriate areas first.
• A common goal ensures a focused effort.
• Information and resources must be shared
openly between partners to prevent
redundancy.

32.
• Download the “Raising the Bar
Together: Successful Strategies
for Workforce and Economic
Development Collaboration”
from IEDC.
– http://www.iedconline.org/web-
pages/resources-publications/edrp-
publications/