This was a presentation given at the C2ER annual conference -- In Transition, Recognizing Economic Turning Points.

1. Responding to Data Needs
Understanding Data Users -- Customer-Oriented LMI Products
Thursday, June 7, 2012 ….. 2:00 – 2:30 pm

2. Understanding Data Users
• What is the WIC
• Customer Consultation Study Group Report on
LMI Customers & Their Needs
• LMI Meeting Customer Needs – Examples of
Projects/Products Outcomes Measurement
Project Volume III
• Next Steps
• WIC Web Resources (Customer Satisfaction
Made Easy, 2003 Document)

3. Workforce Information Council
• Introduced in 1999 after being created out of Section 309 of Workforce
Investment Act
• First meeting held February 10-12, 1999
• The Workforce Investment Act established this unique structure for
Federal-State cooperation in planning and overseeing the workforce
information system.
• The Secretary of Labor, through the Bureau of Labor Statistics, acts with
other Federal agencies and State employment statistics agency
representatives elected by their peers.
• The Workforce Information Council currently includes representatives from the Bureau
of Labor Statistics and participants from the Employment and Training Administration,
and 10 state representatives. State members elected to represent 10 regions
across the country

4. Workforce Information Council/WIC
• Works together to plan, guide and oversee the
nationwide information system
• Federal Co-chair: Thomas Nardone, BLS
• State Co-chair: Steve Saxton, CA
• State members (10) elected by their peers and
federal members (10) selected by the Department of
Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics and Employment &
Training Administration

5. WIC Operation
• BLS Members
• ETA Participants
• State Representatives from
10 Regions
• Policy Councils for BLS 4
programs
• Study Groups
– Technology
– Customer Consultation

6. Customer Consultation Study Group
Charter
The Customer Consultation Study Group will assist the Workforce Information Council and
state workforce information departments in developing and implementing methods for
retrieving feedback from customers regarding the relevance, adequacy, and usability of
available labor market information and the methods of delivering that information. This
effort will support the States and the Council in their efforts to consult with users, as
required under Section 309 of the Workforce Information Act, in a manner that can be
consistently applied across the states. The Study Group will provide input and advice to
states for collecting information on the degree to which existing labor market information
is meeting or not meeting customer needs.

7. Customer Consultation Study Group
Members
Andrew Condon – Connecticut Department of Labor
Gary Crossley – Workforce Information Council
Anthony Dais – Employment and Training Administration
Keith Ewald – Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Marlon Fletcher – California Employment Development Department
Missy Grimmett – Louisiana Workforce Commission
Warren May – Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
Sue Mukherjee – Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
Rebecca Rust – Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
Steve Saxton – California Employment Development Department
Carolyn Trip – Washington Employment Security Division
Frank Waligorski –Bureau of Labor Statistics
Greg Weeks – Washington Employment Security Department
Don Wehbey – National Association of State Workforce Agencies

8. LMI Training Institute Project Team
• Ken Poole, kpoole@crec.net
• Ron Kelly, rkelly@crec.net
• Lauren Gilchrist, lgilchrist@crec.net
• Andrew Reamer, areamer@gwu.edu

9. State LMI Customers
Labor Market • Jobseekers and Students
Actors & • Businesses
• Education & Training Instructors and Counselors
Advisers
• Workforce Development
Policymakers & • Economic Development
• Education
• Researchers
Planners • Federal, State, & Local Governments
• Internal Customers
Value-added • Media
• Commercial Data Providers
Disseminators

10. What States Produce
Labor Market
Career Products Economy Products
Products
• Products that • Data, analysis, or • Data, analysis, or
help jobseekers studies about studies of broad
find jobs, some focused labor market
determine skill or aspect of the trends or
education economy outcomes
requirements,
find training
opportunities, or
match jobseekers
to jobs

11. Delivery Mechanisms
• GIS/Data Mapping • Presentations
• Grant Proposal Input • Press Releases
• Grant Review • Special Data Runs
• Interactive Web Tools • Special Topic Studies/
• LMI Advisory/ Surveys
Interpretation • User Training (including
Consulting e-learning)
• Newsletters/Updates • Web Services

12. Current Feedback Mechanisms
• Lack of intentional, systematic methodology
– Ad hoc
• Resource constraints affect feedback
collection, including state technology policies
• Many states build strong relationships with
key customer groups to overcome these
challenges
• Where customer databases exist, they are not
fully tapped as a decision making resource

13. Factors Affecting Agency Customer Orientation
• Agency structure—Where does LMI fall within the state
bureaucracy?
• State policy orientation—How does LMI fit into the
current agenda of state elected officials?
• Leadership—What are the priorities of the state’s LMI
Director?
• Supplemental state funding for LMI products and
services—At what level (if at all) does state government
or external funding sources contribute to the LMI
budget?
• Staff resources—What can an LMI agency accomplish
given existing staff resources?

14. Customers / Actions Influenced by LMI
Value Added
Labor Market Actors Policymakers / Planners
Disseminators
Disseminate Data to Casual Users and the General Public
Package Data to Improve Access and Understanding
Mapped
Understand the Capabilities of Jobseekers
Understand the Capabilities of Jobseekers
Understand the Capabilities of Jobseekers
Government Agencies (Federal, State, Local)
Understand the Capabilities of Jobseekers
Identify Educational/Training Resources
Identify Educational/Training Resources
Identify Educational/Training Resources
Understand Who Is Available for Jobs
Understand Who Is Available for Jobs
Understand Who Is Available for Jobs
Understand Who Is Available for Jobs
Match Students to Job Opportunities
Match Workers to Job Opportunities
Customer &
Acquire Expertise in Analyzing Data
Identify Education/Training Need
Understand Economic Trends
Understand Economic Trends
Understand Economic Trends
Understand Economic Trends
Understand Economic Trends
Determine Skill Requirements
Report on Economic Trends
Schedule Training Offerings
Develop Job Opportunities
Product Typology
Education/Training Providers
Determine Program Scale
Commercial Data Providers
Workforce Development
Economic Development
Make Career Choice
Offer Career Advice
Select Site Location
Design Curriculum
Jobseekers/Students
Recruit Workers
Set Wage Scale
Change Job
Seek Job
Researchers
Businesses
Education
Media
Career X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Career Guide X X X X
Industry and Occupation Profiles X X X X X X X X X X
Job Matching System/Job Sources X X X X X X X
Job/Occupation Outlook X X X X X X X X X X
Jobseeker LMI Training X X
Key Occupation Requirements X X
Projections (by Occupation, Skill, Geography, etc.) X X X X X X
Real-time Data (Job Postings) X X
Resource Guides X X
Target/In-Demand Occupations X X X X X X X X X X X X
Teachers' Guides/Career Guides X X
Training Inventory X X X
Training Provider Certification X X X X X X
Transferrable Skill/Competency Model Studies X X X X X X X X
Economy X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Community/Regional Economic Profiles X X X X X X X X
Products
Consumer Price Index X X
Economic Analysis X X X X X X X X X X
Economic Impact Analysis X X X X X X X X
Industry Analysis X X
Industry and Occupation Profiles X X X X X X X X X X
Industry/Cluster Studies X X X X X X X X X X
Projections (by Occupation, Skill, Geography, etc.) X X X X X X
Region/County/Community Profiles X X
Labor Market X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Job Vacancy Surveys X X
Labor Demographics X X X X X X
Labor Market/Commuting Studies X X X X X X X X
Labor Supply and Demographic Studies X X X X X X X X
Legislative Analysis/Data Support X X
Potential Applicant Pool Analysis X X X X X X X X
Projections (by Occupation, Skill, Geography, etc.) X X X X X X
Real-time Data (Statistics) X X X X X X X X X X
Unemployment Insurance Claimants Report X X X X X X X X X X
Wage and Benefit Studies X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Wage Data X X X X X X

15. Recommendations: System
1. Prepare a policy statement that explicitly supports the role that state LMI
agencies must play in enhancing their customer consultation efforts.
2. Develop and maintain a website cataloguing state product offerings.
3. Monitor and provide feedback on state customer consultation efforts and
engage states in determining their progress in implementing the
“Recommendations to State LMI Agencies” in this report.
4. Maintain a research agenda that helps states implement new products
and services.
5. Develop a state peer‐to‐peer communication strategy.
6. Encourage a consortium approach for implementation.
7. Encourage ETA to include the activities outlined in “Recommendations to
State LMI Agencies” as requirements or deliverables for Program Year
2012 Workforce Information Grants to states.

16. Recommendations: States
1. Map the relationship between LMI customers and
LMI products.
2. Refocus product offerings to reflect these
customer priorities.
3. Collect data on customer satisfaction that focuses
on how well products offered meet targeted
customer needs.
4. Investigate alternative outreach mechanisms
mapped to clearly identified modes of
information gathering by customer type.

17. Other Customer Activities
• Meeting Customer Needs
– Collection of over 85 LMI projects/products from 21 states
• Helping States Self Assess their LMI products to customer needs
• Continued Production of LMI Level of Demand
– Each Year Summarizes State LMI products for the prior calendar year
• Study Group Projects for Current Year
– Customer Satisfaction Measurement of Web Delivery Best Practices
– Using Technology to Meet Customer Needs
• Ongoing Efforts by Study Groups to Serve Customers Better

18. WIC Web Site
• www.workforceinfocouncil.org
• About the Council, Background
• Reading Room, Special Reports
• WIC Meetings and Meeting Notes
• Policy Councils, Members & Meeting Notes
• List of LMI Directors and LMI Calendar
• Workgroups, Green Jobs, Technology, etc.
• Links to Other Information and Web Sites

19. Special Projects
• Customer Consultation Study Group, research on LMI customers
and customer best practices
• Technology Study Group, LMI Technology Forum and work with
Analyst Resource Committee to improve data delivery
• Reports on state LMI products – Making a Difference
(2008), Matters (2010), and new one Meeting Customer Needs
(2012)
• Green Jobs Dialog to discuss State Research on surveys (meeting
held in July with final report in October of 2009)
• Various work groups over the years – Secretary’s Plan, Funding
Allocation, Conference Planning, etc.
• LMI Level of Demand Annual Report showing Nationwide LMI
Delivery

20. Questions?
Workforce Information Council
Phone (843) 425-4121
Gary Crossley
wicedtoyou@yahoo.com
www.workforceinfocouncil.org