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Georgia Work ReadyGeorgia Work Ready

Debra Lyons, DirectorDebra Lyons, DirectorGovernor’s Office of Workforce DevelopmentGovernor’s Office of Workforce Development

August 19, 2010August 19, 2010

Here is the story across the country--

Unemployment is holding steady at 9.5% State revenues continue to be challenging Economic growth is sluggish And – job, jobs, jobs is what people want!

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Here is the story in Georgia --

Unemployment has declined from its high of 10.5% to 10.0%

State revenues continue to be challenging Economic growth is happening but difficult to keep

pace with layoffs And – job, jobs, jobs is what people want!

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What are states doing?

Every state has some type of workforce development strategy– Often they are targeted

– Healthcare– Green economy

– Not often connected– All have challenges ensuring they produce a skilled

workforce– And many are implementing some innovative

strategies

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So, what is Georgia doing?

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Georgia Work Ready is the implementation of the Governor’s vision

“We need a system that links workforce development and education together and aligns to the economic needs of the state,

its regions and local communities”

- Governor Sonny Perdue

Feb. 20, 2006

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Georgia Work Ready

Key elements:– Work Ready Certificate– Work Ready job profiling– Certified Work Ready

Communities– Work Ready Regions

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But – what else is Georgia Work Ready?

Be Work Ready Get Work Ready Month Hire Work Ready Certified Work Ready

facilities

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But what are we really doing?

Being leaders Being strategic Being the common thread Being accountable Being supportive Being good stewards of taxpayers money

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Elements of Work Ready

Work Ready Certificate is powered by ACT WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate– Target all elements of workforce

– Current and Emerging

Work Ready job profiles– Target medium to large companies– New hires and current workers

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Elements of Work Ready Certified Work Ready Communities

– County goals of residents earning Work Ready Certificates and increasing HSGR

Work Ready Regions

Regional industry clusters with clear goals– Industry network of like minded companies– Improve regional Work Ready Certificate levels– Counties attain Certified Work Ready Community status– Integrated career pathways for industry identified critical

jobs

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Elements of Work Ready

Be Work Ready– Unemployed earn Work Ready Certificates and

improve levels

Get Work Ready Month– High school seniors focus on earning Work Ready

Certificates

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Georgia Work Ready Certificate Three assessments

– Applied mathematics– Reading for information– Locating information

Work Habits assessment only on-line Issue Certificate based on lowest level earned

3s and above Bronze

4s and above Silver

5s and above Gold

WorkKeys ScoresCertificate 6s and above Platinum

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Work Ready Skills gap training – Targets for instruction

Gap analysis shows how the person performed relativeto the “bar.” Training is available to close any gap.

Reflects the skills required according to

the job profile

Reflects the job seeker’s certification

level

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Why Georgia Work Ready and High School seniors? Every child to graduate both college and work ready Level 5 in AM and RI correlated to be indicator of

‘college ready without remediation’ [Ready for College, Ready for Work, Same or Different?, ACT, 2006]

Skills gap training software is used by high schools to:– Prepare for Work Ready assessments– Improve graduation test results

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Career Academy skills gap project

Three career academies participating– One required skills gap training during school hours– Two let students remediate on their own– Incentivized improving results

School One [in school skills gap training] – 50% of students improved Certificate level

School Two, Three [skills gap training on own time] –– 29% and 32% improvement in Certificate level

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Elements of Work Ready

Hire Work Ready– Small business use Work Ready for hiring and

training new employees

Certified Work Ready facilities– Companies develop and implement a plan to

develop staff using WRC, job profiles and ‘on the job’ training

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GWR 2010 Challenge

In 2010 Georgia Work Ready will invest five million dollars to produce 50,000 Work Ready Certified

Georgians of which 10,000 will find jobs resulting in $265,000,000 in direct wages

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Work Ready Certificate benefit statement

A Georgia Work Ready Certificate benefits every Georgian beginning with high schools seniors by

providing them valuable information on the level of their work readiness skills to be trained to do a specific job or help them make a career decision. It validates their basic computer skills through a computer based

assessment and also validates their soft skills strengths through the Work Habits component.

Lastly, it gives them confidence as they walk through the door for an interview or make their first or next career

decision.

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WHO is does strategic challenge matter?

Georgians Georgia businesses Georgia Chamber of Commerce State Workforce Investment Board Alliance of Education Agency Heads Georgia state agencies

– Technical College System of Georgia is service delivery provider

Local organizations – public and private

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Georgia Work Ready 2009 Scoreboard

12% of all NCRC!

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Georgia Work Ready 2009 Scoreboard

Work Ready Job Profiles through August 2010

State National Percent

2007 44 1298 3%

2008 119 1340 9%

2009 163 790 21%

2010 120 144 83%

Businesses listed on GWR Web site 536

Businesses with one or more job profiles 193

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Certified Work Ready Communities

In three years: 145 participating 56 fully Certified HSGR 79.9%

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Industry targeted: Advanced

Manufacturing Aerospace Bioscience Energy Entertainment Logistics

RegionExpended Work Ready

BudgetRemaining

East Central Energy

WRR Documented Career Pathway

What is next?

Strengthen the sustaining efforts for CWRC Continue to build/grow sustained WRR career pathways Increase unemployed basic computer skills and access to

skills gap training Find the right formula, incentives and metrics to drive

improvement in WRC levels– High school students– Unemployed

No single ‘magic bullet’– Employers recognizing, using– Students understanding value– Unemployed engaging in skills gap training

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What motivates improving WRC levels?

BWR Packets Delivered

BWR Improved WRC levels

BWR Improved WRC levels last month

Overall WRC Improved WRC levels last month

15478 528 37 109

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Transformational strategy

www.gaworkready.org