1

21st Century Sector Strategies: Best Practices from California’s WIBs

Presenters/Moderators

Jim Cassio, Jim Cassio & Associates

Gary Craft, Craft Consulting Groupsectorstrategyexperts.com

Co-Sponsors

PowerPathway™California Community

Colleges

2

California’s Strategic Workforce Development Plan

Calls for aligning the state’s workforce institutions and programs around the needs of regional growth sectors.

Essential elements of the plan include industry sector partnerships with deep employer engagement that develop career pathway programs that meet the workforce needs of high demand sectors of the state and regional economies.

3

What are Sector Strategies?

Sector strategies build partnerships between employers, training providers, community organizations, and other key stakeholders around specific industries to address the workforce needs of employers and the training, employment, and career advancement needs of workers.

- NGA Center for Best Practices

4

Today’s Agenda

I. Welcome & Introductions – Jim Cassio

II. Survey Summary – Jim Cassio

III. Perspectives of Local WIBs Moderators – Jim Cassio & Gary Craft Panelists – Kris Stadelman (NOVA)

Stephen Baiter (Contra Costa)Kelley Fry (San Diego)Blake Konczal (Fresno)

IV. Best Practices Summary – Gary Craft

V. Wrap-Up – Jim Cassio

5

Sector Strategy Survey Summary

• Surveys conducted by phone and online with California WIB Directors (or their designees) in March and April of 2014

• 63% Response Rate (31 out of 49)

• We plan to achieve a 75%+ response rate by mid-May

• An e-report (PDF) with the survey results and our analysis will be available by the end of June

6

Target Industry Sectors

Reasons for choosing industry sector• Target industry was experiencing labor shortage• Encouraging growth in target sector• Improve industry competitiveness• Retain industry in community• Prepare industry for demographic or technological changes• Largest or fastest growing sector• Importance to local/regional economy

7

Year Sector Strategy Initiated

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Before2007

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Nu

mb

er o

f W

IB's

(n

=30

)

29 of 31 WIB’s Considering Launching a Sector Strategy in 2014 or

2015

8

Methodology Employed

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Career PathwaysInitiative or Partnership

Cluster of OpportunityPartnership

Custom SectorStrategy Approach

Industry Cluster BasedSector Strategy

Occupation FocusedSector Strategy

Focused On PopulationGroup

Target Population Groups• Incumbent workers• Displaced/unemployed workers• Youth• Veterans

9

10

Role of WIBs

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Training Provider

Sector Supportive Policy

Supportive Partner

Vehicle for Financing

Sector Intermediary

Stimulators of SectorInitiative

11

Constraints

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Sector Strategy Expertise

Lack of Information on BestPractices

Financial

Staffing

12

The Keystone to Connecting Career Pathways to Industry Cluster Growth

Source: “State Sector Strategies, Coming of Age: Implications for State Workforce Policymakers”, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices

13

What WIBs Are Saying About Best Practices

“Meeting directly in person with industry partners.”

“Identify the champions first.”

“Talk to employers in the sector (CEO Roundtables or on an individual basis) to identify their workforce needs, record the data, report it back to them, and get their feedback to make sure you really understood what they said. Bring teachers to the table to talk directly to employers about curriculum and assist them in building relationships that are win-win.”

“Combination of labor market research, including workforce needs assessments, and the industry-led roundtable discussions are key to getting the various parties working collaboratively on shared goals and objectives.”

“Direct employer input for curriculum design.”

“Use Industry Association as intermediary to seat and staff sector panel.”

“Track, monitor and measure results.”

14

Five Common Elements

• Data driven analysis (quantitative, qualitative)• Industry led• Target industries that are important to the regional or

state economy• Defined outcomes that are measurable and actionable• Performance metrics to measure accomplishments

15

Contact Information

Jim CassioJim Cassio & Associates(916) 320-4944jim7@cassio.com

Gary CraftCraft Consulting Group(925) 283-4981craft@craftconsulting.net

www.sectorstrategyexperts.com