WORKFORCE INNOVATIONS, INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS, AND CUSTOMER QUOTES May 2015

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1 Recent Summary WORKFORCE INNOVATIONS, INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS, AND S May 2015 WORKFORCE INNOVATION Spring Push for Summer Jobs Tis the season for summer jobs, although it has to be overwhelming for youth to know where to turn. Although our roster of youth programs differs in the age group(s) served and the funding requirements often dictate a certain population, we are finding that it is stronger strategy to reach out generally to the public with the overall message that Denver offers a range of options for youth and young adults, and then work on a case-by-case approach to determine precisely which program or service (or combination) is the right fit after the individual has contacted us and completed a general profile/application. That way, a young person does not have to self-select on their own which training or job program is right for them. Denver Workforce has expanded its community outreach this spring to strengthen its roster of summer youth programs. One huge boost to this outreach occurred in the form of a joint event with Denver Public Schools, and we developed and staffed a very successful 12 th grade Career Fair at the beginning of March; we signed up over 150 youth to attend informational sessions and be screened for eligibility and interest in CCFExO, WIA, and summer employment. The Mayor s Office did a news release at the end of March about Denver s 2015 youth programs, which referenced our summer jobs, WIA, and CCFExO programs in addition to the shorter-term career academies for year olds planned this summer as well. The Mayor also sent a special letter over his signature to about 3,000 Denver employers, urging them to support our local youth and create jobs and internships, depending on their industry and interest. We anticipate that this general-to-specific strategy will work with employers as well first promote the general idea of investing in tomorrow s workforce, and then specifically working to define which kind of position, internship or involvement is the right approach for each business. 1

2 Partnership Payback InkMonstr, a Denver startup manufacturer that designs and produces striking large banners and vinyl wraps for vehicles, was featured recently in the statewide manufacturing publication CompanyWeek, and in his interview remarks, their founder Reed Silberman gave OED Workforce a great compliment for our on-boarding and training assistance. Our relationship goes beyond this media shout-out, however: Reed helped train students participating in OED s first-ever Advanced Manufacturing Youth Academy last year, and he even hired one of the academy students after graduation which turned out to be one of his growing firm s best hires, Reed has told us. I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your very informative class yesterday. It was very helpful and gave me increased confidence in moving forward in my developing an online presence for networking. The information you shared was sincerely appreciated and your examples were excellent in support of this very useful tool. Again, I thank you for your time and the knowledge shared, wrote a participant in a Denver Workforce workshop. I want to compliment the staff at the Denver Workforce Center at Speer. Each employee has an exceptional array of skills and talents that are unparalleled in today's busy workplace environment. What I find to be most extraordinary is that every staff member demonstrates a personal commitment to ensure the success of all who enter your classrooms. Their individual gestures of patience and grace enabled me to proudly complete my goal of obtaining a nationally recognized certification in digital literacy. To each of them I am eternally grateful, wrote a Displaced Worker. WORKFORCE INNOVATION Innovations toward Individual Service One of the challenges in serving jobseekers is that each person is a unique individual with a personal story and background, many of them presenting individual strengths but also potential barriers to success. A one-size-sits-all delivery for pre-employment and job placement is bound to leave some jobseekers feeling lost in the shuffle. Given that Denver Workforce places special priority on certain subsets of the jobseeker population that is, long-term unemployed and underemployed, as well as veterans, and certainly a range of at-risk youth we work to balance the 2

3 natural tension between serving as many people as possible on one hand with a high level of individualized attention and customized service on the other. Innovation and continual improvement are not just buzzwords for Denver trainers, who are regularly adding fresh material to our training calendar. A recent Working for the Federal Government workshop focused on targeted resumes and using the USA JOBS website; the Restored Citizen curriculum helped those with criminal backgrounds. We also added a Digital Literacy Certification to help jobseekers demonstrate skills in six different topics including web/ , Microsoft Word, Excel, and social media. We expect that older jobseekers are most likely to welcome this training, and we have marketed the digital literacy services accordingly ( Do you have outdated computer experience, or none at all? No worries! We re eager to help. ) With digital literacy, we are testing a three-step approach: free regular group training sessions, offered throughout the month; free one-on-one sessions, available two days a week by appointment, in 30-minute increments; and the testing itself, which includes coaching for sections not passed, and when complete, results in a certification that assures potential employers that the learner has mastered the skills needed for high-performance, higher wage positions. Based on attendance and feedback, we will continue to make data-driven adjustments to our monthly curriculum in the months ahead. I just had a very positive interview today that I hope will lead to an excellent job. I used what I learned in the class and have shared it with two other job seekers I know, who also gleaned valuable information from what I learned. I am so impressed with the programs offered at The Denver Workforce Center that I am telling everyone I know about it, ed an attendee from Denver s October 2014 Power Prep: Healthcare workshop. INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP Colorado s TEC-P Ready-to-Work Grant The frustrations of the long-term unemployed are many, including a lack of resources to access the kind of training and skill-building that will make their prospects better. Jobseekers outside of major metro areas may feel their isolation more keenly, and individual counties tend to vary in their approach and delivery systems to try and serve this challenging population. Although about 45 percent of the long-term unemployed in Colorado hold a bachelor s degree, more intensive job training is needed for the certificates and credentials required for middle-skill employment in the high-growth sectors of information technology and manufacturing. 3

4 In October 2014, a $6.2 million Ready to Work Partnership Workforce Development Grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor to the Denver OED to benefit 593 unemployed individuals along Colorado s Front Range and Western Slope. The regional joint project, of which OED is the lead, will benefit long-term unemployed and underemployed people on the Front Range and Western Slope using collaborations between employers, educational institutions and job training programs. Areas to be served by the grant include Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer, Mesa, and Weld counties. Outcome The grant supports the Technology Employment in Colorado Partnership (TEC-P) project, a targeted industry sector initiative that will further build the state s IT and advanced manufacturing sectors. The project will utilize an industry and employer-driven approach to develop an education and training career pathway, leading to employment in middle- to high-skilled jobs. This is a truly regional effort to further develop our pipeline of talent, connecting the longterm unemployed with promising career paths in high-demand industries. Thanks to the strong collaboration among government, industry, and training partners, this regional project will surely strengthen Colorado s talent pool and ensure a pipeline of skilled IT professionals. INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP Colorado Apparel Manufacturing Summit Brand names Jiberish, Voormi, Janska, Pearl Izumi, Kid Robot, Garb, or Topo Designs are starting to sound familiar because they re part of our region s growing clothing manufacturing industry, whose entrepreneurs met this fall at the first-ever Colorado Apparel Manufacturing Summit. Denver s keen interest in building the local manufacturing industry made us a natural to serve as the summit s presenting sponsor. Although just a first-time event convened to test the waters in terms of interest and participation, it was a standing-room-only event that attracted more than 150. Workforce challenges were a primary theme throughout the day. At the Summit, apparel manufacturers talked about their shared struggle to find the skills they re seeking from the pool of available applicants. Wide-ranging barriers to correcting this problem include needing to bring apparel manufacturing wages to a livable, sustainable level, along with determining more precisely where in the broader workforce such skills could be found. Creative ideas that surfaced that day included drawing upon the existing, precise cut-and-sew skills that exist, untapped, in some immigrant/refugee populations; a similar 4

5 reservoir of talent exists in rural areas of Colorado which could create opportunities for Denver-area manufacturers to have sewing and assembly handled remotely but without leaving the state. With a full-time business specialist focusing her outreach and workforce development efforts on Denver manufacturing as well as logistics, OED has leadership role while Denver heats up as the epicenter for startup firms focused on producing lifestyle products not only apparel and accessories, but cool sports and outdoor gear, craft beer, and natural foods. The 2014 Colorado Apparel Manufacturing Summit ended with a vocal commitment from all in the room to stay engaged on issues hindering success, certainly including workforce talent and supply challenges. INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP Denver Tech Talent Forum/Job Fair Denver s Workforce Development focus on the IT industry is an ambitious undertaking that requires services uniquely appropriate to this wide-ranging, fast-growing sector. Drawing on relationships with employers, educators, and nonprofits, Denver decided to host a day-long event as both a forum and a job fair. Why do tech businesses choose Denver? What are the most important skill sets to the business? What does a day in the life of an IT employee look like? What are employers hiring pet peeves? What can Denver Workforce do better to support their dramatic business growth? Our first-ever Denver Tech Talent Day was held on October 30, We promoted it with an outreach plan that engaged social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, EventBrite, and Craigslist) as well as our OED website and local news media. We recruited as panelists four Denver Gazelles (fast-growing firms who have attracted venture capital): NIMBL, Altitude Digital, Craftsy, and Stride. The Colorado Technology Association was a great promotion partner, helped develop forum content for the day, and also provided a panel facilitator. The day attracted 14 industry employers hiring in more than 60 occupations, including engineering, software, user support, analysts, and project managers. We also brought in seven education and training resources who were ready to talk to both our employers and jobseekers. Most importantly, we attracted 131 jobseekers that were talented, interested, and hungry to know more about finding their place in the industry. The Denver Workforce staff was willing to do whatever was needed to help our job seekers, escorting them to the right employer, reviewing a resume, sitting 5

6 and just let them talk about their experiences, and listening. It was more than an event, but a successful launch of the next phase of Denver s IT workforce efforts. 6