Georgia Department of Economic Development, Workforce Division State Workforce Investment Board Marriott Riverfront Hotel Ballroom B Savannah, Georgia April 30, 2015 Group Members and Attendance Meeting Minutes Attendance Member Attendance Member Attendance Member Lisa Adams Ivan Figueroa Thomas Morrill Brian Anderson Theresa Fischer (via phone) Avery Niles Ames Barnett Frank Ginn Eric Newberg Mark Butler Buddy Harden Jack Perrett Chris Carr Sarah Harrison Richard Ray Lenn Chandler Brenda Haught Greg Schmieg Gretchen Corbin Beth Herman Jim Seymour Ann Cramer Chris Hobby Gayle Silvey Wendell Dallas Daniel Holtz Mel Stowers Melvin Davis Keith Horton Keith Thomas Nathan Deal Camila Knowles Lindsey Tippins Doug Duncan Liza Leiter Karen Viera Terry England Joseph Marks Joe Vogt Guest Speakers David Nuckolls, Jannine Miller, John Zegers and Steve Justice, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Centers of Innovation Sheron Morgan, Coastal Workforce Services Odie Donald, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Workforce Division Charles Pennington, Coastal Logistics Group Paul Lemke, PolyCase Ammunition Brent Stubbs, Savannah Technical College Welcome and Opening Remarks Chairman Wendell Dallas welcomed the State Workforce Investment Board (SWIB) and guests to the April 30, 2015 meeting at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront in Savannah, Georgia. Adopt Agenda
Chairman Dallas presented the proposed meeting agenda to the Board. Greg Schmieg motioned that the State Workforce Investment Board approve the meeting agenda and Karen Viera seconded the motion. No questions were asked and the Board unanimously approved the agenda as presented. Review and Approval of Minutes Chairman Dallas asked the Board to review the March 12, 2015 SWIB meeting minutes. Joe Vogt proposed that the Board approve the meeting minutes and Ames Barnett seconded the motion. No questions were asked, and the Board voted to unanimously approve the meeting minutes as presented. New Business Chairman Dallas began the new business by reporting that the State House Bill 348, passed in the State House on March 4, 2015 and passed the State Senate on March 24, 2015. The bill was sent to Governor Deal for signature on April 6, 2015. Chairman Dallas briefly reviewed the rule making process for the Georgia Department of Economic Development s Workforce Division (WFD). In conjunction with the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) transition and the recent release of the Notice of Prosed Rule Making (NPRM), WFD is evaluating and identifying current state policies and repealed state laws to determine which should be passed into rule, as the term is defined by O.C.G.A. 50-13-2(6). WFD suggests the following process; first, WFD will carefully review WIOA, the NPRM, WFD s existing policy and procedure manual, repealed state laws and HB 348 to identify and draft potential rules. After the proposed set of rules has been drafted, WFD shall submit them to the SWIB for review and comment. In the event that the SWIB is unable to review in a timely manner, WFD shall submit the proposed set of rules to the SWIB Executive Committee. Upon approval of either the SWIB or the SWIB Executive Committee, WFD will post the proposed rules to the Georgia.org website for a period of thirty (30) days in order to allow for public comment. Public comment is required by the Georgia Administrative Procedure Act. Interested individuals will be able to submit comments directly through the WFD website. Upon conclusion of the public comment period, WFD will evaluate all comments, consider requested changes, and issue final proposed rules to the SWIB for final approval. In the event that the SWIB is unable to convene for final approval, WFD will submit the final proposed rules to the SWIB Executive Committee. The SWIB will then ratify the SWIB Executive Committee decision at the next quarterly meeting. There were no questions for Chairman Dallas. Committee Reports Re-Employment Services Committee: Mel Stowers gave an update on the work of the Re- Employment Services Committee. Local Workforce Investment Area (LWIA) 18 in the South Georgia Region, created a program designed to provide job training for incarcerated individuals before they are released from prison. Mr. Stowers stated that he was very pleased with the program and the work being done in LWIA 18. Mr. Stowers asked Margaret Miller to introduce the Transitioning Military Service Member policy to the Board. The policy was designed to ensure the provision of services to military service members prior to their discharge. Ms. Miller also highlighted the Operation Workforce guide placed in the board. This guide can be used by local areas serving transitioning service members. (Attachment 1: Operation: Workforce Guide)
Mel Stowers made a motion to approve the Transitioning Military Service Member policy and Joe Marks seconded the motion. The SWIB approved the policy unanimously. Chairman Dallas thanked WFD for their hard work for crafting the policies. (Attachment 2: Transitioning Military Service Members) Youth Committee: Ann Cramer presented the Youth Committee update. The Youth Committee held their last meeting on April 21, 2015. The committee examined the new WIOA regulations and the renewed emphasis on out-of-school youth. The committee voted and approved the redaction, by LWIAs, of requirement that a minimum of 20% of youth served are in-school youth. Ms. Cramer reported that the Youth Committee and WFD are working closely with Avery Niles and the Department of Juvenile Justice on the Youth Re-Entry Task Force. The goal is to aid the transition of youth within the juvenile justice center through the provision of WIOA services. The task force has worked on a resource guide to inform youth of the resources and workforce opportunities available through the one-stop system. Avery Niles added that he is delighted to be working with WFD, and he thanked the SWIB for their hard work and dedication with WFD. LWIA Guidance Committee: Ames Barnett delivered the Local WIA Guidance Committee update. The committee had their last meeting on April 21, 2015, in which they reviewed and unanimously approved the recommendation of following five policies to the SWIB. Audrey Coots, WFD Program Specialist, presented the restructured Policy and Procedures Guide to the SWIB. The guide was edited for grammar, citations were updated, links to outside resources were altered, and the document was organized into a chapter format with five refined sections. The full Policy and Procedures Guide has been sent to the SWIB members by Shari Chambers. Ames Barnett made a motion to approve the Policy and Procedures Guide, and his motion was seconded by Brian Anderson. The Policy and Procedures guide was unanimously approved by the Board. (Attachment 3: Georgia Department of Economic Development, Workforce Division, Policies and Procedures) The second item was Objective Assessment policy. The policy proposes minimum requirements that the LWIAs must document. Ms. Coots added that most LWIAs are already documenting these items. Ann Cramer made a motion that the Board adopt the Objective Assessment and Mel Stowers seconded the motion. The SWIB approved the policy unanimously. (Attachment 4: Objective Assessment) The On-the-job Training (OJT) policy will replace the older OJT policy. The policy outlines necessary employer responsibilities and the documentation requirements. Ames Barnett made a motion to approve the policy, and Joe Marks seconded the motion. The SWIB unanimously approved the policy. (Attachment 5: On-the-Job Training Policy) The LWIA Leadership Appointments and Contact proposal is a compliance policy. It requires the LWIA to report the name and contact information of newly elected or appointed LWIA Directors, Local Workforce Investment Board (LWIB) chairs, or Chief Local Elected Officials (CLEO). There
were no questions. Ames Barnett made a motion that the policy be approved, and Greg Schmieg seconded the motion. The SWIB unanimously approved the policy. (Attachment 6: Local Area Leadership change Policy) Proposal to Grant WFD Authority is a policy that would allow WFD to make the necessary changes to the Polices and Procedures Guide during the WIOA implementation and transition to be compliant with federal law. This policy will not grant WFD authority to unilaterally approve and implement WFD-created policies. Its purpose is to ensure that the state policies reflect federal guidelines. Ames Barnett added that there was a discussion to revoke this policy once the transition from WIA to WIOA has been completed. Ames Barnett made a motion that the board approve the policy, and Ann Cramer seconded the motion. The policy was unanimously approved by the SWIB. (Attachment 7: Proposal to grant WFD discretion to unilaterally update the Policies and Procedures (P&P) during WIOA transition.) Deputy Commissioner s Report Deputy Commissioner Hames thanked Chairman Dallas and the SWIB for their time. Deputy Commissioner Hames began his report by stating that John Chamberlain, a WIA expert met with WFD staff to discuss WIOA implementation. On April 2, 2015, the Department of Labor released the rules for WIOA. After the rules were released, a sixty (60) day comment period began. The Deputy Commissioner reported that the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) has a wonderful, collaborative spirit with WFD and that the SWIB will remain a key player in the conversation. An update was given on state-wide apprenticeship programs, internships, and co-ops. Bill Krauss, USDOL State Apprenticeship Director, has been a great resource, and Eileen O Laughlin (the new WFD Apprenticeship Coordinator) has been hired to assist with the state s apprenticeship efforts. Those efforts will fall under the umbrella of the initiative entitled Georgia Work Smart. Today, April 30, 2015, is the deadline for the Apprenticeship Grant. The program involves the cooperation of up to eight technical schools and thirty companies for an initial group of 389 apprentices. After the initial success of the Governor s High Demand Career Initiative (HDCI), the program will continue into 2015. Jamie Jordan will conduct three HDCI meetings throughout the year. A comprehensive needs-assessment survey is currently in development. The survey will assess the current and projected workforce needs. The survey will be utilized by participating HDCI companies, in the hope of creating a public-private dialogue and shape policy from those meetings. The Go Build Georgia Program is very active and has hosted booths at SkillsUSA State Championships and other events across the State. On April 15, 2015 performance negotiations were completed between the local areas and WFD. Deputy Commissioner Hames thanked Steven Wilson for his hard work completing the negotiations. Georgia was one of ten states to receive a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP) grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture s Food and Nutrition Service on March 20, 2015. The state s grant award totaled 15 million dollars that will be used by the state to train SNAP recipients in high demand occupations that will lead to livable wage jobs. Demonstrations like this grant provide an outlet to grow our relationship with other agency partners and diversify our service delivery structure without negatively impacting WIA/WIOA performance.
The first class of Fast Track Coastal began on April 27, 2015. The SWIB will be able to tour Nordic during the visit, and Nordic is a partner in the Fast Track Coastal program. Deputy Commissioner Hames informed the SWIB that Local Area Designation and Board Certification process is currently underway. WFD has provided a clear and efficient process for local areas to both certify local boards and designate the local areas as required by WIOA. In addition, WFD has provided robust technical assistance which has been well received by the LWIAs. Chairman Dallas introduced the Local Area Designation documentation received by WFD. Pursuant to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the Governor must designate the LWIAs in consultation with the SWIB. Eighteen of the nineteen LWIAs completed the requisite documentation and requested designation under WIOA. Chairman Dallas proposed to approve all LWIAs that completed the documentation. Greg Schmieg made a motion to approve the eighteen local areas for area designation, and Ann Cramer seconded the motion. There were no questions and the SWIB unanimously approved the proposal. (Attachment 8: Local Area Designation) Chairman Dallas stated that the designations shall be posted on WFD s website for public comment for thirty (30) days. After comments are reviewed and considered, designations shall be considered accepted, and the new Local Workforce Development Areas (LWDAs) shall be recognized beginning July 1, 2015. Chairman Dallas reported the WFD staff changes resulting from the reorganization effective March 16, 2015. Eileen O Laughlin joined the division on March 16, 2015 as the Apprenticeship Program Manager. Justin Haight, formerly a WFD Finance Specialist, joined the Compliance Team as a Compliance Specialist. Montevia Gamble, formerly a WFD Finance Specialist, joined the Programs Team as a Programs Specialist. Janice Davis, formerly a WFD Compliance Manager, transferred to a Research Specialist. Jamie Jordan is now the HDCI Program Manager. Donald Kirkland is now the Go Build Georgia Program Specialist. Steven Wilson s title is now the Data & Information Director. Kate Russell s title is now Grants Administrator. Clayton Bassett s and Jenny Barrett s title is now Grant Specialist. Sarah Harrison requested that a new staff directory be submitted to the SWIB and the LWIAs with the new titles. Georgia Department of Economic Development, Centers of Innovation Presentation David Nuckolls, Marking and Operations Manager of the Centers of Innovation, gave an overview of the office. The Centers of Innovation focus on six strategic industries: Aerospace, Agribusiness, Energy, Information Technology, Logistics, and Manufacturing. The Centers of Innovation are in six locations around the state. Janine Miller, Director of the Center of Innovation for Logistics, gave an overview of the Logistic Center. Georgia has experienced tremendous growth in the Logistic industry. With the Savannah Harbor deepening, and there is even more projected job growth. Chairman Dallas asked Ms. Miller about resources for businesses that are interested in logistics support. Ms. Miller replied that the best resource was www.georgialogistics.com. Ms. Miller then introduced John Zegers, Director of the Center of Innovation for Manufacturing. The Center of Innovation for Manufacturing works to leverage existing resources from industry, government, and academia to advance and sustain manufacturing growth in Georgia. The center forms teams of people with the right expertise to solve common problems in the manufacturing industry. They also concentrate their efforts on workforce development and have worked with Lanier Technical College to
customized training for companies. There are Over 9,000 manufacturing establishments in Georgia which include over 9% of Georgia s workforce. Steve Justice is the Director of the Center of Innovation for Aerospace. Georgia has over 500+ companies in the aerospace industry which had a total economic impact of $50.8 billion in 2013. Mr. Justice also introduced the Guard Initiative which seeks to identify companies or regions that will be adversely affected by Department of Defense (DOD) spending cuts. Mr. Justice asked the SWIB and guests to publicize the effort. Coastal Spotlight Presentation Odie Donald, WIA Services Director at WFD, introduced Sheron Morgan, Interim Executive Director for Coastal Workforce Services. Ms. Morgan s presentation focused on Coastal Workforce Services youth initiatives and highlighted the YouthBuild program. YouthBuild is a national program operating in forty-six states and is facilitated locally by Coastal Workforce Services and the Savannah Housing Authority. Students are eligible for the program if they are enrolled in WIA services and have dropped-out of school. The teens are tasked with building one home each year. Each participant earns an hourly wage and will earn a GED and a certification in carpentry by the end of the program. Due to the success of the YouthBuild program, the City of Savannah created two positions in the Savannah Housing Authority that are reserved for YouthBuild graduates. Ms. Morgan introduced two 2011 YouthBuild graduates, RaShawn Anthony and Troy Gray. Odie Donald spoke about the business services offered by Coastal Workforce Services and spotlighting two businesses that benefitted from the services. A representative from Coastal Logistics Group (CLG), Charles Pennington described the workforce issues that his company was facing. Coastal Workforce Services was able to train candidates in a relatively quick time frame which significantly reduced the issues that CLG was facing. Mr. Pennington highlighted the recruitment of a military veteran that spent twenty years in the military but was not qualified to join CLG because he had no logistics experience. The veteran entered the OJT program and was hired by CLG. The employee has stayed with the company and was quickly promoted due to his skill and dedication. Odie Donald thanked Mr. Pennington for presenting, and then introduced the CEO of Polycase Ammunition, Paul Lemke. Polycase Ammunition was a recipient of OJT. Mr. Lemke stated that the company was on the verge of moving to Mississippi which would result in a lay-off. Mr. Lemke reached out to SEDA to look for assistance and was connected to Coastal Workforce Services. In eight months, the Polycase production grew exponentially as a result of the OJT funding. Accelerating Opportunity Program Presentation Brent Stubbs, Dean of Adult Education at Savannah Technical College, gave the final presentation of the SWIB meeting. Mr. Stubbs began his presentation by screening a short video about Accelerated Opportunity (AO) which is a program designed to help college ready candidates that do not have a high school diploma or GED enroll in certificate programs at Savannah Technical College while simultaneously completing the requirements for the attainment of a GED. The program began with a cohort of 13 individuals enrolled in the welding program. As of 2014, there were over 130 participants. Mr. Stubbs highlighted a participant named Mack Johnson who was laid off from his job because he did not have a GED. As a result of the lay-off, Mack, his wife, and four children experienced homelessness. Mr. Johnson learned about AO and within six months had earned his GED, completed the Aircraft Structural Assembly Certificate, and is now employed full-time. Mack and his family now have permanent housing. Discussion of Next Steps
Chairman Dallas announced that the next State Workforce Investment Meeting would be held from August 26 August 28, 2015 at Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris, Georgia. Adjourn Meeting Chairman Dallas thanked everyone for their hard work and commitment to the SWIB and he thanked all of the guests for attending the meeting. Chairman Dallas then adjourned the meeting. Attachment Key Attachment 1: Operation: Workforce Guide Attachment 2: Transitioning Military Service Members Attachment 3: Georgia Department of Economic Development, Workforce Division, Policies and Procedures Attachment 4: Objective Assessment Attachment 5: On-The-Job Training Policy Attachment 6: Local Area Leadership change Policy Attachment 7: Proposal to grant WFD discretion to unilaterally update the Policies and Procedures (P&P) during WIOA transition Attachment 8: Local Area Designation