Communicate education and workforce data and information to stakeholders in an accessible way. Available information is not enough; states must also make available labor market information, including anticipated effects of disruption and associated skills gaps, to employers, regional workforce entities, education institutions and the general public. In addition to high level summary reports, states should consider making available state data machine-readable so that data scientists and analysts can develop innovative, predictive data tools.
State Program Examples
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Tennessee
Labor and Education Alignment Program
In October 2020, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) released a report that highlights jobs in high demand across Tennessee, including occupations in finance and technology, , automotive, distribution and logistics, and other target industry clusters. The Labor and Education Alignment Program (LEAP) report calls attention to occupations that are strategically important to the growth of the state economy and to TNECD’s expansion and recruitment efforts. In addition, STEM occupations with high employer demand are also indicated throughout the report. The LEAP report seeks to assist local, regional and state policy decision-makers and outlines areas for increased alignment between education and industry.
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Virginia
Regional Economic Dashboards
In 2020, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission created a dashboard to track COVID-19 Economic Impacts in Virginia. The Dashboard displays state and county level total unemployment rates, number of unemployment claims and the percent of workers in “most vulnerable industries” based on potential for elimination of positions due to reduced economic activity in response to COVID-19. While this tool focuses primarily on industries negatively impacted by COVID-19, LMI could be similarly used to identify industries with job opportunities or occupations at risk of automation at the state and county level.
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Ohio
Workforce Success Measures Dashboard
To promote continuous improvement and inform investments across their workforce system, the Ohio Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation created the Workforce Success Measures Dashboard in 2017 to measure the success of workforce programs across the state. This tool features data that allows policymakers to assess how well programs help participants find employment, develop skills, enhance wages and provide value to business. In 2021, this resource will be enhanced to provide more granular and actionable information in a user-friendly interface so dislocated workers can make more informed decisions and quickly reconnect to the labor market in a high-quality job.
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Missouri
Social Impact Dashboards
The Office of the Governor has led a cross-government data initiative that has resulted in a series of social impact dashboards that indicate the use of social services over time across each county. Since April, state agency leaders have developed ‘microcells’ or working groups that meet weekly to address geographic-, population- or industry-specific challenges identified through this dashboard. Through these groups, the state has been able to align state policy objectives and target resources toward urgent unmet needs including gaps in available childcare and shortages in the health care workforce
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Iowa
Metrics that Matter
The Future Ready Iowa Alliance publishes annually Metrics That Matter, a report publishing progress toward the Governor’s postsecondary attainment goal that Iowans earn an additional 139,900 post-secondary credentials by 2025. This report includes metrics on the current skills gap including rates of educational attainment (including registered apprentices), data on high-demand jobs, average earnings, and employer-demanded skills across industries.
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Colorado
Talent Pipeline Report
Senate Bill 14-205 was passed to require the Workforce Development Council, in partnership with other state and local agencies, to publish annually a report which explores issues related to the supply and demand of talent, and strategies for strengthening the state’s talent pipeline. The report also includes a series of recommendations to the Governor and the legislature, which are developed in accordance with the state’s postsecondary attainment goals. Since its creation in 2013, the report has led to more than thirty new bills becoming law.
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Montana
Statewide College Report
In 2019, the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (MTDLI) and Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education published a statewide college report to determine whether colleges are producing enough graduates to meet occupational demand. The report offers one of the nation’s most in-depth analyses of the supply and demand of Montana’s occupations and informs opportunities for new program development throughout the state college system. The report also offers a similar analysis for each region of the state to help identify any geographical disparities between supply and demand to inform projected shortfalls in certain occupations.
Build capacity in the state workforce to interpret data and create useful products. The state invests in its workforce by developing a state employee training program to teach skills to interpret data, identify the potential and limitations of data and create new products that can be deployed to serve constituents.
State Program Examples
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Multi-State
Indiana, Illinois and Missouri: The Coleridge Initiative
The Coleridge Initiative works with state agencies and academic partners to create and deliver Applied Data Analytics classes to government agency staff. It is a platform for multi-state data sharing and answering common research questions, mostly in the intersection of workforce and education. States can elect to contribute other data as well such as SNAP/TANF or corrections. These classes train participants in how to work with confidential data from multiple agencies to solve high priority problems identified by agency senior management. Indiana, Illinois and Missouri have partnered with Coleridge to increase statewide capacity to interpret local employment data, education outcomes, labor statistics, and more.
Help individuals communicate previously learned skills by adopting prior learning policies. The state adopts policies that enable more workers to receive credit for, and clearly communicate, their skills by awarding credentials for existing knowledge and competencies. Since 2016, at least 19 states have passed legislation relating to credit for prior learning.
State Program Examples
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Multi-State
Western Governors University (WGU)
Western Governors University (WGU) is a competency-based, online university catering specifically to the adult student population looking to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree. The university was created in 1995 by 19 U.S. governors wanting to break the mold of traditional higher education and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). There are six state-affiliated universities including Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, though which WGU enrolls students from all 50 states. WGU’s unique curriculum offers students the opportunity to earn degrees through demonstration of competencies, and at a personalized learning pace, and to receive credit for prior learning.
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Multi-State
Registered Apprenticeship College Consortium
The Registered Apprenticeship College Consortium (RACC) was launched in 2014 by the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education to expand educational opportunities for Registered Apprenticeship (RA) graduates. Consortium members are U.S.-based 2- and 4-year community colleges that agree to accept the college credit value of the RA completion certificate, as recommended by a recognized third-party evaluator, for the purposes of facilitating the transfer of credit between member colleges. Because RA programs employ an “earn while you learn" model that combines on-the-job learning and related classroom instruction, students are encouraged to pursue further education by minimizing duplicative training. States could develop a similar model by convening institutions to evaluate the transfer value of prior learning experiences accepted by public education institutions. If states can develop a system that effectively values prior learning, workers will be able to enter the labor market more quickly, without duplicative training and employers will have access to a wider pool of qualified candidates.
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Missouri
Requires all Public Institutes of Higher Education to Recognize Prior Learning
In 2012, the Missouri legislature passed legislation requiring the statewide higher education coordinating board to award associate’s degrees to students who have completed requirements even if they completed those requirements across multiple institutions. The policy requires that a student who has completed at least 15 credits at a 2-year institution who transfers to a 4-year institution and proceeds to earn sufficient credit must be granted an associates degree from the 2-year institution. The Missouri Department of Higher Education received funding from the Lumina Foundation to develop a statewide communication and technology strategy to ensure that as many students as possible are able to take advantage of this opportunity. States could follow a similar model by requiring their public institutions facilitate reverse transfers, providing credit for prior learning and informing individuals what credit they are eligible for. This recognition may allow students to work in higher-quality jobs while they work towards a higher degree or if they choose to pause or terminate their academic pursuits.
Empower individuals to document, secure and share evidence of lifelong learning through a digital profile. States have an important role to play in helping individuals understand how to use their credentials to market themselves to potential employers. A common lexicon is one strategy toward building credential transparency, and helps users compare programs, evaluate outcomes, and understand the impact of investments in public and private training. When adopting this common language, experts stress that credentials must be informed by the real-time needs of employers in order to increase efficiency among existing programs. Many experts also agree that as individuals are required to obtain more credentials, one’s digital profile and transcripts should be non-proprietary to an institution, and instead belong to the person regardless of where one works.
State Program Examples
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Multi-State
BlockCerts
BlockCerts is an open standard for creating, issuing, viewing, and verifying blockchain-based certificates. These digital records are registered on a blockchain, cryptographically signed, tamper-proof, and shareable between individuals and employers. BlockCerts have emerged as an open source way to issue and validate credential attainment, so that individuals can own and communicate demonstrated competencies over time. States may look to partner with private sector organizations to make available these digital records between institutions and employers.
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California
LaunchPath
The California Community College system uses an online platform called LaunchPath to assess students’ learned skills and to display “skill badges” on their public profile when they apply for jobs. This technology is designed to facilitate better work-based learning matches between students and employers, and to empower students to retain ownership of their competencies.
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New Mexico
Digital Badging
In New Mexico, a collaboration between Fab Lab Hub and the Departments of Economic Development, Workforce Solutions, and Education, along with New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership have successfully supported the development of a statewide digital badging program. In 2019, the New Mexico Department of Economic Development provided $20,000 in funding for the Los Alamos National Lab (LANL) to create a Lab Safety certification for 3D Printing as well as laser and CNC machining to up-skill LANL employees and train statewide workers for positions at the three national labs located in New Mexico as well as at commercial companies. Piloted at Fab Lab Hubs’ facility at Santa Fe Community College, Digital Badges were issued through the continuing education department and will be expanded to other colleges, high schools, alternative education programs, fab labs and makerspaces in 2020. These digital badges, which are micro-credentials that adhere to the international OpenBadges standards, allow for individuals to earn a wide variety of certifications for individual skills and competencies ranging from 3D Printing molds for jewelry designers to Fabricating Props For The Film Industry. The New Mexico badges can be earned in an average of 6 weeks, at an average cost of $250 and empower individuals to acquire new competencies continuously throughout their lives. The individual badges can also be stacked into Master Badges for jobs such as a Master 3D Printing Operator or Master Robotics Repair Technician. A master badge can usually be attained for a few thousand dollars over a period of about 6 months. The pilot saw increased enrollment in the digital badge program, 30% of people who attained a badge were placed in new jobs, 30% were upskilled in existing jobs, and 20% used the skills to start a new business. The remaining badge-earners took the classes for their own lifelong learning. While this initiative was led primarily at the local level, the State assisted in the convening of stakeholders to promote the program among educators, employers and policy makers, including via a state-wide Summit in Fall 2019.
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Alabama
A One-Stop Platform Partnership with Credential Engine
In 2019, Alabama Governor Ivey announced a collaboration with Credential Engine, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to credential data transparency and literacy. Alabama plans to develop a one-stop platform to house longitudinal data, which will operate as a virtual resume, or “student backpack”, to signal to employers the credentials carried by individuals. The Office of the Governor also is working with employers, higher education professionals and community leaders to publish to the statewide registry, credential data to enhance learners’ access to understanding career pathways throughout the state.
Promote transparency for the employment outcomes of postsecondary programs, including wage data of graduates. As of 2019, only Maryland and Montana have taken action to gain access to wage data on current college students and graduates, no matter where they are working. More states can benefit from making their state’s income tax and wage data more available for data-sharing initiatives, including cross-state wage data exchanges, to measure the wage outcomes of postsecondary education and training programs.
State Program Examples
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Multi-State
All States: Participate in the State Wage Interchange System (SWIS)
As of January 2020, 52 states and territories participate in the State Wage Interchange System (SWIS), a data sharing tool jointly managed by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Education (ED). SWIS enables states to report and track the performance of workforce training and education programs, as well as the exchange of anonymized individual-level wage and employment data with other states. This enables states to (a) comply with federal WIOA reporting requirements; (b) research and/or evaluate WIOA programs and (c) assess the performance of training provider programs to determine their eligibility to receive WIOA funds. This new system also simplifies the query process for states and enables more states to report results of pilot workforce training and education programs with one another. Although states are not required to participate in SWIS, gaps in the employment and wage information can present challenges to states with a large percentage of their population working in another state.
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Montana
Developed MOUs with private colleges to share student wage data
Montana’s Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education and the Department of Labor and Industry (MDLI) have maintained a long-standing data sharing agreement. Since 2017, the state has successfully incentivized enhanced collaboration between these institutions, and most recently, added student data from private colleges, including credentials received and student GPA, to measure the workforce outcomes of eighteen private colleges throughout Montana. To do this, Montana developed MOUs with private colleges in order to allow the data-sharing of public postsecondary institution data with state wage records. However, because Montana’s UI wage data exclude workers whose employers do not pay into the UI system, the Montana Department of Revenue also initiated an MOU with the MDLI in order to capture more comprehensive wage data on students, and track wage and employment outcomes of students who remain in Montana after graduation. According to a report on Montana’s application of data by the National Skills Coalition, “Chief Economist Barbara Wagner stated ‘We established the MOU with only a few phone calls, and the agreement was in place within weeks, not months. We could not have achieved such a quick turnaround without a pre-existing relationship and good understanding of what data they could provide.’”
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Maryland
Allow the Statewide Data Center to Receive Aggregate Wage Data to Measure Education Outcomes
In 2019, Maryland enacted HB 1206, allowing the Maryland Longitudinal Data Center System, the state’s education and workforce data hub, to receive from the Comptroller aggregate wage data about students. This law makes Maryland one of the only states enabled to access tax data to measure student employment outcomes.
Help employers navigate the workforce development system and the development of high-quality training programs. While navigators exist in American Jobs Centers to help jobseekers, employers often have less information on how to best partner with state and education partners to fill their talent pipelines. Some states have developed outreach programs to help employers build partnerships with the education community, specifically in the form of dual enrollment, work-based learning and apprenticeship programs. Other states have begun to introduce Employer Navigator programs to help employers navigate federal and state workforce development programs. To build in-demand career pathways for students and adult workers, states should consider ways to help employers develop and sustain training programs that align with statewide workforce goals.
State Program Examples
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Nebraska
Developing Youth Talent Initiative
Launched by the Governor in 2015, Developing Youth Talent Initiative (DYTI) introduces middle school students to careers in industries such as manufacturing, information technology, engineering and healthcare. Each year, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) awards $250,000 in DYTI grants to for-profit, Nebraska-based companies, such as Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corporation, USA; CLAAS Omaha; and Nucor Detailing Center, to partner with area school districts. Together, these consortiums implement programs to inform, engage, and inspire seventh- and eighth-grade students to explore careers in high demand throughout Nebraska.
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Idaho
Talent Pipeline Management Initiative
The Idaho Workforce Development Council has implemented the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Talent Pipeline Management Initiative statewide. Through this initiative, employers are developing and resourcing training pathways and are encouraged to develop competency-based job descriptions based on experience rather than credentials obtained. This helps ensure workers with a wider range of educational backgrounds have access to good jobs.
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Connecticut
Removing Barriers for Employer Engagement in the Talent Pipeline
In 2019, Governor Lamont signed Executive Order No. 4 requiring the Governor’s Workforce Council to assess and recommend ways for the state to “remove barriers for employers to engage as partners in the creation of a talent pipeline they need to be successful, such as train-to-hire, and upskilling initiatives for incumbent workers”. This assessment is intended to allow training programs to be as responsive to employer needs as possible by engaging employers as partners. States should consider whether they have regulations that prevent or disincentivize employer engagement in any part of the talent pipeline development process. As part of its analysis, states may wish to engage a broad group of stakeholders including representatives from local workforce boards, the Chamber of Commerce, CTE Advisory Committees, labor unions, institutes of higher education, community colleges, and service providers.
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Minnesota
Minnesota Advanced Manufacturing Partnership Project (MnAMP) Learn, Work, Earn Initiative
The MnAMP Learn, Work, Earn Initiative includes a network of twelve colleges and two additional training centers across the state that offer a standardized core curriculum partnered by employer-driven apprenticeship in advanced manufacturing. Participants in the program earn stackable, industry-recognized credentials at an educational institution while earning a wage and participating in on-the-job training in a high-demand, high-wage manufacturing occupation. This program serves primarily Trade Adjustment Assistance eligible workers and veterans and is funded through a TAACCCT grant. States can leverage federal grants to bolster partnerships between educational institutions and industry to prepare workers for careers in high-demand industries through industry-driven work-based-learning opportunities.
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Nevada
Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) Partnership with Tesla
The Nevada Office of Workforce Innovation (OWINN) helped to establish a partnership between Truckee Meadows Community College and Tesla that has allowed them to work together to develop an apprenticeship program that allows community college students to engage in on-the-job training in high-tech occupations. TMCC is responsible for the administrative components of this program and the technical instruction and student supports. Tesla helps to inform the curriculum and provides relevant on-the-job training. In addition to helping to establish the partnership, OWINN has also played a role in advertising the apprenticeship program. Governor Sisolak indicated this type of partnership as a priority in Nevada by appropriating $4 million in FY 2020 to support educational institutions that are partnering with local employers to provide work-based learning opportunities. To help build talent pipelines, states should consider ways to play a more prominent role as intermediary between regional education institutions and well-resourced state employers.
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Kentucky
Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (KY-FAME)
Originally launched by Toyota, the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) is a collaborative of employers who participate in and support Advanced Manufacturing Career Pathways at more than 250 companies across 12 states. In Kentucky, a partnership of regional manufacturers implements dual track, apprenticeship-style training that creates a pipeline of highly skilled workers. Upon completion, these workers receive an Advanced Manufacturing Technician certification debt-free. To capitalize on the success of the program, former Governor Steve Beshear announced $24 million in General Fund–supported bonds to build an advanced manufacturing training center in partnership with local Bluegrass Community and Technical College. This leadership signaled the importance of collaboration with industry partners to increase opportunities for students and workers.
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Colorado
CareerWise Colorado
Colorado has gained national recognition for its leadership in creating a modern youth apprenticeship program that aims to engage 10% of Colorado’s high school youth in apprenticeship. CareerWise Colorado was created by Executive Order in 2015 and endorsed by the state Business Experiential-Learning Commission to serve as the intermediary between schools, students and employers to guide stakeholders through the apprenticeship development process. Participating students complete an apprenticeship over three years which results in in-depth training skills as measured by a set of recognized credentials upon graduation. Employers see benefits from a higher return on investment than a traditional internship model since productivity increases over three years. To establish and strengthen CareerWise, the Colorado General Assembly enacted the following enabling policies: Career pathways: HB 13-1165 and HB 15-1274 required community colleges, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Higher Education, the Colorado Workforce Development Council, and the Department of Education, to design accessible career pathways in high-demand fields such as manufacturing and healthcare. Concurrent enrollment: granted high schools flexibility for students to count apprenticeship and internship programs as credit and established a tuition assistance program for students in CTE certificate programs. Guaranteed transfer: required statewide degree transfer agreements for transfer of associate degrees from one state IHE to another. Competency-based learning: revised the state’s graduation requirements, putting in place competency-based options, which hinge on students’ mastery of content rather than seat time. Incentives for experiential learning: HB 16-1289 encourage high school students to successfully complete career development course work. HB 19-216 allows participating districts to count the students enrolled in the experiential programs outlined in the district’s plan as full-time students, regardless of the actual amount of time the students may spend in the classroom further serving as an incentive for districts to participate in work based learning opportunities. Building on past success, the legislature is poised to pass HB 20-1002 which will streamline the state’s approach to prior learning credit recognizing that work based learning carries not only skills but should also count towards credit towards higher education degree attainment. CareerWise then began by working with the legislature to articulate the first tier of career pathways available to students based on industry demand: advanced manufacturing, information technology, financial services, business operations and health care. Between 2017 and 2019, the Colorado program successfully scaled from 25 participating schools and 40 employers to 50 participating schools working with over 100 employers statewide.
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Minnesota
PIPELINE
When the Minnesota Legislature established its training initiative, Private Investment, Public Education, Labor and Industry Experience (PIPELINE), its first step was to organize stakeholders into Industry Councils to put employer voices at the center of program development. The Department of Labor and Industry convened an Industry Council for priority industries and conducted three meetings between August 2013 and November 2014. This process helped the state to recognize that while industry representatives valued their role in validating competencies for identified occupations, they had limited information on how to participate in training programs that aligned with statewide workforce goals. In 2015, the state used this information to expand the PIPELINE project to offer Dual-Training Consulting to disseminate training resources for employers and employees, including information on program development, grants and a statewide network of industry PIPELINE partners.
Communicate to employers the return on investment of incumbent worker training as an evidence-based method for workforce development. Although many states maintain strong partnerships with employers, the piloting of new training programs can be costly barriers for some employers to engage in upskilling their workforces. As many employers are facing rapid changes to their workplaces, states may wish to demonstrate the potential value of partnership to engage employers more meaningfully. To quantify the value of these training opportunities, return-on-investment (ROI) studies may be useful, in addition to social marketing campaigns targeted toward employers and learners.
State Program Examples
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Maryland
Youth Apprenticeship Ambassador Program
The Maryland Youth Apprenticeship Ambassador Program was launched in December 2018 by the Maryland Department of Labor. This program highlights youth apprentices and the businesses hiring youth apprentices as Youth Apprenticeship Ambassadors to raise awareness about apprenticeship opportunities and motivate other employers and youth to participate. Ambassadors are selected by the Secretary of Labor for their commitment to the growth of youth apprenticeship and agree to support outreach activities and events within their community to raise awareness and engage stakeholders on the value of engaging youth in meaningful on the job training activities and related instruction.
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Oregon
Apprenticeship Return on Investment Calculator
Registered Apprenticeship is an important investment with costs and benefits to potential employers. Oregon recognized an opportunity to communicate the value of this training and developed an online tool to help employers estimate the potential costs and benefits of employing apprenticeships. The tool is run by The State Employment Department and was funded by a grant from the USDOL Employment and Training Administration. States may wish to look toward cost-sharing with one another by crowdsourcing their regional data into one online platform and sharing with their constituents through public media campaigns.
Help state employees gain access to the information needed to inform their career pathways. Like traditional companies, states must invest in helping their employees to build set of skills to successfully climb the career ladder. States can help build the talent of their state workforce by measuring and making available employment outcomes of state workers, including wages and credentials acquired. This level of transparency can help managers and employees understand how state employment can help them achieve their career goals and what additional training is needed to grow within the state workforce.
State Program Examples
No examples to share at this time. Please check back later.
Develop tools which help individuals gain access to labor market information (LMI), education and training programs and career advising. Many workers in the United States do not use traditional workforce centers to find employment and increasingly rely on internet tools to fulfill their job searches. While many state departments of labor host job sites, these resources often lack tools to guide users towards jobs with high-growth opportunity, or toward information about how to access training required to enter high-demand industries. To address these challenges, states can leverage relationships with employers and training providers to compile robust cross-sector data and invest in the development of user-friendly interfaces to interact with labor market information. States should also consider the critical role that career counseling and coaching can play in helping individuals navigate the labor market over their lifetimes. Several states have begun to develop more robust counseling programs to ensure that workers have the information they need to make decisions that will benefit their careers.
State Program Examples
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Texas
ADVi Virtual Advising
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) developed a virtual advising system, accessible by text message chatbot named ADVi – short for “adviser” – which uses artificial intelligence to provide on-demand support to Texans looking to attend or return to higher education. Through this platform, students or prospective students can ask questions about college 24/7 via text message, be connected to virtual support from advisors beyond what ADVi can provide, receive messages about key college access milestones and information to help with applications, planning and financial aid. The goal of the Virtual Advising Project is to help ensure more Texans have the information they need to access higher education and complete their certificates or degrees at Texas colleges and universities. This project supports THECB's goal of having 60% of adults aged 25-34 hold a postsecondary credential by 2030.
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Arkansas
Ready for Life
In January 2021, Governor Asa Hutchinson allocated $14.7M in federal Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Funds in support of Ready for Life, a partnership with the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce, Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the Division of Workforce Services, K-12, and institutions of higher education. The Ready for Life initiative is aimed at individuals who want to improve their skills or change careers and explore employment data. Through the Ready for Life online platform, users can explore careers, build a resume, view popular jobs in you’re their area, learn about local companies and take online training to learn high-demand skills. The goal is to make it easier for employees and employers to find each other, as well as offer business leaders a quick snapshot of the state of the employee pool in Arkansas as they recruit talent.
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Alabama
Dashboard for Alabamians to Visualize Income Determinations
The Office of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, launched a first-in-nation career tool that includes a benefits cliff calculator within the state workforce development career path planner. The Dashboard for Alabamians to Visualize Income Determinations (DAVID) will help individuals understand which career pathways will help them achieve self-sufficiency and overcome the potential loss of public assistance based on their income, region, occupation and family dynamics.
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Ohio
Ohio to Work
The Ohio to Work program is an innovative, multiagency effort is led by JobsOhio (Ohio’s economic development corporation), the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, and Development Services Agency. Through Ohio to Work, JobsOhio invests in and implements technological enhancements in institutions that serve jobseekers, like OhioMeansJobs Centers. These investments increase staff capacity to provide one-on-one career coaching, advising and individualized assessment for jobseekers. Ohio to Work began as a pilot in Cleveland to target those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, including Black and Latino communities. To measure the success of this program, JobsOhio is tracking the total number of people served, the number of people enrolled in job training programs and the number of people who are placed in jobs with employers. JobsOhio will use information collected by the pilot to scale these jobseekers services in communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
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New Jersey
NJ Careers
The New Jersey Office of Innovation, in partnership with Rutgers University’s John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, launched NJ Careers, a digital coaching service that provides day to day job search strategy and in-platform practice of job search techniques, while also connecting job seekers with support services including health insurance, childcare, housing assistance, transportation, food assistance, and mental health care. To promote participation, the state launched an outreach campaign in partnership with community organizations, faith-based communities, and local governments.
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Virginia
Career Works Referral Portal
Underpinning the Virginia Career Works Referral Portal is the new Workforce Data Trust. This first in its kind, cloud-based technology solution forms a secure bridge across legacy case management systems, allowing applications and analysts to relate and access data from multiple agencies in real-time. This new capacity has revealed the full scale of the workforce system’s collective impact, catalyzing a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement across previously siloed operations. Virginia is a national leader in using new affordable technologies to connect Virginians to all the workforce serves they need. This is the second of two essential tools to enable the Commonwealth in the “age of disruption” to assist Virginians employed in vulnerable jobs respond to changing work patterns.
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Multi-State
Launch My Career
The American Institutes for Research (AIR), with funding from the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, has developed Launch My Career, an interactive tool for states that individuals and institutions can use to learn about the return on investment of specific higher education degrees and programs. This tool helps individuals to understand the career opportunities in their state, as well as educational program information such as related skills, time to degree, and average first year wages for graduates.
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North Dakota
Labor Market Information Dashboard
The Job Service North Dakota features interactive dashboards that provide users with personalized labor market information that allows them to explore career prospects based on industry, geography, education and desired earnings. Through this tool users can find specific job openings that fit specified criteria or more general information on current and projected openings and earning potential within specific industries and occupations.
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North Carolina
Navigator Platform for Work-based Learning
North Carolina’s “Navigator” is a platform where employers post work-based learning opportunities that they provide for educators, counselors and job coaches to search. This tool was developed through a partnership with the Governor’s Office, Fidelity Investments and the North Carolina Business Committee for Education. The Navigator provides a central location for work-based learning information to help make students and workers of all ages aware of training opportunities and the types of skills that are in high-demand from local employers. States can provide digital spaces where employers and training providers can add up-to-date opportunities and where workers and students can easily search for opportunities that match their specific needs and interests.
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Arkansas
BeProBeProud Mobile Workforce Workshop
With nearly a quarter of the current skilled professionals are at or near retirement age in Arkansas, the BeProBeProud initiative was launched in 2016 by the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce, the Arkansas Trucking Association and the Association of General Contractors to promote career opportunities in the skilled trades. The initiative now operates a Mobile Workforce Workshop from a 53-foot double trailer featuring simulated experiences from twelve occupations in high demand across Arkansas. Governor Hutchinson has noted that since the project began touring schools, technical centers, and employers to share information about industry training opportunities, the state’s high school graduation rate has increased. The initiative was started with philanthropic funds and now operates with support from private industry and from several state agencies. States could consider scaling this type of mobile program to help students in rural communities gain access to learning opportunities, in addition to sharing valuable labor market information about trade careers.
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Indiana
Markle Foundation’s Skillful Coaching Corps
In 2019, Markle launched the Skillful Coaching Corps program in Indiana, an 8-month training program which offers career coaching training to career counselors serving students, dislocated workers, veterans, and first-time job-seekers. Skillful is also working with Indiana employers to help them think beyond degrees and credentials to express and advertise for the skills and competencies they really want and need from potential employees. The Skillful Network invites states to invest in and create the infrastructure to provide targeted professional development for trusted leaders in their communities to gain the knowledge and skills that they need to provide their clients with high-quality, up-to-date labor and training information, including how technology may influence opportunities for growth over time. States interested in this model could facilitate similar training through community colleges, workforce centers or school districts.
