FYI

>From: "Julian L. Alssid" <jalssid at workforcestrategy.org>

>To: "djgbrian at cls.coe.utk.edu" <djgbrian at cls.coe.utk.edu>

>Subject: Workforce Strategy Center Update, Spring 2005 (Plain Text Version)

>Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:45:18 -0600

>X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by cls.coe.utk.edu id 

>j2TLjKg03479

>

>Workforce Strategy Center is a national nonprofit that shapes policy and

>institutional change to create a market-driven workforce system.

>

>Welcome to the WSC Update, a summary of WSC projects, policy opinions

>and reports, as well as an update on organizational changes.

>

>Spring 2005

>

>New Economic Modeling Tool

>

>Workforce Strategy Center is pleased to announce our partnership with

>Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. (EMSI). We are exploring new ways to

>use hard data to sharpen workforce development programs and measure

>returns on investment. Together, we have generated a new automated tool,

>StrategicAdvantage, which offers exciting analytical options, including:

>

>Industry and occupation projections for customized regions Detailed

>input/output measures of regional impacts from business expansions or

>closures A compatibility index that measures skill and competency

>compatibilities of worker populations StrategicAdvantage's data

>outperforms typical government labor market data by drawing from more

>than 25 government sources. Information is available at

>www.workforcestrategy.org/5_1a.html.

>

>

>Hot Off the Press

>

>As part of our ongoing work with the Joyce Foundation, WSC has issued

>two new papers on career pathways and bridge programs, each providing

>"food for thought" for practitioners and policymakers. The papers are

>posted at www.workforcestrategy.org/4_5a.html.

>

>The Bridge Program Planning Guide is a guide to successful strategy for

>building a bridge between remedial and academic coursework. The guide

>can be seen at

>www.workforcestrategy.org/publications/WSC_BridgePlan.pdf.

>

>Using Resources Effectively: An Overview of Funding Resources for

>Workforce Development Initiative is a catalog of funding options for

>multi-partner workforce development initiatives. This document is

>available at

>www.workforcestrategy.org/publications/WSC_UsingResources.pdf.

>

>In addition to the Joyce publications, we partnered with the Center for

>an Urban Future to publish CUNY on the Job: The City's New Workforce

>Workhorse (www.workforcestrategy.org/publications/CUNY_on_the_Job.pdf),

>which takes an in-depth look at the importance of the City University of

>New York to the city's workforce development. In March 2005 we released

>Building Community College/Community Based Organizations Partnerships, a

>report to the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

>(www.workforcestrategy.org/publications/WSC_Report_9_15.pdf) that

>highlights best practices for linking community college educational

>resources and workforce development programs with the accessibility and

>support services that CBOs can offer.

>

>Many of the items described in this update have been featured IN THE

>NEWS (www.workforcestrategy.org/2_3_inthenews.html).

>

>

>WSC Program Update

>

>WSC has been busy since the last Update, including presenting at

>conferences sponsored by groups such as the National Association of

>Workforce Boards, the Association of Community College Trustees and the

>U.S. Department of Labor. We are particularly excited about WSC projects

>in the biotechnology sector (see two examples below) and in cross-site

>learning, which have been among our most active and innovative recent

>work.

>

>Biotechnology Sector Strategies

>

>New York City has a small biotechnology industrial presence that it

>would like to see grow. WSC and partners are creating a comprehensive

>training pathway that supplies workers to existing biotechnology

>companies, medical labs and clinical labs while also attracting economic

>development funding to support the sector's growth. A collaboration of

>WSC, the State University of New York Downstate Medical School, the New

>York Biotechnology Association and others is currently pursuing further

>funding from the New York City Department of Small Business Services and

>the Workforce Investment Fund (www.workforcestrategy.org/4_1c.html).

>

>In St. Louis (www.workforcestrategy.org/4_2b.html), with support from

>the State of Missouri and The Annie E. Casey Foundation, we have been

>advising the growth of a life sciences pathway collaboration. The city

>has a burgeoning life sciences sector, but no overarching workforce

>partnership for the industry. WSC started with key partners to build an

>overall strategy, then brought in city and state funding to develop an

>employer-engagement plan. Now, the lead partner, Metropolitan Employment

>and Training Center (MET Center), is working to support disadvantaged

>jobseekers as they progress in biology technician and facilities

>maintenance careers.

>

>Cross Site Learning

>

>To provide models for state-level workforce development policy, WSC has

>teamed with key advocates and workforce and community college leaders to

>advise prototype initiatives in Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. In

>November 2004, WSC and the project's funder, the Joyce Foundation,

>hosted a cross-site Midwestern conference, where presenters shared

>experiences building career pathways, rewriting statewide workforce

>development policy, finding sustainable funding and disseminating their

>lessons.

>

>

>WSC is Growing

>

>In 2004, not only did we welcome new projects and partners, we also

>welcomed a new staff member, Tracey Meek

>(www.workforcestrategy.org/2_2h.html), who joins us as our newest

>Associate. Also, Senior Associate Melissa Goldberg has assumed the

>duties of Director of Operations.

>

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