Demand Driven Talent & Workforce Development Approach

May 14, 2009 - PHASE 1:   As Utah strives to maintain its competitive edge and foster economic prosperity, there is no greater value worth pursuing than a qualified and skilled workforce that meets employer demands. DWS is undertaking a comprehensive assessment of our primary roles, responsibilities, and priorities within the context of demand driven talent and workforce development. This page will keep stakeholders updated and informed as we go forward together in this important endeavor.

• Demand-Drive White Paper

October 26, 2009 - PHASE 2:  Phase 1 of the Demand Driven Approach initiative is complete; stakeholder input was gathered and analyzed, workgroups have developed specific objectives and operational changes, budget and staffing needs have been identified. Phase 2 is now well underway. The five workgroups have provided detailed recommendations to the DWS executive management team. Stakeholder feedback on the recommendations is an important part of this phase and is being requested now through November 12, 2009. A summary and full report from each workgroup is listed below for your review and comments. Please note that the DWS executive management team has approved recommendations from the Formula Funding workgroup and the Service Area and Management Structure workgroup; however, your comments are appreciated.

Menu of Services Team (MOST)

The MOST team reviewed 61 programs and services, dividing these into Job Preparation Services (supply) and Employer Support Services (demand). MOST determined that 23 of the services should be state-only, and the remaining 38 should be state or locally defined but locally operated. Full report

Over-arching recommendations include the following:

• Decide the guidelines and program design for fixed and flexible funding for the following high-impact programs: WIA, Wagner-Peyser, TANF, Child Care and Unemployment Insurance.
• Charter a team, using the service clusters as a starting point and including ESD staff, to create a service delivery design that reflects what must be common in the one-stops while otherwise allowing maximum flexibility for local areas. With the service delivery processes and functions determined, move forward with the demand-driven organizational design such that its form fits the service delivery functions.

Comment box

Please provide us with comments on Menu of Services Team and start by telling us who you are (employer, educators, industry group, council member, DWS employee, general public, community advocate, etc).

Outcomes for Services

The Outcomes for Services Workgroup recommendations capture not only the mandatory outcomes DWS measures and reports to our federal partners; they are meaningful to the customer, to us in our daily work, and to a demand driven approach. Full report

The outcomes are organized into ten areas:

• Obtained employment
• Decrease length of time from first service to employment
• Employment retention
• Earnings
• Percent of new hires receiving DWS services achieving locally self-sufficiency wage (by county or service delivery area)
• Education completion rate
• Apprenticeships and on-the-job trainings in demand occupations
• Reduce UI customer duration rate
• Percent of UWORKS job orders and percent of UWORKS job seekers
• Customer satisfaction

Comment box

Please provide us with comments on Outcomes of Services and start by telling us who you are (employer, industry group, council member, DWS employee, general public, community advocate, etc). 

Employer Workforce Demands

The Employer Workforce Demands Workgroup developed ideas to identify employer needs, and strategies and processes to meet those needs.
There must be a mechanism to collect employer data that can accurately reflect existing openings that employers are having difficulty filling, as well as future workforce demands. Full report

Processes Designed:

• What skill set is needed by employers? How do we assess worker skills?
• Generic training needs assessment
• Generic business assessment
• Governance structure recommendations with background materials including implementation training
• Industry segmentation with role and process distinctions
• Recommendation on local information specialist role and structure
• Recommendation on steering training program selections to targeted occupations

Job Profiling, Assessments, Identifying Skill Gaps

• An important part of the transformation is to focus on the needs of employers by working with them to identify the skill sets needed in their business, to assess the skill gaps of current employees and develop education and training strategies to fill those gaps and to modify change the educational curriculum that produces job seekers who lack needed skills.
• Some states use WorkKeys to screen customers for training services. They use the WIN initial assessments, using Wagner Peyser funding. Those lacking the skills necessary for the demand occupations identified are moved into Workforce Investment Act funded literacy and job training services as needed.

Basic Training Needs Assessment Process

• Direct observation
• Questionnaires
• Consultation with persons in key positions, and/or with specific knowledge
• Review of relevant literature
• Interviews
• Focus groups
• Tests
• Records & report studies

Comment box

Please provide us with comments on Employer Workforce Demands and start by telling us who you are (employer, industry group, council member, DWS employee, general public, community advocate, etc). 

Formula Funding

The Formula Funding Workgroup considered key elements of DWS funding including the current funding structure, RMTS for staff time allocation and reporting, federal and state funding requirements, and leveraging funding with other agencies and organizations. Allocation models were drafted around various scenarios. This information was used to create two funding structures that support a demand driven approach. Full report 

• Base budget allocation: Cases are assigned a "weight" based on the amount of time it takes to process/maintain them. Weightings have been validated through the current RMTS.
• Demand Driven allocation: Two models are recommended; allocation by competitive bids submitted to a selection committee, or a formula allocation based on labor market information, unemployment rates, number of employers, and other factors.

Service Area Configuration and Management Structure

Nine Economic Service Areas (ESAs) will replace the current regional structure. An analysis of labor market areas (defined by work location and commuter patterns), connections to educational institutions and industry cluster concentrations resulted in nine ESAs: Bear River, Wasatch Front North, Uintah Basin, Castle County, Southeast, Mountainland, Central, and Southwest.

Six associate directors will manage the nine service areas; in some instances, one Associate Director will oversee more than one ESA. Three current regional directors will fill three of the associate director positions. Recruitment for the remaining associate directors is planned for early 2010. Associate directors will be responsible to achieve the demand-driven goals of the service area through development/relationship building, organizing industry partnerships, achieving outcomes, strategic planning, operations and financial management. Each associate director will have the flexibility within established parameters, to determine the final ESA organization and management structure. Program specialists, training staff, and related personnel will organize at the division level, and provide support to the service areas. Business community liaisons will be assigned at the service area level and will become local industry experts. Full report

* required fields

[FrontPage vinavbar Component]