Transforming the system

1
Transforming the system

• Why now?

2
Transform and integrate

• The BSP Approach is a significant departure from
  traditional workforce, economic and education
  development efforts
• The primary focus is on meeting business needs,
  rather than placing job-seekers in jobs or simply
  providing business with financial assistance,
  enhancements or customized training

3
Integrate and partner

• Traditionally, workforce and economic development
  and education operated in isolation from each
  other
• With the BSP approach, the three domains work
  TOGETHER, creating synergies and magnifying the
  total efforts and outcomes

4
Historically

• Workforce development, economic development, and
  education have been separate and disconnected
• Econ Dev traditionally focused on creating jobs
  and economic activity
• Work Dev traditionally focused on placing
  job-seekers in jobs
• Education had a dual function, though not always
  integrated
• Also, separate funding streams and inconsistent
  geographical boundaries made working together
  unlikely
• (Harper-Anderson, 2008)

5
That approach is no longer enough

• Globalization
• High unemployment
• Decline of high-pay, low-skill jobs
• Increase in knowledge-intensive jobs
• Manufacturing base is changing
• Michigan is developing new industries
• Other factors to be identified by group

6
Separate systems sub-optimize outcomes

• A focus only on job-seekers or worker needs
  overlooks business needs (and often loses the
  interest of the business)
• Economic developments traditional focus
  overlooks workforce availability and capability
  -- and the resources to meet staffing needs
  another business need

7
An integrated system optimizes the outcomes

• Integrating the three domains provides a more
  comprehensive service to the business and
  increases the value-adding capabilities of
  workforce and economic development and education

8
Why transition is difficult

• Almost 40 years experience applying a social
  services approach and a if we fund it, they
  (i.e. qualified, well-trained workers) will
  come approach
• Performance standards that still focus on placing
  job-seekers in jobs
• Years of strict workforce development eligibility
  requirements that limited programs usefulness to
  economic developers

9
Why transition is difficult -- 2

• Many years of JTPA, as a second chance agency
  for workers in need of assistance
• Strong identification with and empathy for the
  needs of workforce developments traditional
  clientele
• The needs and numbers of the traditional
  clientele i.e., job seekers continue to grow
  in Michigan and are hard to place in a lower
  priority

10
Why transition is difficult -- 3

• Economic developers have a business background
  and view themselves as dealmakers
• Seeing workforce development as value added is
  a new concept
• Workforce staff typically trained in the helping
  professions

11
Why transition is difficult -- 4

• Perception that workforce development not likely
  to add value to economic development efforts
• Education often not considered a partner in
  workforce and economic development efforts
• Education often not as agile in addressing
  customer needs

12
Factors (systems issues) to be overcome include

• Organizational structures and practices
  unchanged from previous legislative eras
• The BSP approach is counter-intuitive to ones
  understanding of serving job-seekers and workers
• Economic development not used to working with
  Workforce Development or Education partners
• Employers still look at workforce development as
  serving welfare recipients

13
What we are moving to

• Primary focus on the needs of the business
  DEMAND, not supply, DRIVEN
• Workforce and economic development and education
  working together
• Managing and generating assets most effectively
• Job retention as well as creation
• Serving job-seekers by meeting business needs

14
Business Solutions Professional Certification

• The Business Solutions Professional Certification
  Training, a component of the 21st Century
  Workforce Initiative, is funded by the Michigan
  Department of Energy, Labor Economic Growth
• The training is provided in partnership between
  School of Labor Industrial Relations at MSU and
  South Central Michigan Works

15
BSP Certification Training Goal

• Prepare workforce development, economic
  development, and education professionals to
  assist local businesses to operate competitively
  in the global market and to attract new companies
  to Michigan.

16
Certified Business Solutions Professional
-CBSP

• The designation means the individual
• Recognizes the business as the customer.
• Brings available assets to the business
• Works in partnership with other local resource
  providers
• Engages company stakeholders in identification of
  problems and design of solutions
• Follows the BSP process to guide their work
• Networks with many people to have a pulse of
  their area

17
The Training

• First class January 2007
• Second class August 2007
• Third class January 2008
• Fourth class August 2008
• Fifth class August 2008
• Sixth class January 2009
• Seventh class February 2009
• Eighth class August 2009
• Through July 2011

18
The Participants

• A community of 250 people across the state
• Professionals in workforce, economic, and
  educational development
• Administrators, managers, practitioners
• Contractors and staff
• Union representatives and agency board members
• Individuals, teams, and groups

19

• Quarterly Sessions
• Periodic sessions
• Updates
• Best practices
• Professional development
• Networking
• Leader Sessions
• People who need to understand the BSP approach
  but are not practitioner -Agency directors,
  Agency board members, Community and business
  leaders, Union representatives and leaders,
  Policy makers, Supervisors of BSP

20
Development Evaluation

• Development a collaborative effort between SCMW
  and MSU SLIR
• Third party evaluation of curriculum
• Impact evaluation planned