Berkshire County Regional Employment Board, Inc. (BCREB) Building Tomorrow s Workforce Berkshire Regional Planning Meeting September 27 th, 2018

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1 Berkshire County Regional Employment Board, Inc. (BCREB) Building Tomorrow s Workforce Berkshire Regional Planning Meeting September 27 th, 2018

2 Part of a State & Federal System to oversee workforce resources Develop workforce strategies for the Berkshires & monitor programs that help people access services and connect companies to workers Established in 1983, the BCREB is a High Performing Workforce Board and a 501C3. 30 member volunteer board (55% private sector); 2.5 staff; $3M budget (50% federal; 25% state; 25% grants) Berkshire Workforce System

3 High Performing Board Primary resource for labor market information Know critical & emerging industry sectors Design new training & employment programs Adhere to funding mandates Develop Strategic Partnerships Strategic Partners: Berkshire Chambers of Commerce 1Berkshire Berkshire Compact Berkshire Taconic Foundation Berkshire Planning Berkshire United Way Business Resource -Labor Market Data, Regulatory Issues & Job Creation Help Employers Thrive Help Youth Succeed (ages 14-21) Connect People with Jobs & Basic Skills Internships & Work-Based Learning College and Career Ready Career Awareness & Exploration Teacher Externships Summer Employment Specialized programs for at-risk youth Service/Training Providers: BerkshireWorks Berkshire Community College McCann Technical Adult Learning Center MCLA ABE/ESOL BCC ABE/ESOL Identify Gaps Between Employer Needs & the Supply of Workers Training Grants for Companies Incentive Programs for Employers Rapid response for Companies in Transition (downsizing/closing) Sector training programs Bridge the skills gap Evaluates BerkshireWorks Career Center Adult Basic Education & Literacy Pathways to family economic self-sufficiency Specialized programs for Veterans, Persons with Disabilities, Older Workers, etc.

4 Commonwealth of Massachusetts Regional Workforce Skills To Align economic, workforce and education systems to coordinate systems based on skill needs in regions.

5 Regional Planning Overview The Path to Regional Labor Market Blueprints: Core Regional Working Groups 1. Define regions and form regional working teams 3. Form consensus on priority regional sectors and occupations 5. WSC input, further adjustment and refinement of strategies and action steps as needed Approved and now in implementation phase Regional Labor Market Blueprints January Interpret data, identify regional challenges and opportunities 4. Define strategies and action steps to address priority regional sectors and occupations 30-Day public comment period (March 2, 2018) Stakeholder Engagement 5

6 Defined the Regional Team 5 Econ Dev; 6 Educators; 5 Workforce/Business 6

7 Interpreted data

8 Hosted focus groups & solicited input from community Regional Challenges and Opportunities Top challenges facing the region s business and industry: Finding skilled talent (essential skills and motivation) and filling openings (skills gap) Retaining talent (aging workforce/transfer of knowledge; population loss) Rising cost of doing business, limited broadband Top challenges facing the region s workforce supply College completion and Educational attainment (lower than rest of state resulting in talent shortages) Perceived lack of available jobs Multiple barriers to employment (limited transportation, drug testing, wage disparity and limited skills) Opportunities Variety of sectors and wide range of job opportunities (engineering, nursing, management, etc.) Strong partnerships with educational institutions that are responsive & have established sector training programs & career pathways (healthcare, manufacturing, & creative economy) Quality of life, entrepreneurial spirit & opportunity for work/life balance Degree completion and existing workforce training services Employability readiness skills to adapt to changing business conditions requiring realignment of workforce programs 8

9 Formed consensus on Industries & Occupations Priority Industries and Occupations 9

10 Where do we want to go? Industries and Occupations Critical but not Prioritized Industry Education is the region s 3 rd largest industry sector and potential for growth Creative Economy intersection of arts, culture, innovation and commerce. Important economic engine to cultivate the entrepreneurialism in region and encompassing 6,000 employees Business & Finance region s 4 th largest sector and potential for growth. Lots of career ladder potential. Occupation/Occupational Group Engineering over 125 job opportunities, attract millennials, growth potential Teachers, pre-school, teacher assistants, special education, & residential teachers over 55 job opportunities, 45% at retirement age Managers and assistant managers (across many industries) Phlebotomy, Surgical tech and healthcare technicians over 45 job opportunities, 43% at retirement age Cyber security/technology growing need 10

11 Common Industries Healthcare/ Soc Serv Hospitality Adv Manufacturing Healthcare/ Soc Serv Education Adv Manufacturing Healthcare/ Soc Serv Manufacturing Professional and Technical Services Healthcare/ Soc Serv Healthcare Professional and Technical Services (IT) / Soc Serv Education Manufacturing Healthcare/ Soc Serv Finance Professional and Technical Services Healthcare/ Soc Serv Education Hospitality 11

12 Joint Goals and Strategies Foundational Focus Goals Strategies 1. Conduct asset inventory to workforce, economic and education initiatives to identify partners, gaps, and duplications and align stakeholders (2018) 2. Identify baseline metrics and realistic timeline to measure success Use findings to strengthen partnerships (2018). Regular meetings to coordinate efforts, implement strategies, & share data. Establish baseline metrics. Develop, coordinate, and integrate common industry demand assessment tool to track changes in industry needs and connect to job seekers (2018) Establish a single point of contact for initiatives Foundational All Industries 3. To increase engagement of Berkshire employers with area K-12 schools, colleges, and graduates by 5% each year (2018) 4. To attract & retain the number of those ages in the Berkshire Workforce (2020) 5. To increase the labor force participation rate and employment share in priority industries (2018, 2020, 2022) 6. Increase services to atypical career center customers, including accompanying partners and those with experience by 10% (2022) Expand College and Career Readiness programming into middle schools (2018) Pilot Berkshire Business Internship program (college) (2018) Engage colleges/training/pathways to align curriculum & create pathways and STEM opportunities Expand on-campus visits by employers to local schools/colleges Pilot Berkshire Recruiter initiative to connect atypical (experienced, educated, millennial, relocating, etc.) career center customers to employment, training, job club and career center services (2018) Support 1Berkshire initiatives in attracting/retaining millennials (2020) Establish task force to make improvements for employee retention (2019) 12

13 III. Joint Goals and Strategies Industry/Occupation Focus Goals Strategies 7. To improve inter-city and intra-regional public transportation system (2022) Intentionally explore and access public transportation system to meet needs of employers (2018) Proactive with high speed rail (2020) Explore cross border synergy (2020) Industry and Occupation- Specific 8. Develop set of career pathways for 3 priority sectors (2018) 9. Increased number of trained/certified workers for prioritized occupations by 10% (2022) 10. Reduce supply gap ratio of priority occupations by 10% (2022) Strengthen and coordinate existing sector partnership activities (2018) Launch and utilize Berkshire Innovation Center (2020) Continue to collect and analyze employer needs and communicate with partners (2018) (Foundation from BCREB, BIC, CEDS, Compact, etc.) Coordinate education and training providers to address gaps, leverage resources, and establish 1 well defined cross-sector pathway (2020) Look for opportunities to connect career pathways between hospitality and healthcare for careers in food service/preparation, facility services and housekeeping.(2019) Increase marketing for career pathways to inform potential entrants about opportunities (2018) Create a CNA day program (2019) Establish top-notch hospitality sector training program that makes Berkshires knows for service and high-quality experiences (customer service certification, hospitality boot camp, etc. (2020) 13

14 III. Joint Goals and Strategies Industry/Occupation Criteria, Industries, and Occupations Focus Goals Strategies Industry and Occupation- Specific 11. Become more intentionally connected to the Massachusetts and Tri-State innovation economy (2020) 12. Decrease the average age of those working in the manufacturing sector 13. Decrease the number of job openings unfilled for longer than 6 months (2022) 14. Stabilize and position to grow total number of jobs in the county (2022) Create cross boarder task force (2019) Increase number of internships, on-the-job training, and apprenticeship opportunities in priority industries and occupations (2020) Leverage resources to address training gaps (2020) Implement Berkshire Initiative for Growth recommendations (2019) Regular meetings with vo-tech providers to guide programming and connect with key partners in industry Reframe the conversation around working in the manufacturing sector engage parents & guidance Cultivate an environment that attracts and retains employees by being responsive to business needs Increase short term certificate programs with partners that address non-credit and stackable credentials (Healthcare, Hospitality) (2020) Create user friendly job webpage that connects initiatives. (2019) 14

15 Final Comments Observations, Remarks, Outstanding Issues or Concerns 30-day public comment period to solicit input from community stakeholders (completed March 2, 2018). Found at BCREB.com. Regional plan was approved June $30K to help implement strategies Regional Team will continue to convene and identify the best organizations to move each of the strategies forward. Identify ways to integrate other initiatives to maximize opportunities and reduce duplication. There will be a semi annual update provided to key stakeholders. There will be an annual report of progress provided to the community. 15

16 We re all about Jobs & Building tomorrow s workforce Final Thoughts.. The Berkshires are committed to creating a better tomorrow for our community. Contact Info We have jobs and viable careers and need to creatively market these opportunities to a more diverse workforce and by articulating solid career pathway opportunities for success. MassHire Launch/Ribbon Cutting invitation: October 10 th at 10AM at 160 North Street, 3 rd Floor Pittsfield Rebranding BerkshireWorks Career Center and Berkshire County Regional Employment Board, Inc. Berkshire County Regional Employment Board, Inc. Heather Boulger, Executive Director x150 heather@bcreb.com