Questions and Answers from the TCAEI Summit

Transcription

1 Questions and Answers from the TCAEI Summit You mention the importance of all collaborative partners using the same career path. Will Partners have access to completed pathway tools for their shared customers? A complete toolkit of information about career pathways will be available on the portal, as well as face to face training of frontline staff on how to use the tools. Will only one agency be responsible for completing the portal tools? All Alliance members will be eligible to use these tools with their customers after they have been trained by Workforce Board staff. As a provider of adult services, what methods are being developed for cross referral? This will be addressed within the workgroups and will then be published for review by all Alliance members. Will there be a tab in the portal where information about transportation operation to Alliance be listed? Yes, more than likely it will be under the Resource tab. What partnership will the Alliance have with the public transportation committee in Arlington that address customers access to the job openings? This will be addressed within the transportation workgroup. I do not hear Job Corps being mentioned as a viable partner for youth and adults ages Yet I hear a lot of the language you use such has Career Pathway, Work Based learning. This is what Job Corp has been doing for at least 10 years. Has anyone looked at the Job Corps model? Although Board staff are familiar with Job Corps, we would welcome those familiar with this model to volunteer in our disengaged youth workgroup to assure this model is shared and discussed, and, if possible, included for other users of the portal. How will that Alliance engage FWISD and the other ISD s to prepare students for career pathways? Board members and Board staff see our local school districts as extremely valuable partners in this alliance and will welcome their participation on any of the workgroups. How is Workforce Solutions connecting with Economic Development (ED) organizations in cites to identify the skill gaps that are present in the industries located in the city? Workforce Solutions is a member of the West Tarrant Alliance, which is an economic development alliance formed by the Tarrant County Economic Development office. It 1

2 currently has 14 organizations that meet bi monthly to discuss issues, common challenges and coordination of efforts for the west Tarrant County area. Workforce Solutions is also a member of the newly formed Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy consortium that will identify economic needs throughout a 16 county region. Workforce Solutions is also heavily involved with the Fort Worth, Arlington and Mansfield EDC s and is often invited to new, relocating and expanding company site visits. In July 2015 Workforce Solutions sponsored an economic development summit to discuss needs, challenges and skill gaps with smaller Tarrant County EDC s and Chambers. We presented an overview of our services and discussed the possibility of securing competitive High Skill/High Wage job grants from the Texas Workforce Commission. All of these efforts are designed to align the workforce system, education and businesses within the county to strategically address the skill shortages within our demand industries. How do organizations become a part of the Workforce Delivery System Committee? As Mike Doyle explained, all board and committee meetings are open to the public. Any board member can volunteer for membership on this board. Does the portal work with screen reader for people with visual impairments? We will be working with our consultant to assure that the portal is accessible for those with visual impairments. What credentials are needed that aren t currently being provided by community colleges? Workforce Solutions is currently identifying, and validating career pathways through business led, industry focused groups. Currently, industry credentials such as OSHA, MSSC and CPR are offered through most of the entry level manufacturing, welding and healthcare training. However, we know there is a disconnect of credentialing for higher level skills necessary for career enhancement. As our focus groups progress, which includes our educators, we hope to identify these higher level skills and credentials When will the portal be available to access? We will begin beta testing in February. Has the TCAEI been tested for accessibility for assistive software? Example: Screen reader software for the blind? Or with a program like Dragon for someone who can t physically type? We will work with our consultant to assure accessibility. There is a lot of talk about youth, but many of our over 50 year olds have a real struggle to obtain employment. Should there be some special group to work with the older adults? Issues that older workers face will be addressed in every workgroup, since these customers can be found in almost all of the targeted groups. 2

3 Will pathways be determined based on national DOL information or Local labor market life? Although our Local Workforce Board uses data available at the national level, most labor market information will be based on our local labor market. How will the targeted populations access services if they do not access the organizations involved? It will be the goal of the TCAEI to have a no wrong door strategy, allowing for the broadest access points for customers throughout Tarrant County. What is the outreach plan/strategy? Each of the workgroups will be asked to develop an outreach strategy for their targeted group. Who is the chair or contact person to talk to regarding Tarrant County Employers who hire/interview well trained honorably discharged veterans in CNC machining, Logistics, and welding? Sal Adamski, Workforce Improvement Director and Amber Gosser, Business Services Unit Director for Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, and Jennifer Hawkins, Director of Corporate Services for Tarrant County College would be the appropriate contact points. When you speak about youth, what ages are you referring to? Out of school youth must be aged In school youth must be age Federal Regulations make it clear that at least 75% of youth funding must be used to serve out ofschool youth, and up to 25% may be used to serve in school youth. Could our local school district join the Alliance and have access to the information for the students we serve through our college and career readiness programs? Although the student could not access the system. The staff who work with the student could have access, as long as they are members of the Alliance and have been through training that will be provided by Board staff. How is industry /business being engaged in the Alliance corridor? Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, along with our educational partners at Tarrant County College, and the University of Texas at Arlington have been extremely successful in building business led, industry consortiums. It s through these consortiums that we have developed alliances to identify skill gaps and career pathways. It will be through these partnerships, and others in the construction, healthcare, hospitality and finance sectors that we will be able to identify the needed credentials and certifications to build business led training curriculum, and to foster the future workforce. 3

4 Will the portal be live post or will the post be approved by a board staff? All posts on events and announcements will need to be submitted to board staff; but posts on the collaborative section will be live and will not need to be approved by board staff. Is there an education map indicating school options to achieve specific careers? Yes, this will be one of the selections under the training tabs. Will we be able to access the portal with our existing user addresses? Each user will have a unique user name and password. What is /could be available to those who may want explore entrepreneurship? This is an excellent idea and will be added to the workgroups for discussion. Can you send the slides because they were too small to read? The slides will be posted on our website. Can you send out a list of attendees, the company s or agency with resources and referrals? The list of TCAEI members will be placed on the portal. Noted: TCC already organized all of our non credit programs by those 16 career clusters and about to do the same for all the credit programs. 4

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