HAMPTON ROADS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD OPPORTUNITY INC.

Transcription

1 HAMPTON ROADS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD OPPORTUNITY INC. For more information: Call (757) Fax (757) Mail Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce 420 Bank Street, P.O. Box 327 Norfolk, VA ASTRATEGY FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN HAMPTON ROADS

2 Table of Contents Introduction... 1 Workforce Development and Economic Development... 2 Chief Local Elected Officials Of South And Western Hampton Roads Our Mission and Vision... 3 Opportunity Inc... 4 The Strategic Planning Process... 6 The Plan... 7 Outline of the Plan... 8 Section One A Strategic Plan for Opportunity Inc... 9 Hampton Roads Workforce Development Board A Systems Approach Identify Employers Needs Communicate Needs to Educators/Trainers and Workers...12 Provide for Feedback and Continuous Improvement Opportunity Inc. Hampton Roads Workforce Development System The Regional Advantage...15 Section Two A Community Agenda for Workforce Development...16 The Role and Commitment of Our Strategic Partners A Shared Future An Epilogue... 22

3 Intoduction Regional prosperity that is sustainable over time is the fundamental goal and common enterprise of the Hampton Roads region. Successful workforce development is part of that community building enterprise. The Hampton Roads Workforce Development Initiative, known as Opportunity Inc., is committed to developing and implementing a systematic approach to workforce development that not only strengthens our regional workforce, but also increases per capita income, promotes greater corporate competitiveness and endeavors to improve regional prosperity. In order to increase individual earning potential, it is necessary to assist the existing workforce and special needs populations in acquiring skill sets that meet the demands of the ever-changing market place. Through this assistance, we not only create a more competent labor pool, we equip individuals with the qualifications that enable them to command compensation that meets their income aspirations. In accordance, a well trained workforce promotes increased corporate competitiveness. The success of business ventures depends upon the skills and capabilities of their employees. It is exceptional job performance that adds directly to the bottom line of business in today's economy. Workforce quality is critical to businesses committing their financial resources and long-term presence to the Hampton Roads region. Job quality is equally important to individuals committing their talent and individual resources to Hampton Roads. Therefore, by strategically developing our workforce we can increase regional prosperity. Through this process we can positively affect the greater regional picture. That means, creating the potential for increased individual earnings and greater economic development. I am pleased to be a part of this systematic planning process and look forward to the successes that will follow. Sincerely, President and CEO, Opportunity Inc.

4 Workforce Development and Economic Development A successful workforce development strategy is fundamental to a successful economic development strategy. Business profitability and competitiveness depend on the capability and productivity of the workforce. A well-paid and secure workforce depends on business profitability and competitiveness. One is not possible without the other. To return to the place where we began our hope for Hampton Roads, the individuals who live here, and the companies that reside here, is prosperity. We have defined prosperity by developing measures of increased individual wealth and increased corporate productivity. However, we also recognize that statistical and/or numeric measures never tell the whole story. Our success in developing the human resource, each of us, provides untold benefit. Learning, training, education for want of the right word, gives us choice, personal freedom, self-confidence, greater insight. Lest we only hope for success, let s commit to realizing this shared vision. We begin with the desire to develop our regional economy and recognize that to be successful in such an effort, we must be able to offer a competitive advantage to businesses seeking to locate in Hampton Roads. In this New Economy, the workforce, more than any geographic location, will be the determining factor in attracting business and industry. Therefore, this workforce development plan is meant to support our region s economic development strategy. In June 1999, the Hampton Roads Partnership completed its Strategic Plan. The Partnership, comprised of the region s top business, education, local government, and military leaders has focused its energy on key initiatives designed to improve the region s competitive position in the global economy and the everyday lives of some 1.5 million people who call Hampton Roads home. Since the plan was completed, it has become increasingly evident that Workforce Development is one of the most important initiatives to be undertaken by our region. We believe that the human resource will be our most strategic economic asset as we begin the 21st century. A key component of our economic development strategy is the desire to increase per capita income in Hampton Roads by attracting businesses that are experiencing job growth within their specific industry sector and that pay above-average wages. This plan will support this effort by working to guarantee that our workforce is prepared to meet the needs of the businesses that have made a commitment to our region, as well as those that we are working to bring to Hampton Roads. We recognize that for our workforce development efforts to be successful, they must be employer-driven i.e., responsive to the present and future needs of business for skilled workers. Additionally, we must develop an approach to workforce development that is cohesive and systematic, and that provides our region, our employers, and our workers with a competitive advantage in the marketplace. This plan seeks to make that outcome a reality. 2

5 A Shared Future - An Epilogue Our Mission and Vision During the course of the five years of work proposed here, we will seek to evaluate our success. This plan recognizes that significant and fundamental change will only take place when we are able to align our collective resources to mount an offensive one targeted at improving the workforce of Hampton Roads. In addition to the outcome measures developed by Opportunity Inc. and by our Strategic Partners, there are regional indicators that we will evaluate to provide feedback on the status of our workforce. Our Mission Opportunity Inc. is committed to the development and implementation of a system that will better equip the existing and emerging workforce in Hampton Roads. This system will provide the means for labor market analysis in the form of programs designed to identify employer s needs and employee s capabilities. The results will be communicated back to the education and training providers to be used as criteria when developing and restructuring programming, which affects the region s labor force. This system will also incorporate appropriate means to measure program performance levels. These measures will include: Per Capita Income Private Sector Earnings Per Job Worker Productivity Our Vision To achieve prosperity, which is sustainable over time, for the Hampton Roads region through the development and implementation of a system that results in a model workforce, which is productive, able to meet the demands of the labor marketplace and self-renewing. Gross Regional Product Net New Jobs Poverty Rates 22 3

6 Opportunity Inc. Opportunity Inc. is a regional workforce development initiative designed to address one of our region s, and our nation s, most pressing issues the development of the human resource. It comes at a time when we find ourselves not facing a new future, but well into that future. It is a future whose hallmark is an economy driven by the power of knowledge. The Initiative, and the Board that directs it, is comprised of representatives of the region s key stakeholders in workforce development. Opportunity Inc. is a partnership between the elected leadership of the eight jurisdictions of South and Western Hampton Roads: Chesapeake, Franklin, Isle of Wight County, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Southampton County, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach. The members of the Board, appointed by the elected leadership and confirmed by the Governor, have been tasked with providing the leadership necessary to deliver a sound workforce development strategy for our region that utilizes a systems approach in its implementation strategy. They are also responsible for the expenditure and fiscal management of federal funds made available to South/Western Hampton Roads through the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). Role of the Board The success of this workforce development effort depends in large measure on developing relationships between and among other entities with similar or complementary goals. It will be necessary to garner the support of leaders in business, education, community services, labor, and government and seek their commitment to the outcomes that we have identified as part of our strategic planning process. This effort will require that each board member, and the community resource that they represent, be aligned with those of Opportunity Inc. all working for a common goal with individual activities intersecting one another rather than operating on parallel tracks without the benefit of communication, collaboration and coordination. Our Community as a whole Understand that workforce development is a community-wide activity and encourage interaction and a commitment to action as volunteers and mentors Commit to and develop a campaign that builds a desire for life-long education and training for all of our people Create one-stop work centers as the principal point of connection between transitional workers, employers, education/training providers, and service providers, insuring that seamless application and case management processes are established; services are available 24 hours per day; and that any stigma of using such a center is eliminated Address the needs of the working poor, the disabled, the older worker, females, and minorities to insure that necessary support is available through such avenues as ease of transition from welfare, enhanced access, child care, improved transportation, and above all, training and advancement opportunities Encourage every organization and partner to communicate the value of personal responsibility as the basic building block for economic success In essence, each board member of Opportunity Inc. has a dual responsibility. One responsibility is that of the individual who brings talent and energy to the collective process of the Initiative a member of a team charged with a purposeful mission. The other requires that individual board members provide leadership to the stakeholder group that they represent. In providing that leadership, they will work to guarantee that each stakeholder group commits to developing action responses to the issues identified in our plan and, by doing so, plays a strategic role in realizing the vision for a world class workforce for Hampton Roads. 4 21

7 Our Governments and Public/Non-Profit Agencies Attract and work to retain businesses that contribute to our economic prosperity and provide long-term career path opportunities, providing economic incentive for those that do so Increase support for public libraries to enable them to support lifelong learning Provide additional funding for workforce training Enhance the transportation and utility infrastructure to improve employee mobility and attract business Eliminate unnecessary government regulation that hinders the creation of high-paying jobs Increase the length of the tourist season, creating not only more career paths for tourism employees but also to attract tourists as potential employees or investors in our area Insure that Economic Development and Workforce Development efforts are coordinated Seek to provide early-stage investment incentives while maintaining an overall fair tax burden Coordinate efforts of all levels of government to ease the transition of individuals separating from the military to encourage them to accept employment in Hampton Roads Increase opportunities and pre-release training for individuals exiting the penal system The Board of Directors of Opportunity Inc. will... Articulate workplace needs Develop a market-driven vision Build a comprehensive system Provide aggressive outreach Develop a strategy for the expenditure of federal funds under WIA Provide leadership The staff of Opportunity Inc. will... be charged with supporting the work of the Board as well as the implementation of the eight goals identified in Section One of the Strategic Plan. Generally, these responsibilities include: Overcoming communication barriers Coordinating the efforts of various stakeholders Serving as a clearinghouse for information and new developments Facilitating working partnerships between all of the strategic partners in Hampton Roads Managing federal funds made available under WIA Implementing the workforce development system 20 Promote and encourage entrepreneurial and small business start-up and expansion Encourage state agencies to be aggressive and proactive in assisting workers to find new employment Insure that our schools have the resources and the necessary staff expertise to prepare students for all potential opportunities in either higher education or entering the workforce Overcome traditional barriers of geography and self-interest to work together as one community for workforce development 5

8 The Strategic Planning Process The planning process was designed to be inclusive, seeking input from the many stakeholders in workforce development. The Board held a retreat to discuss the issues it has identified as impacting workforce development. Additionally, the staff of Opportunity Inc., with the support of Mr. Henry Luke, principal of Luke Planning, conducted a series of Town Hall meetings throughout the region seeking input from the community. The six meetings, held in November, were well attended and participation was high. This document represents input from several hundred people who recognize the importance of a bold and innovative approach to workforce development. Our Businesses Recognize that employees are the key factor in growth and economic prosperity Provide expanding career-path opportunities to attract and retain critical skills Encourage employees to continue to learn and provide the flexibility for employees to secure additional necessary training including potential work hour alteration, meeting transportation needs, and access to computers Increase opportunities for working parents by meeting work hour and child care needs Increase opportunities for women, minorities, and the disabled Provide training and retention opportunities for workers over-50 Be a key resource for educational institutions in preparing students to enter the workforce by providing meaningful criteria Create specific opportunities for the emerging workforce to participate in internships and on-thejob experiences Our Workforce Commit to delivering a full day s work for a full day s pay each and every day Recognize that you are a key resource to your company s success and approach work with a pride of ownership Participate in opportunities for training and personal/professional growth Develop problem-solving skills, improve customer service capabilities, learn to work as a member of a team Manage your morale and work to promote high morale among fellow workers Learn to stay flexible and embrace change Develop work habits for job success in the Information Age Add value 6 19

9 The Plan Our Secondary Schools Develop and implement strategies that prepare all students to graduate from high school ready to go on to higher education without any remediation or to enter the workforce ready to be a productive employee Refine skills measurement for determining advancement and develop appropriate remediation when levels are not met Our Institutions of Higher Education and Training Providers Develop a diverse array of targeted training programs that are subject-specific and relate to economic development goals and regional industry needs Provide adequate information to students on occupational and career opportunities, wage scales, and demand projections This planning document is a unique approach designed to harness the power, resources, energy and commitment necessary to realize the community s vision for its workforce. It recognizes that one organization cannot do it alone and that improving the human capital of the Hampton Roads region is a Community Imperative. Workforce Development, once viewed as solely the responsibility of the education community, totaling more than $100,000,000 an investment portfolio for Workforce Development in Hampton Roads! This Strategy for Workforce Development is presented in two parts and is to be implemented as a five-year strategy ( ). The first section represents the Strategic Plan for Opportunity Inc., the organization charged with developing the workforce development system for the region. Eliminate any remaining stereotyping of students Provide aggressive drop out prevention for at-risk students Work with the business community in developing appropriate curricula for providing skills needed in our workplaces Develop programs that address work ethic issues, i.e., attitude, behavior and basic workrelated expectations and skills Aggressively communicate workplace opportunities to students Increase the flexibility of scheduling of all training opportunities to maximize reaching all segments of our communities Leverage College/University research and development programs to retain and attract high-end business Actively promote our institutions of higher learning to gain national research and development reputations Be at the forefront of development of new technology training to attract, grow, and retain highly-skilled people in our area now requires a comprehensive workforce development system that leverages community assets to reach its goals. For this Workforce Development Strategy to be successful requires the participation of leaders in business, education, economic development, government, labor, community-based organizations, faith-based entities, foundations, non-profits, the United Way, and other contributors to the success of workforce development in Hampton Roads. These leaders, and the institutions that they represent, are our Strategic Partners. They represent a portfolio of assets Section Two is a Community Agenda for Workforce Development. It represents the strategic issues that our Strategic Partners identified as impacting our workforce during the Town Hall meetings. For the region s workforce development efforts to be successful, we must depend on our Strategic Partners to develop strategies that seek to address many of these issues. As part of the Strategic Plan for Opportunity Inc., strategies are included that recognize the importance of the adoption and implementation of the Community Agenda for Workforce Development. Actively participate in increasing awareness through programs such as teacher and high school student internships in business Actively recruit students from a broader geographic base and retain local residents who attend colleges/universities outside of Hampton Eliminate forever functional illiteracy Roads. 18 7

10 Outline of the Plan The Role and Commitment of Our Strategic Partners The Plan is divided into two sections and outlines eight goal areas. SECTION ONE A Strategic Plan for Opportunity Inc. The Aim, Call to Action, System Definition A Systems Approach Goal One: Develop an inclusive implementation system that engages the region s stakeholders in workforce development Identify Employers Needs Goal Two: Assist existing employers in articulating and/or identifying the current and emerging skills needed for the workplace Goal Three: Collaborate with economic development entities to identify skills required for the workforce of local industries that are expanding, as well as those industries that the region is working to attract to Hampton Roads Communicate Needs to Educators/Trainers and Workers Goal Four: Provide mechanisms to communicate employers needs to education and training providers in the region Goal Five: Utilize information from industry cluster groups to develop strategies to address specific short-term requirements of the existing workforce Goal Six: Communicate the availability of jobs and job requirements to workers and the capability of workers to potential employers Provide for Feedback and Continuous Improvement Goal Seven: Provide accountability to the workforce development process through the measuring of outputs and outcomes that are utilized to provide feedback, which allows for continuous improvement. The Regional Advantage Goal Eight: Encourage region-wide strategic planning, policy formulation and system implementation for workforce development in order to create a workforce of sufficient quantity and quality to support the economic development goals of the region. SECTION TWO A Community Agenda for Workforce Development A Shared Vision The Role and Commitment of Our Strategic Partners Our Citizens Our Secondary Schools Our Institutions of Higher Learning and Training Our Businesses Our Governments and Public/Non-Profit Agencies Our Community as a whole A Shared Future - An Epilogue Opportunity Inc. is charged with developing a comprehensive, systematic approach to workforce development. Its role is to overcome communication barriers, coordinate the efforts of its constituents, serve as a clearinghouse for information and new developments, and facilitate new working partnerships between all of the elements in Hampton Roads that can help to achieve our vision. Our partners all have the ability to be of tremendous influence in their unique sphere of responsibility that, in turn, will greatly influence the efforts of our entire community. Based on input from our various Town Hall meetings, considerable discussions and brainstorming among our partners, and knowledge of areas that are most critical for the development of the workforce of the future for Hampton Roads, several important goals have been established for each broad segment of our community. We invite our Strategic Partners to play a critical role by formally accepting responsibility for one or more of the goal areas that follow. We ask that you create strategic alliances where appropriate, develop action plans, commit resources, develop performance measures, and share your knowledge and experiences with our entire partnership. We all have a vested interest in the success of our workforce for any one of us to be successful in these challenging and competitive times, we must communicate and collaborate. This New Economy requires Strategic Partnerships no one can go it alone. Our citizens Sustain and support our children as they progress from birth to adulthood Ensure that our children enter school healthy and ready to learn Take an active interest in our children s education, guiding them in achieving their career goals Be active participants in education, government, and all of our community-wide institutions that help in shaping our children s future 8 17

11 SECTION TWO A Community Agenda for Workforce Development SECTION ONE A Strategic Plan for Opportunity Inc. This Strategic Plan for Workforce Development recognizes that in order for our region to succeed in developing a workforce that is not only competitive, but also a model in the global economy, we must act collectively. As stakeholders and/or Strategic Partners with vested interests in the economic prosperity of our region and the individuals who reside here, we ask for your help in making this vision, our shared vision, a reality. Utilizing the issues identified by many of the Strategic Partners at Town Hall meetings throughout our region, this Community Agenda for Workforce Development highlights issues or strategies that require attention, ownership, and intervention. Many in the community are already hard at work addressing specific issues and investing heavily at making a difference. What we need in order to create substantive change in our circumstance is a commitment to collective action. This plan should be considered a call to action where together, we commit to a shared vision, take ownership of specific issues or strategies, and align people and programs to attain the outcomes we have identified as key indicators measuring individual and regional prosperity. The Aim Hampton Roads will have a model workforce that is productive, motivated, competitive, technologically proficient, self-renewing, and inclusive. Call to Action Develop a strategy and design a system for improving workforce development in Hampton Roads and provide for the implementation of that system System Definition A systematic approach to identifying employers workforce needs and employees capabilities, communicating those workforce needs to education and training providers as well as the region s labor force, and measuring the performance and success of the programs and the process A workforce development system provides linkages between employers, trainers and educators, and employees. It is demanddriven, based on a continuing effort to address the current, emerging, and dynamic training needs of existing and prospective businesses. It requires a supply response, one that meets the work/job/career-related needs of the individual worker and area employers. The system must be designed to address the gap that exists between employer demand and workforce supply. 16 9

12 A Systems Approach The Regional Advantage A systems approach demands that the effort be comprehensive and multi-dimensional. It must involve the many stakeholders in workforce development the Strategic Partners. It can only be achieved through a community-wide commitment. The Community Agenda for Workforce Development included as Section Two of this document lays the foundation for efforts to mobilize and organize the region s stakeholders in workforce development. Goal One: Develop an inclusive implementation system that engages the region s stakeholders in workforce development provide for community-wide distribution of the issues identified as part of the Town Hall meeting process promote the adoption of workforce development strategies by Strategic Partners that address key workforce issues where they can influence outcomes develop planning and/or working agreements that facilitate the formation of Strategic Alliances between Strategic Partners promote the development of outcome measures and action steps by all Strategic Partners and Alliances From its earliest inception, the Hampton Roads Workforce Development Initiative, now known as Opportunity Inc., recognized the benefit of a regional approach to workforce development. Hampton Roads is one region, one economy, and one workforce. A regional systems approach can foster the solutions to regional workforce development issues needed to create a workforce of sufficient quantity and quality to support the economic development goals of the region. Presently, the region s workforce development initiative is supported by two Workforce Investment Boards and the Mayors and Chairs of the Peninsula and The benefits of a regional approach include the following: provides the opportunity to identify key issues impacting workforce development in Hampton Roads and develop a region-wide agenda, influencing public policy and resource allocation serves as a strong coalition for affecting legislative and governmental action at the national, state, and local level on issues impacting workforce development in Hampton Roads provides the opportunity to solicit funding from federal agencies, foundations, and the state with a higher likelihood of success because of the size and scope of our regional business base and workforce provides for a more effective linkage system particularly with businesses, agencies, and institutions that are regional in nature. It recognizes that we are one region, one economy, and one workforce provides for coordination of regional research, regional seek to align the outcome measures of the Strategic Partners with the outcome measures of Opportunity Inc. South/Western Hampton Roads. Each sub-regional effort has chosen to approach workforce development utilizing the business community, existing organizations/agencies and staff, but each has chosen to govern and operate in different ways. However, and most importantly, both have the same goal of addressing the workforce develop- marketing, and regional training programs, eliminating duplication of effort and expense eliminates duplicative and expensive administrative structures, fragmented planning, and incompatible policies and procedures for employees and businesses seeking assistance provides the opportunity for communication and collaboration between the Peninsula and Southside, further strengthening the relationship ment needs of the region by developing a system that is demand-driven, linking the needs of the business community with education and training providers as well Goal Eight: Encourage region-wide strategic planning, policy formulation, and system implementation for workforce development identify opportunities for collaboration on special projects as the emerging, existing and special develop a joint legislative agenda and lobbying strategy needs workforce. Both initiatives strive based on the input from the Strategic Partners that can impact to deliver a world class workforce public policy and resource allocation 10 for Hampton Roads one that guarantees a competitive advantage for business, individuals, and the region. research funding opportunities that can be leveraged through regional cooperation 15

13 Provide for Feedback and Continuous Improvement Identify Employers Needs Feedback provides the basis for accountability it helps us as certain if we are on track. Measures of outputs and outcomes are utilized to provide the feedback necessary for allocating resources to initiatives that are working, as well as provide for mid-course corrections to revise and refocus strategies that are not meeting the desired outcomes. This feedback activity allows for continuous improvement. Feedback can take the form of short-term output measures i.e., how many individuals have we served, how many training programs do we offer, etc. or longer-term outcome measures that speak to change brought about by intervention strategies i.e., changes in earnings, poverty rates, graduation rates, etc. Our ability to realize the outcome measures identified in Section Two of this plan hinges on our ability as a region to align our resources in order to address the issues that we have identified as part of this planning process. Goal Seven: Provide accountability to the workforce development process develop performance measures for each of the eight goal areas of this plan, utilize customer satisfaction surveys, as well as negotiated standards with the Department of Labor, to provide feedback on the strategic initiatives of Opportunity Inc. encourage Strategic Partners to provide regular progress reports on performance objectives provide an annual report card to the community on the progress of Opportunity Inc. host an annual State of the Workforce meeting with the Strategic Partners for the community at large continue to evaluate the output and outcome measures to guarantee that they truly challenge us as individuals, organizations, and a region committed to create a superior workforce The region recognizes the requirement that workforce development be business-led or demand-driven. The globalization of the workforce and the speed of change have impacted our ability to rely on the marketplace for adequate information on the needs of business. Today, we must aggressively pursue that information and forge partnerships so that we can address the needs of the business community for trained and qualified workers. Goal Two: Assist existing employers in articulating and/or identifying the current and emerging skills needed for the workforce establish a regional program for utilizing a standardized assessment mechanism for employers that is designed to identify the skill sets required for specific occupations utilize Industry Cluster Groups (also referred to as a sectoral strategy) as a means of identifying industry-specific training requirements and/or identifying public policy concerns establish a mechanism on the web for businesses to communicate with Opportunity Inc. and one another concerning workforce development issues solicit the participation of Strategic Partners to sponsor a series of town hall meetings on an annual basis to solicit input from the business community concerning the status of workforce development in the region develop a regional needs assessment of employer demand utilizing the workforce development committees of the region s Chambers of Commerce, municipal Departments of Economic Development, interviews with key stakeholders, and surveys Goal Three: Collaborate with economic development entities to identify the skills required for the workforce of local industries that are expanding, as well as those industries that the region is working to attract to Hampton Roads collaborate with the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance and municipal Departments of Economic Development to identify the workforce development needs of targeted industries provide the support necessary for a high road strategy where conscious effort is made to target firms, occupations, and industries that contribute most to the economic health of the region assist regional and local economic development agencies with marketing the region to business and industry as part of industry visits and by providing marketing information on the region s workforce 14 11

14 Communicate Needs to Educators/Trainers and Workers Our challenge is to meet the work/job/career-related needs of the individual worker as well as employers. We must elevate the discussion of work and career grounded in a recognition of the need for academic excellence, skills training, and a commitment to life-long learning. We must strive to guarantee that the region s workers have the training and education necessary to be truly competitive for jobs and higher wages. Goal Four: Provide mechanisms to communicate employers needs to education and training providers in the region develop a newsletter that communicates the workforce development needs of employers in the region, highlights best practices by employers and training providers, and provides continuous feedback on efforts undertaken by Opportunity Inc. and its Strategic Partners survey training providers to determine the focus of their efforts and what priorities they have identified that relate to preparing their clients for the workplace in order to identify over-capacity as well as gaps in the provision of specific training establish a working group of the region s public and private training providers to solicit their input relative to the delivery of education and training services and identify any barriers that may exist in meeting the needs of employers develop a profile of the demographic, economic, and educational characteristics of the Hampton Roads workforce to be used as both a marketing tool for economic development and a resource to identify capability gaps assist education and training providers with accessing or leveraging resources by working to create strategic partnerships, researching and writing grants, and identifying duplication of effort so that resources can be reallocated to unmet needs. Goal Five: Utilize information from Industry Cluster Groups to develop strategies to address specific shortterm requirements of the existing workforce work with education/training providers to facilitate training responses to address gaps in training offerings identified by employers encourage partnerships between businesses where there is a common need for training Goal Six: Communicate the availability of jobs and job requirements to workers and the capability of workers to potential employers promote and provide for the use of nationally recognized assessment tools to identify the skills capability of individual workers and collectively define the capability of the workforce publish information needed to match workers to jobs, workers to training, employers to training with the assistance of employers, identify career ladders that can be cross-firm and cross-industry skill progressions that allow for the movement of workers from lower level to higher level jobs develop a one-stop delivery system that provides individuals (and employers) with easy access to workforce development information and assistance utilize federal funding to leverage additional public and private resources to meet the needs of special populations not provided for in specific federal and/or state programs i.e., the working poor establish a Youth Council comprised of representatives of agencies and institutions that are Strategic Partners with a special interest in our young people and charge them with the development of a strategic plan for addressing the needs of our at-risk youth host an annual symposium on the status of Youth in Hampton Roads as it relates to workforce preparedness 12 13