A VISION FOR NEW JERSEY’S WORKFORCE

Section 3.

GOALS AND Key Initiatives

The State Employment and Training Commission (SETC) is keenly aware that the State’s Workforce Investment System must always be focused on continually developing the skills and competencies of New Jersey’s present and future workforce if it is to meet the economic needs of the State. This requires having a Workforce Investment System that is highly knowledgeable about the present and future skill needs of business and industry. It also requires understanding how to bridge the skill gaps in order to prepare largely untapped pools of prospective employees (e.g., those in need of literacy skills, those disadvantaged by socioeconomic status, gender, race, ethnicity or disability type), as well as upgrade the skills of the present workforce. Finally, it requires that its workforce delivery system be high-quality, flexible and adaptive, and accountable to the stakeholders and customers it serves.

Accordingly, New Jersey’s Workforce Investment System is built on a set of two overarching goals established by the Commission to address the challenge of developing a highly-skilled and well-prepared workforce:

In pursuing these twin goals, the SETC has led and/or participated in a number of key initiatives. In keeping with its mission, these initiatives place significant emphasis on analysis and policy development to guide the course of New Jersey’s workforce services and create a more unified and demand-driven system.

GOAL 1:

The first goal is to ensure that the network of educational and workforce institutions has a fundamental and current understanding of the skills businesses need and that those skill requirements are inculcated into every facet of the design and delivery of our State’s education and training programs. Similar to other states, the skill gap in New Jersey has been growing between those individuals who possess the occupational and literacy skills to meet employer needs and attain self-sufficiency and those who lack such skills. Moreover, the trend line for the future is clear: New Jersey employers will be seeking more highly trained and educated workers in greater numbers.

Achieving a demand-driven Workforce Investment System requires that the stakeholders in this system have the information, tools, and strategies necessary to adapt their programs and services to the ever-changing economic environment. Therefore, the SETC has undertaken a number of important projects aimed at increasing the knowledge of the stakeholders statewide—both on present and future employer skill needs, as well as the demographics of the current workforce, the untapped labor pools, and the skill development strategies needed to develop both of these. In particular, the SETC is focusing on a number of specific skill development initiatives, especially in the area of expanding literacy statewide.

Examples of Key Initiatives

Demand-side Skill Assessment Project (Ready for the Job)

Led by the Heldrich Center and working with local WIBs and State level agencies and organizations[1], the SETC initiated a study to identify workplace literacy and specialized skills necessary for success in 73 demand occupations in eight key industries: Construction; Finance; Manufacturing; Utilities/Infrastructure; Transportation and Logistics; Information Technology; Health care; and Tourism. In this same study, economic forecasters and researchers also identified the skills required in five emerging growth sectors: Biotechnology; Security; E-learning; E-commerce; and Food and Agribusiness.

This research included working with employer advisory groups and conducting over 30 focus groups and over 80 interviews with employers and educators. The result of this study was a clearly articulated list of skills and certifications correlated to both current and future skill needs and described in a series of ten detailed skill reports. These reports reflect findings on more than one million New Jersey jobs and offer more than 300 pages of hard intelligence on the skills required for the jobs being created now and in the coming decade.

NJ Next Stop…Your Career Website

Following the Ready for the Job project, a partnership was developed to produce the NJ Next Stop website (www.njnextstop.org) to disseminate the Project results, making them readily available to high school students, school counselors, teachers and parents, Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Career Centers. This website provides summaries of the research findings on the skill needs of industries and occupations, skill paths, and education and training requirements, and correlates that information with key labor market information on wages and projected industry growth in high-demand jobs. It also identifies a list of top companies relevant to these industries and occupations, and provides links to access information on them. Users can register on this website to receive a monthly newsletter, Career Fuel, written by NJ Biz, which illustrates the applicability and practicality of the research findings for readers. In addition, this site helps students assess their career interests, learn about a broad range of industries and occupations, learn firsthand from individuals in specific careers, and features current workforce-related reports and articles.

Sector Strategies

In alignment with the Ready for the Job project, key industries that impact New Jersey’s economy were identified by the New Jersey Commerce, Economic Growth and Tourism Commission, as well as the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the Department of Treasury. A variety of strategies are now being designed and implemented to attract and retain businesses in these primary industries: Manufacturing; Biotechnology and Life Sciences; Financial Services; Logistics; Telecommunications; and Tourism and Hospitality.

A wide variety of tools and strategies are being utilized in each of the key industries. Workforce development strategies focus on: 1) building strategic partnerships with the State’s community colleges to ensure there are available training opportunities related to these key industries; 2) providing resources to support customized training for specific businesses or consortiums of businesses; and 3) developing apprenticeship programs and “skills centers” to support training job seekers in specific occupational and workplace literacy skills. Many of these service sectors also offer financial incentives and reduce bureaucratic barriers to businesses wishing to hire New Jersey workers.

Adult Literacy

Employers continue to indicate that two of the most critical skills lacking in the current and future workforce are basic literacy skills and foundational work success skills. Responding to this concern, the SETC has been extremely active in establishing workplace literacy as a priority for the State.

Activities in support of adult literacy include:

© Equipped for the Future (EFF) Content Standards: The EFF Standards for Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning have been developed by the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) and Partner states to answer: What do adults need to know and be able to do in order to successfully carryout their roles as workers, parents and family members, and citizens and community members? The 16 research-based standards have been identified by looking at changes in adults’ daily lives. The SETC, through its State Council for Literacy Education Services, adopted the EFF Standards for use by adult education service providers in the State.

The SETC and LWD have implemented a pilot and pilot expansion, in concert with literacy program administrators, to train adult educators in using the standards. These are the first steps toward ensuring that the standards are infused into individual classroom instruction and within and across programs.

©Work Readiness Credential: New Jersey has partnered with a consortium of other states, Washington DC, NIFL, and national organizations, including the US Chamber of Commerce to develop a Work Readiness Credential (WRC). This national assessment is based on the Equipped for the Future (EFF) Standards for Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning and business-defined standard of the critical skills needed by entry-level workers. Designed as a computer-based assessment, the WRC will affirm that individual job seekers have demonstrated the foundation knowledge and skills in the following areas:

¡ Speak so others can understand

¡ Solve problems and make decisions

¡ Read with understanding

¡ Cooperate with others

¡ Resolve conflicts and negotiate

¡ Use math to solve problems

¡ Observe critically

¡ Listen actively

¡ Take responsibility for learning

The SETC anticipates the WRC being available through the State’s One-Stop system by mid-2006.

Tapping Under-Utilized Labor Pools

Recognizing the need to fully utilize all of the State’s labor pools, the SETC is instrumental in various projects related to ensuring workforce access for workers facing barriers to employment, including disadvantaged youth, women (particularly in non-traditional occupations) and individuals with disabilities.

These projects include:

© Distance Learning: The SETC's Council on Gender Parity in Labor and Education was instrumental in the US Department of Labor's decision to award a competitive grant to the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development to pilot an online learning program for single working-poor mothers. Distance learning proved to be an effective mechanism for these women to develop work-related skills. As a result, the State Partner agencies launched a national campaign to promote the model of online learning for non-college educated incumbent workers within states' Workforce Investment Systems.

© Increased Knowledge on Gender Parity Issues: The SETC’s Council on Gender Parity in Labor and Education has researched and published key reports including: Engineering Their Futures—The Educational and Workplace Experiences of Female Engineers; Healthcare Workforce Outlook—The Nursing Shortage in New Jersey and the United States—Suggestions for Future Research and Policy; and, Women and Work—Achieving Parity on the Job. (For a full listing on the Council’s reports, please refer to Section 8.)

© Increasing Awareness in Support of Individuals with Disabilities: Working through the Disability Issues Committee, the SETC is seeking to address three major goals. The first is to ensure that the needs of individuals with disabilities are integrated into the One-Stop system. The second is to identify training needs and resources for those with disabilities. The third is to ensure workplace education includes individuals with disabilities in its efforts.

Based on the Committee’s recommendations, local areas were required to establish Disability Issues Committees. Activities for these committees have included: working with LWD to design a Disability Accessibility Checklist that expanded upon USDOL requirements, which is now being used in One-Stop Career Centers to evaluate accessibility; and, produced an information and resource directory entitled Work & Independent Living for People with Disabilities.

© Youth Planning: The SETC organized and conducted Youth Workforce Summits to better understand and address the needs of youth facing barriers to employment and to identify the strategies that will better connect them with the world of work. The NJ Next Stop website, an important tool aimed at educating youth and their families about career and educational opportunities and assisting youth in their career planning, was prominently featured at these Summits.

GOAL 2:

The second overarching goal is to have an effective and efficient Workforce Investment System, across a variety of State and local institutions. This system must support local communities to help their residents acquire and hone the skills necessary for success in their own lives, as well as for success in the workplace. It requires strong leadership at the local level to engage members of the business community in planning how to strengthen the workforce to meet the needs of their local economy and to develop a comprehensive continuum of services. Issues such as accountability, continuous quality improvement and setting and meeting performance standards must also be addressed to create an effective system.

New Jersey’s vision for a Workforce Investment System calls for the creation of an integrated continuum of workforce development services wherein an individual or employer can easily access the specific, high-quality services necessary to meet their workforce needs. This service network encompasses a full range of services including job readiness, occupational training, job search support, job matching services, literacy services and services for youth and other special populations. These services must be targeted to meet the needs of a variety of customers including dislocated worker populations, TANF customers needing “To Work” services, businesses wishing to use Business Resource Centers and basic literacy customers seeking Workforce Learning Link training.

In developing a unified system, New Jersey regards its One-Stop Career Centers as the central hub and primary vehicle for delivering business and job seeker services. Prominently featured in the 1993, 1996, 1999, and 2005 Unified Plans, One-Stop Career Centers serve as a focal point for the coordination of all local workforce development resources across a wide variety of organizations including State and local public agencies, non-profit and community-based organizations, community colleges, faith-based organizations and other local training providers. These entities work together to provide access to a wide array of services either on-site at One-Stop Career Centers or through coordinated service delivery at other locations.

The SETC supports the development of this unified Workforce Investment System by establishing and implementing a variety of continuous quality improvement initiatives. It is involved in developing standards of excellence for the One-Stop Career Centers and in identifying quality practices and processes that help the workforce system effectively serve business and job seeker customers.

Examples of Key Initiatives

Creation of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development

In 2004, over 18 workforce programs previously housed in three different State agencies were consolidated into a newly reconstituted Department of Labor and Workforce Development. This major restructuring was the result of years of collaborative planning among the State Departments of Labor, Education and Human Services. The reconfigured system was designed to ensure that workforce policies and programs are more coherent and unified, and the change reflects a State-level commitment to workforce development as a core value.

Collaborative Local Planning and Implementation of Consolidation Plans

As part of the process of consolidating Workforce Investment System programs and services into an integrated system, the SETC designed and facilitated local WIBs’ undertaking of a comprehensive planning process at the local level. The State required a three-tiered planning process to ensure input among a wide range of local stakeholders and the development of consensus by key Partner agencies. The WIBs were expected to develop an infrastructure that supported the consolidation of programs and services through their One-Stop Career Center systems and to establish standards for how those services will be delivered. Comprehensive local One-Stop plans focused on integrated customer delivery, resource sharing agreements, and common service standards that are supported by data management and integrated reporting functions. The SETC led State Review Teams in review of local plans and development of recommendations for plan implementation. Implementation of each local WIB’s plan took place in July 2004, and local WIBs and One-Stop Career Centers continue to work to refine their services based on these plans.

Building an Expanded Literacy System

To support the SETC’s commitment to developing the literacy skills of New Jersey residents, it has taken bold steps to ensure that local areas integrate literacy skills development into each One-Stop system. Two primary initiatives the SETC has undertaken to this end are:

© System-wide Literacy Development: The SETC worked with the State Council for Adult Literacy Education Services (SCALES) to develop recommendations to improve the adult literacy delivery system. The two most significant recommendations, which were implemented by the State, were: 1) to consolidate adult literacy services under a single State agency, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development; and 2) to charge local WIBs with the responsibility for coordinating local literacy skill development efforts.

© Local Planning for Increased Literacy Funding: With the passage by the State Legislature of Supplemental Literacy funds, WIBs were required to develop a comprehensive literacy plan that described their work in two primary areas: 1) development of a local literacy system that spanned multiple funding streams and multiple literacy providers; and 2) development of a plan for Workforce Learning Links (literacy labs) in their comprehensive One-Stop Career Centers.

Developing Youth Service Delivery Systems

Recognizing the importance of youth in our current and future workforce and the need to create a unified policy and interlocking system of supports that addresses the unique needs of young people, the SETC has reaffirmed its commitment to youth through several initiatives.

© Targeting At-Risk Youth: Because of limited State resources and the special needs of youth, New Jersey is specifically targeting young people, ages 14-21, who face significant barriers to future success. This includes out-of-school youth, adjudicated youth, young people enrolled in or aging out of foster care, homeless youth, children of incarcerated parents, migrant and seasonal farm worker youth, and other at-risk youth.

© Leadership Through Local Youth Investment Councils: Created under the Workforce Investment Act, Youth Investment Councils have been a key strategy for addressing the special workforce needs of youth. While Youth Investment Councils are not expected to continue to be a requirement under pending legislation, New Jersey has found its local Youth Investment Councils to be the most effective way to set direction and expectations for youth programming and will continue to require that local WIBs use them for policy development and as the primary vehicle for merging local youth services and resources into a single unified system.

Accordingly, the State’s 2005 Unified Plan describes a new vision and expectations for the work of Youth Investment Councils moving forward. Most immediately, the Councils will be charged with revising their strategic plans to reflect new expectations and target populations. In addition, local Youth Investment Councils will be expected to promote the development of a meaningful, non-duplicative system of linking or transitioning an individual from one set of services to the next; encourage the strengthening and replication of successful programs; support the development of strength-based comprehensive programs to fill current gaps in service; and actively demonstrate a commitment to high-quality services by promoting and providing opportunities for continuous improvement, staff training, and technical assistance for those working with young adults. (A copy of the Youth Investment Council Guidelines is in Section 6 of the Handbook.)

Standard-Setting, Certification and Chartering

New Jersey envisions a One-Stop system that serves as the hub of the workforce delivery system. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the SETC have joined forces to set statewide standards for the State’s One-Stop Career Centers through compliance certification and Chartering. Chartering each comprehensive One-Stop Career Center will fully achieve New Jersey’s goals for universal access, customer choice and the integration of services. (See Section 5 for more details and draft Chartering criteria.)

Some of the initiatives that support this effort include:

© Key Service Standards and a Customer Bill of Rights: The 2005 Unified Plan identified key business and job seeker service standards, as well as a Customer Bill of Rights. These standards are being used to guide the overall development of One-Stop Career Centers in New Jersey.

© Compliance Certification: As a prerequisite to Chartering, the State LWD developed a Certification protocol and standards to assess each One-Stop Career Center’s compliance with federal and state requirements. Input was sought from the SETC’s Disability Issues Committee, as well as its State and local Partners in developing this Certification and it is seen as a companion to the Disability Checklist described earlier.

© Chartering One-Stop Career Centers: The SETC established a task force to develop the policies and protocols for developing a statewide system of Chartering. This Task Force is reviewing recommended Chartering Standards and a Chartering application process which were developed by representatives of local WIBs, One-Stop Career Centers and State officials.

Chartering is envisioned to provide a tool to local Boards to promote excellence in workforce development service delivery. It is also expected to add impetus to the consolidation initiative by ensuring that critical linkages have been forged between and among One-Stop Partners to better serve customers and elevate the quality of services, and thereby, the quality of the workforce. Ultimately, Chartering will be awarded to those Centers that meet these higher standards.

System-Wide Capacity Building

The SETC has enjoyed a longstanding leadership role in advocating the development of a strong workforce system. A critical role for the SETC is providing the technical assistance that enables local areas to understand fully the vision and best practices for developing a high quality local Workforce Investment System.

One-Stop Conference

The premier event for capacity building is the SETC's annual One-Stop Conference. The conference generates an attendance of over 700 people from all areas of workforce development. The State is represented by departments including LWD, the Department of Human Services (DHS), the Department of Education (DOE), the Department of Community Affairs (DCA); the Department of Corrections; the Juvenile Justice Commission; the Commerce, Economic Growth and Tourism Commission; the Commission on Higher Education; and the Department of Community Affairs. Also in attendance are WIB Members and Directors, One-Stop Operators, career counselors, vocational education administrators, two and four-year college administrators, adult educators, literacy providers, chambers of commerce, and community and faith-based organizations. Presentations have been given by national organizations such as the US DOL and the US Chamber of Commerce, as well as the New Jersey Governor and other State officials. The intent is to inform and generate discussions on workforce policy issues. The more than 50 different workshops are designed to highlight successful partnerships with industries, schools, programs and other key stakeholders, as well as sessions that promote new initiatives that are unique and achieve quality results. The Conference also provides training on operational areas along with sessions geared to improve the technical skills of staff.

Technical Assistance for local WIBs

The SETC routinely communicates with local WIBs. In addition to frequent telephone conferences and correspondence, the SETC convenes monthly meetings with local WIB Directors and One-Stop Operators to discuss workforce policy issues, implementation of the Consolidation plans, program development and performance, and other challenges and opportunities. Currently, the SETC is developing a WIB Member Handbook and a series of trainings for local WIB members and WIB staff. This will ensure that both groups are up-to-date in their understanding of WIB roles and responsibilities and the State’s expectations for local WIBs in carrying out their Consolidation plans, and the ongoing development of their One-Stop system.

New Jersey Consumer Report Card and Eligible Training Provider List

Through a collaborative process led by the SETC, New Jersey designed and implemented an online system that provides critical information on approved training programs including the success of graduates in employment. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), required all states to develop an approved list of training providers, along with a method for collecting and publicly sharing performance data on those training providers. While most states chose a process that met minimum federal requirements, the SETC viewed this as an opportunity to take a more expansive and customer-focused approach that enhanced the ability of customers to make an informed choice in selecting training providers.

All Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Career Center Operators are required, by state directive, to use the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) when making referrals to training, and only providers on the ETPL are eligible to receive referrals with public funds. The listing of eligible training providers and information on their performance is available to the public via the Consumer Report Card (CRC), an Internet-based system for information delivery at www.njtrainingsystems.org.

This website is a valuable information resource for individuals searching for schools and organizations that provide occupational education and job training opportunities. The search results yield information on the various programs offered by each training provider, and allow the comparison of programs and providers based on information such as the location and length of training, the costs, and any special services that may be offered. This site's newest features allow for comparing training providers by employment outcomes and other results information.

In addition, New Jersey has incorporated the performance measures established through the U.S. Department of Education’s National Reporting System (NRS) for adult literacy (WIA Title II-funded) providers into the Consumer Report Card. The CRC and the NRS share the same student reporting system and eliminate any need for dual reporting.

The State Employment and Training Commission, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the Center for Occupational Employment Information partner in the management of the ETPL. The Heldrich Center at Rutgers University manages the performance measurement system. The Heldrich Center calculates performance measures each quarter for instructional programs for New Jersey community colleges, State universities, independent colleges, adult vocational and literacy training providers, and proprietary schools that have been approved for inclusion on the ETPL.

The goals and initiatives described above provide a snapshot of the SETC’s role in developing New Jersey’s Workforce Investment System. Many are ongoing activities designed to embolden the State’s plan to create a demand-driven unified structure. As the SETC moves forward, it will continue to lead and/or participate in similar initiatives in keeping with these two overarching goals and the SETC’s Strategic Plan.

[1] Partners in the Demand-side Skill Assessment Project included the SETC, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and Department of Education, Heldrich Center, Commission on Science and Technology, National Skills Standards Board, Cumberland/Salem WIB, Cumberland County College, Atlantic /Cape May WIB, Atlantic Cape Community College, Passaic County WIB, William Paterson University, Mercer County WIB, and Mercer County Community College.