Building a Workforce System that Works

building a WORKFORCE System that works
Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation developing plan for a unified workforce system
 
Existing job training and career exploration programs are often fragmented and uncoordinated. As a result, businesses struggle to find qualified candidates, even as many adults struggle to secure employment.
 
Over the last three years, the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation has built the foundation for a more unified workforce system to help address this issue.
 
For example, OhioMeansJobs.com has been expanded into a full-fledged online career center, with services for K-12 students, college students, adults and employers. Additionally, the state now works directly with the business community to identify Ohio’s in-demand jobs and shares this information with state and local partners to better align the state’s workforce system with business needs – with 85 percent of the training for unemployed and underemployed individuals aligning with the occupations that are in-demand. Finally, unemployment compensation claimants now must register at OhioMeansJobs.com, update their resumes and complete various job search tasks.
 
The Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation is now building on this foundation, working with partners around the state to create a unified workforce plan that will improve services for employers, adults and students.
 
The plan aligns three federal programs – the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which funds county OhioMeansJobs Centers and job training and job search assistance programs for adults, dislocated workers and low-income youth; Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE), which funds GED preparation, adult math, reading and literacy courses and English for speakers of other languages; and the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act (Perkins), which provides funding for career technical training for secondary and post-secondary students.
 
Ohio’s unified plan will introduce 10 additional reforms to programs in all counties that are funded by WIA, ABLE and Perkins. These reforms are as follows:

1. Registration at OhioMeansJobs.com: Ensure that participants in all programs register at OhioMeansJobs.com or an OhioMeansJobs Center.
2. Common Application: Develop a single intake application for all programs.
3. Common Case Management System: Create a single case management system for use by all programs.
4. Common Performance Metrics: Measure progress and success uniformly across the state and identify best practices and improvement opportunities.
5. Common Assessment Strategy: Identify and implement a standard approach to assessing individual skills and abilities.
6. Job Readiness and Soft-Skill Training: Offer a uniform curriculum addressing job readiness and soft skills for participants in all programs.
7. Career Counseling: Expand access to high-quality career counseling for all participants and ensure that participants understand how best to transition to higher levels of training and credentials.
8. Remediation and High School Equivalency: Expand access to remediation and GED programs through a statewide outreach and recruitment campaign.
9. Local Unified Plan: Engage with local partners and employers to ensure that local workforce development boards create local unified plans that are responsive to the needs of students, adults and employers within their communities; clarify the role of each program; and define methods for improving outcomes.
10. Co-Enrollment: Where applicable, co-enroll individuals in all relevant programs.

 
Through the unified plan, all Ohioans will be better served by a unified workforce system that helps employers find the workers necessary to succeed and helps workers access the information and skills training they need to compete for in-demand jobs in Ohio. For more information about the plan, please visit: http://workforce.ohio.gov/Initiatives/UnifiedStatePlan.aspx