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WORKCON 2019

Fueling Curiosity May 15 – 17, 2019

Hyatt Regency Orange County

CONFERENCE PROGRAM (as of March 5, subject to change)

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

9:30 – 11:30 Pre-Conference Training Sessions

The Barrier Buster: New, Faster and More Powerful Ways to Eliminate Barriers to

Employment!

Garden 1

Larry Robbin, Executive Director, Robbin & Associates

The way we address barriers is stuck in a time when there were fewer and less daunting

barriers than what we see today. Individuals with multiple and powerful barriers require

a whole host of new and innovative strategies, but our approach has not always kept

up with this new reality. If you are curious about new ways to reframe your barrier

conversations, don't miss this preconference training.

In this training, you’ll discover how to start hidden barrier conversations before your

customer brings them up. Giving them information isn’t enough and telling them how to

overcome the barrier doesn’t work because they won't believe it’s possible. Instead,

connect customers with individuals like them who have already eliminated that barrier

and they will start to believe it’s possible. Role models are much more powerful barrier

busters than information. Also, explore the benefits the individual may be getting from

the barriers.

Check out why this is one of the most requested regional training sessions in California!

Grant Writing: How to Give Yourself a Fighting Chance

Harbor / 2nd Floor

Tressa A. Dorsey, President, TAD Grants

Grant writing is one of the hardest and most rewarding jobs in the world. The best grant

writers adhere to a process and know that organization and having a strong team is

imperative to success. Those that are not grant writers that find themselves contributing

content, research or data may feel overwhelmed with looming deadlines and a lack of

clarity.

This workshop will focus on the core fundamentals of how to respond to funding

opportunities from Federal and State Agencies. Attendees will learn a strategic process

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to organize their efforts, learn how to identify the key roles in a grant writing team and

what grant reviewers are really looking for in a winning proposal.

Courtroom to Breakroom: Secrets to Employment for Clients with Criminal Convictions

Garden 2

Toni White, Attorney at Law; Co-Founder, Ascend Program Inc.

A criminal defense attorney who co-founded the acclaimed Ascend Program speaks

to the root causes of crime, solutions for stopping the revolving door of the criminal

justice system, the new era of employment discrimination faced by clients with criminal

records, and how Ascend is using Accelerator 6.0 funding to forge a new way through

these challenges.

Serving Customers with Disabilities

Pacific

Disability Access Services Training Team, CA Department of Rehabilitation

This training will help staff understand different disability experiences, improve customer

service interactions, discuss disability etiquette practices and share the use of effective

communication strategies.

12:45 – 2:00 Opening Plenary Grand Ballroom A - D

Welcome

Jan Vogel, Chair, CWA;

Executive Director/ CEO, South Bay Workforce Investment Board

Keynote Address

Jina Krause-Vilmar, CEO, Upwardly Global (invited)

2:00 – 2:30 Exhibitor Showcase & Refreshments Grand Ballroom E - G Get refreshing ideas from our sponsors and exhibitors, while enjoying some rejuvenating

goodies during this pause in the Program.

2:30 – 3:30 Concurrent Workshops: Round One

No Longer the Best Kept Secret: Creating a Marketing and Communication Strategy

That Puts You on the Map

Garden 3

Laura Kohn, Director of Marketing and Communications

Wilda Wong, Stephani Mitchell and Eric Morrison-Smith, Communication Specialists

San Diego Workforce Partnership

A New Playbook? Workforce Development in a Full Employment Economy

Garden 2

David Shinder, Workforce Consultant

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L. Bradley Williams, VP for Operations, ResCare Workforce Services

For decades, the workforce system has operated under a set of norms and tactical

standards that address the needs of job seekers and businesses. But are our best

practices from the past still relevant in a full employment economy?

Across a wide range of sectors, businesses are thriving and seeking talent at all levels,

and even the least experienced workers are being hired to meet industry needs. The

remaining talent pool is shallow and unemployed job seekers include many with

multiple barriers to employment. Innovative approaches and creative strategies are

needed to marry the unique needs of today’s lean and talent-hungry businesses with a

talent pool that needs development.

This session will consider opportunities for re-writing the “workforce development

playbook” to include more agile labor market approaches. This session will heighten

your curiosity and empower you to think beyond current practices and embrace new

ideas for meeting both the demand and supply sides of our economy.

A Different Look at Recidivism and What We Can Do About It

Garden 1

Toni White, Attorney at Law and Co-Founder, Ascend Program Inc.

A criminal defense attorney who co-founded the acclaimed Ascend Program speaks

as to the root causes of crime, solutions for pulling clients out of the revolving door of

the criminal justice system, the new era of employment discrimination being faced by

clients with criminal records, and the little lapses that can send them back to prison.

Employee Disability Disclosure: Should I, or Shouldn’t I?

Salon VI

Disability Access Services Training Team, CA Department of Rehabilitation

The disclosure of one’s disability is a very personal decision. This interactive workshop will

discuss the need to disclose a disability in the recruitment, application, interviewing and

employment phases of employment including why and when to disclose a disability;

what and whom to disclose; and how to disclose during the recruitment, application

and interview stages, as well as, strategies for disclosure once employed.

Mind the Soft Skills Gap: Are We Focusing on Employers’ True Needs?

Harbor

Blake Konczal, Executive Director

Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board

Erik Cherkaski, Business Services Manager

Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board

With so much attention paid to the skill gap, are workforce development efforts

focusing on the hiring issues that matter most to employers? While the emphasis has

been on investing in training for technical skills, studies and employer feedback

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continue to highlight the importance of soft skills in both hiring and job retention in a

wide variety of industries.

Learn how the Fresno Workforce Development Board is working with employers to

understand the exact nature of the soft skills required for individuals to be work ready

and a better fit for what business is looking for. Walk away with strategies for employer

engagement and training development.

MOU: From Concept to Reality Through Shared Success

Garden 4

Angela Gardner, President, Workforce Development Solutions, Inc.

One-Stop Operator, San Bernardino County

Debora Napier, Employment Program Manager II

Employment Development Department

Todd Haag, Principal, Chaffey Adult School

Adele McClain, Administrator, Apple Valley Adult School

Bessine Richard, AJCC Manager, Workforce Development Department

San Bernardino County

Grace Cleveland, AJCC Manager, Workforce Development Department

San Bernardino County

Rhonda Wolke, Interim Deputy Director, Transitional Assistance Department

San Bernardino County

How do 29 entities representing 15 WIOA programs come together as one system with

one vision?

Join this lively group to discover how San Bernardino County has taken the WIOA MOU

from concept to reality. Participate in a thoughtful conversation with AJCC System

Partners who will share strategies they used to develop cooperative working

relationships and deliver integrated services to employers and job seekers. Also, hear

from a participant who has benefitted from partners working together.

Seeing Yourself in Tech

Salon V

Zakiya Harris, Co-Founder, Hack the Hood

Tashae Hawkins, HTH Alumni & Community/Career Pathways Developer,

Hack the Hood

Hack the Hood is an award-winning non-profit that introduces low income youth of

color to careers in technology. Recent efforts led to the creation of a series of videos to

inspire youth to explore this industry. Seeing Yourself in Tech, features a collection of

short videos showing people of color who have created thriving careers in tech on their

own terms. By showcasing success stories and expanding the definition of “in tech”

beyond the world of coding, the videos allow young people to see themselves

succeeding in the tech world.

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The workshop will include a screening of selected videos as well as best practices on

how to create youth-led culturally relevant content to support workforce development

strategies in underrepresented sectors.

More Walk, Less Talk: Creating a Culture of Accountability

Salon VII – VIII

Josh Davies, Chief Executive Officer, The Center for Work Ethic Development

One of the greatest challenges a leader faces is dealing with issues of trust and

accountability. How do you ensure the staff and customers you’re leading demonstrate

integrity on a daily basis? Personal and organizational accountability are one of the

easiest things to talk about but one of hardest to “walk.”

Using a collaborative and positive approach, participants will go through an

experiential process to learn how to get themselves, their team and their organization

not just talking but walking accountability.

Amplify Your Employer Relationships with Dynamic Data

Salon I

Cheryl Parker, CEO The Urban Explorer, Inc

2-3 CA Workforce Board Business Outreach staff, TBD

Learn how Workforce Development Boards are using data and analytics to streamline

and enhance relationships with businesses. Speakers will share how they incorporate

up-to-date, filtered data into their daily workflow to improve staff efficiency, increase

outreach effectiveness and build credibility as a leading community voice. These

Boards are leveraging business data, interactive data visualization and mapping

resources in innovative ways to support companies at all stages of the business cycle.

LAUNCH, Beyond the California Apprenticeship Initiative: Following One Program’s

Development into a Regional Network

Pacific

Joshua Modlin, Project Director, Apprenticeship Support Network,

Foundation for California Community Colleges

Nick Esquivel, Apprenticeship Coordinator,

California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office

Charles Henkels, Apprenticeship Director, Norco College

Over the last four years the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office has

competitively awarded 80 grants through the California Apprenticeship Initiative (CAI).

This $60 million investment is intended to expand Apprenticeship into new and

innovative sectors and help underserved and under-represented individuals gain entry

and succeed in state registered apprenticeship programs. Join representatives from

Norco College, the Chancellor’s Office, and Apprenticeship Support Network to learn

about potential funding opportunities and follow Norco Colleges’ journey from a

program to a growing network of community colleges, workforce boards, high schools,

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and industry partners LAUNCH.

4:00 – 5:00 Plenary Session: State of the Workforce Grand Ballroom A - D

Bob Lanter, Executive Director, CWA

Discover the lay of the land with the new Administration in Sacramento and get insights

into the dynamics likely to play out now that the Democrats control the U. S. House of

Representatives. What new priorities and initiatives can we anticipate, what new

funding opportunities are on the horizon, and, what is likely to continue as is for the next

couple of years.

5:30 – 7:00 Welcoming Reception North Tower Pool

Go poolside for a delightful evening connecting with friends and colleagues, and enjoy

the unique ambiance of Garden Grove.

Thursday, May 16, 2019

6:45 – 7:15 Pilates with Diane Walton Grand Ballroom Foyer

Flexible body; nimble mind. These 30 minutes will shape your day…positively. Curious

about Joe Pilates? Discover the man behind the movement. All levels welcomed.

7:30 – 8:30 Continental Breakfast Grand Ballroom E - G

8:30 – 10:00 Morning Plenary with Diana Kander Grand Ballroom A - D

Welcome and Speaker Introduction

Michael Cross, Executive Director, NoRTEC

First Vice Chair, CWA

Diana Kander, Director of Innovation Culture and Habits, Maddock Douglas

Diana is a Georgetown educated attorney who left her successful law practice to start

and sell numerous business ventures, spanning software, real estate, hospitality,

construction, staffing and consulting. After the sale of her last company, Diana spent

three years as a Senior Fellow at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the largest

non-profit in the world dedicated to entrepreneurship and education, and two years as

a professor of entrepreneurship in the MBA program at the University of Missouri.

Diana is currently with Maddock Douglas, an innovation consulting firm. In this role, she

trains executives and Fortune 1000 companies to be more creative and inspires

employees to think like entrepreneurs. Diana is also the author of the NYT’s Bestseller All

in Startup, which is used in over 70 colleges to teach innovation and entrepreneurship.

Her most recent book is: The Curiosity Muscle.

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10:00 – 10:30 Exhibitor Showcase & Refreshments Grand Ballroom E - G Get uplifting ideas from our sponsors and exhibitors, and refuel to be ready for the next

set of workshops.

10:30 – 11:30 Concurrent Workshops: Round Two

Partnering with Purpose

Pacific

Tressa A. Dorsey, President, TAD Grants

No matter how strong, competent or productive your organization is, partnership

building is ongoing. Determining which partnerships we build, how we build them and

why, is accomplished through comprehensive evaluation and strategic planning. Learn

the process of building sustainable and intentional partnerships through discussion and

activities. Discussion will cover developing shared workspace, promoting accountability

and common communication guidelines.

Showcasing the State Workforce Development System

Harbor

Dennis Petrie, Workforce Services Branch Deputy Director, EDD

Loree Levy, Public Affairs Branch Deputy Director, EDD

Local Workforce Board/Area representatives

Curiosity begs the question: How can we ensure job seekers are aware of our services

when needed? Lawmakers value what we do in the community when making budget

decisions supporting our work? And employers are more knowledgeable and engaged

in our workforce development efforts? Let’s team up to showcase the good work we

do!

Learn about the partnership underway to illustrate system successes and the

opportunities available to collaborate and mutually benefit from public outreach.

Workforce Boards: Building a Culture of Innovation

Salon I

Ron Painter, President and CEO, National Association of Workforce Boards

Tom Kavanaugh, Senior Consultant, Public Consulting Group

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act expanded the role of local workforce

boards by pushing boards to think beyond the mandates of the federal law and focus

on strategic planning for the workforce system in their communities. This session will

focus on how to understand the shifting dynamics in workforce development and how

to bring new visioning to the table.

Employer Fears and Misconceptions

Salon V

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Disability Access Services Training Team, CA Department of Rehabilitation -

This fast-paced workshop is designed to help job placement staff dispel employer held

myths, misconceptions and misinformation that impedes the hiring and retention of

qualified job seekers with disabilities. Participants will be able to educate prospective

employers regarding common misconceptions and identify California’s Fair

Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) employment responsibilities.

Project HIRRE: Using Technology to Create a Participant-Centric, Integrated Workforce,

Education, and Social Services System

Garden 3

Heather Henry, Executive Director, Solano County Workforce Board

Christine Hess, Executive Director, Solano Adult Education Consortium

Garth Neil, VP Sales, and Marketing, LiteracyPro Systems

Solano County is taking a bold and collaborative step. Having identified 32 agencies,

schools, and non-profits actively supporting and developing the county’s workforce, we

are transforming previously isolated entities into a cohesive service delivery

system. Learn how we are aligning synergistic programs and leveraging data by using

a data-sharing technology platform. And, learn how we are addressing referrals,

privacy concerns and cost sharing across partners to create a participant-centered

system that connects services and supports.

Using the Good Jobs, Good Business Toolkit to Meet Small Business Workforce

Development Needs

Salon VII – VIII

Kristy Henrich, Analyst, Impact Investing, Pacific Community Ventures

Tom Woelfel, Director, Impact Advisory Services, Pacific Community Ventures

Small Business Owner, San Francisco, TBD

Jenny Weissbourd, Senior Project Manager

Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program

Jeannine LaPrad, Senior Fellow, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Through the Aspen Institute’s Reimagine Retail Initiative, Pacific Community Ventures

has worked with small retail businesses to develop and pilot a toolkit with practical

approaches to improve job quality for their workers. Participants will learn more about

these tools, explore the opportunities and challenges in working with small businesses on

their hiring and advancement practices, and develop new ways in which this toolkit

could be adapted to meet business needs in their own community.

E-Learning Training Solutions for the Modern Jobseeker

Garden 2

Phyllis Stogbauer, Deputy Director for Programs

Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board

Patricia Carlson, Training Navigator, Tooling U-SME

Steve Christianson, Founder, The Water School

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As technology advances and jobseekers become busier with their daily lives, flexibility

and accessibility becomes paramount and Workforce Boards must be flexible in how

they deliver trainings. Learn more about ways to provide customer centered online e-

learning training solutions that include instructor led facilitated training.

Integrating Case Managers as Part of a High Performing Business Engagement Team

Garden 1

Christine Bosworth, Ed.D., Co-founder/CEO, Business U, Inc.

Celina Shands, Co-founder, Business U, Inc.

Business U’s national 2019 Workforce Case Manager Study revealed major disconnects

in how business services and case management coordinate effectively to both build

credibility and trust with employers while meeting job seeker performance outcomes.

This session reviews the study’s findings and offers a business engagement integration

blueprint to help attendees take strategic steps to move out of siloes and toward a

more integrated approach to serve both demand and supply customers.

Career Pathways 180: A Strategic Approach to Serving Adults on Parole

Garden 4

Robert Chavez, Operations Manager, South Bay Workforce Investment Board

Carla Cortez, Program Manager, South Bay One-Stop Business & Career Centers-

Vincent Thompson, Parole Administrator, CDCR/ Los Angeles

Mary Weaver, Executive Director, Friends Outside/ Los Angeles

Paul Guzman, Executive Director, New Opportunities Organization

South Bay Workforce Investment Board’s Career Pathway 180 (CP 180) is a partnership

with CDCR-Parole, Friends Outside and New Opportunities Organization to prepare

recently released parolees through a comprehensive, robust week-long workshop to

learn strategies to overcome their barriers.

Learn how the Partnership allows for career ladder self-sustaining employment through

leveraged funding (including WIOA) to provide career pathway counseling, vocational

training, paid work experience, on-the-job training and job development.

Move that DigiBUS! A Creative Rapid Response Collaboration

Salon VI

Martha Espinosa, Business Services/Rapid Response Coordinator

Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board

Wendy Lomeli, Employment Program Manager III, Fresno Cluster

Southern Workforce Services Division, Workforce Services Branch

Shannon Morrison, Adult Programming Librarian

Fresno County Public Library

May Ly, Program Specialist, CLCA

Richard Heath & Associates, Inc.

What happens when a business doesn’t want you to provide Rapid Response Services

on their premises?

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Discover the creative uses of the Fresno County Library’s Digibus and learn how 7

organizations leveraged their resources to provide Rapid Response and Rapid

Reemployment Services for business closures and layoffs. Learn from case examples in

our area to improve services to dislocated workers in yours.

Inspiring Generation Z and Preparing Government Agencies for the Future Public Sector

Workforce

Salon II

Moderator

Randi Kay Stephens, Institute for Local Government

Panelists

Candy Vickrey Smith, Faculty,

Folsom Lake College (Los Rios Community College)

Sandra Paschal, Sacramento County Human Resources

Terri Carpenter, Sacramento Employment & Training Agency

Twenty eight per cent of all employment in the Sacramento region is in the public

sector. Learn what partners in workforce/youth development, human resources and

educators are doing to address the gray wave while innovating pathways into public

service. Fueled by curiosity and a desire to address challenges in the civil service,

leaders are diagnosing challenges, aligning systems, and making progress. From dual

enrollment and training to engaging at-risk youth in the public sector, the team aspires

to develop the diverse workforce of the future.

11:45 – 1:00 CHARLIE BROWN AWARDS LUNCHEON Grand Ballroom A - D

The Awards Luncheon honors those who have contributed significantly to the workforce

profession and to workforce development in their communities.

Luncheon Welcome

Reg Javier, Executive Director, San Bernardino County Workforce Board;

Chair, CWA Capacity Building Committee

Master of Ceremonies

Silver Rose, Trainer, Coach and Stand Up Comedian

1:15 – 2:15 Concurrent Workshops: Round Three

SymphonyNotes: A Technological Innovation in Workforce Collaboration

Harbor

Marlena Sessions, Vice President of Public and Private Partnerships

Grant Associates

Christopher Wingert, Director of Strategic Operations

Grant Associates

cc. Heather Engelbrecht, Grant Associates

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This session will demonstrate a cloud-based suite of products and services that drive

collaboration. The technology enables user-friendly sharing among partners,

automated communication with customers, and continual collection, analysis, tracking

and reporting of customer activity. Our turn-key solution can be optimized for both

TANF and WIOA performance measures across multiple touchpoints, enables seamless

interaction with multiple databases, and is highly customizable for the unique needs of

communities. Join us and learn more.

Data Driven Program Management

Pacific

Tressa A. Dorsey, President, TAD Grants

Data is a key element to determining the success of a project. Often the data

collected is not as useful as it could be. Attendees will learn what types of data should

be collected, how it can be utilized and what it can reveal about program design

flaws. The workshop will focus on how to use data to manage teams and processes and

how to incorporate performance into marketing and grant writing campaigns.

Extreme Employer Engagement: Hiring Chambers of Commerce to Deliver WIOA

Business Services

Garden 3

Frank Avery, Executive Director, CareerSource North Central Florida

Eric Godet, CEO, Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce

Jeffrey Tate, COO, CTD Holdings; Vice Chair and Board Chair-elect,

CareerSource North Central Florida Board

Kim Tesch-Vaught, Business Development Director, Public Consulting Group

Business likes working with business. So how do we as government and non-profit

workforce boards break into the business community? For over a decade,

CareerSource North Central Florida has answered this question by putting business on

the frontlines, literally. CSNCFL has seamlessly integrated workforce board WIOA

resources into a fully-integrated, service provider delivery model through regional

chambers of commerce. The model was recognized by the U.S Chamber of

Commerce in 2009 and serves as an enduring example of sector-based, industry-driven

business engagement strategies.

Hear how this one-of-a-kind partnership streamlines service delivery and elevates

business, economic and workforce development for the region.

Questions Nurture Curiosity, Answers Crush It: Using Questions to Build Problem Solving

Capacity

Garden 1

Silver Rose

Get your curiosity mojo back! In a society that seeks instant answers, true innovation

comes from nurturing your innate curiosity by wrestling with questions. In this funny and

interactive session, you will learn how to build your strategic problem-solving muscle by

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applying Appreciative Inquiry to ask good questions. If you are feeling stagnant in your

work or you often think, “There has to be a better way,” this session is for you!

Using Technology to Automate Lead Generation for Workforce and Education

Campaigns

Garden 4

Celina Shands, CEO/Founder, Full Capacity Marketing, Inc.

Lead generation is a proactive strategy to garner interest in your workforce services

and convert prospective job seekers and employers to meet targeted performance

metrics. This session deconstructs how lead generation was used to successfully target

hard to reach populations.

Participants will learn how to: 1) create compelling calls to action that generate

interest; 2) deploy outreach using common communication mediums to capture leads;

and 3) automate lead distribution and follow-up to minimize staff time.

Incumbent Worker Training: Helping Regional Businesses Compete and Thrive

Salon VII – VIII

T. Pham & Stephanie Murillo, IERPU Regional Organizers

Antonette Llano, Business Solutions Consultant

Riverside County Workforce Development

Mike Ector, Business Services Manager,

San Bernardino County Workforce Development

The Inland Empire Regional Planning Unit has tackled Incumbent Worker Training (IWT)

regionally, developing a process that is mirrored in two counties. IWT is a crucial service

for businesses, especially in a time when the unemployment rate is so low.

Responsiveness and the ability to provide this service to businesses is improving

relationships and stimulating the economy in the Inland Empire.

Join us for a discussion on how the Inland Empire is making this work.

Garden 2

SNAP Employment and Training: Understanding the Opportunity, the Model and How to

Get Started

Garden 2

Ken Barnes, Senior Policy Associate, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Nick Codd, Senior Consultant, Seattle Jobs Initiative

Sarah Turner, CalFresh Employment and Training, CDSS

Robert Garcia, Program Specialist, County of Alameda

California Workforce Development Boards are integrating CalFresh E&T into their

updated WIOA plans in 2019. This session will provide an overview of the USDA’s SNAP

E&T model including the funding opportunity offered by the SNAP 50/50 reimbursement

model. The panel will provide guidance and examples on how local WDBs can

collaborate with county and state CalFresh departments to integrate services that

reduce poverty and increase employability for CalFresh participants.

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JOBS Work: An Innovative Private-Nonprofit Partnership that Helps Communities Thrive

Salon I

Christa Sheehan, Deputy Director, Hope Builders

one employer pending…

Greg Palmer, CEO (Retired), Remedy Temp

Brian Taber, CEO, Taber

Gloria Hale, CEO, Hale Glass

A 2018 Deloitte study showed Hope Builders’ graduates contributed almost $1.3 million

annually back to Orange County. This study inspired additional employers to help us

design a program to grow this economic impact. Last spring, the agency launched a

staffing model that fast tracks youth into quality jobs, connects employers to a vetted,

reliable labor pool, and generates revenue to expand a workforce pipeline.

Join us and find out how to bridge the skills gap and help underserved communities

thrive.

Honey, We Forgot the Kids! Addressing the Near Complete Absence of Youth in

Regional Plans

Salon V

David Shinder, Workforce Consultant

California’s state, regional and local plans are the best in the nation, charting the

course for effective services for priority populations and industries. The Plans, however,

are light on strategies focused specifically on youth. Local boards, service providers,

educators, and other stakeholders may find value in developing plans to meet wide-

ranging needs of young workers.

Explore opportunities to borrow from California’s workforce planning playbook to craft

approaches that could be used to develop youth-focused workforce plans.

STEPS Youth and STEPS Connections: Developing Innovative Solutions to Effectively Serve

Reentry Youth

Salon VI

Edward Sajor, WIOA Re-Entry Division, Ventura County HSA

Elsa Banuelos, WIOA Re-Entry STEPS-Connection Division, Ventura County HSA

Ivette Gutierrez, Associate, Social Policy Research Associates

Kate Dunham, Director, Workforce and Human Services Division

Social Policy Research Associates

Ventura County’s WIOA Re-Entry Division, along with its county probation agency, is

implementing the STEPS-Youth program to help youth ages 16-21 who are on probation

or incarcerated with finding unsubsidized employment. The County is also using an

Accelerator grant to fund the STEPS-Connection program, which is aimed at identifying

innovative solutions to overcome challenges—such as a lack of transportation—to

serving these youth effectively.

Learn more about the county’s curiosity-driven efforts in this interactive workshop.

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Creating a Skills-for-California Network

Salon II

Brianna Bruns, Director of Policy & Advocacy, California EDGE Coalition

The California EDGE Coalition, in partnership with the National Skills Coalition, convened

the first annual Skills for California Summit in February 2019 where over 100 attendees

representing business, labor, community-based organizations, workforce boards,

educational institutions, and job training providers convened to endorse a series of

broad strategies for closing the skills and equity gap in California. Come hear about the

effort and join this growing network.

2:15 – 2:45 Exhibitor Showcase & Refreshments Grand Ballroom E - G Take advantage of this last opportunity to connect with our sponsors and exhibitors and

pick up some freebies to take home.

2:45 – 3:45 Concurrent Workshops: Round Four

Partnering to Adopt Housing First Strategies for Re-Entry Population

Salon I

Sandra Hamameh, Legislative, Research and Policy Specialist, CWDB

Continuum of Care rep (Housing Coordinating and Financing Council)

SB 1380 subject matter expert (Coalition for Supportive Housing)

Housing operator or affordable housing tenant (TBD)

Housing is an important element for successful reentry and employment for formerly

incarcerated and justice-involved people. California recently passed SB 1380, a policy

for housing programs to model Housing First. The Housing First model is evidence-based

and takes a “holistic” approach by focusing on housing as a tool, versus a reward. The

intent of Housing First is in alignment with the goals of many of the programs that are

struggling with its implementation.

Not Your Grandfather’s Strategic Plan: Strategic DoingTM

Salon II

Lisa Rice, CEO, Every Strength Counts, LLC

Do you even know where your Strategic Plan is? Are you able to say that you have

accomplished most items you put into your Strategic Plan? Would you like to have a

way to strategically get things done? Join this workshop for hands on Strategic DoingTM

that will move your organization forward every 90 days.

Participants will engage in a Strategic DoingTM scenario that is realistic to the workforce

development industry.

Why Don’t They Show Up?

Garden 1

Larry Robbin, Executive Director, Robbin & Associates

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Are you curious about why job seekers either don't come to our programs or why there

are so many no shows for appointments? Job seeker no shows for appointments are

not only frustrating, but many staff waste literally weeks of time in a year waiting for

people to come. Do you wonder why more employers are not showing up at our doors

asking about our services? If our business services are so good, why aren't more

employers referring other business people to us?

If you are a manager or staff person that wants the answers to these questions so you

can get more job seekers and employers to show up, make sure you come to this

workshop! This session is based on surveys with hundreds of job seeker and employer

customers that delved into the reasons they did not show up. These listening sessions

did not provide the obvious answers because we were curious about the deeper level

issues. Putting this revealing information into your work will mean you will be able to

better serve more job seekers and businesses in less time because people will show up!

Careers that Build Communities: Creating Sustainable Construction Career Pathway

Models

Pacific

Robert Chavez, Operations Manager, South Bay Workforce Investment Board

Carla Cortez, Program Manager, South Bay One-Stop Business & Career Centers

Pamela Penn, President, PDA Consulting Group

Jason Vogel, CEO, Career Expansion

Tanya Stukes, Inclusivity & Workforce Development Manager, Kiewit

Michael Richardson, EEO DBE Manager, Skanska

The Construction Utilities Pathways Program (CUPP) supplies a pipeline of qualified

candidates by providing support services and access to training and employment to

major construction projects in LA County. CUPP’s mission is to increase community

knowledge, demystify the construction industry and help individuals build the

framework to start apprenticeship careers in the construction industry. By providing

case management, workshops and assessments, enrolled and work-ready clients are

identified to Union, Jobs Coordinators, Contractors, Developers and Owner/Agencies.

Curiosity Is Your Super Power

Salon VII – VIII

Wallace Walrod, Chief Economic Advisor, Orange County Business Council

Jeff Hittenberger, Chief Academic Officer,

Orange County Department of Education

Amy Kaufman, Department of Education and Behavioral Sciences

University of California at San Diego

The Orange County Local Partnership Agreement (OCLPA) Community Programming

Efforts

Garden 4

Linda O’Neal, Transition Specialist & Consultant, Chapman University;

Thompson Policy Institute, SDSU Interwork Institute & RCOC

Norman Albances, Program Manager,

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County of Orange/Orange County Development Board

Arturo Cazares, Associate Director for Employment,

Regional Center of Orange County

Kurt Kosbab, Vocational Specialist, Huntington Beach UHSD

Trinh van Erp, Team Manager, CA Department of Rehabilitation

Christine Gascon, Executive Director, Adult Education,

Rancho Santiago Adult Education Consortium

Karena Gibbs, Administrator, Irvine Unified School District

The Orange County Local Partnership Agreement (OCLPA) has been operational for 20

months and brings together representatives from community organizations committed

to improving employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. In this session, we

will share what we have learned about cross-agency efforts focusing on promoting,

developing, and sustaining employment. Effective workforce development strategies

will be discussed, particularly our Universal Referral Pilot Program that uses an Integrated

Resource Team approach to ensure warm handoffs between agencies.

Integrating Re-entry Services in Career Center Operations

Garden 3

Jim Painter, CSNCFL Board Member/Executive Director Florida Concrete Masonry

Education Council

Sean McCoy, Business Services Manager CSNCFL, Public Consulting Group

Kim Tesch-Vaught, Business Manager, Public Consulting Group

This session will share our experiences in creating a partnership between CSNCFL, the

Florida Department of Corrections Probation Services, community-based organizations

and employers to maximize employment opportunities for justice involved citizens.

The integrated service plan between probation and employment specialists resulted in

69% of clients placed in employment, and provided access to employment,

entrepreneurship training, while removing social stigma and apprehension about

working with government agencies.

Innovative Strategies for Priority Populations Using Adult Ed: Changing Lives Forever

Harbor

Dr. Alfred Ramirez, Director, GlendaleLEARNS, Adult Education Consortium

Jan Swinton, Dean of Workforce Development, Glendale Community College

MaryAnn Pranke, Coordinator, GlendaleLEARNS

Verdugo Workforce Development Board

The implementation of the California Adult Education Program allowed for innovative

strategies for increasing access for English Language Learners and individuals with

intellectual disabilities, and other priority populations. Glendale used this opportunity to

integrate education with workforce development and, using Design Thinking,

implemented strategic co-enrollment that integrates WIOA and non-WIOA sources,

providing services that change lives forever.

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Proven success is demonstrated through its CNC Machinist Academy for students with

autism celebrating its 88% job placement.

Learn by Texting: Improve Training Outcomes with Text Messaging

Garden 2

Kim Coulthurst, Co-Founder, CareerHub and Pathways Consultants

Amanda Gerrie, Co-Founder, CareerHub and Pathways Consultants

Tanika Carter, Senior Case Manager, Bay Area Community Resources

Karine Kanikkeberg, Resource Teacher, Kern High School District, Career Resource

Department

Ena Volic, M.Ed., Consultant, Los Angeles Transition Age Youth Collaborative

Did you know that Americans spend close to four hours a day on their cell phones?

Texting is a great way to communicate with clients and remind them of meetings and

events, but did you know that you can provide training via texting too? Three service

providers, serving different California regions and different populations will share how

they use texting to provide training virtually. Come learn how virtual training can

improve your outcomes, engage clients and offer efficient online services at low cost.

Navigating the Legal Quagmire of Fiscal Agency in an RPU Setting

Salon V

Kenneth J. Price, Esquire. Baker Manock & Jensen, PC

Craig Armstrong, Attorney, Baker Manock & Jensen, PC

California’s WIOA Regional Planning Units serve to align workforce development

resources with larger regional areas and resources to provide services to job seekers

and employers. However, Local Workforce Areas having to serve as fiscal agents for

other LWAs has led to a host of unforeseen problems.

Learn about how to address these problems in a thoughtful and pragmatic way.

pending

Serving Veterans Together

Salon VI

Angela Gardner, President, Workforce Development Solutions, Inc.

One-Stop Operator for San Bernardino County

Debbie M. Barcelona, Employment Program Manager I

Employment Development Department

Cheryl Shelby, AJCC Manager

San Bernardino County Workforce Development Department

Tony Forbes, Regional Veterans Employment Coordinator

Veterans Employment and Training Services (VETS)

U.S. Department of Labor San Francisco

Learn how our “team” consistently exceeds performance goals while maintaining high

customer satisfaction from employers and veterans. Curious about our secrets…we co-

enroll 98% of our veterans. Join us and learn more about our success.

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4:00 – 5:15 Mini-Plenary Sessions Pick one of the three sessions that most appeals to you, as we finish the day going into

more depth around the most daunting issues facing business, job seekers and the

workforce system.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Garden 4

Moderator

Jennifer Hernandez, Associate Secretary, Farmworker and Immigrant Services

California Labor and Workforce Development Agency

Featuring

Vicki Brannock, Director of Programs, San Diego Workforce Partnership

Jason Mangold, Strategic Workforce Development Manager, CompTIA

MaiKnue Vang, Deputy Director

Workforce Development Board of Madera County

Antonio Vigil, Supervising Employment and Training Counselor

County of Sonoma Human Services

NEXT LEVEL BUSINESS SERVICES

Garden 2

Featuring

Brenda Budke, Executive Director, Sierra HR Partners

Darren Cook, Business Services Supervisor

San Bernardino County Workforce Development

Erik Cherkaski, Business Services Manager,

Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board

EMERGING APPRENTICESHIP STRATEGIES

Garden 1

Moderator

Bob Lanter, Executive Director, CWA and

Featuring

John Dunn, Assistant Secretary,

California Labor and Workforce Development Agency

Vinz Koller, Director of Training & Technical Assistance, SPR

FAIR CHANCE FOR EX-OFFENDERS & JUSTICE INVOLVED WORKERS

Garden 3

Moderator

Aisa Villarosa, Associate Director of Policy and Advocacy, Insight Center

Featuring

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Heather Henry, Executive Director, Solano Workforce Development Board

Darris Young, Program Associate, Boys and Men of Color

Urban Strategies Council

8:00 – 10:30 Casino Night Grand Ballroom E

Join us for a night of taking chances. Great prizes to the top “money” winners of

the evening. If gambling isn’t for you, there’ll be plenty more to do.

Friday, May 17, 2019

7:30 – 8:30 Continental Breakfast Grand Ballroom Foyer

8:30 – 9:30 Morning Plenary Grand Ballroom A

Session Moderator

Teresa Hitchcock, Second Vice Chair, CWA; Executive Director,

Kern, Inyo & Mono Counties Workforce Board

Plenary Presentation

Applied Improv

Izzy Gesell, Improv Coach & Trainer, IzzyG & Company

Until recently, the word “Improv” was usually connected to “theater,” so it had no

relevance to most of us except as entertainment. We looked, we laughed, we left.

The kind of Improv that is applicable to our daily lives and personal growth is known

as Applied Improv. The premise is the skills that make Improv theater people successful

are the same ones that make us all successful.

Desired and achievable Improv skills include thinking on our feet, dealing with reality,

focusing on what’s important, able to disagree without dissolving into conflict, having

fun and being creative. It’s a growing field of practice around the world and popping

up in all kinds of places and for all kinds of uses.

Like mindfulness, Applied Improv uses a skillset that is deceptively simple. Since it’s a

skillset, it requires practice. Since its fun, it gets done.

9:45 – 10:45 Concurrent Workshops: Round Five

Using Technology and Digital Badges to De-Risk Non-Traditional Hires

Garden 1

Michael Simpson, CEO & Founder of PAIRIN

Brenda Perea, Director of Education and Workforce Strategies

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Do you work with employers that won’t hire your amazing candidates because they

can’t get past their non-traditional backgrounds? Could your program benefit from

technologies that reliably match candidates to opportunities and differentiate you from

high-cost recruiters?

This session will uncover how workforce agencies can be seen as cutting-edge

providers of high-quality, undiscovered talent! Learn how technology can help you

impact more people by utilizing digital badging, soft skills data, job-specific matching

and applicant sharing.

A Real-Time Method for Data-Driven Curiosity and Human-Centered Innovation:

Workforce System Case Study

Garden 2

Patrick Koppula, Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services

County of Los Angeles

This workshop will appeal to people thinking about possibilities for their team in data-

driven curiosity and human-centered innovation. Through a case study, this workshop

will familiarize participants with implementing proven methods for human-centered

design approaches to curiosity, creativity and innovation through real-time, data-driven

experimentation.

Through such methods, it becomes possible to become curious about an idea on

Monday, test it human-scale on Tuesday, evaluate it on Wednesday, and make a data-

driven go/no-go decision on Thursday.

Rising from Homelessness through Employment

Pacific

Judith Velasco, Executive Director, Verdugo Workforce Development Board

Melissa Younesian, Manager. Verdugo Jobs Center

Rasheedah Scott, Case Manager, Verdugo Jobs Center

The Verdugo Workforce Development launched the Regional Immediate Intervention

Service to Employment (RIISE), in partnership with the Verdugo Jobs Center, Los Angeles

County, City of Glendale and community based organizations to provide a

comprehensive work-based learning project that immediately moves participants to

the work environment. Through strategic co-enrollment, this project combines multiple

funding sources to address the various needs of participants, from meals, transportation

to work sites, paid transitional employment and work readiness workshops.

Partnering with Your Local Child Support Agency: Building a Successful Collaboration

Salon I

Brigid Reilly, Job Center Navigator

Workforce Development Board of Solano County

Tara Knobbe, Senior Support Specialist, Training Team

Solano County Department of Child Support

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This workshop will focus of how to set up a partnership between Workforce

Development Board (WDBs) and Local Child Support Agencies (LCSAs) and the benefits

of doing so. Discussion will include background on the relationship between CA WDB

and DCSS from the state level, the benefits of the partnership to the LCSA and their

customers, how to go about building a positive and fruitful collaboration between the

agencies, and ways to incorporate the partnership into daily case management.

Using Labor Market Research to Promote the Resilience of Retail Companies and

Workers

Harbor

Brooke Valle, Vice President of Strategy, San Diego Workforce Partnership

Sarah Burns, Director of Research and Evaluation,

San Diego Workforce Partnership

Jenny Weissbourd, Senior Project Manager,

Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program

Jeannine LaPrad, Senior Fellow, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Through the Aspen Institute’s Reimagine Retail Initiative, the San Diego Workforce

Partnership (SDWP) conducted research on the impact of changes in technology,

consumer behavior, and the minimum wage on retail businesses, jobs, and workers.

Participants will learn about the process and findings from this research and how it’s

informing changes in policy and practice, including how the SDWP plans to work with

retailers, small businesses, and workers on job stability and mobility in the sector.

Best Practices for Transgender Inclusion in the Workplace

Salon VI

Rex Wilde, Program Director, Trans Can Work

In the year 2025, millennials will represent 75% of the workforce. Millennials are twice as

likely to identify as LGBTQ and more likely to identify as transgender or non-binary than

previous generations. For employers, it is no longer a matter of what to do if they have

transgender employees, but a matter of preparing for when they have transgender

employees. This session will provide an environment for professionals to elevate their

understanding of transgender inclusion.

Curiosity from the Inside Out: The Power of Listening

Salon VII – VIII

Lisa Michelle, Coach, Facilitator, Program Manager Santa Clarita AJCC

What is the difference between asking questions and deeply listening?

This interactive learning explores how asking questions can be a roadblock to curiosity

whereas strength based listening permits us to be truly inquisitive and acquire desirable

and essential information.

Grow your listening in such a way that builds resiliency in individuals, grows employee

retention, provides excellent customer service even in breakdown, and boosts morale

and productivity.

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Session Pending

Salon V

11:00 – 12:00 Closing Plenary Grand Ballroom A

Session Moderator

Bob Lanter, Executive Director, CWA