Workforce Development

Virginia Small Business SummitOctober 10, 2014

Overview• Workforce @ Va’s

Community Colleges• The Issue• The Challenges• The Solutions

The Issue: Hiring DifficultyIn Virginia, like the nation at large, businesses of all sizes and across varying industries are having trouble finding talent.

• Small business owners report… of those hiring, “46% reported few or no qualified applicants for open positions”

Source: National Federation of Independent Businesses, June 2014 report

• “Job openings for STEM positions take longer to fill than openings in other fields. The median duration of advertising for a STEM vacancy is more than twice as long as for a non-STEM vacancy.”

Source: Brookings Institution, July 2014 report

• “Central Virginia CEOs say recruiting and keeping talent is a big concern”

Source: Virginia Business citing University of Richmond Report, July 14, 2014

The Issue: Hiring Difficulty

Job vacancies became much easier to fill during the recession, but started becoming harder as the economy rebounded.

Source: J. Rothwell, July 2014The Brookings Institution

• Info Gap: Accessing high quality regional demand data

• Interest Gap: Driving interest among workforce supply to areas of regional demand

• Skills Gap: Creating and making available training that most closely aligns with skills demanded by industry & Increasing credential attainment

• Affordability Gap: Making training affordable to those who will become the next great Virginia workforce

The Challenges

Solutions: High Quality Regional Demand Data

• Regional, ongoing engagement of business and industry

• Real-time analysis of job and skill demands

• Forecasts for future job demand

• Triangulation of data points

Endorsed by Blueprint Virginia

Solutions: Coaching to Align Supply and Demand

• Uses data on supply, demand, job salaries, and career interests to inform decisions

• Busts myths about technical training

• Creates career plans with clear education & training steps to achieving success

• Provides practical work experience

• Engages business and parents

Endorsed by Blueprint Virginia

Solutions: Aligning Training to Industries’ Needs

• Builds on data gathered from business and industry

• Requires ongoing refinement

• Follows industry standards and supports stackable credentials

• Uses state-of-the-art equipment

• Is readily accessible

Endorsed by Blueprint Virginia

Solutions: Increase Credential Attainment

• Credentials are the passport into the skilled economy

• Leverage business and industry in selecting from 4,000 providers of 700,000 industry certification

• Build capacity in a successful infrastructure

• Proposal: Pay only for results that matter

Educational Degrees and Certificates: • Awarded by a college or university.• Requires completion of a credit-bearing

program of study.

Industry Certifications: • Awarded by a certification body.• Requires individual to demonstrate, through

exam, competency to perform a specific job.

Licenses: • Awarded by a licensing agency (frequently a

state agency).• Requires meeting pre-determined criteria that

may include some combination of degree attainment, industry certifications, certificates, assessment, apprenticeship programs, or work experience.

Endorsed by Blueprint Virginia