Helping businesses and workers succeed in a post-recession economy

National Talent Dividend Network MeetingCincinnati, OhioOctober 2010

BUILDING A DEMAND-DRIVEN WORKFORCE NETWORK

Challenge• Economic restructuring accelerating the skills gap; fast growing “middle-

skill” jobs; nearly half of our adults lacking any education beyond high school; 1-in-3 local employers can’t find qualified workers.

Our Response• A three-year, $17+ million initiative to help people attain good jobs and

ensure that local businesses have the skilled workers they need.

• Led by The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, the partnership was launched in 2008 when Cincinnati was selected to be a part of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions.

• We are a regional public-private partnership of the major workforce development players in the Tristate area: philanthropic funders, businesses, government agencies, the public workforce investment system, economic development agencies, educational institutions, and community organizations.

BUILDING A DEMAND-DRIVEN WORKFORCE NETWORK

Mission

Align workforce training with employer needs in priority sectors to help low-income adults attain good jobs while helping businesses access skilled workers.

Dual Customer Goals

• Train low-skill adults for better jobs and long-term careers.

• Help employers recruit, train, retain and advance employees to fill critical occupational shortages.

Objectives

1. Align workforce resources and strategies across the system

2. Close skill gaps in priority industries

3. Build the capacity of the regional workforce system

4. Advance policy change to improve the system

BUILDING A DEMAND-DRIVEN WORKFORCE NETWORK

Primary Strategy: Career Pathways Partnerships

• Target healthcare, construction and advanced manufacturing sectors, which together represent nearly 1-in-3 jobs in our region and have current or projected shortages of qualified workers.

• Catalyze and support business-led partnerships between businesses, educational institutions, and community organizations that work to close the gap between the skills people have and the skills that employers need by:

• Identifying in-demand occupations and the needed skills,

• Improving and coordinating training programs to respond to the needs of employers, and

• Creating career pathways for low-income adults to get the education they need to get good jobs that are in demand.

BUILDING A DEMAND-DRIVEN WORKFORCE NETWORK

Results to Date

• Leveraging Funds: $17M+ from public, private, and philanthropic sources from local, state, and national levels.

• Building Partnerships: Over 150 partner organizations engaged in GCWN initiatives from public, private, nonprofit sectors.

• Aligning around common goals and strategies; advancing systems change.

• Achieving Outcomes: in two years, GCWN-supported initiatives have helped over 2,400 individuals with 80%+ completing training and earning over 2,700 postsecondary credentials and an estimated 70-80% job placement rate.