FCM Blog

Workforce Investment Lands on 60 MinutesOutstanding Story – Elevator Speech Needs Work

2012-02-21T14:12:52-08:00

Major kudos to Joe Carbone, executive director of The WorkPlace in Bridgeport, CT who was highlighted on Scott Pelley’s 60 Minutes segment on Sunday. A huge congratulations to Joe for his innovative work to raise private sector and non-formula WIA funding to launch an innovative program to put the chronically unemployed back to work.

There were so many amazing components to this package:

The facts pertaining to the epidemic rates of high unemployment.
Joe’s passion about the mission of workforce development.
The human interest stories that were generated by the program.
The results of the program and the profound changes seen in the participants.
The professionalism of Joe’s team and the program.
The engagement of the private sector to fund the innovative programs.
The response to the story.

Awesome job Joe and team! This package can no doubt be leveraged to help workforce stakeholders across the country build a business case for why the workforce investment system is needed, and how it innovates to find solutions to major workforce challenges. The fact that Joe is funded, in part by WIA, demonstrates clearly that workforce investment boards across the country leverage this funding to get the right stakeholders and supporters to the table for these types of innovations.

Now, the one down side — and, I cringe at even bringing one drop of rain on this fabulous accomplishment, but here it is.

At one point in the package, Scott Pelley describes The Workplace as a “the state unemployment office in southwest Connecticut where people get job training and placement help.” As stakeholders in the workforce system, we have to be hyper-vigilant about consistently describing the workforce investment system, so that America understands that workforce investment boards and one-stop career centers are part of a national network funded by WIA.

What are the benefits for having a consistent descriptor for the workforce investment system?

A consistent descriptor:

helps lift the confusion about the programs that are associated with WIA funding;
showcases how WIA funded programs are leveraging funds and relationships to develop broad-based innovations;
identifies the broad reach across the country of system stakeholders;
lets funders know the caliber of organizations associated with WIA funding; and
builds a business case for WIA funded programs and services.

So what should be the consistent message? Here’s my two cents.

The [insert name of organization] is part of the workforce investment system that is funded by the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) which authorizes more than 550 local business-led workforce investments boards (WIBs) that oversee workforce development services through a network of 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers. Through WIA, local civic, business and workforce development leaders develop strategies that leverage funding and resources within their local communities to prepare and match the skills of workers with the workforce demands of companies. For more information, go to www.WorkforceInvestmentWorks.com.

What are your suggestion/edits? Please weigh in so that we can agree on our “universal elevator speech” and start leveraging and benefiting from every single positive media story, blog and/or social media posts that pertains to WIA funded programs.

STATE CAMPAIGNS HIGHLIGHT VALUE OF WORKFORCE FUNDINGStates leverage national workforce campaign to educate policy makers

2012-02-13T07:24:37-08:00

In 2011, Full Capacity Marketing, Inc. (FCM) and the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) partnered to deliver the Workforce Investment Works (WIW) campaign—a storytelling website that showcases workforce innovations, customer testimonials, and written and video customer success stories about the workforce investment system. The campaign 1) helps America understand the value proposition of workforce-funded programs and services; 2) generates support of workforce funding through social media; and 3) builds the capacity of workforce stakeholders to utilize consistent messages with their local elected officials and the news media to bring awareness around the repercussions of cutting workforce funding.

With nearly 4,000 entries from across the U.S. and around the world, WIW was selected for a 2011 Davey Awards by the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA) in the integrated campaign category. Since the award announcements, WIW has built substantial momentum, and garnered interest from state workforce associations (SWAs) and state workforce investment boards (SWIBs).

The next phase of the campaign allows SWAs and SWIBs to participate by tailoring the WIW site specifically for any state. Success stories, innovations and customer testimonials that are published on the state campaign websites automatically flow to the national WIW site, so that there is no duplication in entering data. This allows the NAWB to continually build the national database of successes and innovations, which in turn, builds a stronger business case collectively for workforce funding.

To view the national campaign, go to www.WorkforceInvestmentWorks.com; the Oregon, California and Minnesota campaigns can be viewed at
www.WorkforceInvestmentWorks.com/Oregon;
www.WorkforceInvestmentWorks.com/California;
www.WorkforceInvestmentWorks.com/Minnesota.

State Workforce Associations and State Workforce Investment Boards can contact Ron Painter at painterr@nawb.org, or Celina Shands Gradijan at celina@fullcapacitymarketing.com for details on how to participate. For more information about NAWB and/or its upcoming annual workforce forum, go to www.NAWB.org/Forum.

Please click here to read the full press release.

Wake up Workforce Investment Boards (WIB)U.S. DOE Report States WIBs “Frequently Ineffective”

2012-02-06T06:52:17-08:00

In October 2010, President Obama and second lady Jill Biden convened the first White House Summit on Community Colleges to highlight the role of community colleges in preparing students for success in the 21st century knowledge economy. The Summit convened federal policymakers and key community college constituent groups—trustees, college presidents, administrators, faculty, students, major associations, employers, foundations and industry leaders. Following this initial meeting, four regional community college summits took place in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), the office of Jill Biden, the American Association of Community Colleges, the Association of Community Colleges Trustees, and Skills for America’s Future. More than 800 leaders from 45 states participated in the regional summits that took place between February and April 2011, and focused on institutional-level action.

Summit participants discussed many topics, including ways that engagement between community colleges and business and industry fail to have the desired impact. The report sites that both sides often rely upon workforce investment boards, “which are frequently ineffective”. Participants also noted that commitments between businesses and community college programs are often partial and transitory because of the lack of involvement by trustees and others within the institutional community.

There are many examples of workforce investment boards and community colleges working effectively out of their silos to meet the market demands of business and industry. This is yet another wake up call to highlight these innovations and successes. The National Association of Workforce Boards has developed an excellent introduction video highlighting the work of the WIBs and community colleges.

Get your successes and innovations posted now at NAWB’s campaign site, www.WorkforceInvestmentWorks.com

The DOE’s full January 2012 report - Scaling the Community College Summits: Challenges, Solutions, and Commitments - can be viewed at http://1.usa.gov/zB3tlV.