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2/2 Was Job Shadow Day

SHRM Newsfeeds:
Recruiting & Staffing; Compensation & Benefits

December 7 - 11, 2009 Was Employee Learning Week

Resume Cafe Hosted Youth
On September 25, 2009

Workforce Solutions - Summer Youth Employment Program

YouthWorks411 Newsletter

Money for Customer Training Programs Released

Business Engagement In
Suport of RI Youth Center Workforce Readiness

Tech Collective Awarded
State ISDI Grant to Fund
IT Workforce Development

United Way 2-1-1 in RI

"We're Lowering Barriers to
Jobs in Rhode Island"

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Workforce Readiness News                            Last Updated 2/7/2010

Updated by Debra Quinn, Chair of HRM-RI Workforce Readiness Commmittee

2/23 - Tour of Providence Career and Technical Academy

The Workforce Readiness Committee has scheduled a Tour of the Providence Career and Technical Academy on Tuesday, 2/23 from 9 AM to 10 AM. To register or for more information email Amy Garner at amy.garner@us.randstad.com.

For more information regarding the Providence Career and Technical Academy please review the website at http://www.providenceschools.org/schools/high-schools/career-and-technical.aspx

2/2/2010 Was Job Shadow Day

Beginning with a nationwide kickoff on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, and continuing throughout the school year, students across America will "shadow" workplace mentors as they go through a normal day on the job. The program invites students to see firsthand how the skills learned in school relate to the workplace. Job Shadowing is led by the National Job Shadow Coalition.

For useful links to more information/resources about the Job Shadow program, click here.

RI Bioscience Industry Skills Gap Report Released

An eighteen-Month Tech Collective report, in partnership with the University of Rhode Island, shows need for Bioscience workforce development and offers recommendations. This report: Highlights the state of the industry n Rhode Island Identifies causes of skills gaps between employer need and available talent, particularly at the entry level Outlines career opportunities at the entry, incumbent, and transitioning worker level Outlines available education and training resources Provides recommendations and strategies for improvement

Read Press Release and/or Download Report on Tech Collective Web Site

Contact Giselle LaFrance, manager of media relations, Tech Collective, for more information:  (401) 829-8321 or  glafrance@tech-collective.org

December 7 - 11, 2009 Was Employee Learning Week

Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri has proclaimed December 7 - 11, 2009 to be Employee Learning Week. The proclamation acknowledges that "a knowledgeable, skilled workforce is critical to the success of both organizations and businesses, and to growing and sustaining a long-term competitive advantage".

Resume Cafe

The Resume Cafe is a joint venture of HRM-RI Workforce Readiness Committee, DLT Youth Services, and several Industry Partners in Rhode Island representing BioTech, Hospitality, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Marine Trades, Construction, Financial Services, IT/Technology. The group was formed last year by Debra Quinn, Chair of HRM-RI Workforce Readiness Committee, and Lori Norris, then DLT Chief of Youth Services.   The current Acting Chief of Youth Services, Maureen Palumbo, is now the DLT lead.
 
The plan is to host 40 youth from the 13 statewide RI Youth Centers at an event to take place on Friday, September 25 from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM at Save the Bay. The youth will have an opportunity to meet individually with an HR Professional for an Interview and resume critique. The youth are provided with an information packet to include their original resume, an updated version, and a Certificate of Participation. The HR Professional will provide a business card for the youth to followup with additional resume updates and or questions. The youth also have the opportunity to visit industry information tables to discuss career options and ask questions of the Industry Partners. A pizza lunch will be served.
 
The plan is to hold this event annually. The goals of the event are to provide youth with an opportunity to practice interviewing with an HR Professional, to assist them in their development of a resume, to provide career information, and to provide industry support to youth as part of their workforce readiness. It is also a good opportunity for business/HR to build relationships with Youth Center Job Developers, forging continued partnerships in the areas of workforce development.

Members of the HRM-RI Workforce Development Committee include Andrea Harnish, Amy Garner, Karen Bouchie, Maria Corey and Tom Costello. For more information about the goals and activities of this committee, click here.

Workforce Solutions of Providence/Cranston Area Summer Youth Employment Program - Summary Report

Thanks to a successful collaboration on many fronts, the 2009 WIA Summer Youth Employment Program has gotten off to a good start. Since March 18, when guidance was issued by the US Department of Labor, 24 organizations submitted proposals, of which 21 were selected as approved vendors.

In the time since then, youth from across Providence and Cranston have come seeking jobs provided for by the Federal Summer Youth Employment Program grant of $1,942,590. A total of 1,787 youth applied for approximately 800 available openings. Of this total, 1,044 were deemed eligible; 149 were ineligible and 594 submitted incomplete applications often missing a documented barrier. In the end, 732 found a summer job and were trained in work readiness.

YouthWorks411 Newsletter

The purpose of the newsletter is to inform the RI Youth Serving Community at Large of the activities, programs and general information of YouthWORKS411, which is the RI Statewide Youth System. The distribution includes DLT senior staff, board members and youth council members of the Governor's Workforce Board RI, the Workforce Partnership of Greater RI and Workforce Solutions of Providence/Cranston, members of PK-16, RI Dept of Ed , Adult Ed, Office of Rehabilitative Services, Department of Human Services, Shared Youth Vision State Team, RI Department of Corrections, RI Community Based Organizations, and School Based Coordinators. The publication is distributed periodically by the Department of Labor. Current and previous issues can be accessed via this link:

http://www.dlt.ri.gov/youthworks411/youthnews.htm

Money for Custom Training Programs Released

Business Digest, Friday, March 13, 2009 -- The Workforce Partnership of Greater Rhode Island and Workforce Solutions of Providence/Cranston are releasing up to $500,000 to state businesses to finance customized training programs for new hires.

While participating businesses are required to contribute up to 50 percent toward the cost of training, the percentage is determined on a case-by-case basis. To be eligible, businesses must apply for training for new full-time employees hired due to expansion or worker replacement. Enrollees in training may be chosen by the companies themselves, or may be recruited with the help of the labor department Business Services Unit. Hiring is contingent on completion of the program. Training must conclude by Dec 31.

Read the full article about this on the Pro-Jo website at:

http://www.projo.com/business/content/bz_findig_0313_03-13-09_RDDLAAN_v13.30ad025.html

HRM-RI's Submission to SHRM Enterprising Leadership Initiatives: Business Engagement in Support of RI Youth Center Workforce Readiness

Initiative Title: Business Engagement In Suport of RI Youth Center Workforce Readiness

Purpose: The purpose of our initiative was to create an industry partnership representing financial services, healthcare, manufacturing and technology, to partner with the RI Department of Labor, Youth Services. The partnership will provide business feedback for the development of a curriculum for the 13 youth centers in Rhode Island.

The curriculum will support youth workforce readiness preparedness for ages 14-24 years of age. The curriculum would also provide industry feedback via the RI Department of Labor to the RI Department of Education in piloting an academic workforce readiness program in the local school system.

Implementation: Initially the partnership was formed in 2007 with a focus on identifying competencies and job readiness skills common to industry partner sectors. A consultant was hired to facilitate discussion and compilate the KASH (knowledge, abilities, skills and habits) identified by the industry partners and the Chief of Youth Services.

Skill sets were allocated to a three part employment process to include preparation for interview, interview and retaining employment. A working definition of Workforce Readiness was developed that would clearly identify the state initiative of preparing all youth to be work ready, while supporting the branding of a statewide employment campaign.
 
Subcommittees of the industry partnership and Youth Services convened over the summer to review the KASH competencies and develop a framework for the curriculum that would support the interview process. In September 2008 the subcommittes reconvened to report on their progress.

The committees have begun web based research to identify best practices and existing tools available to support the learning objectives. Tools being reviewed include a checklist of job readiness behaviors, appropriate interview questions, mock interview evaluations, sample thank you letters, pre-interview workshop checklist.
 
Outcome: The next step of the process are to formulate a matrix to identify the objectives of each phase of the employment process (Preinterview, Interview, Job Retention), required KASH competencies for each objective,and individua/team activities and measurements to support youth progress in attaining the required job readiness competencies.
 
Once the matrix is developed a more detailed curriculum will be developed to ulitmatley be utilized as a framework for job readiness curriculum in the youth centers of Rhode Island. Recommendations from the industry partnership are also being shared with the Department of Education in support of an existing workforce readiness curriculum now being piloted at a Rhode Island middle school.
 
The initiative is slated for completion by December 2008. Our industry partnership will continue to support the initiatives as the program evolves within the Youth Centers.
 
In addition, the RI State Workforce Readiness Chairmain coordinated a breakfast meeting to be hosted by the Human Resource Association of RI on October 14, 2008. The program called RI Labor Market and Workforce Development Trends will feature four presenters, to include the RI Department of Labor, Chief of Youth Services, State Director of Adult Eductation, Representative from the local Workforce Investment Board and Network RI.

The presentation will cover emerging labor market statistics, trends, statewide workforce development initiatives and funding. The presentors will also do a panel discussion with Q&A's facilitated by the SHRM State Director of Workforce readiness. Members will also take away information on how to get involved as HR professionals in local workforce readiness initiatives.

State ISDI Grant Funds IT Workforce Development

Tech Collective announces it has been awarded an Industry Skills Development Initiative (ISDI) grant funded by the Governor's Workforce Board of Rhode Island (GWBRI). The entirety of the grant will work to foster training and workforce development in the state's Information Technology industry. Between 220 and 270 incumbent IT professionals and transitioning workers are projected to take advantage of various IT training and/or certification programs.   "The ISDI grant is the first time the state has recognized the need to develop its high tech industries with this level of funding," said Kathie Shields, executive director of Tech Collective. "It is a significant step towards promoting the many high-tech, high-skill and high-wage opportunities right here in Rhode Island."

Click here to learn more (PDF)

United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island

Every day Rhode Island residents need to locate essential community services, everything from finding an after school program to locating a food bank, or securing care for an aging parent. While we have all faced these challenges, most of us don't always know where to turn for the answers we need. Providing those answers is the purpose of United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island.

Dialing 2-1-1 is the fastest, easiest and most efficient way to get critical information when it's needed. With one free call to an easily remembered phone number, Rhode Islanders can speak confidentially -- and in their own language -- with an Information and Referral Specialist who will assess the caller's needs and determine the service provider best equipped to handle their concern or crisis. These Information and Referral Specialists have at their finger tips a data base of more than 2,700 services offered by 700+ providers.

2-1-1 can also play a critical role in helping the community respond to a crisis as it did during Hurricane Katrina. One of the unique features of the system is that if it is disabled in one area, systems in other states can respond. In the case of Katrina, 2-1-1 Houston, Texas was able to answer calls from the New Orleans area.

United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island is funded primarily by contributions to the United Way Community Impact Fund and with the support of a generous grant from the Hasbro Children's Foundation, as well as grants from the RI Department of Human Services and the Tri-Mix Foundation. There are currently 212 active 2-1-1 systems covering all or part of 41 states and the District of Columbia and serving over 65% of the U.S. population. Rhode Island became become the 20th state with statewide coverage.

We're Lowering Barriers to Jobs in RI

This op-ed piece, co-authored by GWBRI Chair Joseph MarcAurele and RI Dept. of Labor and Training Director Adelita Orefice, ran in the Thursday, March 22, 2007 edition of The Providence Journal:

Since Governor Carcieri established the Governor's Work-
force Board in September 2005, the 17-member board has supported strategies that improve the existing skill base of the Rhode Island workforce and that anticipate the future needs of growing and emerging businesses. In the past 16 months, the Governor's Workforce Board has made more than $11-million worth of strategic investments in Rhode Island that reward collaboration among the state's employ-
ment, education and economic development entities. Such investments are helping to fulfill Governor Carcieri's vision for a highly-skilled workforce that enhances our state's ability to compete in a global marketplace.

For example, the Governor's Workforce Board has pooled resources with the State Work- force Investment Office to offer $1.8 million to date in Industry Partnership Grants that support high-growth industries in Rhode Island. Unlike individual grant recipients, these partnership grants are awarded to coalitions of related businesses, and are facilitated by such trade associations as the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Manufacturing Extension Services and the Rhode Island Hospitality Association Education Foundation.

Each industry partnership is charged with identifying the skill gaps between the available workforce and available training resources. The ultimate goal of these partnerships is to help education and training institutions align curricula with industry needs and create career ladders for advancement within each industry. So far, eight grants have been awarded in the areas of advanced manufacturing, health care, information technology, construction, marine trades and hospitality. In addition, the Governor's Workforce Board has just published a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Industry Partnership Grants in the financial services and biotechnology areas.

While the effects of the industry partnerships should benefit all Rhode Island businesses, the Governor's Workforce Board's recent $2 -million RFP for Comprehensive Worker Training should continue to help small businesses raise the skill levels of employees. Last year, more than 90 percent of the matching grants offered through Comprehensive Worker Training were awarded to small businesses. Just last month, more than 100 companies submitted worker training proposals for 2007. The Governor's Workforce Board will award matching grants of up to $50,000 later in March, with training to begin as early as April.

Another initiative geared to high-growth industries is the Workforce Expansion Grants program. In collaboration with the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, the Governor's Workforce Board has allocated more than $1.9 million in Workforce Expansion Grants since September 2005, with special emphasis placed on the high-growth areas reflected in the industry partnerships. In the last six months alone, these grants have helped create 400 new jobs with eight different companies, including tele-communication giant Verizon, boat builder Pearson Composites, financial leader Bank of America and mortgage broker Equity Concepts.

In addition to raising the skill levels of Rhode Island workers, the Governor's Workforce Board hopes to lessen barriers to employment, such as language and literacy issues. The Governor's Workforce Board is helping to fund a variety of RI Office of Adult Education initiatives, including the multi-year, multi-partner Adult Education Grants. The Governor's Workforce Board has also allocated $725,000 in Job Development Fund money for English as a Second Language and Adult Basic Education services, including education classes at the netWORKri Providence, Pawtucket and Woonsocket career centers.

While adult education services can benefit today's workforce, youth career education can help Rhode Island build tomorrow's workforce. This is why the Governor's Workforce Board has facilitated another multi-agency collaboration: a re-envisioned Youth Work-force System. The new Youth Workforce System melds educational and employment pipelines for RI youth ages 14 to 21 into a single framework. While in the past, service providers for youth programs needed to offer all education and employment components, now the service providers may play to their strengths, bidding only on their area of expertise within the larger framework-such as career counseling, literacy services or job shadowing.

Also in past years, each of Rhode Island's workforce investment boards awarded different grants for youth employment. However, 2007 marks the first time that the Workforce Partnership of Greater Rhode Island, Workforce Solutions of Providence/Cranston, the State Workforce Investment Office and the Governor's Workforce Board have pooled their resources to put forward a single unified RFP for youth career and training needs. The total grant award is expected to reach $3.5 million, with $2 million -- a 300% increase from 2006-provided by the Governor's Workforce Board. The Youth Workforce System not only represents a new paradigm of inter-agency collaboration in Rhode Island, but also serves as a model of service delivery for other New England states.

Viewed collectively, the recent accomplishments of the Governor's Workforce Board form a coherent campaign to transform Rhode Island's workforce development system. By combining forces with other agencies and organizations, the Governor's Workforce Board is magnifying the impact and the reach of its resources. It has also created new partner-
ships -- and, hence, new communication channels -- through which some of the best minds in the state can brainstorm workforce solutions for the future.

Sincerely,

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