Highlights from March 20 2003 Sub-Committee Meeting

First meeting of new sub-committee

2 agenda items:

• Becoming a Committee
• Action Planning for Worker Readiness Credential

Meeting was a 3 hour interactive discussion with committee members Paul Cole, Greg Moreland, Greg Parker, Ed Aspinall, Gary Duesberg, Yue Yee, and Doug Reamer.

Becoming a Committee

Major Purposes

Three major purposes were identified:

1. Advance and promote skill standards for the State of New York through the creation and enhancement through a system including:
   • Three major components:
     
     • Standards
     • Assessments
     • Credentials
   • Four major levels:
     
     • Entry-level (through the National Institute for Literacy worker readiness credential)
     • Sector (e.g. manufacturing)
     • Industry (e.g. publishing and printing in manufacturing, computer equipment manufacturing, etc.)
     • Employer Specific
   • Three Target Groups:
     
     • Employers
     • Current and emerging workers
     • Education and training providers

2. Identify and catalogue existing career ladders within and across industries and help those industries without career ladders to develop them. Focus on growth industries in terms of prioritizing multiple industries in need. Help integrate skill standards into existing career ladders not currently based on skill standards. Help develop new career ladders with skill standards embedded in them.

3. Leveraging limited resources to accomplish first two purposes. (While the committee did not adopt this as a formal purpose as such, it came up numerous times and seemed to warrant being included as a separate purpose since it applies to both of the first two purposes and probably additional work as well.) This includes promotion, expandability, portability, and helping to ensure industry-recognized credentials.

Draft Mission Statement

“The State Workforce Investment Board and its committees will promote and advance the creation and enhancement of a skill standards system (standards, assessments, credentials) in New York State that will be targeted by four tracks including entry-level, sector, industry, and employer-specific.

The State Workforce Investment Board will also identify existing career ladders and help to develop new career ladders with the long-term purpose of linking career ladders to the skill standards system of workplace standards, assessments, and credentials. “

Action Planning for the Worker Readiness Credential

Framing the need – Why are we doing this?

To identify “what work required” and to inform all levels of public and private education regarding “what work demands”, and to lay the foundation now that allows us to maintain and enhance our global leadership in the development, recruitment, and retention of a highly skilled workforce.

In addition, efforts will be made to serve three distinct audiences together and individually, including employers, current and emerging workers, and education and training providers.

Framing the need – How are we meeting the real needs as expressed by employers?

• Links the skills needed by employer (demand) with the skills possessed by the current and emerging workforce (supply).
• Prevents turnover through clearer expectations on both sides. Example – recent want ads where an auto mechanic add required only two lines including the certification needed, bank teller job had about 15-20 lines rather than just being able to say “NY State Worker Readiness Credential.”
• Increases skills, productivity, and competitiveness.
• Saves training dollars because of decreased turnover resulting from unclear expectations and related performance issues.
• Helps to organize employment and training programs including being able to provide incentives to education and training providers that provide services regarding the development, assessment, or certification of skill standards.

Strategies for Moving Forward

The committee will pursue a dual strategy. The first strategy involves not just waiting while the national committee moves forward with its skill validation survey and finalizing other tools and processes, but also working with existing business associations and others to create a “buzz” – understanding and enthusiasm – regarding the use of an employer-validated worker readiness credential.

The second strategy involves working with the national committee to achieve a final product, then engaging local boards and education and training providers in understanding how to work with employers to develop a statewide, integrated system of skill standards.

The Committee also expressed interest in learning more about other national and state efforts regarding career transcripts and web-based community-wide training information systems.