#EDbridgeWD

The Disconnect Between Education and

Workforce Development:

Presented by Colleen LaRose

And what this means for the future of the workforce

#EDbridgeWD

Camoin Associates specializes in providing

economic development solutions to both public and

private sector clients. Camoin Associates has had the

opportunity to serve economic development

organizations (EDOs), local and state governments

from Maine to Texas, private sector corporations,

and developers.

The firm’s work includes economic development

strategies in communities across the country, from

small, rural communities to large metropolitan areas

and entire states. In many of these instances,

building consensus among leadership around critical

opportunities and issues was at the core of our

work.

Founded in 2012, the North East Regional

Employment and Training Association

(www.nereta.org) provides training to economic

development organizations (EDOs) and workforce

investment boards (WIBs) throughout the country.

This organization has significantly opened lines of

communication between professionals in economic

development, workforce development, education,

and business through LinkedIn groups and

professional development webinars that NERETA

provides on a national basis.

#EDbridgeWD

Is “Education” Responsible

for the Development of Skilled

Workers?What is the purpose of education?

Does education equate to employment?

Who is responsible for defining the role of education?

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What is the purpose of education?Economic

• What companies say they need (Creativity and adaptability)

• Education makes people think in conforming ways…not innovative ways

Cultural

• Values (why is my culture the way it is

• Why is the culture of other people the way it is

Social

• Democracy

• Involvement n the world with other people

Personal

• Diversity

• Individual talent

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Does education equate to employment?

• Increases salary

• Does not guarantee a job

• Skills get jobs!

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Who Defines the Role of Education?

• Local BOE’s define educated

• State BOE’s define educated

• Certifying bodies define educated (such as Middle States Association of colleges and schools)

• USDOE defines educated

• ANSI –American National Standards Institute - certificates, credentials, licenses, (assesses

conformance to industry standards)

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Equipped for the

Future

What is important for learners

to know and be able to do?

How many of these skills are taught in

school?

How many of these skills are not

taught in school?

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How do we teach?

What do we teach?

Why do we teach?

Who do we teach?

When/where do we teach?

Universal education is a relatively new

idea….

I Am Malala:

The Girl Who Stood Up for

Education

and Was Shot by the Taliban

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What is your Philosophy of Education?

• An Idealist – Believing that education should be centered on an individual’s ability to develop his or her skills of introspection, intuition, insight and logic

• A Realist – Believing that education should be centered on Science and Math, using objective, sensory, learning in a completely rational environment

• A Pragmatist – Believing that education should be centered on making someone adaptable, being able to think in ways that are interdisciplinary, forcing someone to be experimental in how they learn new ideas

• An Existentialist – Believing that education should be centered on capturing each individual’s human potential, and understanding his or her quest for meaning in life

• A Perenialist – Believing that education should be centered on the learning of the great ideas of western civilization

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Educational Philosophy (continued)

• An Essentialist – Believing that education should be centered on how one should become a practical member of society

• A Reconstructionist – Believing that education should be centered on whether one is able to think with critical consciousness and adapt ideas related to social change

• A Progressivist – Believing that education should be centered on HOW to learn (such as how we process information)

• A Behaviorist – Believing that education should be centered on learning that is shaped by one’s environment

• A Cognitivist – Believing that education should be centered on learning that derives from conflict

• A Humanist – Believing that education should be centered on self-fulfillment

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Land Grant Universities

• Prior to Civil War – largely perenialist education philosophy

• Morrill Acts – 1862 and 1890

• Educational Focus – teaching of practical skills in agriculture, science, military science, and engineering

• Public Investment – First time vocational skills/training were addressed with public tax dollars in this country

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Education vs. Skills

Education – Knowledge based. Transmission of information. Cognitive.

Skills – Demonstration of ability. Perform tasks. Production oriented.

“Soft skills” – Workplace Intelligence and character.

Adaptability – Innovative, creative, forward-thinking, resilient.

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What is “A Quality Workforce?”

• Education – average years of schooling

• Skills – the wage workers can command

• Health – number of years of expected work before employees retire/die

• Engagement – company’s success/drives performance

Only 9% of employees are engaged when no focus on strengths

Engagement soars 73% when focus on the strengths - (From Strengths based Leadership – Rath and Conchie)

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Workforce Quality is now the #1 Reason

for Business Investments

Workforce quality is the number one reason

that businesses now choose their

location…surpassing tax incentives, low cost

of business, transportation, and even quality

of life!

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The “New” Economy

Communities of the Future –Rick Smyre

• Three economies converging…

Industrial, Knowledge, Creative Molecular

What is Creative Molecular?

• Demonstrates biological/organic principles

• Free flowing networks and ecosystems

• Adaptable, open structures

• More people involved

• Not rigid physics industrial economy principles

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Are we Preparing the

Workforce of the Future?

Education is still modeled after industrial revolution era

needs:

• Date of production

• Not individualized aptitude training

• Not driving creativity and innovation

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1. Technology as a game changer

2. Innovation, foresight and entrepreneurship driven

3. Building of networks and connecting as needed - Global and ‘Flattened’ connections through social media - and co-op - not hierarchical

4. Organic financing

5. Talent – “Just in time”/temporary, skills/strengths based

How is the Workforce Evolving?TIBOT

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• Change is the new way of life

• Leveling of the playing field:

more egalitarian

• More independence

• Higher expectations

• More adaptable, more virtual

• More efficient and effective

• More current

• More collaboration –Less silos

• More transparency

• Need for more STEM workers

• Less need for labor

• Knowledge less valued

• Less training

• FEWER JOBS!

Technology as a game changer

Rise of the

machines

(technology, robots, self-

checkout, etc.)

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Innovation

Adapting quickly

Innovation is driving wealth

Need “Creative Confidence” – help recognizing new opportunities, align with education

Foresight

“Future Focus”

More social consciousness

Need Succession/transfer knowledge planning (teacher mentoring, OJT,

apprenticeship/internship)

Entrepreneurship

Growth of entrepreneurship (esp women)

Less “safety nets” - more fear

Need support for independent contractors, entrepreneurship and small business

Innovation, Foresight & Entrepreneurship Driven

#EDbridgeWD

Social Media

• Listening/building relationships

• Accelerated communication

• Efficient, transparent, business insights

• More Inclusive (more people, more ideas)

• No time constraints

• Greater collaboration

Global

• Global communications capacity - More global work

• Glocal - Opportunities to be local, globally

Flattened

• Breaking through gatekeepers

• Direct to source

• More egalitarian

• Co-op – Not Hierarchical

Building of Networks and Connecting as NeededGlobal and ‘Flattened’ Connections Through Social Media

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Organic Financing

• Crowd funding

• DPO’s

• Microloans

• Local economies

• New Union opportunities?

Accessing capital in new ways that embrace

the changing economy

#EDbridgeWD

Talent Job Shortage? Or Jobs

Shortened?

• “Gigging” “Just in Time”/Temporary”

• Less company loyalty, less expectation

of long term employment

• Some employers illegally avoid paying

wage taxes by hiring “temps”

• Not everyone is entrepreneurial

• No health ins, ui, tuition, 401K, no

dependable income

• (less likely to make large purchases)

• Less incumbent worker training

Skills Gap? Skills and Strengths-based (autonomy, mastery, purpose)

• Talent “pipeline” – need supply chain mentality - align with education

• Selling discrete skills – not whole package (soft skills as important?)

• Fewer employees – need broader skill set

• Growth in distance/independent learning (Khan Academy)

• Community Colleges - larger role in business support/short-term training

• More independent and socially conscious – use strengths in new ways

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Benefits of an Evolved Workforce

• Teams all working at strengths

• Time of great change/great

opportunity

• New avenues of service and

engagement

• Collective vision for potential

#EDbridgeWD

How must Education change?• Need to teach both education and skills development

• Need to do quality assessments of skills required for jobs ( job profiling)

• Need to teach the educators what workforce skills are needed

• Need to infuse creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship into curriculum

• Need to teach for critical thinking, (not teaching to pass tests)

• Need to align high school graduation requirements with college entrance exams

• Need education to align with workforce development initiatives/priorities for elementary students as

well as high school students

• Need college to be career-focused from day of admission

• Need education to utilize sector-based strategies

• Need to re-evaluate “quality criteria” for high schools

(currently accessed by how many students go to college)

#EDbridgeWD

How must Education change? (cont)

Education must also infuse character education into the curriculum –

at all levels of education!

• Ethics

• Civility – (charm school skills)

• Conflict resolution/mediation skills

• Workplace readiness skills

• Citizenship skills (financial literacy, how laws are made, etc)

#EDbridgeWD

Skills Demonstration

Knowing stuff is grand…but trivia does not win jobs.

Employers say - SHOW ME

Skills gets the job…knowledge may help you keep the job

A different way of thinking – Need to help people recognize what

skills they have that are marketable

#EDbridgeWD

But will there be a JOB?

So…after we:

• Align education with workforce needs

• Provide workers with skills

• Provide educated, adaptable workforce

• Provide creative thinkers

• Provide workers that are “workplace ready”

etc., etc., etc….

How do we ensure that workers have a job to go to?

#EDbridgeWD

Not enough jobs!

• Who are we training and for what?

• What will human capital needs look like next year?

• Five years from now?

Where are the jobs?

• Only 3.5 million jobs now available in US

• 10 million people actively on unemployment

• At least another 10 million “invisible” unemployed

#EDbridgeWD

Role of Government for Job Creation

Traditional:• Funding for infrastructure

• Policy incentives for job creation, Tax relief to small businesses

• Business recruitment and support.

• Government provides clear expectations (fair, consistent rules enforced for all)

• Targeted funding initiatives to create current/real job skills development training programs

Modern:• Review of laws that may be thwarting growth

• “With” the public…not “for” the public…

• Start-up resources, services, funding, information (Jobs Act, selling to government)

• Align economic development with workforce development and education

• Share what is working!

• Investment in risk

• Public works program? (communication/ energy)

Private Sector Creates Jobs

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So How Do We Get

Education and Employers

to Connect?

Facilitation from:

Workforce development and Economic development

#EDbridgeWD

Business Government

Economic

Development

Education

Workforce

Development

AS IS Could Be

BusinessEconomic

Development

Workforce

Development

Government

Education

Solutions –Adapting to the New Economy

#EDbridgeWD

Employer Interviews before the workforce system pays for training

• Engaging employers upfront is critical in making sure that jobseekers

don’t waste time training for the wrong type of job

• Employers can tell almost immediately if the person would be a good

fit for their company and or industry

• Employers are willing to help assess candidates if they are not held to

making employment promises or commitments

One strategy that is working

#EDbridgeWD

What is Workforce Development?

Wikipedia: WD is an American economic development approach that attempts to enhance a

region's economic stability and prosperity by focusing on people rather than businesses

Federal Reserve of St Louis: WD has come to describe a relatively wide range of

activities, policies and programs employed by geographies to create, sustain and retain a viable

workforce that can support current and future business and industry

Colleen’s definition: WD is the government system that helps put people to work.

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What the Workforce Development System

Does that Education Does Not (Cannot) Do?• Employer/employee matching services

• Connections to social services supports

• Recommendations for transportation improvements

• Business expansion/retention connections

• Recommendations to business for employee retention

improvements

• Tax credits and other financial incentives for employers to

hire

#EDbridgeWD

Free Webinars (sponsored by Camoin

Associates):

January 8: The History and Role of Workforce

Development

February 5: Workforce Innovation and

Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA): What it

Means to Economic Development

March 5: Economic Development and

Workforce Development Collaboration: Best

Practice Case Studies

Paid Webinars (presented by NERETA):

Featuring:

Colleen LaRose, Founder & CEO, NERETA

Jim Damicis, Senior Vice President of Camoin

Associates

Rafael Mata, President of GAMBIT Services

March 26: Why workforce development and

economic development should plan together

April 23: Overview: How to write a strategic plan

May 21: The WIOA Vision: How to work with the

Job Driven Checklist

Upcoming Webinars

#EDbridgeWD

For questions or comments, please

contact:Ian Flatt

Camoin Associates

ian@camoinassociates.com

518-899-2608 ext. 107

Presentation by:

Colleen LaRose

Founder & CEO | North East Regional Employment & Training Assoc.

Workforce Development Specialist | Camoin Associates

For more information about Camoin

Associates: Visit our blog for information about upcoming

webinars: http://www.camoinassociates.com/blog/

Visit our website: www.camoinassociates.com

Follow us on Twitter: @camoinassociate

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