Arlington Chamber of Commerce“Center for A Competitive Workforce”
American Chamber of Commerce ExecutivesJuly 24, 2013
PresentationWes Jurey
President & CEO, Arlington Chamber of Commerce
Our Premise
• We’re living in a globally competitive yet integrated, knowledge based, innovation driven economy
• The education of our future workforce is vital to our sustainability as a community, region, and country
• The jobs we’re creating increasingly require a post secondary education and/or technical training beyond high school
• The current generation could be the first generation to be less educated than the generation before
Building Public Private Partnerships
• The Chamber, as an employer intermediary
• The Chamber, as a convener
I. Ford Foundation Initiative
Partners• U.S. Chamber of Commerce• National Association of Manufacturers• Jobs For the Future
Grant Challenge
• Define role of Employer Intermediary in Education & Workforce Development
• Develop models that are:– Sustainable– Replicable– ScalableOnce grant funds are expanded
El Paso Community Challenge
• Loss of Garment Industry– 22,000 jobs– 11% of labor force
• Implementation of SRI/DRI Plan• Need to retrain workers for jobs to be
created
Approach• Creation of Center for Workforce Development• Abandoned Levi Strauss Facility
– 100,000 square feet– 59 stakeholder tenants
• Finance Resources Secured– DOL $45 million grant– EDA grant– EDI grant– NAD Bank Loan
• Chamber Owned/Operated
Outcome
• Total jobs grew from 140,947 to 166,738, a 38.8% increase in net job gain over the decade, despite the actual loss of 22,000 jobs in the garment industry
II. 2nd Round Ford Foundation & Department of Labor
Partners• U.S. Chamber • National Association of Manufacturers• Jobs for FutureAdditional Funders• Annie E. Casey Foundation• Mott Foundation
ArlingtonCommunity Challenge
Lack of alignment among/between:• Universities• Community College Districts• Independent School Districts
Grant Challenge
• Define roles of Employer Intermediary in Education & Workforce Development
• Develop Models that are – Sustainable – Replicable – Scalable – When the grant funds are expended
Approach
• Established Center for Continuous Education and Workforce Development– Built, operated by UT Arlington– Local Workforce Board Commitment to lease,
creating primary workforce center• Housed – All primary stakeholders in Tarrant
County
Initial Outcomes
• Dual Credit Established in all Arlington high schools up to 32 credit hours
• First University 4 year degree in Texas for $10,000 announced by TCC/UTA
• Regional Workforce Leadership Council established
III. Regional Workforce Leadership Council
Public Private Partnership Example• Workforce Investment Boards (3)• Chambers of Commerce (3)• Business representatives (from primary clusters)
North Texas Regional Challenge
• Lack of a cohesive approach to the development of a competitive workforce
• 3 Workforce Investment Boards• 27 Colleges & Universities• 113 Chambers of Commerce
SolutionIndustry Clusters Formed:• Aerospace• Healthcare• Infrastructure• Logistics• Technology
IV. Texas Workforce Commission Grant
Grant Challenge• Identify the primary challenges faced by Advanced
Manufacturing in terms of securing a competitive workforce
North Texas Regional Challenge• Lack of skilled positions in Aerospace Industry
– Machinists– Welders
• Findings– Lack of training capacity
Solution
Established Regional Task Force• Dallas, Tarrant County Workforce Boards• Dallas, Tarrant County College Districts
Results• Manufacturing Consortium established• Training Capacity created
V. Champion Education• The Arlington Chamber established “Champion
Education” as a formal public private partnership between the Chamber and our Independent School Districts
• Champion Education was established to focus on 3 strategic goals:1. To create community awareness: of both educational
achievements and an understanding of the issues and challenges facing public and higher education
2. To act as a catalyst: for the integration and alignment of efforts among and between business, public & higher education, and workforce development
3. To establish initiatives: resulting in enhanced student achievement, attainment, and retention
Challenges
• 50.7% of students at risk• No Entrepreneurial Culture• Poor public perception• High dropout rate • Academic Achievement Discrepancy
Solution
4 Phase InitiativeI. What’s Your Big Idea – Grades 3-6II. Partners in Education – Grades 7-8III. Seamless Pathway – Grades 9-10IV. The Career Ladder – Grades 11-12
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Consortium
PurposeTo develop the UAS Industry, from concept/design/prototype development to experimental flight/production/manufacture
PartnersU.S. Department of DefenseU.S. Department of AgricultureU.S. Department of Homeland SecurityU.S. Department of Interior
Premise
• DoD currently buys 70% of all UAV’s manufactured in the world
• DoD currently spends $1.9 Billion• DoD projects $36.9 Billion (2020)• Homeland Security agencies have strong
interest • First Responder Community interest• USDA interest for agricultural use• DOI interest for land management
Challenge
• Lack of Workforce Training & Curriculum
Solution• Curriculum Development
– Texas Workforce Commission– Higher Ed Coordinating Board– Governor’s Office of Economic Development– Universities/Colleges/School Districts– Industries
Developing Strategic Partnerships
• Relationship Building – must take place at all levels
• Engagement – integration of employers (and the organizations that represent them) with public, higher education, adult education, publicly funded workforce investment
• Foundation for partnership based on Trust• Importance of Systemic Change (not MOUs)
Systemic Change: “Walking the Walk”
The path to strategic partnerships• The tipping point• Focus on commonality• Define the relationship(s)• Integrate your organizational charts
How to Engage
• Start at the top• Face to face• Full disclosure (open kimono)• Defined case for support• Put the “M” word on the table (face up)
(No one said it would be easy)
When To Engage
• At the beginning• In the planning stage • In the selling stage• In the implementation stage• In the evaluation stage
(This isn’t your father’s MOU)
Things You Can Do…• Be the convener• Define the incentive – for each partner• Identify and define your economic drivers/industry clusters
at state and regional levels• Identify and define the primary stakeholders – your
potential partners• Define your expectations of them, and what they can
expect from you – discuss the “M” word• Educate members, funders, investors, constituents, public• Remember: employer organizations provide a structured,
organized framework for employer engagement and involvement
• Get started