WorkOne Northern Indiana - 2012 Regional Workforce Plan for Northern Indiana

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BOARD ISSUES WORKFORCE PLAN FOR NORTHERN INDIANA FEATURING SIX KEY VISIONS AND STRATEGIES
Public Comments on Proposed Plan are Welcome; Strategy Seeks To Deliver High-Quality Services to Job Seekers and Employers

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orthern Indiana's proposed Regional Work- force Plan features six key visions and strategies designed to deliver high-quality workforce services to job seekers and em- ployers in Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, Marshall and Saint Joseph counties, the Northern Indiana Workforce Investment Board said May 11, 2012, in issuing the proposed plan.

The proposal is subject to a 30-day public comment period. Com- ments are due by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 11th to:

Chuck Knebl
Communications Manager
NIWIB
CKnebl@GoToWorkOne.com
Phone:
574-237-9675 ext. 2527
For a copy, go to
REGIONAL WORKFORCE PLAN

illars of the workforce plan include the following key visions and strategies:

  BUILD ON OUR STRENGTHS:  The plan provides an oversight of the regional labor market that has undergone a significant recession in the past few years � highlighted by the collapse of the RV industry. However, within this analysis there are clear points of optimism that the Workforce Investment Board (WIB) intends to build upon. This includes a wide range of industries and occupations for which employment growth is projected over the next several years. The WIB intends to continue investing training resources in building a talent pipeline for the jobs that have been identified in such industry sectors as advanced manufacturing, business and financial services, health care, and construction occupations.

  SUPPORT STEM TRAINING PROGRAMS:  In its workforce plan, the WIB also has made a commitment to utilize training resources to support the development of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills. An analysis of employer skill expectations clearly points to the need for workers to have skills in these critical STEM disciplines. As such , the WIB is investing workforce resources into activities that support STEM training activities for adults, dislocated workers and youth.

  ALIGN WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:  The plan details the WIB's commitment to aligning workforce and economic development resources in the region by working in close partnership with economic develop-ment organizations. This includes the investment of training resources in programs that will produce a talent pipeline for key industry sectors targeted for economic development and business expansion. Additionally, NIWIB will work with local economic development organizations and other groups to bring a regional economic development plan to fruition.

  FOCUS ON ACCOUNTABILITY:  The WIB holds its staff as well as service providers accountable to produce strong program results. This ensures that resources are invested only in training and skill-development activities that produce sustainable jobs for unemployed workers at good pay. In addition, the workforce plan sets forth stringent fiscal accountabilities to ensure that workforce resources are used in a manner that complies with state and federal rules.

  MAINTAIN SOUND BUDGET PRIORITIES:  The workforce plan sets forth a goal that 40 percent of available Workforce Investment Act (WIA) resources will be used to provide direct services to customers (tuition, books, support service, tutoring, technology training and others). Reduced funding (approximately $800,000 in Adult/DW and Youth) in Program Year (PY) 2012 will require the NIWIB to continuously work to improve efficiency of staff, training programs and employment services. Moreover, administrative costs will be min- imized to the greatest extent possible to ensure that every available dollar is directed to supporting customers.

  AGGRESSIVE OFFERING OF SERVICES:  In the current economic environment where so many workers are unemployed or underemployed, the WIB is raising the bar and requiring WorkOne Centers to deliver even higher quality and more efficient services. Expanded technology courses, more intensive support of adult education activities, continued expansion of the region's on-the-job training program, and expanded attention to business customers are just four examples of this vision. Throughout the year, the WIB will track progress closely on these and other initiatives to ensure success in these efforts. In addition to State Required Workshops, the WIB will work to deliver additional offerings that are of benefit and interest to clients.

This page was last updated on: Thursday, September 06, 2012

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