Synching and Swimming

1. Synching and Swimming Partnerships that Worked and are Working

2. Introductions

3. Workplace Learning Resource Initiative • Statewide Economic and Workforce Development Grant • Comprised of 12 Community College Centers • Los Rios Community College District. Sacramento, CA • Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, Pleasanton, CA • Mission College, Santa Clara, CA • Merced College, Merced, CA • Kern Community College District, Bakersfield, CA • Oxnard College, Oxnard, CA • El Camino Community College District, Hawthorne, CA • Long Beach City College, Long Beach CA • Rancho Santiago Community College, Santa Ana, CA • North Orange Community College District, Anaheim, CA • College of the Desert, Palm Desert, CA • Cuyamaca Community College, El Cajon, CA

4. What we do • Provide training programs that support the needs of business and industry and economic growth • Assess the changing needs of the workforce • Develop a variety of customized basic skills and workplace training programs for the Public and Private sectors • Train and Advise Instructors

5. Customized Training • Workplace Basic Skills • Advanced Workplace Skills • English as a Second Language (ESL) • Mathematics for the Workplace • Communications & Management Skills Training • Business Fundamentals

6. Contextualized Instruction • Presenting new subject matter in meaningful, relevant, and relatable contexts: • Previous experience • Real-life • The workplace

7. Foundation Programs • The Next Skills Institute: Employment Skills for the Next Generation • Generational Diversity: Working with Cross Generational Teams Workshop • Cultural Diversity: • Customer Service Academy: Workplace Basic and Leadership Skills • Introduction to Sustainability: The Basics of Green

8. Successful Partnerships • College of the Desert and Riverside County EDA’s Workforce Development • Co-Located Career Center at WpLRC - Provides services, resources, and training for job seekers and businesses • ARRA Contract - A $1.2 million contract to develop and deliver training for WIA eligible clients preparing for in-demand industries • New Directions Career Planning Workshop - Includes assessments on workplace skills, interests, values, personality, and action planning • Vocational English (VESL) for Pre-CNA Certification - Includes vocational language skills practice, plus practicum in nursing lab on COD campus

9. Successful Partnerships • Los Rios Community College District WpLRC and Sacramento Employment and Training Agency • Green Career Workshops – A $30,000 ARRA Grant was awarded to the Los Rios CCD WpLRC to develop and deliver regional Green Career Workshops and train-the-trainer sessions • The Next Skills Institute – An innovative and interactive curriculum which teaches today’s most important business skills. Developed in collaboration with industry, the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency and partners such as the California Employers Association and the North State Building Industry Association

10. Successful Partnerships KeyTrain and WorkKeys Career Readiness Pilot Chabot-Las Positas CCDContra Costa WIB-One Stop Operator Consortia

11. KeyTrain and WorkKeys Career Readiness Pilot • Challenge: Business and industry in Contra Costa and Alameda counties had ongoing need for workers with basic skills particularly in math and reading • Partners: • Contra Costa WIB-One Stop Operator Consortia • Alameda WIB • Mt. Diablo Adult Education • Tri-Valley Educational Collaborative • Foothill High School • Dublin High School, • West Contra Costa Unified School District - Adult Education • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory • Modesto Jr. College • Alliance WorkNet

12. KeyTrain and WorkKeys Career Readiness Pilot • Solution: Create a method to assess and verify basic skills of workers • What we developed: In March 2008, created a pilot program to assess the long term applicability and viability of a Career Readiness Certificate (verifying basic skills) for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties

13. KeyTrain and WorkKeys Career Readiness Pilot • How we did it: • Reached out to all the colleges within our regional service area and the WIBs to participate in a presentation about WorkKeys and how the Central Valley was utilizing WorkKeys • Garnered feedback and enlisted advocates for the program within the region • Purchased KeyTrain and Workkeys licenses and testing materials for the WpLRC and for 3 CC WIB OneStops and 1 CLPCCD site

14. KeyTrain and WorkKeys Career Readiness Pilot • How we did it: • Used a Multi-dimensional approach • Deployed inside of the OneStops at their assessment centers • Trained OneStops and Consortia partner employees on KeyTrain and WorkKeys • Recruited cohorts of participants to take KeyTrain and the CRC Options) • Ongoing solicitation of businesses to recognize value of certificate as a recruitment and hiring tool • Attend and present at meetings with Labor and Industry leaders

15. KeyTrain and WorkKeys Career Readiness Pilot • Results: • To date 1830 individuals have utilized KeyTrain to improve their basic skills • More than 100 individuals have taken the Career Readiness Certificate • EastBay Works (14 One Stops and 4 WIBS) have committed to implementing KeyTrain within their One Stops and to utilize WorkKeys to certificate jobseekers • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has adopted the WorkKeys NCRC as applicant intake tool when recruiting for their machinist apprenticeship program

16. KeyTrain and WorkKeys Career Readiness Pilot • Chabot College will launch its training partnership with BMW in August 2010. All program graduates must have a 5 or higher in the WorkKeys Reading for information and Applied Technology assessments • Chabot College faculty will be utilizing KeyTrain as a test preparation and remediation tool for all program enrollees to ensure their assessment success • Conducted a sub-pilot with Cabrillo College and the Santa Cruz WIB

17. KeyTrain and WorkKeys Career Readiness Pilot • Lessons Learned • Real collaborations have to create value for each partner • Need to think long-term, rather than quick-response • Pilot projects need to have clear goals, clear roles and commitments. They need to be flexible and agile to respond to changes • Pilot projects allow you to develop a strong relationship with your partners, build trust • Find champions • Be patient, be persistent, and communicate regularly

18. Successful Partnerships California Clean Energy Workforce Training Program Long Beach City College WpLRCPacific Gateway Workforce Investment Board

19. California Clean Energy Workforce Training • Challenge: Long Beach area was facing high unemployment in the construction trades due to a poor economy and basic skills gap • Partners: • Long Beach City College • Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Board • Southern California Regional Transit Training Consortium • Port of Long Beach • Over 25 employer partners in the Green Industry • Small Business Development Center

20. California Clean Energy Workforce Training • Solution: Apply for and receive funding to train a regional workforce in three categories: • Incumbent construction trade workers • New construction trades entrants • Advanced transportation workers • What we developed: • Developed short-term, targeted training for each sector • Included worker skills assessments • Created an extended orientation to prepare students for training

21. California Clean Energy Workforce Training • How we did it: • Collaborated with industry to determine skills needed • Leveraged established partners and their strengths • WIB/One-Stop recruits • CC conducts training • Utilized existing resources through the EWD Initiatives to maximize connections with industry and other resources • Enlisted industry partners to deliver required placements

22. California Clean Energy Workforce Training • Results: • To date we have trained over 190 clients • Plan to train and assess another 250 clients in the next 12 months • Lessons Learned • Communication is critical • Continually work on building trust with partners • Make sure that the team represents leadership and those responsible for implementation • Be available for your partners and willing to assist on other projects

23. Top Ten Lessons Learned

24. Top Ten Lessons Learned 10. Step outside of the box and your comfort zone 9. Be creative with resources, leverage minimal resources to create the biggest impact 8. Work on building trust with your partners 7. Approach the partnership as a marriage rather than as a date 6. Real collaborations have to create value for each partner

25. Top Ten Lessons Learned 5. Respect and appreciate institutional differences 4. Build on the strengths of the partnership to explore new opportunities 3. Recruit project champions 2. Communicate Often 1. Good things take work and effort and the return is rarely immediate or obvious

26. Panel Discussion • Questions and Answers

27. Contact Us • Information: www.wplrc.org or info@wplrc.org • Bruce Whistler, Statewide DirectorWorkplace Learning Resource Initiativee: bwhistler@cccewd.netp: 650.641.0161 • Judi Watkins, Project DirectorChabot-Las Positas CCD, WpLRCe: jwatkins@clpccd.orgp: 925.560.9447 • Carina Serrano, DirectorLong Beach City College, WpLRCe: cserrano@lbcc.edup: 562.938.5053

28. Thank you • Visit the WpLRC Website and join us: http://www.wplrc.org/home.asp • Download Presentation: http://www.wplrc.org/home.asp?id=89 • Visit California Community College Economic and Workforce Development http://www.cccewd.net/