Federal, State Workforce Initiatives Emphasize Higher Ed, Employer Involvement

Aligning industry needs with workforce training has gained renewed focus in states and emerged as a national priority. This week, President Obama announced two grant programs totaling $600 million in existing funds that challenge academic institutions and businesses to design job training for the globalized economy and set industry-recognized standards.

The grant programs fall into two categories. The first challenge is part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance and Community College and Career Training competitive grant program that supports community colleges in preparing dislocated workers. Under the new initiative, the Department of Labor invites applications for training programs that respond to employer demand and create pathways from entry-level positions to more advanced positions. Funding for the $500 million competition is prioritized toward partnerships that include industry associations that help in designing the program and implementing industry-recognized credentials.

The second competition provides $100 million in existing H-1B funds to expand apprenticeship opportunities across the country. The new program, to be launched this fall, will focus on partnerships between employers, labor organizations, training providers, community colleges, and other groups that launch apprenticeship models in high-demand fields, align the programs with pathways for career advancement, and scale models that work. Read the announcement.

Statewide Approaches

Likewise, states are increasingly partnering with community colleges and industry to fill in-demand jobs, and with tight budgets, new efforts in Georgia and North Carolina also aim to enhance worker training by reallocating existing resources or restructuring programs. 

Georgia’s recent move to reposition the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development as a division under the umbrella of the Georgia Department of Economic Development is intended to combine existing assets and provide additional resources to new and existing companies, according to a news release. The new workforce division will take the lead on advancing the Governor’s High Demand Career Initiative announced earlier this year. A series of meetings that connect higher education institutions to the private sector are scheduled as part of the initiative. The goal is for education leaders to hear directly from employers about their specific workforce needs.

With similar goals outlined for North Carolina, Gov. Pat McCrory’s “Closing the Skills Gap” initiative also aims to connect the business community with higher education to train students in sector-specific areas considered most in-demand for North Carolina. This includes health sciences, engineering, construction, manufacturing, transportation, chemical and biotechnology. Gov. McCrory said the state will fund the new effort using $16.8 million in savings generated by streamlining the remedial education programs currently offered at community colleges. This involves shortening the length of course offerings for some remedial programs. Under the initiative, each community college will decide how to invest the money, such as updating equipment or providing salary supplements to faculty, according to a press release.