STATE STRATEGIES Stakeholders of the WDS and state agencies with responsibility for the administration of core programs developed six strategic objectives to achieve the state’s vision and goals. These strategies reflect Maine’s unique economic, workforce, and workforce development characteristics; focus on delivering greater value to customers of the WDS; and target opportunities for greater alignment among programs and increased system–wide efficiencies. Maine’s strategic objectives are discussed below and more fully elaborated on in the operating plan section of this document. 1. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE: INCREASE THE RELEVANCE OF THE WDS TO EMPLOYERS Creating a demand driven WDS is central to achieving Maine’s vision of developing a more productive and competitive economy. For the economy to flourish, employers must have a ready supply of capable and skilled workers. To this end, Maine’s strategic objectives begin with the recognition that the system must do a better job of assessing—and satisfying—the workforce and skill needs of businesses. Developing and sustaining close relationships with employers is essential to increasing the value–add that the workforce system provides. Maine’s Unified Plan focuses on developing and implementing a systematic approach to 1) engaging employers; 2) identifying and prioritizing employer needs, including current and projected skilled workforce needs by region; 3) responding to employers with the appropriate resources and strategies; and 4) creating a continuous feedback loop to ensure existing needs have been met and/or if new needs have emerged. The establishment of broader and deeper sector partnerships will enable the WDS to develop a pipeline of workers in high growth, high demand fields, thereby reducing apparent skill–gaps and the time to fill positions. 2. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE: PRODUCE AN EDUCATED AND SKILLED WORKFORCE The success of Maine’s economy will ultimately be determined by the strength and quality of its workforce. As part of this Unified Plan, Maine will build its workforce through a multi–faceted approach that includes developing career pathways that lead to in–demand jobs. To mitigate barriers to employment, the WDS will coordinate and align activities that will build the foundational skills of workers and individuals; improve the transitions between education and employment; foster greater occupational awareness; define certifications and industry recognized credentials; and develop a systematic means for the state to measure, gather and aggregate credential attainment and skill development. 3. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE: ALIGN THE STATE’S COMMITMENT AND INVESTMENT IN MAINE’S WORKFORCE Developing a high quality workforce—one that is globally competitive and continuously well prepared to succeed in current and future careers—will require the commitment and alignment of resources that extend beyond the public workforce system. For Maine to lead in talent, technology and innovation, all stakeholders—employers, policy makers, legislators, and a myriad of other stakeholders—must be invested in the process and outcome. Maine’s Plan solidifies and aligns these resources and investments. Maine’s State Board, which is comprised of all system partners and stakeholders, is focused on aligning resources to create a world–class workforce. The Board will work closely with policy makers to ensure that workforce development is the express priority in language and deed of the executive and legislative branches during the first session of the 128th legislature and each succeeding. Employers will be proactively engaged to more fully participate in and support workforce development. A Maine grant and resource collaborative will be established to leverage resources on behalf of shared customers and goals. 4. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE: INCREASE WDS OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS Creating a workforce development system that is accessible, data and demand driven, and focused on enhancing the skills and credentials of Maine workers will require a more streamlined way of doing business. As a large geographic state with unique demographics and very limited resources, the workforce development system must be nimble, efficient and effective to meet the needs of current and future employers. Working together, the core partners are committed to aligning and integrating their systems to ensure optimal access for Maine’s workforce and employers. Initiatives will be pursued that improve customer navigation, data sharing, and continuous improvement through evaluation, accountability, and data driven decision making. To achieve this objective, the core programs will employ a range of strategies that focus on alignment and integration of systems, services and operations. Specifically, Maine will: • Seek to create a free exchange of data among workforce development programs and core partners. Removing barriers to interagency data sharing will create enhanced opportunities for program evaluation, a key element in creating an environment of continuous improvement through evaluation, accountability, identification of best practices and data driven decision making. • Focus on increased integration of core partner services at one–stop centers—Core partners have agreed on principles for assessment, common intake and individual service plans. An investment in front–end software will be made to accommodate common intake registration and universal access. • Make participant navigation easier—Programs will be aligned so that they are more user friendly and accessible to all participants. • Invest in professional development—Across the core programs and workforce development system. • Integrate and align systems to create universal design to ensure optimal access for all.
5. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE: GROW AND DIVERSIFY MAINE’S WORKFORCE THROUGH IM–PROVED ACCESS AND ENGAGEMENT Following decades of expansion, Maine’s population and workforce are no longer growing. A contracting workforce acts as a drag on economic growth—it impacts how fast the economy can grow, the number of new jobs created, the ability of businesses to find and hire workers, and the attractiveness of Maine to businesses looking to expand operations. Ultimately, a declining population reduces the state’s economic competitiveness. It also highlights the importance of ensuring younger workers have the skills and credentials necessary to replace those who are retiring. To arrest declines in the workforce, Maine is developing practical solutions to reversing these demographic trends. Strategies will target disenfranchised populations, discouraged workers and previously untapped labor pools. The credentialing of foreign trained workers will be streamlined and outreach programs to service members and veterans will be extended. Pathways to quality, in–demand jobs will be created for all Mainers. Maine will also more aggressively seek to attract educated and trained workers to the state. 6. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE: CREATE AND ALIGN OUR OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS TO ACHIEVE THE VISION Achieving Maine’s vision and goals will require buy–in from employers, residents and stakeholders of the workforce development, education and training systems. As such, the state plan includes the development of a comprehensive communications strategy to ensure that the vision and goals are communicated in a coordinated fashion—both internally and externally. Outreach and communications will include promotion of Maine’s talent, technology and innovation to attract new business; ensure awareness of available services and how to access them; quickly bring new legislators and administrators up–to–date on the WDS; build and maintain active outreach to employers; and increase outreach to underserved communities.
