Narrative: III. a. 2. D.

WIOA is an opportunity to reinvent and re—energize business engagement. By serving jobseekers and businesses, the workforce development system will be a catalyst for creating a strong and vibrant future workforce. Local workforce development councils will play a lead role in business engagement. The state’s workforce development partners have collaborated on a set of resources local councils can leverage to improve business engagement. Additionally, state partners have set the following goals to improve business services. These goals will be monitored by state partners regularly during the planning cycle. • Establish a baseline and increase the number of businesses utilizing the workforce system. • Establish a baseline and increase the number and percentage of businesses reporting satisfaction with the services they receive via the workforce system by 5 percent each year. • Have at least one sector partnership in development in each workforce region. Use the Sector Partnership Framework to show progress over time. • Train at least 30 percent of the workforce system on the implementation of sector partnerships. • Increase resources for work—and—learn opportunities, including on—the—job training and apprenticeship, internships, job shadows, but especially, incumbent worker training. • Increase the amount of work—based training, including incumbent worker training, on—the—job training and apprenticeship, job shadows, internships.

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CORE PROGRAMS TITLE I: ADULT, DISLOCATED WORKER, AND YOUTH SERVICES

The Title I program will continue to use funds to expand both engagement and participation of employers in the State’s workforce investment system through, but not limited to, the following business services:

• Develop, convene, or implement industry or sector partnerships • Customized screening and referral of qualified participants in training services to employers • Customized services to employers, employer associations, or other such organizations, on employment—related issues • Customized recruitment/hiring events, job fairs, workshops and related services for employers (e.g., targeted hiring, new business openings, seasonal hiring, and safety training) • Marketing on—line with the support of ESD’s Communications Office for occasions such as holiday hiring or major veterans hiring events • Human resource consultation services (e.g., writing/reviewing job descriptions and employee handbooks; developing performance evaluation and personnel policies; creating orientation sessions for new workers; honing job interview techniques for efficiency and compliance; analyzing employee turnover; or explaining labor laws to help employers comply with wage/hour and safety/health regulations) • Customized labor market information for specific employers, sectors, industries or clusters • Increased coordination with WSATC, L&I, labor and business to support and develop pre—apprenticeship and apprenticeship opportunities and providing customized assistance or referral for assistance in the development of registered apprenticeships • Job order listings and applicant referrals through WorkSourceWA.com, the Monster—based state job matching system to provide a deeper pool of talent for employers to recruit • Employer Needs Assessment • Unemployment Insurance Access • Access to Facilities • Translation Services • Developing and delivering innovative workforce investment services and strategies for area employers, e.g., career pathways, skills upgrading, skill standard development and certification for recognized postsecondary credentials or other employer use, apprenticeship, and other effective initiatives for meeting the workforce investment needs of area employers and workers • Assistance in managing reductions in force in coordination with rapid response activities and with strategies for the aversion of layoffs, and the delivery of employment and training activities to address risk factors • Assisting employers with accessing local, state, and federal tax credits, including Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) certification • Local Veterans Employment Representatives outreach to businesses to veterans to employers interested in attracting qualified veterans • Recruiting and initial screening for participation in WIOA special projects to train for demand occupations, OJTs or customized training • Increasing rapid response and pursuing National Dislocated Worker Grant funding to serve dislocated workers

First and foremost, Local Workforce Development Boards are, by law, business led, which by definition provides an effective and enduring focus on the needs of local businesses.

WorkSource partnerships of program providers have become a network of support for business customers in league with our critical secondary and higher education partners. Our operations are retraining seasoned workers and preparing the next generation of skilled workers. We are succeeding in large part because of business, labor and government participation toward full employment for the state’s diverse communities. Connecting business and industry representatives so that they have a voice in directing WorkSource resources at the local board level contributes to a prepared, skilled workforce for employers and has the ultimate goal of creating jobs and careers for workers and a stronger economy.

Local boards, while adapted to varying local economic structures and conditions, commonly assign staff to conduct outreach to businesses. Their focus is to represent the local workforce development system and its resources before employers and to inquire about and respond to immediate employment needs that the WorkSource system might be able to fill. Local boards and business outreach staff in one—stop centers strive to build relationships with businesses, and groups of businesses within industry sectors, to assess skill requirements and find ways to quickly respond to labor shortages. WorkSource partners are cognizant of the need to coordinate business outreach within the system at the staff level. At the local board level, the effort continues to coordinate education, economic development, community organizations and agencies to meet workforce needs. ESD state administrative staff provides tools, information, and resources to assist state workforce agency area directors, workforce development councils, and business services specialists to conduct effective labor exchange and affect workforce development.

Linked through the state’s WorkSource comprehensive web site are a vast array of local, state and federal workforce development and related resources for businesses and current and future jobseekers. Labor market information (LMI) is a particularly rich resource for employers needing workforce information and analysis. The Labor Market and Performance Analysis (LMPA) division of ESD conducts ongoing research and posts regular reports on employment showing which industries and occupations are high—growth and high—demand. Hiring trends, job vacancy rates, career opportunities within the occupations, and other demographic information are readily accessible and used widely.

Washington is committed to helping employers have easy access to workforce information and resources. Businesses, as well as current and future jobseekers, have access to the 24/7 self—service WorkSourceWA.com website. The Monster—powered website is a comprehensive, on—line job exchange system that guides employers through the process of posting current job openings, reviewing resumes, and contacting qualified jobseeker applicants and scheduling hiring events.

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TITLE II: ADULT EDUCATION AND LITERACY (BASIC EDUCATION FOR ADULTS)

In collaboration with the community and technical college workforce programs, Basic Education for Adults works with their advisory boards in the development of I—BEST pathways and programming. Employers provide guidance on program development, implementation, and assessment. In addition, all colleges are required to work with employers on the development of all professional technical I—BEST pathways in order to have them approved by SBCTC for implementation.

SBCTC’s ten Centers of Excellence are flagship institutions that build and sustain Washington’s competitive advantage through statewide leadership. Each Center focuses on a targeted industry that drives the state’s economy and is built upon a reputation for faxt, flexible, quality education and training programs. A targeted industry is identified as one that is strategic to the economic growth of a region or state and all community and technical college programming has access to the research and business and employer information, data, and connections.

Centers are guided by industry representatives to lead collaborative and coordinated statewide education and training efforts to build a competitive workforce in a global economy.

Key roles of the Centers include:

• Maintain an institutional reputation for innovation and responsive education and training delivery to their targeted industry. • Act as a broker of information and resources related to their targeted industry for industry representatives, community—based organizations, economic development organizations, community and technical colleges, secondary education institutions, and four—year colleges and universities. • Translate industry research into best practices. • Provide system coordination, coaching, and mentoring to assist in building seamless educational and work—related systems. • Build a competitive workforce for driver industries in Washington State

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Basic Education for Adults and the Washington State Center of Excellence for Careers in Education have collaborated over the past five years to provide professional development and training for basic skills, On—Ramp to I—BEST, and I—BEST teaching teams in order to support integrated, co—enrolled workforce and basic skills training programs that accelerate transition to post—secondary certificates and degrees and employment in high demand jobs. In 2015 over 350 faculty were trained in the implementation of innovative teaching strategies that incorporate the development of employability skills required by employers.

Coordination, alignment, and provision of services to employers are further aligned through I—BEST at Work Programming, I—BEST at Work, is based upon a partnership between a community college or community—based organization and an employer, in which the college or organization provides a basic skills instructor who team—teaches with a representative from the employer. It is part of the comprehensive I—BEST Pathway, designed to accelerate basic skills within the contest of work for incumbent workers.

TITLE III: WAGNER—PEYSER ACT

Title 1—B programs staff annually serve more than 20,000 businesses. Thousands more have been served through ES business service desks helping to post blind job orders, screen applicants and arrange hiring events to fill job openings. Yet the estimate is that 8 percent of Washington businesses connect with WorkSource services. Washington State will establish a baseline and increase the number of businesses utilizing the workforce system. However, with the implementation of the new WorkSourceWA.com public labor exchange system, staff will assist employers to fill openings, provide labor market information etc, but the department has discontinued the suppressed job order screening process. The new system will score applicants based on applicants’ resumes and other documents voluntarily uploaded for view by employers.

Services to agricultural employers are primarily organized in season by, or in coordination with, ES Migrant Seasonal Farm Worker (MSFW) staff. Coordination with section 167 National Farmworker Jobs Program staff is discussed in the Agricultural Outreach Plan (AOP) included in this combined plan.

Coordinated Business Services is well—established WorkSource system policy inclusive of Wagner—Peyser (including ES—operated affiliated programs) and Title 1—B core programs (Policy 1014 rev. 1). The purpose is to ensure Washington’s WorkSource System provides business services that connect employers to WorkSource resources with the goal of strengthening and growing businesses, creating jobs and meeting the hiring needs of employers. Workforce Development Councils in Washington are responsible under this policy for the development and oversight of a locally—coordinated, focused and cost—effective business services strategy that aligns with state strategies. Underlying the need for coordination is simply the expectation businesses have that representatives who approach them under the WorkSource brand should be on the same page. Of course, because the WorkSource system is vast and control decentralized, this expectation is quite difficult to achieve with first impressions.

Given different programs operated by MOU partners, different management, and different grants and contracts to conduct various business service activities, coordination is easier required than accomplished. Increasingly businesses are also recruited to participate in employer/industry sector panels, career fairs or hiring events sponsored externally by agencies, colleges and universities, CBOs, private enterprises and industry associations that intersect with WorkSource business services. In most areas, however, WorkSource business services staffed by ES are being carried out with improved communication between partners, co—branded marketing and shared program staff. In the coming years, providing additional relevant and high quality business services may be easier to achieve than establishing statewide functional supervision of business outreach staff from multiple programs and entities. Coordination will continue with the Wagner—Peyser labor exchange helping to anchor job—driven business services efforts.

State strategies under WIOA potentially enlarge the system of service providers to employers and departs further from the more limited, traditional Wagner—Peyser job order and hiring fair approaches. Innovative linkages by local boards in some workforce development areas such as facilitating employer panels that bring together industry sector employers and current and future jobseekers to discuss particular employer needs and hiring practices are very successful at generating interest in career pathways and employment outcomes and are anticipated to engage more local Wagner—Peyser and education partners. Wagner—Peyser will broaden approaches to identify and develop new pools of labor that may not be using the American job center network—older youth, new immigrants, incumbent workers, discouraged workers, dislocated homemakers etc. This strategy is particularly necessary in areas of low unemployment and tight labor markets where employers are struggling to find job ready workers. The department will be focusing on industry sector relationship strategies just as Workforce Development Councils have been establishing for a number of years. Together core programs will seek to lead and coordinate employment and training assets not only at the local level but across economic regions of the state where career opportunities are growing with the clustering of industry sectors.

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TITLE IV: DEPARTMENT OF SERVICES FOR THE BLIND

As stated in response 2(A) above, the DSB will work towards the State’s strategy of increased Business Engagement by developing the agency’s array of services that businesses may require or desire of us, thereby facilitating the employment of qualified individuals who are blind, low vision or deaf blind. The agency will deepen collaboration with core and partner programs in order to better connect our blind participants’ aptitudes to the skills training and business connection pathways that work best for business needs.

A DSB—offered array of services for business includes many components. One component is to increase awareness among business of the agency’s range of services, in order to provide an easy pathway for business to retain a talented employee whose work performance may be impacted due to a change in vision. Another aspect is the ability to fulfill business recruitment needs through connecting the business with the talents of job—ready and skilled agency participants, and to offer the ability to create individualized and low—risk opportunities for the business so that a participant might best showcase their ability and potential value to the workplace. The DSB will provide guidance on issues of disability in the workplace, including education around the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act; information on how to benefit from federal and local incentives for hiring of individuals with disabilities, and offer supports to the business for successfully meeting required mandates for hiring of individuals with disabilities. The DSB will offer workplace accommodation recommendations and supports, and education and guidance on making the workplace a disability—friendly and inclusive environment. The DSB will connect business to disability—related resources, training and/or education available in the community at large. The DSB will engage business in identifying supply chain needs, and will assist in establishing entrepreneurs and small businesses that might best fulfill that supply chain need.

Due to the small size of the DSB customer base and agency staffing in comparison to other workforce partner programs, the agency and its eligible participants will benefit from the broader infrastructure that state plan partners develop and nurture towards increased business engagement. The DSB alone cannot fully provide the amount of skilled talent business requires, and the DSB as a separate entity cannot efficiently engage business statewide. The DSB will rely on active inclusion of its staff in the One—Stop Business Services Teams, and depend on the accessibility of workforce programs for agency participants, in order to meet the broader engagement of business in a manner that works best for business — through a seamless single point of contact. DSB counselors develop relationships with local business partners, and will guide those relationships (as applicable) into the greater workforce system in order to best fulfill the business needs.

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TITLE IV: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES — DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION

The vocational rehabilitation portion of the Combined State Plan describes in detail services to employers that the DSHS Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DSHS/DVR), as a core program, provides in conjunction with mandatory and optional one—stop partners. The activities conducted by DSHS/DVR focus on services to employers that assist in the recruitment, hiring, retention, and promotion of qualified individuals with disabilities, including employment and work—based learning opportunities for students and youth with disabilities.

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PARTNER PROGRAMS UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

Staff working with claimants and employers will have a basic understanding of UI eligibility requirements and will follow through to make sure only those meeting the qualifications the employer is looking for and is a good match will be referred. Follow up from the employers and claimants will be necessary to ensure those that are not following through as directed are referred to the claims center for adjudication of any issues that arise maintaining program integrity and a high—quality service to the employers. This can also include identifying employers in high wage high demand occupations and connecting them with claimants needing retraining with a cost break to employers willing to enter into these partnerships. Claimants receiving benefits will also be in a pool for random selection to review their job search activities involved in meeting the statutory requirements of RCW 50.20.240. Other programs/activities that could benefit employers and claimants alike:

• Shared Work: offers employers alternatives to laying off workers when facing a temporary decline in business allowing individuals to collect partial unemployment benefits to replace a portion of their lost wages.

• Senior Community Service Employment Programs: community service and work—based job training program for older individuals at least 55 years of age and a family income of no more than 125% of the poverty level.

• Work Opportunity Tax Credit:

o Employers can reduce their federal business taxes by up to $2,400 for more eligible hires. Up to $9,000 over two years for each qualifying welfare recipient; $5,600 for most military veterans and up to $9,600 for hiring veterans who have a service—related disability. o Eligible workers, people who are on or who received public assistance within 18 months of being hired; needy or disabled veterans; felons hired within a year after leaving prison and those participating in work release; people in state or federal vocational rehabilitation programs that have an employment plan for employment within two years of being hired; adults under 40 who receive food stamps in the six months before being hired; anyone who received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for any month in the 60 days before being hired.

• Bonding services: any person who has a barrier that could lead employers to question their reliability or honesty and deny them a job. This could be persons with a criminal background, WorkFirst participants, dishonorably discharged veterans, recovering substance abusers (alcohol & drugs), individuals with a poor credit history or economically disadvantaged persons who lack a work history. In general, anybody who needs bonding and can’t get bonded through a commercial bonding company would qualify for the fidelity bond as long as they are not self—employed.

• Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA): wage supplement program that covers half the difference between their wages and the wages earned at the time they were laid off. ATAA is for workers 50 and older earning a lesser wage in their new job than they were in their pre—layoff job. New wages cannot exceed $50,000 per year and can get a maximum of $10,000 for up to a two year period.

• On the Job Training Programs (OJT) can help reduce employers cost with OJT that helps employers find qualified workers and pays part of their wages during the training period

• H2A (Foreign certification for agricultural jobs) and H2B (Foreign certification for non—agricultural jobs) programs help employers to actively recruit available US workers employed in similar jobs.

Migrant Seasonal Farmworkers staff coordinate farmworkers between farms to meet growers needs:

• Employers are contacted about their needs and to recruit workers

• Workers are contacted where they gather or live to conduct outreach to recruit and refer qualified individuals

Rapid response:

• Employers get confidential assistance with planning transition needs for their workers

• Workers get customized services to meet their specific needs about being laid off including information about unemployment benefits.

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JOBS FOR VETERANS STATE GRANTS

LVERs work directly with employers and business groups to meet specific employer needs. They assist employers in interpreting qualifications of veterans, TSMs, and eligible spouses, as they apply to the employer’s requirements. LVERs coordinate job development activities for veterans, TSMs and eligible spouses to meet business needs. They also conduct workshops and employer functions to assist employers in understanding the advantage of hiring veterans in their workforce. Lastly LVERs plan, coordinate and implement hiring events of all sizes, to assist employers in finding veterans, TSMs and eligible spouses to meet their needs.

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TRADE ACT

Often, Trade Act counselors work closely with employers who are certified for a Trade Act petition. This can include writing the petition request, holding employee orientations on—site and assisting the employer in determining how best to proceed with layoff process.

Trade Act offers on—the—job training programs where the employer, counselor and participant work closely together to create a training program that will meet both the employer’s and participant’s needs. This benefit offers participants the chance to obtain a job they might not have been eligible for. The employer has the opportunity to train the employee for a set period of time while receiving reimbursement for a portion of the participant’s wages.

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COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT

CSBG activities support services to eligible individuals and households at or below or below 125% of FPL. These services are not directly applicable to employers.

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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT

These services are not directly applicable to employers. The state Community Development Block Grant program administered by the state Department of Commerce awards funds to rural local governments for locally—prioritized activities. If a rural local government applies for and receives CDBG funding for a job creation activity, the business will be required to coordinate job recruitment and hiring with the regional WorkSource/one—stop center.

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SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICES EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

Grantees or their representatives will meet and strategize with local workforce development and economic development councils, in coordination with local WorkSource Centers to participate in building a unified regional approach to developing and maintaining successful employer partnerships and ensure performance—based successful placements that meet community needs. In addition, grantees will also ensure support for the SCSEP follow—up and satisfaction survey process. Consistent and ongoing communication and follow—up with partners will provide sub—grantees with feedback and understanding on how to better serve both participants and community partners. Participation in a regional approach will provide increased opportunities for recognition and participation in future activities thereby establishing more long—term relationships.

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TANF (WorkFirst)/SNAP E&T (BFET) Programs

DSHS will collaborate with workforce development partners to help ensure a coordinated, intentional effort to engage businesses and provide services is developed and executed. To best serve employers and current and future jobseekers, partner agencies must work to streamline communication and relationship building efforts with business and provide support, technical assistance, and a supply of job—ready and qualified workers without alienating employers through a haphazard or redundant approach which is often the result of each workforce development partner in a given region conducting individual as opposed to collaborative job development and relationship building. Employment placement services will require working with employers to determine which jobs are currently available, which jobs are projected to become available, and what the skill requirements are for available jobs. Engaging employers and sharing labor market trend data will better inform curriculum development, support work—integrated activities, enhance program offerings, and assist in evaluating the effectiveness of the program in meeting industry need. In addition, the workforce system must work to inform both industry and postsecondary education about labor market trends, wage expectations, incumbent worker training opportunities, and retention strategies. Staff must be able to engage business as equal partners in the service delivery process.