Narrative: II. c.

1. Describe the strategies the State will implement, including industry or sector partnerships related to in-demand industry sectors and occupations and career pathways, as required by WIOA section 101(d)(3)(B), (D). “Career pathway” is defined at WIOA section 3(7) and includes registered apprenticeship. “In-demand industry sector or occupation” is defined at WIOA section 3(23)

The framework developed by the Louisiana Workforce Commission to deal with industry sector partnerships for in-demand occupations implemented Industry Sector Specialist (ISS) for the top demand occupations.  The Industry Sector Specialist continue to address challenges and opportunities for improvements for the State of Louisiana with regards to career pathways and in demand occupations. This strategy was developed to support talent pipeline approaches designed to assist partners in working together to address the workforce needs of businesses within a region. These industry sector partnership models are led by the businesses and focused on crucial industry clusters. Sector partners work collaboratively to listen and understand the workforce needs of businesses and to develop customized solutions that respond to those needs. Eight foundational elements for the framework have been identified and recommended for use by local areas. The integrated provision of business services is:

• Sector-based – The provision of business services should align around regionally identified industry sectors significant to the regional economy.
• Transformational – Engagement of businesses should provide a platform for regular and ongoing dialogue, providing a transformation of the relationships between business and workforce partners.
• Regional – Service delivery should be regional in nature and should align with the eight economic development regions, as well as multi-region and multi-state approaches when those are indicated by the needs of the sector partnership.
• Coordinated – The framework should describe coordinated approaches and strategies used by all partners to meet business needs.
• United – Building upon efforts already underway, efforts should continue to co-locate partners to ensure maximum coordination.
• Flexible – The framework should provide enough guidance to be helpful but should also allow flexibility for regional innovation and customization.
• Aligned – Existing policies/procedures should be reviewed and revised to ensure alignment and progress toward service integration.
• Allowable – Partners’ federal mandates to provide specific, related services must still be met when developing this framework.

LWC has identified five components that are necessary for the integrated provision of business services in the state and its eight economic development regions:

• Organizational structure – At the State and local level, organizational structures will be developed to enable communication between partners to develop a strategy to support engagement and contact between employers within the workforce/economic development system. The form of these organizational structures will vary according to economic development region and sectors. Leveraging existing relationships between and among businesses and public partners is recommended as the most reliable initial strategy for engagement with particular employers and sectors. The eight regions develop mechanisms connect business to the full range of partner services – regardless of source.
• Management of business intelligence – The need to share information across partners -- at the State level, but particularly at the regional/local level -- management of business intelligence is critical. Recognizing the challenges of creating a statewide cross-agency, the state’s initial strategy will focus on supporting creative approaches to meeting these regional/local level responsibilities. It is important for regional partners to understand the grassroots nature of business intelligence development. Perhaps the most important data development issue will always be the creation of methods to record and access partner knowledge regarding employer needs, to share that knowledge across the partner network and then to utilize that knowledge to jointly develop and implement proactive solutions to business and sector needs.
• Solutions-based service offerings – The service offerings provided to businesses must be focused on delivering timely solutions to expressed business needs. Each region has developed their own process for contacting employers in each targeted industry sector and have the capability of providing direct access to appropriate services or referral to all partners who can provide those services. Solutions-based service first requires a focus on listening to what business communicates for its needs, and then requires flexible, creative and timely responses to those needs - a process that builds a portfolio of customized solutions for businesses, without merely “dumping” pre-packaged programs and processes. This should be a cradle to the grave process.
• Emphasis on work-based learning and other business-focused services – Closely tied to the solutions sought by businesses is the expanded use of work-based learning (Registered Apprenticeships, Youth Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships, Customized Training, On-the-Job Training, Incumbent Worker Training and others). This emphasis recognizes work-based learning as often the most effective mechanism for delivering Training and Education solutions in an environment that is directly shaped to and for the needs of the employer. This is beneficial because it’s an earn while you learn environment.  Employers like this process because it is a plus for their business.
• Accountability and performance measurement – The framework elements mentioned thus far will bring significant changes in the focus, intent and utilization of business services. Along with those changes, comes the need to develop appropriate measures of performance. This will enable the measurement (and dissemination) of the meaningful results of those business services activities for the local regions.  This process will also serve to establish feedback loops that facilitate data-driven course corrections. In particular, these measures should be focused on the value of services to businesses through measures, such as, reduced turnover, reduction in the time required to fill vacancies, enhanced employee retention, additional viable candidates applying for work and enhanced productivity.

2. Describe the strategies the State will use to align the core programs, any Combined State Plan partner programs included in this Plan, required and optional one-stop partner programs, and any other resources available to the State to achieve fully integrated customer services consistent with the strategic vision and goals described above. Also describe strategies to strengthen workforce development activities in regard to weaknesses identified in section II(a)(2)

The state of Louisiana will continue to utilize an effective strategy to prepare for the impending job market expansion, in terms of both skills demand, and accelerated job growth.  WIOA provides a framework in its requirement for agency and program partnerships that will streamline processes, and create a pipeline for recruiting, training, educating, and otherwise preparing citizens to acquire a living wage.  To be successful, this has been and will continue to be a collaborative effort and shared responsibility among all partners.  An additional benefit of this course of action will come in the form of a stronger economy.  The continuous expansion of the collaborative partnerships will allow Louisiana to fulfill the requirements of WIOA.  It will also maximize benefits to the state’s workforce, employers and the overall economy.

Louisiana Workforce Investment Council (WIC) in partnership with the Local Workforce Development Boards is increasing focus on alignment with economic, workforce, and education systems to coordinate system based on skill needs in regions. This entails aligning Career and Technical Education and Apprenticeship opportunities as well as other education programs and activities occurring at the local level in each region. The fifteen workforce boards, through their required Strategic Plans, are developing strategies and actions to promote the alignment of all programs with WIOA-funded programs. Additionally, they are including sector strategies and youth initiatives to promote integration of services across all programs. The strategy related to this goal is creating a new, integrated Regional Planning process across the economic, education, and workforce Secretariats.

The new regional planning process reorganizes higher-level activities (e.g. data analysis, strategic planning, service mapping etc.) into a newly designated structure. Partners include but are not limited to LWC, Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDB), Community Colleges and Vocational Technical Schools, and Economic Development.

The purpose of the regional planning under the LWDB is to use the same regional boundaries between economic development, workforce, education and key partners. Each region identifies business demand for skills, creates regional strategies, and aligns existing resources to this process. The goal is to ensure that regional employers, educators, and workforce training officials are coordinated in a way that creates a strong talent pipeline, for both middle-skilled and highly skilled jobs. Integrated Regional Planning will support the development of cross-secretariat partnerships formed to support sector initiatives/career pathway initiatives that includes education and training, credential attainment, work-based learning (OJTs or apprenticeship), etc. Local Boards convene regional leaders in partnership with education and economic development partners to coordinate strategic activities and performance metrics.

LWC ensures that the LWDBs develop and utilize an integrated jobseeker customer flow between WIOA Core Program Partners, which will build statewide integrated, technology-based intake and case management information system as the main entry portal into the expanded Louisiana Workforce Development System for all staff and common customers (both job seekers and employers). Designing and implementing the technological infrastructure to execute a common intake/registration application with real-time triage processes that feature strong skills and transferability assessments, job matching and job referral, common case management and reporting systems across all partners is imperative to our ability to strengthen the consistency and quality of services provided by the system to job seekers and businesses. The plan is also to create regional “career pathways” or customer flows for each customer base across systems (adults, dislocated workers, UI Claimants, long-term unemployed, adult education student, TANF/SNAP, vocational rehabilitation clients, veterans, older workers and individuals with additional barriers to employment including, the homeless etc.) to align programs and resources that lead to employment outcomes, particularly for those with barriers to employment. The statewide MOU for all of the WIOA Core Program Partners and additional stakeholders’ outlines models for organizing pathways and opportunities to share systems, staff and resources to build out the model. The 15 regions have developed specific local Memorandum of Understandings that speaks to the implementation of joint service design for priority populations. MOUs developed baseline models and work to forge relationships across WIOA and non-WIOA partners. Service design includes:

• Partners working together on development of One-Stop Career Center operational components such as design of workspace, customer service flow, menu of services, marketing and outreach materials, etc.
• Clearing procedures for mutual referrals between partners.
• Maximizing the capacity to share data and information across systems for both sharing of information on individual customers, and tracking the use of partner services by common customers.

WIOA sets very high expectations for all American Job Center partners to improve outcomes for business and individuals with barriers to employment within the same level of resources, or in some cases, less funding and staffing. Workforce Development Boards are centered in bringing together the diverse interest groups representing the multitude of populations who face barriers to employment to organize new service pathway for each priority population.