Narrative: III. a. 2. D.

Employer collaboratives are industry-led partnerships that play a crucial role in aligning workforce development efforts with the specific needs and challenges of various sectors. The primary focus of employer collaboratives is to convene businesses, industry leaders, and key stakeholders to work together to address workforce challenges and opportunities in their respective sectors.

Arkansas is engaged in a formal initiative named Talent Pipeline Management (TPM).  TPM is a cutting-edge approach to meeting talent demand. Developed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, TPM is revolutionizing how businesses address their workforce needs.

Role in the Arkansas Workforce State Plan:

• Align Education with Industry Needs: TPM helps align educational and training programs with the specific needs of industries, ensuring that students and job seekers acquire relevant, in- demand skills.
• Close Skills Gaps: By clearly articulating employer needs, TPM helps to close the skills gap, ensuring that the workforce is trained for the jobs that are available now and in the future.
• Create Efficient Talent Pipelines: Through collaboration with education providers and workforce development programs, TPM creates more efficient and targeted talent pipelines.
• Enhance Workforce Data Analysis: TPM’s focus on data and metrics contributes to a more sophisticated understanding of labor market dynamics, assisting in strategic workforce planning.
• Strengthen Employer Collaboration: TPM fosters a collaborative environment where businesses within sectors and industries work together to address common workforce challenges.
• Inform Policy and Strategy: Insights from TPM inform state workforce policies and strategies, ensuring they are responsive to actual employer needs.
• Support Economic Development: By ensuring a skilled workforce, TPM aids in attracting new businesses and supporting the growth of existing ones, thereby driving economic development.
• Enhance Career Pathways: By providing clear information on industry needs, TPM helps in crafting career pathways that are aligned with real job opportunities.

In Arkansas, TPM is integrated into the workforce plan as a key tool for engaging employers and ensuring that workforce development efforts are closely aligned with the needs of the state’s economy. By adopting TPM, Arkansas is taking a proactive, employer-centric approach to workforce development, setting the stage for a more responsive and effective workforce ecosystem.

The Arkansas WIOA Partners Roundtable, consisting of core partners, meets monthly to share information, identify resources, and build relationships. Because of the large number of members, working committees are utilized to work on specific issues and the policy committee is tasked with the coordination, alignment and provision of services to employers. A working group has been established that consists of leaders from each agency tasked with business relations from all of the core programs and key workforce stakeholders. The intent of this partnership is to allow for all business relations representatives to be versed in the services provided by all core programs and key stakeholders in order to provide this information to employers.

The Arkansas Workforce Center Certification Criteria requires the center to have a business liaison team as the single point of contact for business services. It is expected that staff involved with initiating employer contacts will participate on the team in a coordinated outreach program under the Arkansas Workforce Center name and marketing approach. The team will consist of business contact staff from all partner programs and will, at a minimum, provide the following structure and coordination in approaching the business community:

• A team leader to coordinate the activities of the team.
• A coordinated “script” to market the system to employers.
• Use of the Arkansas Workforce Center name as the primary marketing approach, with agency specialty areas (i.e., Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, Services for the Blind, DVOP/LVER Veterans Services) presented as a part of the overall system as needed.
• An information sharing strategy that makes contact results available to all team members.
• A clear menu of services across all partners.
• A division of duties with employer sector specializations as deemed appropriate for quality customer service.
• Multiple agency participation with clear cost and information sharing commitments.
• At a minimum, job search, employer contacts, job orders, or job development leads performed by any center staff as a result of outreach will be entered into the Wagner-Peyser database (Arkansas Job Link).

Arkansas has received several discretionary grants from the U.S. Department of Labor to address workforce development and training needs of Arkansas employers and jobseekers. Specifically, through the Arkansas Apprenticeship Pathway Initiative, Arkansas Sector Partnership, and the Arkansas Job Driven National Emergency Grant, the State has been able to connect with numerous employers throughout the state to identify existing and emerging occupations and training needs. These grants have enabled to the state to be very flexible and immediately responsive to the training needs identified by employers. Through the use of project management teams comprised of core, mandatory, and optional partners in addition to Registered Apprenticeship, two- and four-year educational institutions, local workforce development boards, and non-profit organizations, the State is able to most effectively deliver services through these grants and maximize on subject matter expertise from all involved.

Arkansas understands that the WIOA legislative mandate has changed workforce development. As such, we are currently seeking a “business facing” workforce development solution that is a collaborative platform to connect people, jobs, programs, and data to advance the economic viability of our state.

ADWS began hosting Business Services Summits on a regular basis. These meetings serve as an opportunity for WIOA Business Services Teams to come together, strategize, and share best practices regarding the provision of workforce development services to Employers. Agenda topics include Networking and Building Sector Partnerships, Effective Recruiting Tips, Capitalizing on OJT/WBL Opportunities, Maintaining a Virtual Presence, Building Awareness, and Employer Outreach.

One of the services Adult Education provides to employers is workplace classes.  Workplace classes include instruction at a workplace, or an off-site location designed to improve the workforce's productivity for a company.  Instruction includes contextualized literacy, writing, math, English language acquisition, and workforce preparation at Educational Functioning Levels appropriate to learners.  Adult education providers have also provided computer skill-building for use on the job, specialized vocabulary relevant to the employer or industry, and basic on-the-job conduct such as being on time, attendance, and relations with peers and supervisors. The employer is a vital partner who helps guide and design the curriculum to meet the organization's needs.

Another service that Adult Education provides to employers is conducting a literacy task analysis (LTA). A literacy task analysis is a method of obtaining detailed information about the specific components of a job that require literacy skills such as reading, writing, computation, communication, creative thinking, problem-solving, personal management, and teamwork skills.  A trained WAGE™ Coordinator consults with a manager and works with a group of employees to complete the LTA and gain an understanding of the abilities, skills, and knowledge of a specific job. The experienced employees serve as the subject matter experts who define the tasks and skills needed to perform a job successfully.

The purpose of conducting an LTA on behalf of an organization is to help employees learn new tasks, transfer to another job, or be promoted. As technology evolves rapidly, employees must learn new tasks, such as operating highly technical equipment or mastering complex quality control procedures. By conducting a literacy task analysis, trainers can develop materials that integrate the basic skills with new job tasks. This will enable employees to respond to change more effectively. Literacy task analysis can help employers retain talent by identifying the literacy requirements of different types of jobs. Workers will better understand the added skills needed to move from one position to another in the company. A literacy task analysis can clearly point out the different types of basic skills and training required to improve an employee’s ability to deliver quality service in lateral transfers within an organization. Lastly, a literacy task analysis can help identify the skills gap of a reliable employee who exhibits desirable employability traits but may lack the skills needed for a higher position. Conducting a literacy task analysis on higher-level jobs will enable trainers to develop materials that will better prepare these employees for promotion and increased responsibility.

Regarding coordinating services with other core programs, the Business Engagement Committee, a subcommittee of the state’s WIOA Executive Committee, is represented by state staff of the core programs whose primary focus is to meet the needs of businesses, coordinate services, and reduce duplication. Core partners engage with employers to identify challenges and how the state can assist. The Business Services Team, which has a working knowledge of each core program, helps to connect the employer with the appropriate program. The employer may be working with multiple programs at the same time. For example, in a layoff, a Rapid Response Task Force member may respond to employers and future displaced workers by providing an overview of services available to help employees transition quickly back into the workplace. After assessing skills, individuals without a high school diploma may be referred to adult education for retooling and upskilling. An employee with a disability may be referred to Arkansas Rehabilitation Services to help with training and other needs. The state team works in tandem to meet the needs of business and industry. Because the core programs are under the Division of Workforce Services and most of the programs are collocated, collaboration and communication among the partners happens almost daily.

The ARS Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work program is designed to assist employers in maintaining employees on the job who experience illnesses or injuries that result in disability.  ARS also provides assistance to employers regarding how to accommodate employees with disabilities on the job. The Business Engagement Unit works with employers to secure referrals for potential employees and also provides other services such as disability etiquette training.

Division of Services for the Blind (DSB) collaborates with local and state chamber of commerce organizations and employers to open job connections for consumers.  DSB has historically provided services to employers and continues to increase service delivery to employers. DSB continues to provide Disability Awareness Training and technical assistance to employers and to community partners to meet the needs of business and promote a diverse workforce. Training will continue to reinforce the use of common terminology in vocational rehabilitation and other WIOA partners, identify types of accommodations available to assist blind or visually impaired consumers in the workplace, to educate individuals with disabilities about employment opportunities, and to highlight the strengths of the vocational rehabilitation to business and the private sector.

Partnerships include chamber of commerce organizations, employers, and educational institutions. The Chamber of Commerce provides additional visibility to the efforts and outcomes for services available to employers through efforts of DSB. The partnerships established through these efforts are invaluable and allow opportunities for DSB to share job placement best practices and foster new opportunities with employers. Employer job fairs sponsored by Division of Services for the Blind creates a line of communication with employers to demonstrate technology abilities and consumer driven outcomes with employers. This approach has provided a foundation with employers who are open to hiring people who are blind or visually impaired. The partnership with the chamber of commerce has also influenced employer participation with the Pre-Employment Transition training and referral with summer intern options.   Pre-employment transition services are provided to students with disabilities, including work experiences, to assure that youth and young adults are more prepared for the services needed by employers and to increase employment opportunities for consumers. Consistent communication with employers also assists to continue employer engagement and prepare blind consumers with job opportunities. Future opportunities to partner with employers through apprenticeships are under development to ensure blind or visually impaired consumers have access to careers.

The JVSG program is a partner within Arkansas’s Workforce Development system. The JVSG program is required by law to provide services to veterans and other eligible persons. The JVSG-funded Disabled Veterans Outreach Program specialists (DVOP), Local Veterans Employment Representatives (LVER), and Consolidated Position (CP) staff are dedicated to their primary statutory responsibilities as defined by Veterans’ Program Letters (VPLs). The DVOPs focus on providing Basic and Individualized Career Services through case management to veterans with significant barriers to employment (SBE) and other eligible persons.

The LVERs are fully integrated into and serve on local business service teams in Arkansas' ten LWDAs.  LVERS also coordinate with members of the community to advocate to employers on behalf of veterans and to develop job opportunities specifically for veterans. Each business services team in the ten LWDAs in Arkansas meet monthly to discuss strategy, coordination, industry targets, and assignments for the current and upcoming quarters.  This process ensures that representatives from all WIOA one-stop required partners are working seamlessly to produce outcomes and to avoid duplication of services.

The LVERs also train all Arkansas Workforce Center Staff to network for veterans and comply with priority of service requirements, with assistance from the Central Office Training Coordinator.  The Consolidated Position staff serve in a dual role as DVOP specialist and LVER. In addition, All JVSG staff collaborate with community partners in order to provide the additional services needed for the veteran community to obtain meaningful careers. On a priority of service basis, workforce center staff member determines the eligible person’s purpose for registering. The intake staff member, serving as the “greeter” is usually the first person that a veteran or other eligible person interact with at an Arkansas Workforce Center (AWC). Once the veteran or other eligible person is identified, the Workforce Center Staff conducts an initial assessment. This initial assessment uses a customized veteran intake questionnaire to help determine if the veteran or other eligible person has an SBE or if they are a member of another special priority group. If a determination is made that the client is a veteran with an SBE or meets other special criteria, they are referred to the DVOP specialist or CP for further assessment and Individualized Career Services. Those veterans determined not to possess an SBE are provided career services.

These services include resume writing, computer skills, and interviewing techniques. If the Veteran or other covered person needs more specialized services, they may be referred to another service provider/program within the AWC. All Individualized Career Services and training is provided on a priority of service basis.