Younger Workers Committee

June 28, 2016: 9:30 AM
Frances Perkins Room, MDOL Commerce Drive, Augusta, ME

Younger Worker?s Committee AGENDA 06/28/16 9:30 ? Noon Frances Perkins Room, MDOL Welcomes and introductions and approval of 4/28/16 meeting minutes Updates on WIOA, SWB Group discussion that reflects the information about the industry council info and what you have found out? 5 Career Exploration Questions: 1) What tools do you use for Career Exploration? 2) What panels or Industry do you use for Career Exploration? 3) What soft skills do you teach/use and how are they connected to occupational choices? 4) Of all the tools you use, what has the best return on investment? 5) Other? These are the questions that we put together at our last meeting. This is something that needs to be addressed and we can address it on/at various levels. Please come prepared with your answers. Member updates Meeting adjourned Upcoming Meetings ? 9:30 ? Noon, Frances Perkins Room, MDOL ? Thursday, September 15 ? Thursday, November 17


YOUNGER WORKERS COMMITTEE MEETING

06/28/16

Present: Denise Smith, Rachel Knight, Tammy Richardson, Mary-Anne Saxl, Meg Harvey, Dave Wurm, Anne Wheeler, Scott Good (phone)

Staff: Cheryl Moran

Denise Smith opened the meeting with welcomes and introductions and asked for approval of the April 28, 2016 minutes. Rachel Knight motioned. Tammy Richardson seconded. Minutes approved unanimously as written.

Updates on WIOA, SWB • Cheryl Moran ? WIOA - The Governor was notified on June 24, 2016 stating the Unified State Plan is substantially approved subject to conditions. These edits must be revised no later than September 1, 2016. The Steering Committee will be meeting to enact. Ironically shortly before, we received a call from the Boston Regional Office stating it was the best Plan Maine has ever submitted. We have not received the WIOA Regulations yet. They are supposed to come out on June 30, 2016. We expect this will happen. SWB ? We are still in the process of hiring Paul?s replacement. The position title will be Project Manager, short-term ? up to 9 months. The ideal candidate will need to have strong project manager skills.

Group discussion that reflects the information about the industry council and what you have found out • Meg Harvey ? LD 1627 has passed. Students can earn a high school degree as long as they take their academics up to grade 10. They still will need to take Math, English and Social Studies for the 11th and 12th grades. This opens up to Career and Technical Pathways.

5 Career Exploration Questions: 1) What tools do you use for Career Exploration? 2) What panels or Industry do you use for Career Exploration? 3) What soft skills do you teach/use and how are they connected to occupational choices? 4) Of all the tools you use, what has the best return on investment? 5) Other? 1) • Denise Smith ? these questions were identified as one of the main priorities. • Anne Wheeler ? under WIOA, we do a lot with Career Exploration. The tools we use are geared towards the learning standards. We have our own Career Exploration Workshop in Rehab Services. The tools we use in the Workshop are resume writing, job shadowing, mock interviews with peers and employers, transferrable skills scale and BARSCH ? which determines what style of learning you are. • Dave Wurm ? a great tool we use is World of Work Inventory or WOWI. This tool is much more intensive. It?s a career and personality assessment that measures interest, skills and work styles that can guide an individual onto Pathways. • Denise Smith ? ONET ? www.mynextmove.org provides a snapshot of available job openings, skills and education requirements for a particular job. • Mary-Anne Saxl ? Job Corp, career readiness/transitions. Our organization is federally mandated and we are required to follow whatever the government requires us to do. • Meg Harvey ? provided a website www.mesfoundation.kuder.com . This site provides the best Career Exploration services and it is free. She also uses the ASVAB assessment.

2) • Tammy Richardson ? we refer a lot (foster kids) to Vocational Rehabilitation. We tend to run into a lot of barriers that prevents them from getting where they need to be. • Denise Smith ? we have kids create a list of questions of what they want to talk about which is facilitated most of the time by our Agency. Youth need to understand that there is a path to a job. Occasionally we speak with Joanna Russell, Executive Director of the Northeastern Workforce Development Board. Geographically, her Region consists of 5 counties. Joanna said that they received a Sector Partnership Grant which involves throughout the state. This grant allows sector-based advisory groups. We need to bring the same idea to all Local Workforce Boards. We need to be able to align all those industry groups. • Dave Wurm ? we are in discussion with the Coastal Counties Workforce Development Board. The sector pathway groups that they are working with are Health, Finance, IT and Transportation/Logistics. We speak to industry associations as well.

Member updates • Tammy Richardson ? reported that they were awarded a Federal Grant, Learn and Earn to Achieve Potential or LEAP. This Grant is an initiative that aims to increase educational and employment opportunities for youth and young adults ages 14 to 25 that are in foster care. • Dave Wurm ? reported that they were awarded the TechHire Grant. The instruction can be hands-on or classroom based. They will be working with youth and young adults ages 17 to 29. He does not know if it has the typical WIOA eligibility requirements. Piloting this summer in partnership with the Muskie Center is the Gateway to Opportunity Grant. We will be working with low-income youth.
• Rachel Knight ? stated her company, Destination Occupation is creating new videos that can be watched by students (specifically eighth grade) showcasing an industry sector.

Other • Rachel Knight ? we need to have a discussion with guidance counselors in reference to the perception of students needing to attend college. • Denise Smith ? believes pushing a student to attend college is a disservice. Perhaps in the future, these individuals may be ready for college. • Scott Good ? coming from an employer?s point of view, attending college reflects ones diligence on sticking with something harder to do however, soft skills are very important. There is a place for both technical and soft skills. • Denise Smith ? stated the State Workforce Board (SWB) needs to educate these employers. Transition is coming but not as quickly as we would like. • Meg Harvey ? Career Exploration ? hoping to throw into Legislation starting at grades 1, 3, 5 and 8. She stated that she may ask this Committee to endorse that. • Denise Smith ? suggested at the next meeting to invite the Local Workforce Board?s Directors to attend. • Meg Harvey ? is hoping by the end of the year, establish a Council looking at industry credentials.

Next Meeting: Thursday, September 15 9:30 ? 12:00, Frances Perkins Room, MDOL Denise ? we will invite the Local Workforce Board Directors.

Meeting Adjourned

Respectfully submitted by Cheryl Moran


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