"Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma, and yet just over half of our citizens have that level of education... So tonight I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be a community college or a four-year school, vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma."
--President Barack Obama
EDGE Op-Ed Featured in SF Chronicle
On Sunday, Nov. 15, the San Francisco Chronicle featured an op-ed essay on the cover of its "Insight" section from the EDGE Campaign about the need to protect and expand career technical education and training in California. The op-ed was signed by the top executives at PolicyLink, the California Labor Federation, and the California Manufacturers and Technology Association, and included photos from La Programa en Carpinteria Fina at Laney College in Oakland. It makes the case that California desperately needs to boost investment in high-quality training and partnerships and links to the recent report "California's Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs," which calls for the state to ensure every California worker has access to the equivalent of up to two years of education or training past high school.
Accompanying the op-ed is a diverse list of selected Bay Area skills training programs that offer workers and those with barriers to employment bridges to middle-skill jobs and middle-class careers. The list was abridged for print; you can find information about other programs on the Chronicle Editorial Board's blog page.
This essay is one outcome of building collaborative relationships and shared policy goals over several years within the EDGE coalition. Thanks to all who have participated in that work!
California's "Forgotten" Jobs Offer Economic Opportunity and Recovery - If We Train for Them
As California recovers from the recent deep recession, 2.7 million job openings that will require more training than a high school diploma but not necessarily a Bachelor's degree are projected to be needed in California. However, shortages of trained workers in some of these industries will slow recovery and growth in the near future unless the state prioritizes investment and alignment of resources in training and education for these in-demand occupations.
A new report, entitled "California's Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs," reveals that "middle-skill jobs" as defined above account for the largest share of California labor force today (49 percent) and are projected to continue to do so in the future. These positions - including highly skilled, technical, and high-wage occupations such as fire fighters, electricians, medical technicians, and mechanics - offer California workers a chance at economic security and prosperity, if they have access to appropriate education and training.
Therefore, every California worker should have access to the equivalent of up to two years of education or training past high school - leading to a vocational credential, industry certification, or one's first two years of college. Every person must also have access to the basic skills needed to pursue such education. This guarantee of access must also address the needs of communities of color and those who have barriers to success.
The California EDGE Campaign is pleased to announce that five California leaders representing diverse communities recently agreed to join the EDGE Executive Committee, strengthening the role of industry employers, social justice advocates, and labor organizations within our coalition. The continuing Executive Committee members, coalition members, and staff are excited about adding the expertise, passion, and perspectives of these volunteers to our leadership discussions.
Full Executive Committee Membership:
Barbara Baran, Senior Fellow, California Budget Project
Gail Blanchard-Saiger, Vice President of Labor and Employment, California Hospital Association*
Linda Collins, Executive Director, Career Ladders Project of the Foundation for California Community Colleges
Cesar Diaz, Deputy Legislative Director, State Building and Construction Trades Council*
Ian Kim, Green-Collar Jobs Campaign Director, Ella Baker Center*
Virginia Hamilton, Executive Director, California Workforce Association
Scott Lay, President/CEO, Community College League of California
Ruben Lizardo, Associate Director, PolicyLink*
Tim Rainey, Director of Workforce and Economic Development Program, California Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
Willie Washington, Policy Director, California Manufacturing and Technology Association*
*New Executive Committee member as of Summer 2009
Nov. Conference "Reaches for Change" with Sector Initiatves
The 2009 National Network of Sector Partners National Conference
is an exciting event for those interested in regional, industry-focused approaches to workforce and economic development. The conference brings together sector initiative leaders, policy-makers, researchers, business, labor, and others interested in promoting economic vitality and opportunity for workshops, plenaries, site visits, industry-specific convenings, and the chance to compare notes.
Rooted in Success, Reaching for Change
2009 NNSP National Conference
November 10-13
Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC Information and registration
Capitol Briefing Matches Green Jobs Rhetoric with Reality (and Opportunity)
Local, state, and federal governments have pinned a lot of hopes on the "green economy" as the next engine for innovation and growth. But what are realistic expectations for green job growth? And how can we best upgrade the skills of Californians for this emerging sector?
On March 26, EDGE and a diverse group of co-sponsors presented a briefing inside the Capitol to provide nearly 50 top legislative and agency staffers with answers to these questions. During the briefing, titled "Building a Strong, Inclusive Green Economy in California," expert speakers presented new data on the job creation potential of the green economy and model training programs.
Now you can share this inside information! Click here to listen to recordings of the speakers, review key information from the briefing, and download presentations and fact sheets.
Follow the (Stimulus) Money
Economic recovery and the federal stimulus continue to be the leading topics of discussion in Sacramento and in the workforce development world. Below are some updates and resources on these subjects that may be informative:
The EDGE Campaign is participating in the California Green Stimulus Coalition, an alliance of dozens of organizations advocating for investments that advance California's long term environmental goals; create high-quality jobs; lead to high-road economic development; and provide for truly shared prosperity. See the Coalition's website and principles.
The California Energy Commission, California Public Utilities Commission, and Community Services and Development Department will each oversee tens of millions of new dollars for energy-related workforce training from the federal stimulus and state programs. There are several workshops around the state over the next several weeks to provide information about grant guidelines and gather input. Check the websites linked above for more details.
California Economic Recovery-WIA and WP Act Programs Web Site - California Employment Development Dept.
State Launches Health Training Initiative
On April 13, Gov. Schwarzenegger announced a new $32 million Allied Health Initiative to train more workers for the health care sector. $32 million in public and private funds will be dedicated to expanding educational capacity for careers like imaging specialist, lab technician, and respiratory therapist - professions that are in demand despite the recession.
28 community colleges have already been awarded grants for the fall semester, and a Request for Application for the next phase has been released. The CSU Chancellor has also issued a Request for Proposals for programs in that system. The Allied Health Initiative is intended to last for three years.
What the Stimulus Means for California
The $787 billion federal stimulus bill will bring a significant infusion of money into California's infrastructure, energy and energy efficiency, and workforce systems. Now, attention is turning to understanding how the monies will be disbursed and how to ramp up effective programs quickly. Three national EDGE partners have made available analyses of the funding that will come to California to support workforce education and training and low-income families:
The Workforce Alliance has developed a summary of key workforce provisions included in the final bill, as well as a side-by-side analysis comparing the final bill with the House- and Senate-passed bills. Both are available here.
The Working Poor Families Project has forwarded two documents prepared by Congress and the White House (but not available online). The first chart (Excel spreadsheet) breaks out the funding that was allocated to each state for support of low-income families, by program. The second chart (PDF) estimates the benefits of the plan to each state in numbers of people receiving additional services and dollar amounts.
Green for All and PolicyLink recorded a podcast, "Bringing Home the Green Economy," outlining key environmental and green-jobs provisions in the stimulus. Green for All has also prepared other resources, including a toolkit of local actions for a "Green Recovery."
Learning About State Sector Strategies
On October 29, EDGE co-sponsored a Learning Session on Sector Strategies with the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB) in Sacramento. More than 80 leaders participated in the day-long session - including CWIB members, state officials, legislative staff, and local workforce board members - to learn about how states can support focused, comprehensive initiatives at the regional level.
While many WIBs, community colleges, labor/management partnerships and community organizations in California have effectively worked in industry sectors for years, there is little state funding or policy in California to encourage and support this kind of collaboration at the regional level. Speakers and table discussions at the learning session explored the application of sector strategies in other states and how state-level sector strategies could be used in California.
EDGE will continue to work with the CWIB, local leaders, and others to develop more awareness of the effectiveness of state-level support for regional sector strategies.
Click here for more information about the learning session, including presentations and other related documents.
The California EDGE* Campaign is a nonprofit coalition of major employers, educators, regional workforce development leaders, labor, and industry associations working together to propose sound policy that will prepare Californians for the high-wage, skilled jobs that will drive our state’s economic recovery.
* EDGE is an acronym for "Education, Diversity, and Growth in the Economy"
The campaign is endorsed by:
Alameda County Office of Education
Alameda County Workforce Investment Board
Allan Hancock College
Alliance Worknet of Stanislaus County
American Composites Manufacturers Association
Anaheim Workforce Investment Board
Appian Engineering, Inc.
Bay Area Council
Bay Area Council Economic Institute
Big Brown Eyes Productions
The Boeing Company
California Association for Microenterprise Opportunity (CAMEO)
California Budget Project
California Coalition for Construction in the Classroom
California Commission for Economic Development
California Council for Adult Education
California Labor Federation AFL-CIO
California Manufacturing and Technology Association
California Science Education Initiative
California Space Authority
California Space Education & Workforce Institute
California Transportation & Logistics Institute
California Workforce Association
Calloway & Associates
Career Ladders Project
CathedralFinancial Group, Inc.
Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy
Center for Employment Training
Central Valley Asian-American Chamber of Commerce
Central Valley Opportunity Center
Cerritos College
Chabot-Las Positas Community College District
Children and Family Futures
City of Hayward
City of Sunnyvale
City of Watsonville
Colton Joint Unified School District
Community College League of California
Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley
Economic Development Administration of San Joaquin
El Monte/South El Monte Chamber of Commerce
The Entertainment Economy Institute
Fast Future
Financial Statement Services, Inc.
Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Foothill Workforce Investment Board
Gateway Cities Partnership, Inc.
Greater Long Beach Workforce Development Board
Golden Sierra Workforce Investment Board
Golden Valley Health Centers
Goodwill Industries of San Francisco
Hacienda La Puente Adult Education
Human Services Agency
Information Technology Consortium
Insight Center for Community Economic Development (formerly NEDLC)
International Association of Nanotechnology
Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California
Jewish Vocational Service
Job Impact!
Kaiser Permanente
Kelly Space & Technology, Inc.
Kern, Inyo, Mono Workforce Investment Board
KP Consulting
LA Works
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California
Literacy Network of Greater Los Angeles
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
Los Angeles Health Care Workforce Development Program
Madera County Workforce Investment Board
Marin Employment Connection
Mendocino County Workforce Investment Board
Merced Adult School
Merced County Workforce Investment Board
Monterey County Business Council
Mother Lode Job Training
Mt. San Antonio College
Napa Workforce Investment Board
National Association of Working Seniors
New Ways to Work
Next 10
North Bay Veterans Resource Centers
North Central Counties Consortium
NOVA Workforce Board
Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
Palomar College
PolicyLink
Private Industry Council of San Luis Obispo
Project HIRED
Riverside County Workforce Development Board
Scaramento City College
Sacramento Works, Inc.
San Bernardino County WIB
San Diego Workforce Investment Board
San Diego Workforce Partnership
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
San Francisco Center for Economic Development
San Joaquin County Worknet
San Mateo Community College District
Santa Ana Workforce Investment Board
Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce and Convention-Visitors Bureau
Santa Cruz County Workforce Investment Board
Santa Monica City College
Say it Better Center LLC
SEIU Local 1877, Building Skills Partnership
SFWorks
Skyline College
Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Investment Board
Southern California Indian Center
Sonoma County Human Services Department / WIB
Sonoma Valley Adult School
South Bay Workforce Investment Board
South Hayward United Methodist Church
State Building and Construction Trades Council of California
State Center Community College District
Tinetti Realty Group
Tulare County Workforce Investment Board, Inc.
United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA)
Verdugo Workforce Investment Board
West Los Angeles College
Western Hardware Company
Westside Economic Collaborative
The Workforce Alliance
Workforce Investment Board of Imperial County
Women At Work
Women's Initiative for Self Employment
work2future
Worker Education & Resource Center, Inc.
Workforce and Economic Development Program, California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO