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The California EDGE Campaign presented our first webinar, “Moving Adults from Basic Skills to Careers,” on June 17. Three expert speakers presented real-world examples of strategies that work to lift adults from basic skills courses into good careers, such as integrating basic skills education into industry-specific workforce training.
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First EDGE Salon a "Green" Success!
 Van Jones |
On April 16, EDGE held its first "Linking Economic Development and Workforce Development Salon," bringing together state leaders to explore the future of "green-collar" jobs. Van Jones of Green For All and Doug Henton of Collaborative Economics provided inspiration and information to an audience of more than 40.
Click here to learn more about this event!
Listen to Van Jones' speech.
Listen to Doug Henton's presentation.
Download Henton's presentation (PDF document).NEW! Read the EDGE Campaign's Perspective on Green-Collar Jobs.
BUILDING WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIPS CONFERENCE
The upcoming "Building Workforce Partnerships 2008: Adapting to Change" conference in Los Angeles June 11-13, presented by the Workforce and Economic Development Program of the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, will feature an EDGE "track" of workshops.
Information and registration are online at http://www.wed-works.org/info.html.
Huge EDGE Meeting in Silicon Valley
 Virginia Hamilton |
EDGE has arrived in force in the Silicon Valley! More than 100 diverse participants - representing industry, labor, community colleges, WIBs, and community organizations - came together for the first EDGE Silicon Valley regional meeting on March 13 at Mission College. Thanks to EDGE Steering Committee members Mike Curran and Steve Levy and the other local leaders who convened this productive meeting!
Following presentations on the growing workforce needs of businesses in Silicon Valley and the state, EDGE Executive Committee member Virginia Hamilton facilitated discussion surrounding Silicon Valley's workforce challenges, such as being unprepared for the wave of boomer retirements and the challenge of a workforce where many lack basic skills and work readiness. Participants recommended EDGE focus its Campaign in two ways: 1) developing a strong, coherent message about the looming workforce crisis to educate policymakers, and 2) addressing the fragmentation of the workforce system, particularly funding sources and rules that create barriers to collaboration.
A summary of the event is available here (PDF, 28k)
Spreading the Word among Occupational Educators
EDGE introduced its Campaign at the California Community College Association for Occupational Education's (CCCAOE) Spring Conference on March 12 in Sacramento. Executive Director Sharon Huntsman, Executive Committee member Linda Collins of the Career Ladders Project, and Steering Committee member Nick Kremer of Cerritos College spoke to an audience of more than 50 people, who responded enthusiastically to EDGE's mission and plans.
The presentation file is available online at http://www.cccaoe.org/conference/PPts.html.
Moving Adults from Basic Skills to Work
 Nick Kremer, Cerritos College; Julie Strawn, Center for Law and Social Policy, Kim Schenk, CCCAOE; Jon Kerr, Pierce College (WA) Photo Credit: CCCAOE |
Also at the CCAOE conference, the National Council on Workforce Education co-sponsored a workshop on moving adults from basic skills to work. EDGE reached out to key state legislative staff to invite them to participate and learn about model programs in other states, and several were in attendance.
During the workshop, Julie Strawn from the Center on Law and Social Policy discussed how integrating basic skills education with workforce training produces better outcomes for lower-skilled students and how California is performing. Based on her review of outcomes in Washington, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Chicago, Ms. Strawn identified the following key elements of successful integration:
- Align adult ed./ESL and developmental ed. content with postsecondary content
- Shorten the timeline through dual enrollment/dual credit, accelerated programs, etc.
- Have close, ongoing, personal connections with employers—but be selective about partners
- Support success with wrap around supports, e.g., case management, career exploration, college success courses, academic advising, financial aid, child care, transportation, peer support.
Jon Kerr of Pierce College in Washington State also provided an overview of his college's I-BEST (Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training) program, which currently has implemented five career pathways. Both presentations are available online at http://www.cccaoe.org/conference/PPts.html.
EDGE hires an Associate Director
We are delighted to announce that Jason Weiner has joined the California EDGE Campaign as Associate Director, effective April 1. Prior to arriving in EDGE's Sacramento-based office, Jason was the Executive Director of the Westside Economic Collaborative in Los Angeles County. Click here to read Jason's bio [PDF document].
California's EDGE* Campaign is a non-partisan coalition of groups with diverse and even divergent outlooks but united in the belief that:
- California's future economic growth rests in large measure on the skill base of its workers.
- The state and its industrial leadership are now at serious risk of losing the competitive advantage of a highly trained workforce and lag other states in responding to this challenge.
- The Governor and Legislature must lead a strategic effort to forge the state's impressive education and training infrastructure into an integrated system of talent development that addresses the needs of all California workers and employers.
- In the absence of this kind of leadership, California's future is uncertain. Both employers and workers face the threat of economic decline.
* 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 Economic Forum
- 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 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 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!
- 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
- North Bay Veterans Resource Centers
- North Central Counties Consortium
- NOVA Workforce Board
- 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 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
- Workforce and Economic Development Program, California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
- Workforce Investment Board of Humboldt County
- Workforce Investment Board of Imperial County
- Workforce Investment Board of Marin County
- Workforce Investment Board of Solano County
Endorsements as of May 2, 2008
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With thanks to the following funders: |