Dennis Williamson - Workforce Development
- 1. Future Workforce C O N N E C T I N G Y O U T H TO T H E L O C A L D E V E L O P M E N T S Y S T E M
- 2. WIOA Youth Priorities ∙ Out-of-School Youth – A minimum of 75 percent of the Youth funds allocated to States and local areas, except for the local area expenditures for administration, must be used to provide services to OSY. ∙ Work Experience – Not less than 20 percent of Youth funds allocated to the local area, except for the local area expenditures for administration, must be used to provide paid and unpaid work experiences. ∙ Focus on Partnering – Co-enrollment encouraged where appropriate with Title II Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) program administered by Education Department (ED) and Title IV Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 administered by ED.
- 3. Barriers for Youth to Employment Development ∙ English Language Learner ∙ School dropout ∙ Age of compulsory school attendance, but not attending ∙ An offender or justice involved ∙ Homeless and foster care youth ∙ A pregnant or parenting individual ∙ Basic skills deficient ∙ Individual with a disability ∙ Low income is a determinant of need for assistance
- 4. Key Industry Demand ∙ Advanced Manufacturing currently around 14.2% of jobs in the region ∙ Medical & Biotech around 14% ∙ Construction Trades estimated to be 8% to 10% ∙ Trucking & Logistics nearly 19% of regional jobs ∙ Retail & Hospitality 12.2% of regional jobs ∙ IT & Call Centers rapidly emerging industry projected from Discover Arkansas https://www.discover.arkansas.gov/
- 5. Student Driven Job Fair
- 6. Meaningful & Relevant Youth Work Experience ∙ Guidance through appropriate assessment & coaching • Assess youth interest and potential skills • O*Net, ACT WorkKeys, TABE, interview ∙ Provide local market information (LMI) to aid career decisions • Know the job market • List future training options ∙ Provide a quality education component • Notate expectation of occupation skills knowledge gains • Inform employers on good mentoring that reinforces the experience
- 7. A Change of Plans Leads to a Story of Success! Melissa Cardenas ∙ a high school senior at Waldron High School. She had already turned 18 when she applied, and from the moment I met her I thought she was going to do well! Melissa had many “barriers” that would have caused many to fail, such as living in a high poverty area, being an ESL student, and coming from a single parent home. Where many would have let these determine their future, Melissa decided to do something about it!
- 8. Youth Pre-Apprenticeship ∙ Bridge opportunity between High School and Workforce ∙ Impactful training focused on 3 regional demand industries ∙ Project partners • High School (CTE) & (JAG) programs • Foster care, emergency shelters & Children and Family Services agencies • Job Corps center, Adult Education centers, & technical centers • Local companies & workforce partner agencies • Registered apprenticeship sponsors & programs ∙ 90 Hour pre-apprenticeship curriculum • First 60 hours will be same for all participants • Final 30 hours will be career pathway specific
- 9. Dennis Williamson II, PCED, BREC Director of Workforce Development Western Arkansas Planning & Development District 1109 S 16th St Fort Smith, AR 72901 (T) 479-785-2651 (F) 479-785-1964 (M) 574-261- 1766