FutureWorks Career Center is a nonprofit One-Stop Career Center located in Springfield, MA that serves job seekers and businesses. Their 3-year strategic plan aims to: 1) align their performance to a demand-driven business model; 2) increase visibility and usage among businesses and job seekers; and 3) empower staff to deliver innovative services. Their 'Big 4' goals are to increase placements, business services performance, and staff development. Key objectives include increasing job seeker participation, skills assessments, unemployment claimant membership, business contacts, marketing, and job postings.

1. DRIVING
IMPROVEMENT
3 Year Strategic Plan
December 2015

2. Overview
FutureWorks Career Center is a One-Stop Career Center located in the STCC
Industrial Park in Springfield, Massachusetts, we serve people looking for work
as well as businesses. Jobseeker services include job search related
workshops, computer skills training and youth services. We are also the
induction point for publicly funded skills training. We assist individuals with
qualifying for and connecting to training to upgrade their skills. Business
services include assistance with staff recruitment. This includes job postings
and job fairs. We also link companies to supportive services such as On The
Job Training, the Workforce Training Fund and Workshare.
FutureWorks collaborates with many local organizations including nonprofits,
community colleges and governmental organizations. Opened in 1997, we are
chartered by the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County to
principally serve the county. Our trade area includes Northern Connecticut.
Our performance falls under the purview of the Massachusetts Executive
Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the United States Department
of Labor. FutureWorks is a nonprofit corporation 501 (c) (3).
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3. Education
Less Than High School 18% 2,087
High School Diploma/GED 36% 4,219
Some College/Voc Degree 21% 2,432
Associate Degree 7% 778
Bachelor’s Degree 8% 967
Advanced Degree 3% 405
Info Not Available 7% 777
Overview
In Fiscal 2015 FutureWorks Career Center Served
Total Jobseekers 11,741
Unemployed Jobseekers 10,655
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Ethnicity
White 24% 3,910
Black/African American 17% 2,719
Hispanic/Latino 27% 4,429
American Indian/Alaskan <1% 73
Asian 1% 195
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1% 22
Other 3% 449
Info Not Available 27% 4,455

4. Overview
In Fiscal 2015 FutureWorks Career Center Served
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Businesses
Newly Using FutureWorks Services 204
Repeat FutureWorks Services Users 389
Total Served 593
Companies Listing Jobs 496
Total Openings Posted 3,285

5. Plan Formation
In June 2015, the entire FutureWorks staff participated in a day-long planning
session focused on developing/contributing to the FutureWorks strategic plan.
Each staff member had the opportunity to provide input on issues or points of
information they felt important. Prior to this session, key stake holders
including staff, job seeker customers, business customers, and our Board of
Directors were surveyed to gain their input. This information was reviewed
and included in developing the strategic plan.
After the day-long session, the staff separated into two groups to review the
input and formulate priorities for the plan. One group was comprised of staff,
the other management. In October, the two groups met to compare their
drafts. There was a high degree of consensus between the two teams.
On December 17, 2015 FutureWorks' Board of Directors reviewed and
approved our Strategic Plan.
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6. President MacArthur Starks MassMutual
Vice-President Gary McDonald Associated Industries of Massachusetts
Treasurer Josephine Sarnelli Jo Sarnelli CPA
Secretary Diane Kieras-Ciolkos Escapes For Everyone
Director Ronn Johnson Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services
Director Joanne Berwald Mestek
Director Paul Judd Baystate Health
Director Michael Suzor Springfield Technical Community College
Director Phillip Ernst Jr. Hasbro (Retired)
Mayor’s Liaison Denise Jordan City of Springfield
FutureWorks Board Of Directors
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7. Our Environment
Funding sources needed to cover FutureWorks operating and program
expenses are increasingly becoming scarce and the workforce development
system is undergoing a shift to an emphasis on demand driven services (e.g.
matching training programs to business needs). Currently businesses report
an inability to attract applicants with the skills required for their openings.
This in an environment where many people are still unable to find work. Over
20,000 adults, 92% of whom were unemployed, sought services at Hampden
County One-Stop Career Centers in FY 13. Less than half of these individuals
were able to secure employment. However, 80% of those that were able to
find jobs, retained employment over time.
Skill and education gaps leave good-paying jobs unfilled, particularly in the
high growth industry sectors of health care, human services, advanced
manufacturing, and financial/business services. The 2015 Pioneer Valley Plan
for Progress identified the talent pool pipeline issue, and it's resulting impact
on the ability of the region to attract and retain Businesses as a "Key
Challenge.”
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8. Our Environment
Compounding the inability to fill positons issue is the high degree of Baby
Boom Generation retirements. In addition, some people are just opting out of
the labor force. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov/news.release/metro.t01.htm)
reports the Greater Springfield Area's Civilian Labor Force declined by 4,900
from August 2014 to September 2015. This loss of available workers
illustrates the workforce supply challenge.
FutureWorks is located within walking distance of Springfield's highest poverty
areas. Over 30% of Springfield residents live below the poverty line. Of those,
8% are employed, 23% are white, 33% Black/African-American and 43% are
Hispanic. The most recent data in the 2013 American Community Survey
reports over 44% of Springfield residents living in poverty had not worked in
the past year. Only 2% had worked full-time in the previous 12-months.
The FutureWorks goal and challenge is to facilitate meaningful skill gains and
get customers job ready. This goal must be aligned with the needs of area
companies in order to satisfy the needs of both business and job seeker
customers.
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9. Strategic Plan Purpose and Scope
• Align our performance to a demand driven business model.
• Increase our visibility with and usage by the business community and job
seekers.
• Empower staff to deliver innovative state of the art services that ensure we
meet our goals.
• Create a culture of communication and collaboration.
• Move our business forward to ensure high levels of continued quality
customer service resulting in increased quality placements.
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10. Staff
Development
Business
Continuation
Increase
Placements
Increase
Business
Services
Performance
Mission
Values
CSFs*
Increase Workshop
Participation 10% Annually
Increase Use of Assessment Tools
10% A Year Annually
Increase Membership
Of UI Claimants 10% Annually
Increase Business Contacts
10% A Year Annually
Increase Marketing Of Business
Services 10% A Year Annually
Increase Job Postings
10% A Year Annually
New Performance Mgmt
System Jan 2017
Performance Reward &
Recognition System Jan 2017
Informal Staff Feedback
Mechanism Begin Jan 2016
Business Recovery Plan
By Jan 2017
Board Development Plan
By Dec 2016
Determine Facility
Needs/Options By Dec 2016
Big 4 Goals Performance ObjectivesGuiding Principles
Strategic Framework
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*Critical Success Factors

11. Mission
FutureWorks will advance customer careers and support business customer
needs.
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12. Vision
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FutureWorks will empower customers from local communities by growing
their skills and careers while promoting the economic prosperity of area
businesses.

13. Values
• Passionate about getting results.
• Act with integrity and honor the commitments we make.
• Foster a culture that promotes open and honest dialogue.
• Treat people with respect and dignity.
• Empower each other to create and deliver high quality services.
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14. Critical Success Factors
1. Creating One Team
1. Operate in an environment of honest constructive communication.
2. Believe in each other and help each other.
3. Unite in the goal of providing the best customer service.
4. Celebrate each other's success, because it is our success.
2. Customer Responsiveness
1. All customers deserve a high level of our attention and expertise.
2. Serve customers in a timely manner.
3. Listen.
4. Emphasize what we can do.
5. Cultivate relationships.
3. Results Oriented
1. Goals will be clearly communicated and staff will have the tools to
achieve them.
2. The need to achieve our goals will not impact those of our customers.
3. People who deliver results will be recognized for performance.
4. Goals will be tracked and benchmarked - monitoring progress.
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15. ‘Big 4’ Goals
#1 Increase Placements
Objective #1A:
Better prepare people involved in direct job search by increasing job seeker workshop
participation 10% annually from the 10,050 in Fiscal 2015.
Objective #1B:
Assess job seeker skill sets and provide opportunity for skills gain by increasing use of
job seeker assessment and development tools 10% annually from the 3,627 in Fiscal
2015.
Objective #1C:
Expanded membership of unemployment claimants 10% annually from 6,660 in Fiscal
2015.
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16. ‘Big 4’ Goals
#2 Increase Business Services Performance
Objective #2A:
Build relationships by increasing business contacts by 10% annually from 430 in Fiscal
2015.
Objective #2B:
Increase visibility to current and potential clients by increasing marketing activities to
businesses 10% annually from the 506 in Fiscal 2015.
Objective #2C:
Become a key partner in staff sourcing by increasing job postings 10% annually from
the 2,600 in Fiscal 2015. Increasing the involvement of companies in other FW
programs/activities (job expos, OJT, training programs).
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17. ‘Big 4’ Goals
#3 Staff Development
Objective #3A:
Provide training, tools and information relevant to increasing our staff's job related
knowledge base and skill sets.
Objective #3B:
The creation of a new performance management system by January 2017 that
recognizes results, job skills, continuous improvement and initiative.
Objective #3C:
Establish a performance reward and recognition system beginning January 2017 that
will reflect the values and benchmarks in the new performance management system
described in #3B.
Objective #3D:
Develop an informal staff feedback mechanism by creating a 'judgement free zone'
where the staff are free to share information they feel pertinent to foster an
atmosphere of continuous improvement.
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18. ‘Big 4’ Goals
#4 Business Continuation
Objective #4A:
By December 2017: Update the business recovery plan allowing us to more effectively
recover from a catastrophic event impairing our ability to operate.
Objective #4B:
By July 2016: Formulate a Board of Directors development plan that encourages active
participation and engaged members.
Objective #4C:
By December 2016: Review facility needs and configuration as they relate to
performance. Develop options.
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