This session will look at ways communities, regions, and their partners are working to close the skills gap and meet workforce needs of today’s residents and tomorrow’s businesses through training, education, outreach, and strategic planning. Learn about replicable strategies that your region can embrace to support employers and employees with meeting their workforce goals. Jill Foys, Executive Director, Northwest Commission, Oil City, PA

1. Building Tomorrow’s Workforce (Today)
Workforce Development Initiatives from
Northwest Pennsylvania
October 17, 2016
#NADOATC
#NWPAHiringHeroes

2. Northwest PA Veteran’s Initiative
Aging workforce
Absent workforce
Need to attract new workers to the region
#NWPAHiringHeroes

3. Northwest PA Veteran’s Initiative
January 2015
Visit from Commander Brent Embry, USN, Office of Reintegration of
Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Pentagon
Between 2015 and 2020, 1M veterans would be separating from
military service
#NWPAHiringHeroes

4. Northwest PA Veteran’s Initiative
Pennsylvania is #4 in Active/Veteran population in the country
What Veterans/Military bring to a position:
Dedication
Trainability
Leadership
Performance record
Respect
Aptitude
Adaptability
#NWPAHiringHeroes

5. Northwest PA Veteran’s Initiative
Funding
Northwest Commission Board of Directors committed the first $7,000.00 to the
initiative
Applied for and received a $20,000.00 grant from the PA Veterans Trust Fund
through the Pennsylvania Military and Veterans’ Affairs
Partnerships to market the program including the NW Pennsylvania Incubator
Association
#NWPAHiringHeroes

6. Northwest PA Veteran’s Initiative
Market and Attract to the Region
Outreach to bases surrounding NW Pennsylvania
OH, NY, MD
Job Postings through Recruit Military website
Added Candidate Database Search 10/2016
Job Fair
Summer of 2017
#NWPAHiringHeroes

7. Northwest PA Veteran’s Initiative
Elected Officials
Institutes of Higher Education
Employers
Veterans
Veteran Spouses
Economic Development Agencies
Municipalities
Chambers of Commerce
Workforce Development Partners
Veteran Service Providers
#NWPAHiringHeroes

8. Northwest PA Veteran’s Initiative
RecruitMilitary.org
Online tool to connect separating military and their spouses to job
opportunities
241,093 Active Jobs
882,184 Job Seeker Accounts
65 Million Job Views
#NWPAHiringHeroes

9. Northwest PA Veteran’s Initiative
Northwest Commission entered into a contract on October 1, 2015
allowing all employers within our eight county footprint to post jobs to
the Recruit Military website
114 Companies requested information
74 are actively posting jobs
258 jobs postings to date
16,280 views
48 applications
#NWPAHiringHeroes

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17. Clarion County Career Center
Colony Homes Program
#NWPAHiringHeroes

18. Colony Homes Program
• Aging Workforce
• Young adults leaving the region
• College education isn’t the only answer
• Technical Education Stigma
#NWPAHiringHeroes

19. Colony Homes Program
A cooperative agreement between the Clarion County Career Center
(Career and Technical Center) and local Manufactured Home
manufacturer
Participation requires commitment to the program by Juniors and
Seniors
93% attendance at the Career Center and Sending School
Good behavior in and outside the classroom and school
Be open to the opportunity of full time employment directly following
graduation
#NWPAHiringHeroes

20. Colony Homes Program
Colony Homes’ Asst. Production Manager and Lead Production
Supervisor work collaboratively with the students and instructor to
complete the build of a manufactured home
Through instruction and practice, the students learn discipline,
teamwork, and soft skill development
The build takes place in the second half of the school year. Instruction
prior to includes construction concepts and site and infrastructure
preparation
The home is advertised and sold by bid process
Proceeds from the sale recapitalize the program and purchase materials
for next year’s build
#NWPAHiringHeroes

21. Colony Homes Program
Seniors are evaluated by the Colony Homes’ staff in the areas of
attendance, trainability, willingness to take direction, and overall
attitude
Seniors who meet expectations in these areas are interviewed by the
Production Manager and General Manager who have not interacted
with the students during the year
The four Colony Homes staff meet and discuss the candidates
Job opportunities are offered to the successful candidates at the Career
Center Senior Recognition Banquet
#NWPAHiringHeroes

22. Colony Homes Program
School year 12-13 8 Seniors
School year 13-14 7 Seniors
School Year 14-15 12 Seniors
School Year 15-16 17 Seniors
Additional Trained workforce for the five manufactured housing
facilitates in Clarion County
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