Workforce Solutions Week

March 8-14, 2010

In March 2010, workforce initiatives from across the country inaugurated the first annual Workforce Solutions Week. This weeklong celebration brought together workers, employers, public officials, and business, community, and education leaders to honor successful models for building our nation’s frontline workforce.

Through events around the country, media coverage, and proclamations by civic leaders, this week uplifted the successes of individual participants, service providers, employers, funders, and other partners in four national initiatives:

The 33 Breaking Through community colleges promoting and strengthening efforts to help low-literacy adults prepare for and succeed in occupational and technical degree programs;

The 5 Connecting Literacy and Work sites designed to strengthen the connections between adult literacy and workforce development;

The 17 Jobs to Careers projects helping frontline health care workers gain the skills and credential opportunities they need to advance their careers, while helping their employers retain a talented workforce and ensure that patients receive high-quality care; and

The 22 regional funding collaboratives in the National Fund for Workforce Solutions addressing a critical problem in America today: the crisis in workforce preparedness.

Sampling of the Week's Events

On March 10th, U.S. Assistant Labor Secretary Jane Oates and economist Paul Harrington spoke at a Greater Philadelphia event “Celebrating Success, Standing Up for Change,” sponsored by the Job Opportunity Investment Network and the District 1199c Healthcare Industry Partnership. Watch Seth Green, director of the Job Opportunity Investment Network, discuss the March 10 event and the importance of preparation for the post-recession economy for both jobseekers and employers with local Fox News affiliates at http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/money/job_shop/jobs-in-the-post-recession-economy.

The Pennsylvania General Assembly unanimously passed resolutions acknowledging March 8-14 as Workforce Solutions Week. To see Senate Resolution 258, go to: http://tinyurl.com/yh3ajtk. To see House Resolution 664, go to: http://tinyurl.com/yh4orus.

In Massachusetts, Crittenton Women’s Union released its “Hot Jobs 2010” report. This report identifies the occupations with high vacancy rates in Massachusetts that require two years or less of postsecondary education or training and have wages that meet the state’s income levels. To see the report, visit: http://www.liveworkthrive.org/research_and_tools/reports_and_publications/Hot_Jobs_2010.

Durham Technical Community College in North Carolina hosted workshops for students on March 9-10 that highlighted new, cutting-edge courses that prepare graduates for the increasingly technical labor market. The students met with representatives from the Networking Technology, Health Information Technology, Business and Public Service Technologies, Machining Technology, and Automotive Technology programs. The students visited classrooms and roamed laboratories to gain a sense of what it would be like as a student in one of the college’s Career and Technical Education programs.

The National Network of Sector Partners (NNSP) in Oakland, CA hosted “From Jobs to Careers and Credentials: Work-based Learning at the Front Lines of Health Care,” a webinar exploring the lessons learned from partnerships of health care employers and job training funds. The webinar reached over 50 participants representing frontline health care workers, academics, and policymakers. This webinar continues to educate community members; the webcast can be viewed at http://www.insightcced.org/uploads/nnsp/Jobs%20to%20Careers.wmv. 

JFF is the national coordinator of Workforce Solutions Week 2010.

For more information, contact:
Joshua Gambrell, jgambrell@jff.org, 617.728.4446