Nevada's Workforce Innovation News
February 28, 2022 | Issue 8
From the Desk of Executive Director Isla Young
As Governor Sisolak highlighted in last week's State of the State, countless acts of kindness, heroism, and determination have pulled Nevadans through the past two years to a point where we now boast the fastest-growing economy in the nation. Wages are up and unemployment is down, and all Nevada students are fully back in the classroom. Governor Sisolak laid out plans to continue to strengthen support in areas from education, to healthcare, to law enforcement, to business development. Specifically, we are thrilled to see increased resources for stronger health care and educator pipelines, momentum to reduce challenges associated with occupational licensing, and free post-secondary education. We will share updates and opportunities with this list as soon as those details are available.

Isla and the GOWINN team
Upcoming Industry Sector Council Meetings
The Nevada Industry Sector Councils will begin meeting again in March and April 2022. These meetings are open to the public and we are looking forward to engaging attendees in conversation regarding in-demand jobs and opportunities to collaborate.
Each meeting will follow a similar agenda with the following:
  1. Business Introductions - sharing hard-to-fill positions and acute challenges
  2. Data presentations from state workforce and economic experts with facilitated feedback sessions
  3. Relevant partner presentations
  4. Partner introductions - sharing information most relevant to the earlier conversation

Details, including agendas and access links, will be kept updated on the GOWINN website.
Join the GOWINN team!
Are you looking to support systemic change to strengthen career opportunities for all Nevadans?
This new team member will work with partners in Southern Nevada to build and nourish employer and partner relationships, aligning workforce development to meet current and future industry needs and highlighting strong and sustainable Nevada career pathways.

Interested individuals should send a cover letter, resume, and questions to Ansara Martino at amartino@gov.nv.gov.
Before serving in Congress, Senator Jacky Rosen built her career as a computer programmer and systems analyst. She is passionate about mentoring women and girls who are interested in pursuing STEM careers. Since coming to Congress, she has introduced several bills to invest in early childhood STEM education, including legislation aimed at encouraging girls to explore STEM fields that passed the House last year as part of her Building Blocks of STEM bill.

Senator Rosen believes that highlighting female role-models can help combat negative stereotypes that hold women back from pursuing careers in STEM. Every month Senator Rosen's office highlights a Nevada woman in STEM to help raise profiles and break gender stereotypes to help inspire young girls everywhere.
UNLV Career and Technical Post-Secondary Education Courses
The Career-Technical and Postsecondary Education (CTPE) department at UNLV is designed for career and technical educators and administrators in school settings, as well as training and administrative professionals who oversee workforce education and development in professional settings. Sessions focus on instructional and curricular decision-making processes, program evaluation, administration, and leadership development.
Join an upcoming virtual information session!

March 23 @ 5:30 PM
April 27 @ 5:30 PM
Thank you for supporting the CTE Month sessions in Nepris! If you have been looking for opportunities to highlight your industry or career for Nevada's students, don't wait for the next series! Sign up to present your own LIVE session!
1-Minute Nepris in Action
Nepris for Nevada
Sign-up and Engagement Walk-through

A new round of funding is available through the Nevada Governor's Office of Science, Innovation, and Technology (OSIT). Parameters are specific to the region in which funds will be spent

Required pre-applications are due March 25, 2022, for the July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023 grant cycle.
New Credential Added
SolidWorks, a solid modeling computer-aided design and computer-aided engineering computer program, has been added to Nevada's Industry Recognized Credentials List. "SolidWorks" was included in nearly 300 job postings across the state over the past 12 months, primarily in the manufacturing industry. Related occupations include Mechanical, Electrical, and Civil Engineers; Drafters; and Calibration Technologists.
Nevada Governor's Workforce Development Board
February Meeting
The Nevada Governor's Workforce Development Board (GWDB) met on Wednesday, February 23, for their first quarterly meeting of 2022. The primary item on the agenda was discussion and approval of revisions to Nevada's 2020 WIOA State Plan. We are pleased to share that all proposed changes were approved by the board. The revised version of the WIOA State Plan can be found here. The plan will be officially submitted by GOWINN by March 15th for a 90-day review period by the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education.

The GWDB is scheduled to meet next on April 13th. Information on the GWDB can be found here.
Project SANDI funds Dynamic Entrepreneurs!
Backed by the state's $13.8 Million Project SANDI Grant, the SANDI NVenture Fund is helping to diversify the Nevada economy. Through NV Grow, the fund is supporting the launch of companies that address international market needs. Programs like this, which are critical to the economic vitality of Nevada, will resonate with global markets.
NuLife Kicks received $40,000 for inventory and to expand their physical space.
Filoso received $26,709 for initial inventory and is the first Latino-owned business to create razors for barbers.
GOWINN Executive Director on Student Engagement Panel
The U.S. has an economic mobility challenge - for far too many children, their prospects in life are connected to their family's wealth. Students in under-resourced communities and households often lack access to opportunities to build social capital networks, explore and learn about career pathways, and develop the lifelong skills that are necessary for success in both school and the workplace.

High schools are well-positioned to address these gaps through work-based learning programs. However, the pandemic has presented a new challenge: a precipitous decrease in student engagement with schools, particularly amongst students in under-resourced communities. As schools continue to wrestle with the pandemic’s challenges, career education presents an opportunity to address mounting concerns relating to engagement, equity, and exposure.

GOWINN Executive Director, Isla Young, was joined by Nepris CEO. Sabari Raja; Superintendent of Hagerman Municipal Schools; and Quality Manager at General Motors, Anbu Subramaniyan to discuss how school districts, state governments, and employers are collaborating to re-engage students and drive equity through career education.
ACT State Organizations:
2022 Nevada ACT/CoNVerge Virtual Conference
GOWINN's Isla Young and Amy Fleming recently presented at the Nevada ACT/CoNVerge Virtual Conference. Their session, The Missing Link: Connecting Industry with Education, focused on what it takes to drive a skilled, diverse, and aligned workforce in Nevada, and sparked an engaging discussion among attendees.

The GOWINN team discussed how they promote cooperation and collaboration among various state and regional entities to prepare Nevadans for lifelong career success and shared how they are strengthening the mechanisms for employer feedback to state agencies and system partners; expanding solutions for pipeline alignment such as work-based learning, teacher externships, and digital engagement; and are preparing employers, partners, and the workforce for the future of work.
GOWINN's Amy Fleming welcomes
the expansion of Tech Alley to Northern Nevada
and encourages engagement with Workforce and Education
Tech Alley is a non-profit founded in the Las Vegas area that was created to build and support local technology and startup communities. With goals to ensure that individuals interested in technology and entrepreneurism can find a place to engage, network, and learn from others in this space.

Amy Fleming, GOWINN's Program Development and Engagement Specialist, kicked off the opening session of the group's expansion into Northern Nevada. She emphasized how critical it is for tech companies and startups to engage in the workforce and education ecosystems. The region's young people need to understand what it means to be an entrepreneur and be inspired by that community's innovative and creative spirit.
Leveraging Registered Apprenticeship to Build a Thriving and Inclusive Economy: A Playbook for Governors
The NGA Center for Best Practices hosted the Leveraging Registered Apprenticeship to Build a Thriving and Inclusive Economy: A Playbook for Governors panel on February 9th. Staff at the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices conducted interviews with state leaders across the country, including GOWINN's Executive Director, Isla Young, and drew on more than six years of work with states in the fields work-based learning, registered apprenticeship, and youth apprenticeship fields to inform a new playbook that provides Governors with actionable steps they can take to efficiently scale registered apprenticeship.
NGA Workforce Innovation Network
Implementation Technical Assistance Peer Learning Virtual Event
Hosted by American Institutes for Research
NGA Workforce Innovation Network state grantees were invited to join NGA and American Institutes for Research (AIR) for a moderated panel discussion with NGA WIN state grantees from Maine, Nevada, and Washington. Panelists offered reflections from their initiatives highlighted in Lessons Learned in Workforce Innovation, including Uniting Maine’s Workforce System Through Rebranding And Change Management, Nevada Job Force, and Evaluating And Streamlining Washington Service Delivery For Self-Sufficiency. Experts discussed launching new partnerships to align state services, customer access and outcomes, data integration, and shared system branding and messaging.
Please send relevant opportunities and updates to General-GOWINN@gov.nv.gov to be included in future issues.
GOWINN | gowinn.nv.gov