Nevada's Workforce Innovation News |
|
From the Desk of Executive Director Isla Young |
|
Exciting things are on the horizon as we emerge into a beautiful spring. In April, we'll recognize Second Chance Month and National Robotics Week. As Nevada's workforce evolves to expand the integration of advanced technologies, we must make sure our workplaces are more and more adaptive and inclusive so all of Nevada's residents and businesses can thrive. We are delighted to share opportunities for you to support the evolution of education, share your experience to strengthen systems for alignment, and support community discovery.
Isla and the GOWINN team
|
|
US Department of Labor Announces $10M to Expand Workforce Development Services for Out-of-School Organizations |
|
As they develop the habits, skills, and other traits needed for future success, young people from age 14 to 21 have a limited window of opportunity. That’s why, when school is not in session, out-of-school time organizations provide supervised programs for young people and expose them to career options that prepare them better to enter and succeed in the workforce. |
|
Every Nevada student should feel equipped and empowered to realize their unique vision for success.
To become who they want to be, each Nevada student needs equitable access to relevant, collaborative learning that centers on their needs, interests, and passions. We are at a pivotal moment for reimagining the systems, policies, and practices that will enable more flexible, inclusive learning environments - and knock down barriers that exist for students and families, many of which existed long before the pandemic.
With help from KnowledgeWorks, the Nevada Department of Education is working hard to accelerate the growth of state-level innovation. Our immediate focus is on engaging as many voices as possible in envisioning the future of learning and designing student-centered solutions.
Come together with fellow Nevada community members, including students, educators, parents/guardians, higher education institutions, elected officials, non-profits, businesses, and other education stakeholders to reimagine teaching and learning and co-design student-centered solutions.
- Help shape Nevada's future of learning vision
- Develop an understanding of current state education policies in relation to a student-centered vision
- Co-create possible solutions
- Contribute to action planning and working group design
|
|
The State's Industry Sector Councils Have RE-LAUNCHED! |
|
-
The Logistics Council met on March 7. A recording of the meeting and supporting documents are available on the GOWINN Sector Council Meeting page. Meeting minutes will be posted there after they are approved at the next meeting.
-
The Technology Council met on March 28. A recording of the meeting and supporting documents are available on the GOWINN Sector Council Meeting page. Meeting minutes will be posted there after they are approved at the next meeting.
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:
- Business Introductions - sharing hard-to-fill positions and acute challenges
- Data presentations from state workforce and economic experts with facilitated feedback sessions
- Relevant partner presentations
- Partner introductions - sharing information most relevant to the earlier conversation
Voting members for the 4 active sectors have been selected and are posted here. In order to expand diverse representation, the discussion will engage employers and partners beyond the listed voting members.
|
|
Nevada's Revised 2020 WIOA State Plan Submitted for Review |
|
Governor Sisolak formally submitted revisions to Nevada's 2020 WIOA State Plan to the US Department of Labor after receiving unanimous approval from the Governor’s Workforce Development Board (GWDB) at its February 23, 2022 meeting. The plan, which can be accessed on the GOWINN website, will now undergo a 90-day review period.
Under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014, the Governor of each State and territory must submit a State Plan to the Secretary of Labor that details a four-year strategy for the State’s workforce development system. States must have approved WIOA State Plans in place in order to receive funding for core programs including Title I (Adult, Youth, and Dislocated Workers) Title II (Adult Education) Title III (Wagner-Peyser), and Title IV (Vocational Rehabilitation). Planning across core programs promotes a better understanding of the workforce needs within each State and supports the development of approaches such as career pathways and sector strategies for addressing the needs of businesses and workers. Nevada’s current plan, like every other state and territory, was adopted in 2020, with legally required revisions every 2 years.
The Governor’s Workforce Development Board tasked its Strategic Planning subcommittee, comprised of state-board members and representatives from other segments of the state workforce system, with the responsibility of drafting revisions to the 2020 State Plan. Because the plan was developed before the COVID-19 pandemic, many components were adjusted to reflect the current environment.
The Strategic Planning subcommittee directed that key sections of the State Plan be revised using input from two workgroups: the Data and Accountability Work Group and the Common Processes and Customer Flow Work Group. Both workgroups were comprised of representatives from the Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation (DETR), the Department of Welfare and Social Services (DWSS), the two local workforce development boards (Workforce Connections in southern Nevada and Nevadaworks in northern Nevada), the Nevada Department of Education (NDE), one of the state community colleges and one of the local workforce development service providers.
After extensive regular meetings of the workgroups and core group, members of the Strategic Planning subcommittee were briefed on the revisions. Each of the core title programs (Titles I-IV and DWSS), as well state agencies, were invited to make additional recommendations to strengthen relevancy. The revised version of the state plan was posted online for a 60-day public comment period.
At the February 23rd GWDB meeting, board members received presentations from representatives of each of the core title programs on their strategic and operational revisions as well as a detailed explanation from DETR’s Chief Economist, David Schmidt, on the analysis of Nevada’s economy and workforce. All revisions were approved unanimously before they were submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor. Plans to start work on the 2024 WIOA State Plan will begin this summer.
|
|
 |
April 26-30, 2022
The Northern Nevada Science & Technology Festival is a week-long community celebration of the innovation happening across the region. The festival will inspire and connect our community with the power of science and technology through hands-on school programs as well as a series of free, family-friendly events hosted by well-known formal and informal educational organizations throughout Northern Nevada.
|
|
|
|
April 30 - May 7, 2022
The Festival draws more than 40,000 participants over nine jam-packed days of FREE events all across the Las Vegas Valley. Through engaging and educational programming, the Festival strives to spark curiosity and highlight the amazing science, technology, engineering, and math taking place right here in our community. The Festival makes science fun, accessible, and engaging for everyone - kids, families and adults.
|
|
|
|
Washoe County joins the
ACT Work-Ready Community Initiative
|
|
Washoe County is the most recent county to initiate participation in the ACT Work Ready Communities certification process. Washoe is in good company with Nye, Lincoln, and Esmerelda counties engaging earlier this year, and Clark County having just completed
A well-equipped workforce is essential to the economic strength of every community. Employers and job seekers benefit from training that closes the skills gap and contributes to workforce readiness. The ACT Work Ready Communities initiative empowers counties, regions, and states by providing a framework that will more effectively link education to workforce development, and match people to jobs.
As a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success, ACT provides a broad array of learning resources and assessment tools that benefit job seekers and employers. The ACT Work Ready Communities initiative offers a variety of assessments and certifications that measure an individual’s foundational workplace skills. Participants earn the National Career Readiness Certificate by completing WorkKeys Assessments in applied math, graphic literacy, and workplace documents.
As a supporter of lifelong learning, the Washoe County Library System is leading the initiative and encourages partnering with ACT in creating a Certified Work Ready Community (CWRC) in Washoe County. Communities that participate in the CWRC help to provide accurate, county-specific workforce skill data to businesses and industries, policymakers, educators, and economic developers. Participation in the initiative will provide the local community with an opportunity to demonstrate they have a skilled workforce that is valued by local employers.
|
|
Making the Case for Engaging with Workforce and Education |
Check out GOWINN's Program Development and Engagement Specialist, Amy Fleming's, recent blog post for the UNR Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship that outlines why it's important for entrepreneurs, in particular, to engage with local workforce and education ecosystems. Fleming outlines several resources including Nepris for Nevada and ACT Work Ready Communities as easy entry points for engagement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
