Do you have innovative ideas on how the public workforce system can more effectively engage and serve business? Do you want to collaborate with your peers to identify and expand on BSR best practices? You are in the right place!
This is your virtual BSR community where you can submit ideas, vote on existing ideas, and comment on others' ideas. There are three ways you can participate:
1. Vote on an idea: Read through the ideas that others have already posted. If you see one you like, click the “I agree” thumbs-up button to vote for it. If you don’t like an idea, click the “I disagree” thumbs-down button. You’ll see ideas move up and down the list based on how many votes they get.
2. Comment on an idea: If you read an idea already posted and you have something to add to it, click the “Add your comment” link below the idea. Write your comment, and if you’d like to hear what others say after you, click the “Notify me” box as well.
3. Submit an idea: If you have a new idea that you don’t see listed already, click the “new idea” button below. Enter a short title for your new idea, briefly describe it, and choose a category from the “categories” dropdown menu.
The main ideas list always displays the “hottest” (most thumbs-up votes) ideas first. If you would like to see all ideas in a particular category, you can click on the category name in the left navigation area. To return to the homepage, click the “All Ideas” link.
Follow Green Business leaders on Twitter. Tweet about possible workforce and grant opportunities around green and provide a link to a blog/website with more information regarding how the Business Services Unit can help local businesses build your workforce and connect to the Green Supply chain.
Developing a competency model or adapting an existing one can help you conduct a dialogue with employers. Going over each of the skills, knowledge, and abilities associated with employer needs can help both you and the employer develop a job description. It will also inform you and your colleagues (BSR and Case Managers) about the skills, knowledge, and abilities in demand for your community's employers.
Looks great for identifying transferable skills. Shows you and your job seeker customer where they can apply their skills in other industries and occupations using ONET data. Also identifies skills gaps that could point to training opportunities for the job seeking trainee
We can take information from the competency model and use it to act as a consultant to the employer.
I would suggest staff at DOL develop a grid to outline the BLS tools that outline what each tools provides. There are so many tools, options and location, a grid could outline where to go to find the vast pool of information.
BSRs should share LMI with case managers so that the entire team can benefit from this intelligence. This could help address the “disconnect” between case managers and BSRs. These conversations could also inform how to best use training funds.
Work with your local economic development district agency to find out if there’s an opportunity to focus on the same targeted industries, and build DOL’s targeted industries into EDA districts’ plans.
Whether competency models or basic LMI, data gives shape to the problems firms say they have. This allows you to provide value at the front end of an interaction.
You can use the competency model to develop a questionnaire for employers in your area. Extract data you collect from creating a model and build an Excel-based questionnaire that you use with other employers. Ask them: Which of these competencies are important to you? Based on their answers you can inform your case managers about the most in-demand skills and you may want to direct some of your discretionary dollars ...more »
You can use the competency model to develop a questionnaire for employers in your area. Extract data you collect from creating a model and build an Excel-based questionnaire that you use with other employers. Ask them: Which of these competencies are important to you? Based on their answers you can inform your case managers about the most in-demand skills and you may want to direct some of your discretionary dollars toward funding in skills development for those competencies.
« less full details »
I like the idea of considering your value proposition: how are you adding value in your business services and what are you doing for your employer customers that they can't (or don't want to) do themselves? This is something worth considering in every strategic planning session. Today it related to adapting competency models with the help of local employers.
We can use all of the tools we have just learned about to take us to a new level of data mining.
I totally agree with identifying how BSR's add value to business outside of recruiting. Realistically, we have the ability to impact every business we make contact with in one way or another. To improve economic vitality and business growth in Contra Costa County, CA, one strategy I've created is to develop a Business Enhancement Support Team (BESTeam). Comprised of business resource providers that deliver quality services ...more »
I totally agree with identifying how BSR's add value to business outside of recruiting. Realistically, we have the ability to impact every business we make contact with in one way or another.
To improve economic vitality and business growth in Contra Costa County, CA, one strategy I've created is to develop a Business Enhancement Support Team (BESTeam). Comprised of business resource providers that deliver quality services to meet the needs of the small business community, the BESTeam is known for delivering regional solutions to local challenges through its well planned collaboration and coordinated efforts.
In partnership with the economic development communities in our area, we coordinate and convene regional business engagement meetings that provide information and resources to business. On average, 100-200 business attend these meetings that are free (pre-paid by their tax dollars). This innovative business engagement program has received the Award of Merit from the California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED), as well as national recognition at the U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Innovations Conference.
I'd be happy to share more information on this program.
« less full details »
Nestor used LinkedIn to develop live feed for the NEG grant activity. When someone is placed, they ask the new employer to join the group with the expectation that they can find other employees with requisite skills and qualifications.
Scott Sheely worked with an employer to create training that resembled real work experience after previous experience where trainees failed because they didn’t understand work culture questions related to work-readiness. Placements and retention improved
1. Give your job seekers small self adhesive stickers to attach to their applications and resumes that state OJT Eligible with your office number on it to call for details 2. Have all eligible job seekers add a statement in bold print at the bottom of their resumes that they are OJT eligible and to call your office (NUMBER) to ask about details. 3. Promote your job seekers skills and abilities to the employer not the ...more »
1. Give your job seekers small self adhesive stickers to attach to their applications and resumes that state OJT Eligible with your office number on it to call for details
2. Have all eligible job seekers add a statement in bold print at the bottom of their resumes that they are OJT eligible and to call your office (NUMBER) to ask about details.
3. Promote your job seekers skills and abilities to the employer not the OJT money.
4. Train your job seeker how to respond to an interview question about what OJT is and how to connect you with the employer to further explain the program
5. Keep your paper work simple! HR Managers have enough paperwork
6. Become a job description expert, HR managers don’t like developing job descriptions for OJT contracts.
7. Incorporate a signature section that the trainee signs at the end of the training to affirm that they did get the OJT training.
8. Train your employers on how to do reverse referrals to determine if a prospect employee is eligible for OJT. (Remember, this has to be done prior to any job offer)
9. Inform your employer customer of any regional companies that have closed so they are aware of dislocated workers who may be applying for work with them.
10. In your rapid response activities develop a skills list of effected workers. Share this list with regional employers who may be looking for those skill sets and could generate some reverse referrals.
11. Deliver OJT reimbursement checks to your employer customer in person! This really drives home the point that the program works.
12. Develop an annual letter to your employer customer thanking them for allowing you to be of service to them. Put the total dollar amount of funds reimbursed by OJT training for the year. CC the letter to the HR Managers supervisor. Boy, does this make the HR Manager look good!
Good luck and have fun!
Jim Lautenschleger
Business Solutions Officer
South Central Michigan Works!
« less full details »
Twitter is not just about broadcast, it's a platform for listening and sharing in ways that are valuable to your (business, local, regional, policy, etc.) community. Follow people you respect and from whom you can learn. Overtime, you can engage them to help accomplish your goals.
Learned new ways to use LinkedIn to bring together employers and job seekers. It's almost like inviting both to a cocktail party and letting them meet each other, chat, consider next steps (or not).
The idea sounds great. Job fairs connect employers and job seekers without having to leave the office. How are others using this energy efficient and productive idea?
Here is the tweetstream around #BSR11, the hashtag I'm using while tweeting at the BSR training event. I've captured links to a number of resources presenters have shared. Joanna Palladino is not here, but she's paying attention, too ;-).
Hi All,
Kindly assist for those of you that use social media, I do not not currently but have succesfully in a previous life in the private sector. How have you been able to convince your states' to utilize this critcial tool. What has made a different for you?
Thomas Gonzalez discussed how his area is using and extending economic data and competencies to stay relevant, to attract business, and to be an important player at the economic development table. Also, he discussed how they are mining a database of jobseeker to show their talent development pipeline that is available to employers. How are other BSR's and local areas using LMI or competenicies to stay relevant?
Social Web