Life Changing Good Works

Contribute to the needs of the saints

and seek to show hospitality.

(Romans 12:13)

In the words of Donald Lawrence: sometimes you have to encourage yourself; sometimes you have to speak victory during your tests. I understand the sense of urgency in the workforce readiness spectrum, but the reality is that Rome was not built in a day, and neither will overcoming generational deficits of workplace preparedness.

I had my aha moment of how the adrenaline high in this workforce world works. We had a candidate come through who represents the epitome of the work we are trying to accomplish: young and determined to move from a series of jobs toward a career path. He expressed interest in improving his technical skills, but he has to work to support his family now. In his current job, he earns about $11/hour. A technical program will be available for him to begin later in the fall, but hearing the story triggered a desire to help his family now. After a series of calls, we connected him with a potential opportunity that could increase his annual salary by about $10k per year. This is a single data point, but for this family, the additional income is life changing.

Before becoming personally involved in the workforce readiness movement, my perceptions of the pool of potential participants in skills training were limited to what is often portrayed in the media. I thought we would work with mostly young people with no previous work experience or with the long-termed unemployed that “life” happened to (people who have had a series of misfortunes for various reasons).

The people I meet are quite different. Most of applicants are gainfully employed and have great work history. Some have been downsized and are looking to re-tool to learn a new skill set. However, many are hardworking people who took jobs that were available at the time who are now seeking opportunities to improve the quality of life for their families. I am encouraged that the needle is moving and we will begin to see system shifts in connecting good people to good jobs, changing lives, one family at a time.

I have not heard back on whether or not the applicant has been hired by the employer to whom he was referred. I am confident that he will be victorious in changing the trajectory of the lives in his household. My prayer is that he shares his success story of working with our partner agencies with others in need who can benefit from our efforts of connecting individuals to life changing good works.

I am looking for examples of what other communities are doing to meet the needs of job seekers that are improving generational deficits in finding gainful employment. I am especially interested in best practices of introducing young people to career opportunities in manufacturing. Please share! Feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Help for Good Works

…to whom much is given, much is required.

(Luke 12:48)

It is amazing how your perspective changes based on your exposure. Since I have become more active in workforce readiness, I view situations and see things differently than I may have in the past. Last week, I was in a big box retailer and I was so impressed with the salesman, I initiated a conversation with him about his career path. Last night, we were in a fast food restaurant and I witnessed a working mom's children in the dining area, waiting on her shift to end. My immediate response was to inquire about other types of work or skills she had. Before, I might have been oblivious to their circumstances.

Today, I am learning more about the resources available to help those in need to retool their skills and training in order to find better paying jobs. I will admit, the last time I lived in Arkansas and needed help finding a job, I referred to the agency as the “unemployment office.” Today, the assisting organization is called the Arkansas Workforce Board, which offers various programs ranging from industrial readiness training (to equip potential employees with the basic skills needed to succeed in a manufacturing or warehouse work environments) to on-the-job or incumbent worker training (to improve the employees opportunity for advancement at a specific company. Oftentimes, these training programs are of little to no cost to the employees. To find out more about Workforce Investment activities in Arkansas, visit http://workforceinvestmentworks.com/workforce_board_info.asp?st=AR. For other parts of the country, visit http://www.servicelocator.org/onestopcenters.asp.

After registering with a service center, it is important for job seekers to visit the local Workforce office and establish a relationship with the career counselors, who are available to help with navigation through the employment process. They work with the employer services team to understand the real needs of the local companies, and in many cases, have relationships with the human resources officials making hiring decisions. In other situations, they may have the ability to set up job fairs or specific training that allows motivated job seekers to personally meet prospective employers. I am a firm believer in human relations and relationships. (One of my biggest pet peeves in the reliance of algorithms to get selected as a best qualified candidate because I know that one wrongly selected keyword, or equivalent, and you will be eliminated from the possibility.) So after meeting with people like the young man and the single mother mentioned earlier, in addition to giving them my card, I also share the cards of my esteemed friends from the Workforce Investment Networks.

Since I have become more exposed to the local employment resources, I have met many people who have a passion for helping others and a mission to give back. I smile when I look at how my journey of finding my purposed work has taken me down a different path of helping others to find better paying jobs.  How are you giving people in your community information about improving their skills and finding opportunities to advance into higher wage jobs and occupations?  Feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

The Message of Good Works

If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

(Proverbs 18:13)

I am about to get on my soap box: People are too caught up in job titles. I will be the first to admit that I have left a few organizations because my title did not reflect my perceived level of responsibility and delivered results (I am an admitted work-in-process). But this post is not about me. As I work more with the next generation of manufacturers, I realize that we are using the wrong messaging in getting students engaged or excited about job opportunities and potential careers in manufacturing.

Workforce professionals like to use occupational codes to analyze and assess the skills and training needs of for specific jobs and titles. The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) is a Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) based system adopted by businesses, training and educational institutions, labor and occupational organizations, and professional associations to measure and report trends in the US labor market. The system provides a clinical and theoretical process for comparing job titles, but the words used have little to no appeal in enticing millennials to consider manufacturing careers. (For more information on occupational codes, visit https://www.onetonline.org/).

There is a lot of discussion about developing career pathways to address current and projected labor shortages. As we all know, the career pathway model preached for my generation has proven ineffective because everyone does not fit into the model of high school to four year college to career. And frankly, many well-paying jobs do not require a college degree. What success does require is a systematic approach to get to a desired outcome. So for example, a career pathway metal manufacturing suggests a student progresses through

SOC Code 51-4031           Cutting, Punching, Setting, and Tender Operator

SOC Code 51-4041           Machinist

SOC Code 51-4011           CNC Machine Tool Operator

SOC Code 51-4012           CNC Machine Tool Programmer

I can still remember some of my early career decisions. If someone had approached me with the above manufacturing career path, I would have immediately been turned off. I could not have related the information to anything happening around me at the time. However, if the message was tailored to describe a company or a product that excited me, I may have made some different decisions about the jobs I took, and the skills needed, along the route of earning a degree in industrial engineering. Thinking back, it still amazes me that no one ever approached or discussed apprenticeships, another valuable tool that I may have overlooked because of misunderstood phrasing, or even worse, job titles…

As a workforce readiness ambassador for manufacturing, I have to constantly remind myself that it is not about me. So when I want to describe a job using an O*NET code, primarily because of future ease of reporting, I have to purposely remember that academic and industry terms do not resonate with students who may have never been exposed to a job title, and the subsequent skills needed to land a job. I have to give answers and examples that are relevant for the audience I am trying to reach. How are you spreading the message of your jobs and good works so that the people you are trying to attract hear you?  Feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Outreach for Good Works

Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their work

 (Ecclesiastes 4:9)

I have access to two opposing sides of the jobs debate. On one hand, I have been in meetings recently where employers comment about expanding their workforce, but express difficulty in finding qualified applicants. On the other hand, I hear kitchen table talk of those looking for jobs, but never getting a call back. Even in my hometown, I have uncles who are hiring managers, who also express concern about finding local talent? How is that possible in small or even regional communities?

The first question I always ask is about the community outreach to make sure the under-employed are aware of job openings and the skills required to perform the work. When the response is unclear to me, it is a pretty good indicator of why the employment gap exists. People will not apply for jobs that they do not know exist. This is especially true in manufacturing, not just at the shop floor level, but also for the support staff roles. For communities to be successful in addressing their workforce concerns, there has to be a connected effort of the local chamber of commerce / economic development agencies, employers, educators, and community advocates.

At the national level, a best practice example of multiply agencies working together is the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP). The program is an initiative designed to revolutionize the way federal agencies leverage economic development funds. It encourages communities to develop comprehensive economic development strategies that will strengthen their competitive edge for attracting global manufacturer and supply chain investments. Through IMCP, the federal government is rewarding best practices – coordinating federal aid to support communities’ strong development plans and synchronizing grant programs across multiple departments and agencies. Non-designated communities nationwide can learn from the best practices employed by these designated communities to strengthen American manufacturing. I was excited to learn that of the twelve pilot communities selected, I have had firsthand experience in two, Pittsburgh and Memphis. To learn more about this $1 billion dollar investment to accelerate a resurgence in the manufacturing supply chain, visit http://www.eda.gov/news/press-releases/2015/07/08/imcp.htm

Another program that I endorse is the ACT Work Ready Communities solution. I was first introduced to this program in Texas when the regional chambers of commerce were looking for a platform to help market the local workforce's ability to meet the current and emergent need for potential employers looking to invest in the area. The criteria for success was predicated on an agreed upon standard for certifying the skills. Perspective employees earn industry-recognized skill credential, the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate (ACT NCRC) and local employers use these certifications in their hiring processes. Although piloted in several counties in AR and TN since 2012, to date, I could only identify one company in the region who recognized the ACT Career Readiness Certificate, Smith & Nephew in Shelby County. Perhaps as more of these interagency partnerships converge, more companies and communities will adopt this process to address the skills needed to drive economic growth. To learn more about Work Ready Communities, go to http://workreadycommunities.org/.

In order for communities to address their economic growth by hiring people who have the right skills for the available and anticipated jobs, there must be an aligned, community-based initiative. As an advocate for careers in manufacturing, I am excited about the programs offered by the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership and the ACT Work Ready Communities. What other solutions exist for improving the outreach and effectiveness for workforce development? Feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.