CONTENTS
The State & Regions
The Nation
Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities
Upcoming
Meetings, Conferences & Events
Odds & Ends
The State & Regions
Campaign urges students to achieve career goals
through Workforce Education programs. TALLAHASSEE — Education
Commissioner John L. Winn and Community College and Workforce
Education Chancellor David Armstrong last week announced
a public awareness campaign to educate Floridians about workforce
education programs that are available to help them realize
their career goals. The campaign “I’ve Always
Wanted to…”, encourages people to consider their
career options then directs them to Florida’s Workforce
Education programs to achieve their goals. “Florida’s
Workforce Education programs offer high-skilled training
opportunities to prepare students for our competitive workforce,” said
Commissioner Winn. “Too often students think education
or a career is out of reach. This shows them that they can
go from considering the possibilities, to accomplishing them.” The
campaign carries out a priority of Commissioner Winn and
members of the Florida Legislature to step up efforts to
prepare students for success by appealing directly to their
needs. Workforce Education provides practical, high-skill
training that prepares students for their chosen career path. “Students
who complete Workforce Education programs are proven to earn
higher wages and have better job opportunities,” said
Chancellor Armstrong. “Given our commitment to maintaining
the academic rigor and real-world relevance of the programs
being offered, more and more business and industry partners
are realizing the value of hiring our program completers
over other potential employees.” The campaign includes
print and broadcast components. For more information on the
campaign, to download a media kit or to become a business
partner, call the hotline at (800) 406-5555 weekdays from
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. or visit the website www.fldoe.org.
Workforce Florida and iCoast launch online Biotech
Training Curriculum (3/2/06 iCoast e-Newsletter). The iCoast, South
Florida’s Global Bioscience/High-Tech Corridor, recently
announced a partnership with Workforce Florida (WFl) to launch
a regional web-based component of the state’s biotechnology
training curricula. Its role is to test market the use of
WFI’s Biotech Curriculum on a trial basis with life
science companies on the iCoast region, eventually serving
the biotechnology industry statewide. “We are very
pleased to be piloting the use of Workforce Florida’s
Biotech Curriculum online,” said Michael Corbit, executive
director of iCoast. “This is a valuable program that
will provide access to this on-line training tool for entry-level
or existing workers in life sciences, adding to Florida’s
economic growth and global competitiveness in a variety of
markets. Our role will reinforce the iCoast’s position
as an important biotechnology proponent.” For more
or To Register go to: http://internetcoast.com/index.php?cid=678809&src=news&
prid=3433&category=iCoast%20News.
National Work Readiness Credential project update:
2006 off to a great start. The founding partners (District of
Columbia, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Washington,
and JA Worldwide) continue to achieve important milestones
in the National Work Readiness Credential (WRC) project.
June 2006 is the anticipated date when the WRC assessments
will be ready to deliver. The updates below provide more
information about the accomplishments this year.
- What does the WRC assess and how will it be delivered? When the WRC is available in June 2006, employers, training
providers, and educators will have access to an assessment
tool to assist them in evaluating an individual’s
readiness for entry-level work. The WRC assessments measure
nine skills
that employers agreed were critical to successful performance
of entry-level work. These nine skills are organized into
four online assessment modules which include Reading, Math,
Situational Judgment, and Oral Language. The first three
are multiple choice assessments based on short work-based
scenarios that the test taker responds to. These scenarios
reflect work activities that employers from across industry
sectors agree are an essential part of entry-level work
responsibilities—regardless
of occupation. The Oral Language Test is a state-of-the
art listening and speaking performance test, which assesses
essential
workplace uses of speaking and listening in English. The
four assessments take approximately 2 ½ hours to
complete, and each module can be completed separately within
a four
week period.
- National Work Readiness field tests completed. The field tests for the WRC have been completed. Over the
past several
months field tests have been conducted in the six states
and national partners that are developing the WRC. Due
to nationwide interest, additional field test sites were
added
in Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA, Louisville, KY;
Cleveland, OH; and Midland, TX. The purpose of the field
tests was to
collect data to demonstrate the validity and reliability
of the assessment as a measure of entry-level work readiness.
The assessment contractors are now analyzing the data in
preparation for a cut score workshop to be held the first
week of April. Supervisors with three or more years of
experience supervising entry-level workers are being recruited
to participate
in the workshop. If you are interested contact Melanie.daniels@sri.com.
- What did the field test participants say about
the assessment? According to one field test participant, “I think
this test will be a success because this is an easier and
more
exciting way of taking an exam. It also puts you in real
working experiences and helps you exercise the skills you
need in a working environment.” The individual’s
comments were captured in an on-line survey asking test
takers to evaluate the assessment content and their testing
experience
upon completion of the assessment. Many of the positive
responses focused on the ease of taking the test on the
computer over
a paper and pencil test, the relevance of the test content
to work situations, finding the test to be interesting
and challenging, and feeling that taking the test was an
educational
experience. Taking the test on a computer did not make
taking the test more difficult for 86% of the participants.
- JA Worldwide joins the National Work Readiness
Credential Partnership. JA Worldwide (Junior Achievement) is a 501(c)3
not-for-profit organization that reaches more than 7
million students worldwide through programs that prepare
middle
and high school students for future economic and workforce
issues
they will face as well as programs that teach elementary
school level children how they can impact the world around
them as individuals, workers and consumers. JA has joined
the Project in order to work with other state and national
partners in building and disseminating a work readiness
credential that will enable more young people and adults
across the
country to demonstrate they have the knowledge and skills
to contribute to the 21st Century workplace. JA plans
to integrate preparation for the WRC into its programs
for
secondary school students. JA programs in Cleveland and
San Francisco
participated in the field test process as a first step
toward this goal.
- The National Work Readiness Council
is formed. As part of the transition from development
to operation of the
WRC, the seven development partners (DC, FL, JA Worldwide,
NJ,
NY, RI, and WA) have incorporated the National Work
Readiness Council in Washington, DC. The National Work
Readiness
Council is a 501(c)3 organization that will be responsible
for administering
the oversight and management of the certification process.
The partners are currently establishing a Board of
Directors for the new organization and preparing for a
search for
an Executive Director. For more information on the
National Work Readiness Council, please contact Sondra
Stein,
consultant, 202-463-5619 or sstein@uschamber.com.
What’s new with EITC and Prosperity Initiatives? Check
out the WFI/AWI EITC to Prosperity Initiative website for
new resources and articles at: http://www.floridajobs.org/eitc/index.html.
- The Earned Income Tax Credit: The New
Safety Net. Last month the Brooking Metropolitan
Policy Program released
two new reports examining the history of the Earned
Income Tax
Credit as well as recent trends in its usage by eligible
recipients. Please visit the interactive site - http://www.brookings.edu/metro/eitc.htm -
where you can view and download zip code-level information
on EITC claims for states, counties, cities, and towns
for tax years 1997 through 2002. Also visit 2005-06
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS EITC DATA where data for years
2000 through 2003
can be reviewed by congressional districts.
- CSBG Training
and Technical Assistance (T/TA) Program: Earned Income
Tax Credit (EITC) and Other Asset Formation
Opportunities. Funding Source: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Administration for Children and
Families, Office of Community Services. Funding Amount:
Expected
Number of Awards:10; Estimated Total Program Funding:
$500,000; Award Ceiling: $50,000; Award Floor:$0. Eligibility:
The
only eligible applicants for these grants are statewide
or
local organizations or associations that are CSBG Eligible
Entities with demonstrated expertise in providing training
to individuals and organizations on methods of effectively
addressing the needs of low-income families and communities.
Faith-based and community organizations that meet the
statutory eligibility requirements are eligible to apply
under this
announcement. Applications that show collaborations
with other community-based organizations and institutions
are also strongly encouraged. Formal State CSBG Lead
Agencies
and State CAA Association partnerships and Community
Service
Network collaborations that address the needs of rural
communities are especially encouraged to apply for
these funds and will
receive priority consideration for funding. Description:
Funds will be awarded to provide capacity-building
assistance that enables local, state or regional CSBG networks
to
plan, establish, improve or expand asset formation
and financial
service opportunities for eligible individuals and
families. The projects carried out by these networks should
be
designed to help low-wage earners, at or near the poverty
level,
become more astute in areas such as money management
and other financial
services. Additionally, the projects carried out by
these networks must offer services that help eligible clients
take advantage of asset formation opportunities, increase
disposable
income, build financial resources and enable them to
make wiser financial decisions that ultimately help the
community
thrive and become more economically stable. Successful
applicants will propose projects that will affect more
than one local
CSBG service area. This program is not appropriate
for
projects proposing stand-alone services that affect
and target only
one particular community. Deadline: May 1, 2006. Link
to Full Announcement is located at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/HHS-2006-ACF-OCS-ET-0086.html .
If you have questions or would like to provide information
for posting on the website please contact JenniLee Robins,
WFI jrobins@workforceflorida.com. From Enterprise Florida eNewsletter - March 2006:
- CAFTA Kick-off. Joined by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos
M. Gutierrez, Governor Jeb Bush addressed public and
private leaders from throughout the Western Hemisphere to
launch
Florida's U.S.-Dominican Republic/Central America Free
Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) Market Entry Campaign. EFI
hosted the breakfast in Miami at which Governor Bush emphasized
Florida's status as the "Gateway to the Americas" and
the state's unique relationship with Central America.
DR-CAFTA, which covers virtually every type of trade
and commercial
exchange between these countries and the United States,
immediately eliminates all tariffs on 80 percent of U.S.
manufactured goods, with the balance to be phased out
over a few years. For more information, visit: http://www.caftaintelligencecenter.com/press2.asp.
- Coming Soon ... CAFTA Road Show. Following the successful
launch of the Market Entry Campaign, Enterprise Florida
and the U.S. Department of Commerce will launch the
DR-CAFTA Florida Road Show. These important seminars will
feature
Senior Commercial Officers from the trade agreement countries
visiting various regions of the state. We hope that as
many
Florida companies as possible will attend one of these
programs to learn about how the DR-CAFTA can benefit
them directly
and personally. The DR-CAFTA Florida Road Show schedule
is listed below:
o March 20, 2006 - Miami
o March 21, 2006 - St. Petersburg
o March 22, 2006 - Orlando
o March 23, 2006 - Jacksonville
For more information visit: http://www.caftaintelligencecenter.com/subpages/events.asp.
The Nation
CQ Today Midday Update – Wednesday, March 8,
2006, 2:03p.m.
Today in Washington:
House: Considers several measures under suspension of the rules,
including one to ease bank and credit union regulations (HR
3505). Also takes up a motion to go to conference on pension
overhaul legislation (HR 2830) and expects to consider a food
safety bill (HR 4167), subject to a rule.
Senate: Resumes consideration of a bill (S 2349) that would
overhaul lobbying and ethics rules.
The President: Tours parts of New Orleans and Mississippi affected
by Hurricane Katrina; returns to the White House in the evening.
Headlines:
- House GOP Leaders Will Move to Block
Dubai Ports Deal
- Experts Say FEMA Should Stay With Homeland
Security
- GOP Group Unveils Budget Balancing Plan
- House Moves to
Ease Trade Restrictions on Ukraine
- House Panel Endorses
Phone Records Protection
Access the full stories at: www.cq.com
U.S. Department of Labor – Employment and Training Administration
releases WIA Reports on State Expenditures. ETA released reports
detailing state by state information on unexpended funds for
the WIA Adult, WIA Dislocated Worker, and WIA Youth programs,
as well as a combined report for all 3 WIA programs. Links
to the reports are:
HUD announces nearly $25 million
in 'sweat equity' grants to help families build their own
American dream - More than
1,500 affordable homes to be built with SHOP grants. NEW ORLEANS
(2/23/06) More than 1,500 families will realize their American
Dream with a little elbow grease and $24.8 million in grants
announced today by Housing and Urban Development Assistant
Secretary Pamela Patenaude. HUD is awarding these so-called "sweat
equity grants" to four national and regional organizations
through the Department's Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity
Program (SHOP). For further information, please click on http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr06-021.cfm.
There was not a NASWA Workforce Bulletin published for March
3, 2006.
Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities
and Notices
Featured Opportunity:
(none)
State Grants (none)
Federal Grants
CSBG Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) Program: Earned
Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Other Asset Formation Opportunities
2006 Senior Community Service Employment Program National
Grants Program
Treatment for Homeless Supplements For 2004-2005 Grantees
Water Resource Studies Technical Assistance and Training
Grant Program
Basic Center Program for Runaway and Homeless Youth (BCP)
Community Services Block Grant Program Community- Economic
Development Discretionary Grant Program--Operational Projects
Foundation Grants
Bridge Builders Grant Program
Scholarships/Awards
New Freedom Initiative Award
Sapphire Award
SECOND ANNUAL “WOODSON AWARDS”
ETA Recognition of Excellence Awards 2006 (Repeat)
Upcoming Meetings, Conferences and
Events
Workforce Florida Board and Related Meetings Schedule:
For up-to-date WFI board meeting info please check the calendar at the WFI website.
March 15, 2006
WFI Council Chairmen Teleconference - 9:00am - 10:00am
WFI Executive Committee Teleconference - 10:00am - 11:30am
Contact: Peggy Dransfield pdransfield@workforceflorida.com.
April 19, 2006
WFI Council Chairmen Teleconference - 9:00am - 10:00am
WFI Executive Committee Teleconference - 10:00am - 11:30am
Contact: Peggy Dransfield pdransfield@workforceflorida.com.
Other Meetings/Conferences/Events:
March 16, 2006
Workforce3 One Webinar: Partnerships between Workforce Development
and the SBA as an Economic Development Strategy
Time: 2:00pm Eastern (1pm/Central, 12pm/Mountain, 11am/Pacific)
Length: 75 minutes
NEW! The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Administration has teamed up with the Small Business Administration
to help people create and expand employment in small businesses.
New businesses create jobs, improve communities and expand
the U.S. economy.
Presenters: Byron Zuidema, Regional Administrator, Employment & Training
Administration/USDOL (Region 5)
Patrick Rea, Regional Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration
Michael W. Myhre, State Director, Minnesota Small Business
Development Centers
Connie Ireland, Southwest Minnesota Regional Administrator
Minnesota WorkForce Centers
Resource: Jonathan Simonetta, Office of Policy Development
and Research Employment & Training Administration/USDOL
Moderator: John Scott, Business Services, Employment & Training
Administration/USDOL
Description: New businesses create jobs, improve communities,
and expand the U.S. economy. Self-employment programs are a
valuable option for motivated individuals who wish to pursue
the American dream of owning their own business. Self-employment
also is a viable option for those individuals who have barriers
to employment which can be minimized through self-employment.
Participants will learn about specific ETA initiatives and
policies designed to help people who are interested in starting
or expanding a business. The Small Business Administration
will present SBA's vision, goals and available services, as
well as recent research on the future of the economy. Finally,
speakers from Minnesota 's workforce system will discuss how
the state's WorkForce Centers have addressed the business community's
needs. Practical, proven development programs and strategies
such as Town Hall meetings, roundtable meetings, and Small
Business Resource Fairs will be discussed during the webinar.
Registration for this Webinar is limited and seating is on
a first-come, first-served basis. Login to Workforce3 One and
register today at: http://www.workforce3one.org/public/skillbuilding/webinar_info.cfm?id=88
March 16, 2006
CLM Workforce Connection’s Second Annual Workforce Conference:
Global Challenges to HR & Workforce Strategies
CFCC, Klein Conference Center – Ocala
8:30 am - 10:30 am
Featuring: Timothy Jahnke, Group President-Newell Rubbermaid,
Home and Family Products Group. Registration cost: $20.00 per
person – breakfast included. Presented in collaboration
with our workforce partners:
- Central Florida Community College
- Citrus
County Economic Development Council
- Nature Coast Business
Development Council
- Ocala/Marion County Economic Development
Corporation
RSVP by March 9, 2006. Contact: Val Kelly at 352-873-7939
ext. 203. April 3, 2006
Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance’s 2nd Annual Professional
Career Expo
“ Opening Doors: The Right Job/The Right Talent”
8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Tampa Convention Center
The expo will offer professionals with four-year degrees
plus minimum two years experience in their field a chance to
meet and interview with more than 40 area employers and feature
innovative workshop presentations on how to prepare for and
compete in the workforce. Jeff Taylor, founder of well-known
job search engine Monster.com will be the featured keynote
speaker. For more information, visit www.workforcetampa.com or call 813-740-4680 x 237.
April 19 – 21, 2006.
2006 Annual Conference Florida Association of Partners
in Education
Hilton Daytona Beach Ocean Walk Village
Florida Association of Partners in Education Conference
is presented each spring. The conference is packed with
cutting-edge ideas and new programs. Keynote speakers
bring the most up-to-date information that will both
inform and entertain. More than 800 conference attendees
representing the volunteer sector from business, community,
government and schools focus on the positive impact community
involvement initiatives can have on education and student
achievement. The Florida Commissioner of Education’s
Business Recognition Awards is a special addition to
Florida Association of Partners in Education Conference.
This highly prestigious event recognizes honored businesses
and organizations throughout Florida for exemplary partnership
involvement. One of the highlights of the conference
is the recognition of Florida's Outstanding Volunteers.
Students, parents, grandparents and business partners,
representing their regions, will be among those individuals
honored for their contribution to education in the state
of Florida. For more information or to register go to:
http://www.flpie.net/.
April 23-26, 2006
GITA's Annual Conference 29
No Barriers: Connected. Responsive. Prepared
Tampa Convention Center
Tampa, Florida USA
It's the premier geospatial event of the year! GITA’s
Annual Conference and Exhibition is the most highly regarded
educational event for professionals involved in geospatial
information technologies. Annual Conference 29 will provide
you with better ways to plan, design, manage, and maintain
your geospatial systems and operations. This prestigious event
will present an exciting technical program, including one-and-a-half
days of in-depth seminars followed by two-and-a-half days of
educational sessions. This year's conference theme, No Barriers:
Connected. Responsive. Prepared. — reflects the fact
that professionals in geospatial technology must respond to
growing business needs to prepare for dynamic situations. Preconference
seminars will offer attendees the opportunity to concentrate
on some key issues that are critical to successful project
planning and implementation. Annual Conference 29 will feature
12 half-day seminars, beginning on Sunday morning and concluding
on Monday. Who Should Attend: Anyone who is interested in using
geospatial information technologies is invited to attend. Discussion
topics involve geographic information systems (GIS), information
technology (IT), mobile and field computing, supervisory control
and data acquisition (SCADA), network operations management,
work management systems, enterprise application integration,
critical infrastructure protection, and other related technologies.
The conference program will address topics of interest to executives
and managers in government agencies; electric, gas, and water/wastewater
utilities; telecommunications companies; pipeline companies;
the public sector; and other organizations interested in using
geospatial information to enhance their bottom line. Download
the Official Conference Program at: http://www.gita.org/events/annual/29/Program.pdf.
May 9-10, 2006
Agricultural Business and Workforce System Integration
Forums (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Administration - ETA)
Tampa, FL
The two forums that were postponed from Fall 2005
due to ETA’s hurricane recovery efforts have been
rescheduled for Spring 2006. They will take place on
April 20-21 in Dallas, Texas and on May 9-10 in Tampa,
Florida. There is no registration fee or charge for attending
a forum. However, forum attendees are responsible for
related expenses (travel, lodging, and food). The preliminary
agenda is available at: http://www.tatc.com/integrationforum/AgForumAgenda-Revised1-10-06.pdf
Forum hotel and travel information for the Tampa meeting
is available at: Tampa, FL (May 9-10, 2006) http://www.tatc.com/integrationforum/AgForumAgenda-Revised1-10-06.pdf
If you have other questions about the forums, or if your
participation will require assistive technology or other
disability accommodations, please contact Alisa Tanaka-Dodge
of TATC Consulting at (202) 408-8282 ext. 234 or tanakaa@tatc.com.
Pre-registration will close one week before each forum.
On-site registration will be available.
May 15-16, 2006
Rural Tourism and Economic Development Summit
Gainesville, Florida
This event seeks to unite tourism and economic
development officials to improve quality of life in Rural Florida.
Topics
include:
- Best practices and real world success stories
of both tourism and development
- Using technology to advance
tourism and development in rural Florida
- Ways to implement
the Enterprise Florida “7-point
Plan for Rural Florida.”
For more information, go to www.ncfrpc.org [Click on “Upcoming
Events” and then “Rural Tourism and Economic Development
Summit May 2006”] or call Jayne Moraski 352-955-2200
x.106 or via email moraski@ncfrpc.org.
June 2-4, 2006
The 8th Annual Family Café Conference
Caribe Royale
Orlando, Florida
The Department of Education is proud to support the 8th
Annual Family Café Conference and Governor’s Summit
on Disabilities as part of our commitment to provide a quality
education to all students. During the annual three-day conference,
individuals with disabilities and special health care needs
and their families have an opportunity to gain valuable knowledge,
to interact with state agencies’ representatives and
private providers, and to expand their network of supports.
Pre-conference registration for the 8th Annual Family Café Conference
will begin on February 14, 2006. There is no conference registration
fee. Limited financial assistance will be provided to families
by Family Café. The financial assistance funds through
Family Café are available on a first-come, first-serve
basis, and have historically been exhausted soon after registration
opens. Therefore, we encourage districts to make families of
students with disabilities aware of the pre-conference registration
and financial assistance as soon as possible. We also encourage
you to financially support families to attend the 8th Annual
Family Café Conference through the use of discretionary
grants. As part of the conference, Governor Jeb Bush will speak
at the 8th Annual Governor’s Summit on Disabilities on
Friday, June 2, 2006, from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Participants
may either register online at www.familycafe.net or call the
Family Café office at 1-888-309-2233 to request a registration
brochure be mailed. Pre-registration ends on March 31, 2006.
USDOL’s Workforce Tools of the Trade Workforce Investment
Systemwide Events Page. http://www.workforcetools.org/calendar.asp
Odds and Ends
New report profiles state policies that support
Career Pathways (from Southern Compass -- March 7, 2006). Career Pathways
is one way states can better serve businesses while training
and directing workers into high growth, high wage jobs. The
Columbia University report, Strengthening Transitions by
Encouraging Career Pathways, profiles state policies that
revamp career and technical education and increase access
to postsecondary education. In addition to examples from
Missouri and North Carolina, the report highlights Virginia's
Senior Year Plus program. Senior Year Plus allows high school
seniors to take technical courses at a community college
while completing a high school degree. After high school
graduation, the state pays for the student's first year of
community college and any additional licensure or certificate
requirements. To learn more visit: http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Content/ContentGroups/Headline_News/
February_2006/9287_AACCvisualreport.pdf.
2006 Workforce Trends by the Herman Group (by Anita Campbel,
December 7, 2005, from Small Business Trends website www.smallbiztrends.com)
Editor’s Note: We bring you our first 2006 trends forecast
article, on workforce trends, courtesy of the Herman Group.
While these trends apply to employers of any size, the impact
on small businesses and even the self-employed will be significant.
Themes that stand out in this forecast include: increasingly
skilled knowledge workers, globalization, flexible or nontraditional
work arrangements, and the use of technology.
The 2006 workforce trends are:
1. Intensifying competition for qualified workers. As the
economy continues to grow, more jobs will be created. Employers
will become increasingly aggressive in their efforts to recruit
people who are qualified to do their work. A limited supply
of workers with the right education, training, and experience
will force employers to operate with inadequate staffing,
causing a risk of not meeting customer expectations and/or
not maintaining market position.
2. Gradually increasing attention to employee retention. The rising heat of the employment market will motivate an
increasing number of employees to change jobs, often responding
to attractive incentives. Employers will realize, often too
late, that their attrition rates have skyrocketed and it
has become more difficult to hire replacements easily. Retention
strategies will often be defensive, rather than preventative.
3. Increasing investment in older workers. In need of a stable
workforce comprised of people with wisdom, experience, and
reliability, employers will emphasize retention and hiring
of older workers. Seniors seeking income — full or
supplemental, social relationships, and a desire to stay
active and productive will continue working into their eighties
and nineties. Traditional retirement will be replaced by
shifting lifestyles.
4. Shift in retirement plans to lifetime lifestyle
funding. With the evaporation of traditional retirement, long-term
wealth accumulation plans will modify pay-out options to
offer greater flexibility. As people age, they may draw from
savings to finance sabbaticals, pay for world travel, fund
education, or subsidize other non-work activities.
5. Continued off-shoring of some work, coupled with
return of other work. Employers in developed countries will continue
to send work to less-developed regions for cost savings.
More low-cost production communities will be established
around the world to absorb the demand. Concurrently, work
that is sensitive to customer satisfaction, involves cross-cultural
communication, or is technical with a need for quality or
creativity will return to points of origin … if indigenous
workers are available to do the jobs.
6. Larger investment in corporate training. The need for
better trained skilled workers — and managers — will
drive increased investment in corporate training. More companies
will grow their education and development programs, utilizing
internal resources, community colleges and universities,
and outside contractors. Emphasis will be placed on the development
of future leaders, providing fast-tracking in those organizations
that already lack competent leadership.
7. Growth in telecommuting. Workers desiring more control
over their time, seeking better life-work balance, will persuade
employers to facilitate telecommuting options. Utilizing
available and emerging technology, remote employees will
be highly connected to co-workers, customers, and company
leaders. Long distance and international telecommuting will
increase with the growth of globalization.
8. Expansion of staffing industry. The difficulty in finding
qualified talent will drive more employers to rely on staffing
firms to source applicants for them. Recruiters will be in
high demand as firms rush to grow to meet immediate needs.
As agencies compete with higher use of niche job boards for
Internet job searches, technology, including sophisticated
applicant tracking systems and related software, will be
applied to a greater extent.
9. Heightened flexibility in work arrangements. Employers
competing for qualified workers will support a wide range
of options of work arrangements including shorter work-weeks,
flexible hours, and job-role modification. Increasing emphasis
will be placed on results, with managers and subordinates
becoming more equal — like partners — in accomplishing
work. Even in organizations with deep hierarchies, work environments
will feel more level.
10. Employer dissatisfaction with product of schools. Managers
will become increasingly frustrated with the low level of
preparation of the workforce, particularly entry level applicants.
Their complaints will be heard by senior corporate executives
who will demand greater performance from public schools and
technical, community, and four-year colleges. Community leaders
will focus resources on improving local education to improve
tomorrow’s workforce.
These forecasts were prepared by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia,
principals of The Herman Group, workforce futurists based
in Greensboro, North Carolina. Herman and Gioia are Founding
Members of the Association of Professional Futurists and
Professional Members of the World Future Society. Herman
is the Contributing Editor for Workforce/Workplace Trends
for The Futurist magazine. The two futurists create and publish
the Herman Trend Alert, a public service weekly e-advisory.
The consultants deliver speeches on their topics of expertise
and advise corporate leaders. (336) 282-9370. Access this
article at: http://www.smallbiztrends.com/2005/12/2006-
workforce-trends-by-the-herman-group.html. Quote for the Week:
"The
mystery of government is not how Washington works but how
to make it stop."
P. J. O'Rourke
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