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What does the workforce development system provide?
The two primary customers of the workforce development system have similar expectations. From the employer perspective, the workforce development system is expected to provide the following:
- Basic Skills: Basic skills include reading, writing, math, computer, and workplace readiness. If supplied with applicants competent in the basic skills, most employers can provide workers with any required technical training.
- Technical Skills: Recruiting and retaining technically skilled workers in some occupational areas is problematic. This labor shortage is the result of an inadequate supply of skilled individuals, insufficient opportunities for training in high demand occupations, and outdated training programs.
- Employment Services: Employers expect follow-up and accountability for all referrals.
- Single Point of Contact: Employers prefer a single point of contact through which they can meet their employment needs and interface with various organizations.
- Labor Market Information: Medium and small employers need wage and salary data, workforce demographics, and skill profiles of available workers.
From the worker perspective, the system should provide the following:
- Labor Market Information: Access to accurate, real-time career and labor market information including job availability, skill demands, pay and benefit information, and hiring information.
- Career Counseling and Assessment Services: Access to quality career guidance, counseling services, testing, and assessment services.
- Information on Training and Education: Information on available education and training programs, including consumer reports on providers and financial aid information.
- Access to Training and Education: Literacy, ESL, basic education, computer skills training and workplace readiness.
- Access to Skills Training: Education and training programs that teach skills relevant to emerging occupations.
- Living Wage: Jobs that pay a living wage and offer opportunities for future advancement, which in turn offers economic self-sufficiency for individuals and families
Currently, in Austin, the workforce development system is dotted with numerous and unconnected programs, agencies and activities. The result is a fragmented, duplicative system that is confusing and discouraging to both employers and job seekers. The range of demands placed on the system by the two customer groups further complicates this situation.
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