FY08 and FY09
Massachusetts’ State Plan
Workforce Investment Act and Wagner-Peyser Funding
Submitted by:
Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development
One Ashburton Place st21 Floor
Boston, MA 02108
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Massachusetts State Plan for FY08 and FY09
Workforce Investment Act and Wagner-Peyser Funding
Part II. State Planning Instructions Table of State Plan Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page #
Public Process for State Plan 3
I. State Vision 4
A. Economic Development Goals
B. Leveraging Resources
C. Continuum of Skill Development
D. Partnership Development
E. Youth Pipeline
II. Governor‘s Workforce Investment Priorities 24
III. State Governance Structure 28
A. Organization of state agencies in relation to Governor
B. State Workforce Investment Board (WIB)
C. Structure/Process for state agencies and state board to collaborate
and communicate with each other and with the local workforce
investment system
IV. Economic and Labor Market Analysis 41
V. Overarching State Strategies 53
VI. Major State Policies and Requirements 66
VII. Integration of One-Stop Service Delivery 70
VIII. Administration ad Oversight of Local Workforce Investment System 73 IX. Service Delivery 94
A. One-Stop Service Delivery Strategies
B. Workforce Information
C. Adults and Dislocated Workers
D. Rapid Response
E. Youth
F. Business Services
G. Innovative Service Delivery Strategies
H. Strategies for Faith-based and Community-based Organizations X. State Administration 128
XI. Assurances 141
ATTACHMENTS
A. State Partners Organizational Chart
B. Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board authorizing statues C. Diagram of Communication Flow for Workforce Development System D. List of Research and Evaluation Projects
E. State Waiver Requests
F. WIA Communication on Unified Complaint Process G. Governor‘s Signature page (separate electronic attachment)
H. Massachusetts Open Meeting Law (excerpt)
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Massachusetts State Plan for FY08 and FY09
Workforce Investment Act and Wagner-Peyser Funding
Public Process for State Plan
The process for development of the State Plan relied on input from many workforce stakeholders across the state. The key meetings that assisted in developing and solicited input on the State Plan are listed below:
In early February, the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development initiated constituency meetings to begin work on the Administration‘s priorities for workforce development. The Governor‘s Transition Work Group on Workforce Development issued a white paper outlining the major workforce issues raised throughout the campaign. The Secretary convened members of the Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board met in focus groups to review the Work Group‘s recommendations and raise top priorities with the Secretary. The Executive Office of
Labor and Workforce Development analyzed major themes and designed the three priority areas. These priorities were vetted with all major state partner agencies, Workforce Boards, One-Stop Career Centers and Title I Administrators. Finally, the Secretary met with the Governor to finalize the information on the Administration‘s workforce development priorities presented in the State Plan. An abbreviated timeline is below:
January Governor‘s Transition Work Group on Workforce Development issued a white paper
outlining the major workforce issues raised throughout the campaign.
January – Focus groups with Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board.
February
March 7 Massachusetts Workforce Partners Meeting discussion of the effectiveness of the 3
current waivers and an exercise to solicit input on other waiver requests.
April 27 Initial meeting with EOLWD departments to review and discuss workforce priority
areas.
May 24 Meeting with representation from the Mass Workforce Board Association and
Workforce Investment Association (an open invitation to participate was sent to all
workforce Partners).
June 4 Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development re-convened the members of the
Governor‘s Workforce Transition Team and interested MWIB members to discuss the
Administration‘s workforce priorities.
June 9 Massachusetts Workforce Partners Meeting - Presented an overview of the
Administration‘s workforce priorities and content of the State Plan for FY08 &FY09,
which included small group discussions on priorities.
June 13 Presented at Mass Workforce Investment Board (MWIB) - Overview of the
Administration‘s workforce priorities and content of the State Plan for FY08 &FY09 to
gain endorsement of the State Plan.
June 20 Posting of Draft State Plan FY08 & FY09 on massworkforce.org for review and
comment. Notice of posting sent to all Massachusetts workforce partners. Comments
received were incorporated into the final document.
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Massachusetts State Plan for FY08 and FY09
Workforce Investment Act and Wagner-Peyser Funding
State Plan Content
I. Describe the Governor’s vision for a Statewide workforce investment system. Provide a summary articulating the Governor’s vision for utilizing the resources of the public workforce system in support of the State’s economic development that address the issues and questions below. States are encouraged to attach more detailed documents to expand upon any aspect of the summary response if available. (?112(a) and (b)(4)(A-C).)
A. What are the State’s economic development goals for attracting, retaining and growing
business and industry within the State? (?112(a) and (b)(4)(A-C).)
The Patrick Administration took office in January 2007. In the short months in office, a
new set of economic goals are emerging. The Massachusetts economy was hard hit through
the recession. A key goal for the Governor is to recover the 100,000 jobs lost since 2001.
Attracting new business is as important as growing the businesses in the state. Thus one of
the first priority areas for the Administration is an ―all hands‖ approach to coordinate
economic, infrastructure, workforce and capital investments to stimulate job growth.
Below is an outline of emerging economic and workforce goals.
1. Coordinate Business and Job Growth Across the State
？ Coordinate and Streamline Growth Policies.
The work of government, too often, is performed in silos. Within days of taking office,
the Governor created a Development Cabinet to organize the work of the Governor‘s
Office, Energy and Environmental Affairs, Housing & Economic Development, Labor
& Workforce Development and Transportation & Construction. The Cabinet meets
weekly and is chaired by the Governor. The Cabinet focuses on projects of specific
importance to regional and statewide development and encourages cross-cabinet
collaboration on permitting and complex initiatives. Currently, the Development
Cabinet is tackling a revitalization plan for the City of Springfield and the South Coast
Rail Line proposal for the New Bedford region.
？ Coordinate and Streamline Business Permitting Regulations.
The Governor appointed a permitting ombudsman to create a single point of contact for
business to ensure state permitting for development projects within six months. In
addition, the State is working on a website as a single source for all businesses to access
all resources including permitting, license requirements, and payment of fees.
？ Coordinate and Streamline Business Services
The new Administration continues to support the ―Business Resource Team‖(BRT) as a
one-stop shopping option for small to large businesses, which was described in the
prior plan. The BRT developed a coordinated voice for state government to use in
outreach with businesses. The BRT also worked on coordinated marketing packages,
800 phone lines, websites, business events, technical assistance services and state
oversight of various employer services. The BRT in many ways coordinated the ―face‖
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Massachusetts State Plan for FY08 and FY09
Workforce Investment Act and Wagner-Peyser Funding
of state services as well by creating a ―triage‖ system or internal referral and follow up
system across multiple economic development programs. The BRT works with the
workforce development system to respond to the business and job needs that arise.
Results-To-Date Actual Change Actual Goal
from Performance Measures FY 06 FY 05 FY 06
FY05
Jobs Created 3,760 4,150 10,286 6,526
Jobs Retained 11,219 12,300 12,218 999
Private Investment ($ mil) $814 $900 $4,454 $3,640
Total Project Wins 134 134 172 38
Calendar Days from Start 187 180 155 -32
to Decision
The new Administration is proposing to add the next level of capacity to the Business Resource Team and the state‘s ability to coordinate services for business. The following
initiatives started up in Spring of 2007.
？ Massachusetts Sales Force (6 to 14). The Massachusetts office of Business
Development is assisting the private sector in job creation and economic expansion.
This is done in part through financial incentives and the creation of a sales force team
to support existing businesses as well as market the Commonwealth to attract new
companies. Through the state budget process, the Commonwealth expanded its ―sales
force‖ to work with small businesses to grow in size and strength, to keep large
businesses here and encourage new ones to make their homes here. Previously, the state
employed 6 business representatives, the same as South Dakota. The team now
supports 14 individuals who cover our various regions and industries .We are currently
working very closely with life sciences and renewable energy (see Sector Strategies
below).
？ Ramp Up Small Business Initiative (House 1). The Governor‘s budget proposes to
expand the office of small business and entrepreneurship. There are $2 million in
technical assistance grants available through that office, which is vital since the
majority of employees in this Commonwealth are employed by small businesses.
？ Broadband Access Statewide. A major challenge for business and job growth
statewide is the uneven coverage of high speed internet access and broadband access.
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Massachusetts State Plan for FY08 and FY09
Workforce Investment Act and Wagner-Peyser Funding
The Administration intends to take on a ―whole‖ state approach and raise the level of
priority for developing broadband access in Western parts of the state -- which boast
attractive housing costs and low cost of living -- in order to encourage business growth,
expansion and relocation.
？ Public Accountability for Business Assistance. The Executive Office of Housing and
Economic Development is creating a ―Job Growth‖ Report Card: We are working to
recover the 100,000 jobs lost since 2001 by the end of the Administration‘s first term.
Progress will be measured on a regular basis through a quarterly report card. The
Report Card will be sharing with the Legislature and media outlets.
2. Prioritize Housing & Impact on Economy
A significant economic development theme emerged from the Governor‘s Transition Team process, which gathered public testimony on key areas before the Governor took office. Specifically, the Commonwealth is facing a monumental challenge created by the high price of housing currently threatening the financial stability of the existing and future workforce base. Despite a highly educated population, first rate post-secondary schools attracting new graduates each year, and high average wages compared to other parts of the US, the ability to afford housing is a major concern for many individuals. The Administration reorganized several state agencies to integrate the work of housing development and economic growth. The newly formed Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development was created to examine and address the sizable impact of housing supply and pricing on overall economic growth trends.
The Office will coordinate the Business Resource Team and Sales Force with housing access and development. By aligning the state‘s housing & economic development
agencies, and better coordinating our policies & programs, we can retain and attract the best and brightest people and keep this state competitive for many years to come. In the last few years, partners across the state have worked together to build transit-oriented development projects, pass new ―Smart Growth‖ policies and ramp up the stock of
affordable housing. The Executive Office will deepen these efforts in partnership with the Business Resource Team/Sales Force to encourage business expansion and location in lower cost areas of the state through state development projects. The goal is to connect affordable housing with job creation generated by the Sales Force.
Thanks to the reorganization, we can effectively create more housing while stimulating a robust economy and business climate which, in turn, will generate new jobs. Over the next four years, the Governor will focus on a critical challenge facing the state: a large number of people leave the state due to the high cost of living. Together, agencies are working to harness the wealth of resources currently available in quasi-public agencies like MassDevelopment, MassHousing and the Massachusetts Housing Partnership to ensure that they are all working in a coordinated fashion toward a common goal of expanding our economy.
3. Prioritize Government Support and Investment in Strategic Industry Sectors
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Massachusetts State Plan for FY08 and FY09
Workforce Investment Act and Wagner-Peyser Funding
The Administration is currently reviewing ways to identify policies and initiatives to
support priority industry sectors critical for economic growth in the Commonwealth. The
Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development will spearhead various initiatives
to enhance existing data tools on skill shortages in the economy, described in other sections
of this Plan. These data will not only be used to inform regional education and training
program design, but also to inform economic development policy. Early on, the Governor
announced a commitment to invest in two key sectors, namely, alternative energy and the
life sciences. A major priority for the workforce system is to assist the Administration in
developing workforce strategies to meet the needs of these two sectors. A key challenge in
working with these two sectors is the need to focus on skill development along the
continuum of worker need – from low skilled to high skilled. Both sectors are known for a
focus on scientific and quantitative skill. A goal for the public workforce system is to also
identify strategies and programs that expand jobs for low-skilled to semi-skilled workers
while we develop solutions to support the sectors‘ need for engineers, researchers, and
scientists.
In summary, the Patrick/Murray Administration is set to announce an economic development agenda, titled in draft as ―Innovation Massachusetts 2010: An Agenda for Growth and
Prosperity‖, which will launch the strategic initiatives described above. This agenda will serve as the administration‘s roadmap for sustained economic development across the entire Commonwealth.
State leadership for the public workforce system will engage regional partners in this agenda and dialogue. Regional partners are a key element to success in the rollout of the economic priorities described above. Locally, Workforce Boards, Mayors and economic development organizations also work on setting economic development goals that incorporate workforce development strategies. In many of the 16 Workforce Investment Areas of the state, mayors or economic development organizations are represented on Workforce Boards. In some areas, workforce development partners are part of the review process for commercial development projects in order to ensure a connection between business growth and job creation. In Boston, new commercial development projects pay into a ―Job Linkage‖ fund to assist with job training and local development. Thus, it is incumbent upon state leaders to fully engage regional partners in the broad economic and workforce priorities set by the Administration. B. Given that a skilled workforce is a key to the economic success of every business, what is
the Governor’s vision for maximizing and leveraging the broad array of Federal and
State resources available for workforce investment flowing through the State’s cabinet
agencies and/or education agencies in order to ensure a skilled workforce for the State’s
business and industry? (?112(a) and (b)(4)(A-C).) DWD
The state‘s vision for leveraging workforce development resources is incorporated into
the overall vision for the broader workforce development system. The major workforce
development partners in the Commonwealth convened in 2000 to develop a vision for the
workforce development system. The Commonwealth‘s plan for implementing the
Workforce Investment Act was and continues to be guided by the following vision and
guidelines:
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Massachusetts State Plan for FY08 and FY09
Workforce Investment Act and Wagner-Peyser Funding
1. All Massachusetts residents will have the competencies, employment skills, and
education to support themselves and their families and to live a quality life. 2. Massachusetts’s employers will have access to the skilled and educated workforce
necessary to remain competitive in a dynamic global economy.
Guiding Principles
The pursuit of this vision will be guided by the following principles. ; The Massachusetts workforce investment system will be built on and guided by a
genuine partnership between the public and private sectors and between state and local
stakeholders.
; A common strategic vision will guide the entire workforce investment system, which
each partner will translate into concrete goals that complement the goals of all other
partners.
; The Massachusetts workforce investment system will be responsive to its customers
and provide them with the opportunity to make informed choices.
; The workforce investment system will help workers focus on those skills that improve
their employability and earnings in the labor market.
; Programs and services will be developed based on an ongoing assessment of firm‘s'
needs and workers‘ skills.
; The workforce investment system will provide a coordinated progression of services
that is easily understood by, and accessible to, the Massachusetts workforce and
employers.
; The workforce investment system will encourage the pursuit of education and lifelong
learning in order to enhance earnings and improve workers' employability, productivity,
and competitiveness in the changing economy.
; The workforce investment system will be run efficiently: customers will have access to
a range of services that can accommodate those most job ready, and intensive services
will be reserved for those most at risk of suffering unemployment, serious income loss,
or poverty.
; The workforce investment system will be accountable to its customers and for
continuous quality improvement.
The newly formed Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD), is the state level agency responsible for the oversight of the workforce investment funding received by the state through the US Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration. The Department of Workforce Development, the Division of Career Services and the Commonwealth Corporation are designated by EOLWD to implement specific initiatives related to the workforce development system. Since the inception of WIA, Massachusetts adopted a statewide strategy to maximize and leverage workforce development resources in the state through our Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Career Centers. In Massachusetts, the One-Stop Career Center system is the cornerstone of service delivery for job development and placement, training referrals and placements, employer outreach on workforce development services. Our goal is to make
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Massachusetts State Plan for FY08 and FY09
Workforce Investment Act and Wagner-Peyser Funding
tightly coordinated information and/or services related to all state and federal workforce services available for individuals or business through this system.
For example, the state does not have stand alone unemployment insurance offices or Wagner-Peyser services. The Workforce Boards, through One-Stop Career Centers, directly manage funding and services for the Workforce Investment Act Title I; Workforce Investment Act Title III, Wagner Peyser; National Emergency Grants; TRADE; Veteran‘s DVOP and LVER; Reemployment grants; ―walk-in‖ services for unemployment insurance
benefits; input on products and services developed from LMI grants; and, state funding support for One-Stop Career Centers.
In addition to funding from USDOL, multiple state agencies in the state receive both state and federal funding to support these types of services. In the first years of WIA, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development worked with state partners to establish Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to coordinate services for job seekers and employers through the One-Stop Career Centers at the state level, in addition to the MOUs developed in each workforce investment area. For example, each year the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) contracts through an MOU with the Division of Career Services using performance-based contracts to serve individuals receiving TANF through the One-Stop Career Centers. Career Centers are paid for each customer placement. In addition, DTA contracts directly with local workforce investment areas to provide TANF recipients with skills training. The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) also contracts with the One-Stop Career Center system to implement a portion of their Employment Services Program (ESP), which provides skills training and education followed by job placement services for TANF recipients. Training programs are predominantly short-term (4-12 weeks).
The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) creates MOUs with individual local workforce areas to assist individuals with disabilities in obtaining employment. MRC staff either work out of a OSCC or create integrated referral and service delivery structures. The Massachusetts Department of Education‘s (MDOE) Adult and Community Learning
Services program, responsible for all Title II adult education funding and state funding, also formally commits resources to the Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Career Centers to pay for coordination and referrals of customers or learners with adult education centers. MDOE-funded staff often works on-site at many of the One-Stop Career Centers to assist with customers with skills assessments and referrals to basic education and ESOL classes. The Workforce Boards also participate in the selection of adult education vendors through a state process managed by the Department of Education.
Another key state partner in Massachusetts is the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), which oversees several state agencies responsible for clients and customers with employment needs. The Department of Transitional Assistance and Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission are included in this umbrella. The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development continues to be a key member of the EOHHS Employment Committee brought together to better coordinate all services across its agencies under the EOHHS umbrella. Employment was identified as a strategy that needed
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Massachusetts State Plan for FY08 and FY09
Workforce Investment Act and Wagner-Peyser Funding
to be emphasized within each of its departments‘ goals. The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) worked with the leadership from EOHHS, the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC), key individuals from EOHHS agencies and other Secretariats involved with employment services to review their current employment programs, identify gaps and opportunities, and set goals and objectives for achieving improvement and cross agency collaboration. Through this process they developed a Health and Human Services (HHS) Employment Strategic Plan and vision.
EOHHS Employability Vision: The EOHHS believes that all people have the right and
should be encouraged to pursue employment opportunities that provide a means of
economic independence. It is recognized that an individual’s employment status has a
significant influence on quality of life and can contribute to a sense of personal
fulfillment, enhanced self-esteem, and opportunities for social relationships and
community participation.
This past year DWD partnered with the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMASS
Boston, and the Massachusetts Infrastructure Comprehensive Employment
Opportunities Grant to sponsor a one-day meeting for job developers from DWD/DCS,
EOHHS and community agencies. The purpose:
; To hear directly from job developers about their ideas for strategies at the state and
local level to improve linkages with the business community
; To provide job developers with new / current information and resources that will be
useful in their day to day practice
; To provide an opportunity for cross agency staff who work with job development
and engaging employers to network with others in their region.
The individual user – job seeker or employer – need not understand the array of funding
streams or requirements. The One-Stop Career Centers provide key services or linkages to major resources. For workforce professionals, knowledge and information about available resources in a region is a key element in leveraging and linking resources among partners. For many policy makers and elected officials, the array of employment related programs managed by various state agencies can be overwhelming. For this reason, DWD initiated a project called the Workforce Investment Profiles (WIP) to document all education, training
and employment resources by each of the 16 workforce investment areas across multiple sources.
This document can be found at http://commcorp.org/cre/documents/WIPResources.pdf.
WIP describes all of the resources that contribute to the continuum of service dollars that exist in the state.
Lastly, the Legislature recently created a Workforce Accountability Task Force with similar membership to the Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board. The new Board is
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