CAMDENCOUNTY

WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD

Industry-Based Collaborative Planning Strategies

An Addendum to the Five-Year Strategic Plan

July 2007

Submitted by:

John J. Gallagher, Jr., Chairman

Leona Tanker, Executive Director

CamdenCountyWIB

420 Benigno Blvd., Suite B-1

Bellmawr, NJ08031

856-931-9999

1

CAMDENCOUNTY WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD

Industry-Based Collaborative Planning Strategies for CamdenCounty

Table of Contents

I. Executive Summary / 1
II.About the Planning Process / 2
III. Alignment / 2
A.Economic Development in CamdenCounty / 3
B. Key Industry Groups in CamdenCounty / 4
  • Healthcare
  • Information Technology/Telecommunications
  • Hospitality/Tourism/Entertainment/Retail
  • Transportation and Logistics
  • Finance and Insurance
  • Food Manufacturing

C. Strategies in Support of Key Industry Groups / 15
IV. WIB, CountyCollege, TechnicalSchool and One-Stop
Collaboration and Optimization / 18
A. The Current Collaborative Landscape / 18
B. Current Provision of Specific Services / 20
C. Strategies for Improving Collaboration and the Provision of
Services / 24
V. Implementation Strategy / 27
Attachments:
A. Strategic Planning Group / i
B. Summary of Economic Development Activities in CamdenCounty / ii
C. Programs Offered by the CountyCollege and TechnicalSchools in the
Targeted Industries / iii
D. Summary Industry-Based ITAs Funded through the CamdenCounty One-Stop / xvi

CamdenCounty Workforce Investment Board

Industry-Based Collaborative Planning Strategies for CamdenCounty

CAMDENCOUNTY WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD

Industry-Based Planning Strategies for CamdenCounty

I.Executive Summary

This plan is an Addendum to the Camden County Workforce Investment Board’s (CCWIB) Five-Year Strategic Plan. In developing this plan, we focused on two primary objectives:

Alignment of local workforce development initiatives with the needs of CamdenCounty businesses and ongoing economic development efforts at both local and state levels, as described in the Governor’s Economic Growth Strategy.

Optimization of workforce development system resources, as well as making the system more flexible, efficient and effective.

In support of these objectives, this Strategic Plan Addendum discusses:

The economic climate of CamdenCounty, painting a picture of issues and needs both currently and in the future.

Key industry groups in the County, their economic outlook and relevant economic issues.

Current collaborative workforce and educational efforts, particularly between the CCWIB, Camden County College, Camden County Technical Schools and the One-Stop system, and how they presently support our businesses.

New strategies for aligning and optimizing resources.

New strategies for enhancing and improving services to meet business and industry needs.

The planning team selected six key industry groups. To achieve alignment of our initiatives and optimize our resources, we have developed three overarching goals for these industries.

Organize work around industry sectors through collaborations between the WIB, industry partners, economic development, the educational community (e.g., the CountyCollege and the TechnicalSchools) and the One-Stop Partners. These collaboratives will identify and address each industry’s specific workforce needs and implement a series of strategies that will enhance the development of skilled workers for each industry.

Enhance and transform the One-Stop’s delivery of employment related services to all businesses. In particular, we will focus on theOne-Stop functions that most impact our ability to meet employer’ hiring expectations.

Fully implement the CamdenCounty’s Local “To Work” Consolidation Plan, especially the areas that relate to preparing job seekers for work and success in the business world.

II.About the Planning Process

CamdenCounty’s Strategic Plan was developed through a series of five planning sessions. The first meeting was convened by the WIB Chair and included the Superintendents of Camden County College and the TechnicalSchool, as well as leadersfrom key businesses and industries in the county, the WIB, One-Stop, and the Camden County Improvement Authority (CCIA). The purpose of the first meeting was to discuss the 14 top industries acrossCamdenCounty and the Governor’s Strategy for Economic Growth. The group reviewed labor market data, heard about the County’s priorities for economic development and provided insider information on the trendswithin their own industries. This group met a second time to review and discuss the draft plan. The six industry groups discussed in this plan were refined based on the feedback received in those sessions.

The CCWIB’s One-Stop Operations Committee convened three additional meetings to discuss points of collaboration between the CamdenCountyCollege, CamdenCountyTechnicalSchool and One-StopCareerCenter and future opportunities to enhance collaboration. The Committee also discussed how the One-Stop currently provides services to employers to examine the six critical functions called for in the planning guidelines. The results of these meetings are reflected in the strategies and recommendations for enhancing the work of the One-Stop Partners.

All participants in these fivemeetings reviewed the Strategic Plan prior to its submission to the SETC. See Attachment A for a complete list of participating organizations in the planning process.

III. Alignment

Our first focus was on the alignment of local workforce development initiatives with the needs of CamdenCounty businesses and ongoing economic development efforts at both local and state levels. Three major areasprovided the framework for our discussion:

The economic development priorities in CamdenCounty based on the 2002 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategic Plan.

Key industries in CamdenCounty based on industry demand and projected growth.

The seven industries identified in the Governor’s Economic Growth Strategy for the State of New Jersey.

As noted below, the County intends to update its Economic Development Plan in the fall of 2007. We may modify elements of this plan in line with the findings and recommendations from this report. Below is a profile of the economic landscape of our county, our priority industries and strategies for improving the alignment of programs and services to meet industry needs.

A.Economic Development in CamdenCounty

CamdenCounty is geographically well-situated in the Northeast Corridor. It has a solid transportation system including highways, rail, air and deep water ports, with a new light rail system under construction. The County has a strong regional healthcare sector, excellent locations for corporate and regional headquarters, an adequate supply of buildings for business expansion and relocations and has successfully transitioned to a service-oriented economy. The infrastructure is in place to serve the entire county along with a good educational system and access to post secondary institutions. CamdenCounty prides itself inproviding a good quality of life, including housing selection, top-rated park systems and an overall affordable cost of living. While the County struggles with pockets of low income levels accompanied by high levels of poverty and low labor force participation rates, recent economic development projects now underway in Camden City and other municipalities are creating additional jobs that are supported by education and training efforts of the One-Stop system and its educational and training partners.

For the past several years, the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders, under the leadership of Freeholder Louis Cappelli, Jr., has very purposefully created an environment that is conducive to launching innovative and successful economic development ventures. In 2006, Inc. Magazine identified the Camden County area as one of its “Top Ten Boomtowns,” citing its access to Northeastern cities and growth in insurance, banking and pharmaceuticals as key strengths. This ranking capped a year of major achievements, including:

The beginning of an $83 million capital investment in CamdenCountyCollege.

The development of wireless hot spots in WigginsPark and CooperRiver as part of an ongoing strategy to develop a regional wireless network that will both attract businesses to the area and bridge the digital divide.

Completion of the Camden County Boathouse Project, designed to significantly improve the CooperRiver and CamdenCounty as a competitive rowing destination of choice.

Further, at a Board meeting in 2006, the CCWIB convened key players in county, city and municipal governments to discuss major economic development initiatives. More than 100 Board members, businesses and stakeholders from education and workforce communities attended the event. During the same time period, the CCWIB’s Camden City Initiatives Committee also convened a series of meetings to identify the planned economic development projects in the City. The sum of these 44 projects is expected to add an additional 6000 new jobs to the County’s economy. (See Attachment B for a detailed list of projects.)

To support these efforts, Freeholder Cappelli regularly convenes meetings to discuss the progress of economic development activities and how the County is supporting those activities. The Chair of the WIB and Executive Director serve on this Committee as well as the CountyCollege andOne-Stop Operator, among others. The County has made a commitment in all of its economic development work with employers that the One-Stop system will be the first point of contact for filling positions emerging as a result of these projects.

In 2007, these efforts continue as the CountyBoard of Chosen Freeholders and the Camden County Improvement Authority prepare a major update of the County’s 2002 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), which is expected to be finalized in September. This will include an analysis ofindustries, their employment and business trends as well as changing resources and opportunities. As noted above, the WIB may modify elements of this plan in line with the findings and recommendations that surface through this planning process.

B. Key Industry Groups in CamdenCounty

During the planning process, we examined State labor market information for CamdenCounty, as well as the industries named in the Governor’s Economic Growth Strategy. Our goal was to identify industry priorities that both reflect CamdenCounty’s particular demographics and industry make-up as well as the Governor’s strategic priorities. The industry groups we’ve identified as being priorities for the County are as follows:

Healthcare

Information Technology and Telecommunications

Hospitality/Tourism/Entertainment/Retail

Transportation and Logistics

Finance and Insurance

Food Manufacturing

This section details each of the industries, discusses key issues and challenges, and identifies the current initiatives that exist in support of these industries. All of the employment size and growth figures were provided by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development[1] and supplemented by industry and occupational information available at the New Jersey Next Stop website[2].

Healthcare

Industry at a Glance: Healthcare industry jobs are separated into three career paths: Patient Care, which includes registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, home health aides, physical therapists, mental health and substance abuse social workers, and pharmacists; Science and Technology Application, which includes radiology technicians and nuclear medicine technologists; and Administration, which includes medical coders. Individuals working in healthcare need to have strong interpersonal and communication skills, computer literacy, and the ability to work as a team. In addition, healthcare workers will need to keep up with new technologies, be open to improving their skills and learning new medical procedures.

Number Employed:33,000; approx. 18.3% of CamdenCounty’s labor force.

Key Employers:Our Lady of Lourdes; Cooper Health Systems; Virtua Health; Kennedy Health Systems, Brookdale Living Community, Genesis HealthCare.

Demand Occupations: Nursing, EKG Technicians, Imaging Techs, Respiratory Techs, Physical, Speech and Occupational Therapists, Lab Techs, Pharmacists, Pharmacy Techs, Physicians Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurses Assistants.

Projected Growth:Registered Nurses are the occupation most in demand for CamdenCounty, with 1,650 new jobs projected through 2014. CooperUniversityHospital has just finished Phase 1 of a 5 year plan, $140 million hospital expansion and, the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/UMDNJ is expanding.

Outlook:Demand for healthcare is continuing to grow as CamdenCounty’s population ages and local healthcare providers explore more community-based and preventative models for providing healthcare services. High turnover also creates ongoing job openings and a need to develop a pipeline of workers.

Description and Issues

The healthcare industry has recently been added to the high priority industries on Governor’s Economic Growth Strategy. In Camden, Healthcare is the largest industry, providing a range of employment opportunities from entry-level, relatively low-skilled jobs, to highly skilled physician positions. Currently the most difficult to filllocal healthcare jobs are in technical positions, such as EKG Technicians, Imaging/Radiology Technicians, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Lab Technicians, Pharmacy Technicians and CNAs. There are also shortages in “physician extender” positions, such as Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners. While filling nursing positions has become less difficult than it once was, there is still a high demand and a need to pay attention to filling the pipeline of nurses from other positions. Turnover, which in some positions can be as high as 50%, is also an issue for our healthcare providers, in large part due to “burnout” and the stressful demands of the industry. This exacerbates existing shortages that result from increased demands for services, creating an even greater need for career pipelines to serve the industry and industry/demographic changes.

The industry is currently undergoing a major transformation in response to demographic changes, shifts in market expectations and greater integration of technology. For example, one of the major health care institutions explained that they are exploring a “distributed healthcare strategy” to move more healthcare activities into homes and communities and to make the provision of services more “hotel-like” with various amenities. In addition, new technologies are increasingly being integrated into organizational processes and job descriptions as healthcare organizations begin to use electronic medical recordkeeping and other more advanced technologies. This makes customer service, interpersonal skills and technology-based skills a far more important part of many occupational profiles.

Other challenges in meeting the training and workforce needs of the industry include:

A severe shortage of qualified professionals to train applicants for RN and LPN programs. This is because requirements for training positions are set by the State and are extremely rigorous. In addition, nursing staff who leave clinical practice to train other nurses typically take pay cuts of up to 50% to take these positions.

Requirements of federal and state funding for training programs that do not always match the realities of the industry. For example, turnover in many healthcare positions is 50%, yet WIA funding requires that 80% of workers trained with WIA funds must retain their jobs. WIA also requires that workers be employed full-time, yet many home health organizations specifically require only part-time employment. These requirements somewhat limit our ability to use workforce funds and services to support the industry.

Difficulties in workers finding the time for ongoing training and advancement, while also working in demanding positions and meeting personal responsibilities. In many instances, this is exacerbated by a need for ongoing literacy skill development to purse more advanced levels of training.

Our employer partners report that they face major difficulties in forecasting skill needs and potential shortages.

On the plus side, healthcare providers are very interested in exploring more collaborative and innovative ways to “grow” their workforce and are very positive about working more closely with the workforce system to create new strategies and approaches.

Current Initiatives

CamdenCounty workforce programs and educational providers have a long history of working collaboratively to respond to the needs of the healthcare industry. Through the efforts of the CountyCollege, Vocational School and One-StopCareerCenter, there are a wide array of programs offered in this industry. Of particular importance is that the College has developed a fully articulated academic path from CNA to LPN to RN that connects CamdenCountyVocationalTechnicalSchool programs with those at the College. The combination of these efforts results in a fully developed career path for the health care industry.

CamdenCountyCollege offers a number of career programs, which yield an associates degree, and certificate programs as well as partnering with all four major hospital systems to provide staff training. The CamdenCountyTechnicalSchool offers an LPN program which is articulated with CamdenCountyCollege’s RN program. They also offer a Multi-Skilled Technician program as well as other technical courses. The Camden County One-Stop offers several CNA programs.

One program that was particularly successful with our healthcare providers was the Upward Mobility Program, which was designed by the CountyCollegeto introduce non-clinical staff (i.e. custodial staff, cafeteria workers, etc.) to clinical positions and to attract them to these career paths. This program was set-up with funding from the WIB and participating employers felt that it was highly successful. However, funding has run out for the program, and so it is no longer offered.

Information Technology and Telecommunications

Industry at a Glance:The Information Technology Industry, which includes the key telecommunications sector, is vital to all fields due to the high degree of technology integration across all fields. The field demands strong math, science and technological knowledge, as well as the ability to learn and adapt to new technologies.

Number Employed:13,000, which includes 4,500 individuals working in IT and Telecommunications firms, plus an estimated 5% of the labor forceacross other industries); approx. 7.4% of CamdenCounty’s labor force.

Key Employers:Verizon, Comcast, L-3 Communications, Data Systems Analysts, ProComputer Services, Knowledge Guard.

Demand Occupations: Communications andSystems Analysts, Software Engineers, Database Administrators, Communications Equipment Mechanics, Installers and Repairers, Customer Service Representatives.