SEMCA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
SEMCA, 25363 Eureka Rd., Taylor, MI
MINUTES
Members PresentAlternates Present Members Absent
Charlie MahoneyMike Smith Rory Gamble/Dave Pagac
Patricia ChatmanLee Graham James Van Buren
Donald O’Connell Hannan Deep
Connie Carroll Nicole McLaughlin
Frank Lopez Naheed Huq
Jason Evers Sheryll Rodgers/Bayyinah Burton
Gina Coleman Marie Hocker
Malin Wagner Molly Luempert-Coy
Chris LaJoy Tupac Hunter
Sean Sims
Staff PresentGuests
Gregory PitoniakDonna McDowell, Wayne RESA
Tamara Lamper-NorrixCommissioner Al Haidous, SEGA Chair
Traci SassakDoug Messana, Ford Motor Company
Patricia LeBlanc
Sonya Grant
Daniel Martinez
Matt Sehrsweeney
Ana Salazar
Call to Order
Chair Mahoney called the meeting to order at 2:07 p.m.Board stands for the Pledge of Allegiance.
Roll Call
Mahoney welcomed our visitors and introductions were made. A quorum was notpresent.
Public Comment
No public comment was made upon request.
Moved to the information portion of the agenda awaiting quorum.
Wayne RESA Asset Mapping Update
Donna McDowell of Wayne RESA provided an update to the Wayne RESA Asset Mapping/Workforce Inventory Project. She recently showcased the project at the Michigan Works! Conference in September and in October the counseling staff for Wayne County was trained on the new website. A copy of the PowerPoint is on file.
The goal is to ensure that every school in Wayne County is aware of the workforce opportunities available to them. This project creates a one-stop-shopfor students and counselors, and eventually parents, to know their options and have a career plan. All students will have access to available programs and services so they can be college or career ready, and it will help increase the students entering the talent pipeline to meet the needs of businesses. She reviewed the website including the apprenticeship opportunities for on-the-job training employability,pre-employment training license work available through certificate programs at the community colleges, and college options from a one-year certificate to a four-year degree. She reviewed the CTE dual enrollment, the Construction Trades programs and discussed how businesses are using the website to see which high schools are teaching CTE programs and recruiting from those programs. The site also shows available summer camps and events under career awareness, and student support resources in areas of college/career planning, mentoring, academic life skills and work readiness.
The website is now available to the public. McDowell noted that the next steps for success is to focus on making sure we are tapping into the collective knowledge and experience of our staff across the county. Counselors noted that it is mandatory to have accurate web content, which can be a challenge. Wayne RESA continues to work on process improvement in this area. There is a place on the website to provide feedback if there are any inaccuracies, items to add or links that are not working properly so they can act immediately. Dr. Liepa and Wayne RESA are in it for the long-haul and there is room for continuous improvement. They need robust workforce collaborations to expand workforce opportunities for students, which will benefit the pipeline.Funding from the state has allowedfor the current pilot programto employ13 career counselors for the county, but they want to expand the number of RESA career counselor staff and develop communication tools to push workforce information to school district staff. She shared the new student rubric that is used to self-identify where the student is in the career planning process. It is used to track performance metrics; where does the student come into the program and every student is to leave with a personalized customized plan and with a contact for a workforce or higher education provider.At exit interviews they determine the jobs that students are articulating toward.
Evers noted that the counselors are thrilled about this project. This is something that they have needed for a long time. Prior to the counselor training he was receiving inquires as to apprenticeship and internship opportunities, which now the information is at their fingertips. They had 29 out of 33 Wayne County districts represented and around 170 counselors in attendance at this training. A Twitter account has been opened to get the word out.
Graham noted Michigan Apprenticeship Steering Committee Awards are being announced in December, one in manufacturing and one in construction. He would like to arrange to have RESA at the meeting to discuss this project.
Pitoniak noted to Grant that we need to get this information out to our BSR’s. RESA is asking our board members and staff tor help to review the site at and determine if there is any missing information. The board was asked to either use the feedback function on the website or contact Donna McDowell at .
Graham discussed the flyer that was distributed for Michigan Construction Career Days, May 3-4, 2018. Please share with everyone you know. This is the 11th year and they have around 2,200 11th and 12th grade students in attendance. This is a hands-on experience where they learn about all of the jobs available in construction trades. Board reviewed a video of the event. McDowell asked Graham to send her an electronic copy of the flyer so she can tweet it out.
A quorum is now present.
Policy/Funding Updates
Pitoniak noted the new legislation that was highlighted in a Crain’s article entitled “Michigan High School Counselors to Get Training in College and Career Advice,” which dovetails nicely with today’s presentation. Copies of the article were available for the meeting.
Pitoniak also discussed the history and changes being made to the Talent District Career Council (TDCC). The draft policy currently under review for the newly named Career Educational Advisory Council (CEAC) has been issued. This council will continue to be an advisory councilto the workforce development boards but each MWA will have its own CEAC--the regional map of the 10 prosperity regions will no longer be used, instead aligning with the MWA regions. The councils will continue to have a substantial interaction with the education community. The CEAC will only be advisory in nature and with the workforce development boards making final decisions on any matters. SEMCA’s WDB is required to appoint the new CEAC, and we will likely start with the current members of the TDCC in both Regions 9 and 10 when matching representatives with the required members for the CEAC. SEMCA will acquire any additional names where needed. This Council will probably be brought before the board for approval at the January board meeting.
Mahoney noted that in the past with the EAG and TDCC, the Chair of those councils was also the Vice-Chair of the Workforce Development Board, according to our bylaws. Mahoney is asking if the board wants to continue that practice, which would make Malin Wagner as Vice-Chair of the WDB the Chair of the CEAC and if so is asking for a motion.
MOTION by Carroll to approve the current practice of the Workforce Development Board Vice-Chair being named the Chair of the education advisory group, now known as the Career & Educational Advisory Council (CEAC), supported by Coleman. All voting aye, motion carried.
Before moving through the rest of the Agenda, Mahoney returned to the action items now that a quorum was present.
Approval of Agenda
MOVED byWagner to approve the Agenda of November 15, 2017 as presented, supported by O’Connell. All voting aye, motion carried.
Approval of Minutes
MOVED by O’Connell to approve the Minutes of September 20, 2017as presented, supported by Smith. All voting aye, motion carried.
Approval of 2018 WDB Meeting Schedule
Carroll made the suggestion to amend the schedule and move the November meeting to the 14th as it currently falls on the day before Thanksgiving.
MOVED by Carroll to approve the Amended 2018 WDB Meeting Schedule with the change of the November meeting from the 21st to the 14th, supported by Coleman. All voting aye, motion carried.
Pitoniak continued his discussion under Policy and Funding Updates. He noted that the federal government is still working under a continuing resolution and the budget has not been approved. If not approved before December 8, there will likely be another continuing resolution through the holidays. The Michigan Works system continues to be in a holding pattern monitoring the situation by both the state and national associations. SEMCA is asking its board members that if you have any connection with legislators or their staff in your daily work that you please keep SEMCA in mind and educate them on the value of the Michigan Works system.
On a state level, SEMCA has been awarded $360,000 in additional funding tied to our Amazon assistance efforts. We will be assisting Amazon with the recruitment and hiring of an estimated 1,600 employees at the new Romulus facility starting in July2018. Livonia has hired approximately 2,000 employees and Brownstown has hired approximately 1,500 over the past 2-1/2 years. The funding will help us sustain their assistance efforts. Amazon also plans to also have facilities in Shelby Township and Hazel Park. Pitoniak thanked Schoolcraft College for their use of space during the Livonia hiring event. Our colleges have been amazing partners.
Pitoniak discussed the state stats for the Skilled Trades Training Fund (STTF). Statewide 928 applications were submitted by the MWA’s for 950 employers with $38 million requested. The state has a $29 million available. The numbers identified are 32,000 trainees with 1,609 apprenticeships. As federal training dollars have decreased the state stepped up and funding of this program has increased over the last four years and is strongly embraced by the employer community.
SEMCA Strategic Plan Dashboard Review
Pitoniak reviewed the Third Quarter Strategic Plan Dashboard. Many of the short term goals (blue) are all in progress and some are completed. Some of the long term goals (green) are in progress. We have discovered that some of the long-term goals are a sustained effort and most will not be marked complete. I am recommending to our Board Chair that we have a robust discussion at a later meeting to update our strategic plan and dashboard. SEMCA staff will present some recommendations or modifications for those nuances that we are discovering as we move forward with one of five years completed. Pitoniak reviewed the examples tied to what is being done to achieve these goals, but advised that it is not a comprehensive list.
SEGA Governing Board Update
The next meeting is December 19, 2017. Although change is difficult, there are positive changes coming in the next year. He is seeing results in Region 10 with economic development and the connection of education and business. Haidous thanked the staff and WDB for a job well done.
Pitoniak discussed SEMCA’s connections with economic development. MEDC, in their bid for Amazon’s Headquarters project, asked SEMCA if we had any positive feedback from our work with company’s three facilities,which we provided to add to their proposal submission. Wayne County Economic Development recently had a business roundtable at Focus Hope in Detroit, with approximately 200 people in attendance.A three-person business panel that included Link Engineering out of Livonia sang SEMCA Michigan Works’ praises during her presentation and the Q&A. Lastly, Monroe County leadership has developed an economic development strategy named the Monroe County Link Plan, and has brought together economic development, community leaders and major employers to work on this project. The group is chaired by the CEO of Monroe Bank & Trust. They have asked Pitoniak to co-chair one pillar of the economic development strategy pertaining to workforce development with Monroe ISD Superintendent Stephen McNew.
Talent District Career Council Update
Already covered. Evers inquired if there was anything in the PI regarding Early Middle College fiscal agency that is tied with the prosperity regions and how it will relate to the CEAC. Pitoniak stated that right now it does not go into detail on that subject or with Adult Ed. Pitoniak noted that it will most likely follow along with the 16 MWA’s.
Program Updates:
Apprenticeship/Work-Based Learning Programs
Grant noted that it is National Apprenticeship Week. SEMCA hosted informational sessions in Monroe County with 29 employers and at Henry Ford College with 86 employers. Grant thanked Dr. Chatman of HFC for allowing us to use their facilities and being such a great partner. The goal is to increase the number of apprenticeships and apprentices in our area. USDOL was there to discuss the ease of registering businesses for apprenticeships and the state was there to answer any questions. To date, since the arrival of our TalentDevelopment Coordinator Collin Mays in the last 90 days, SEMCA has six new employers who have registered apprenticeship programs. She will bring Mays to the next WDB meeting.
Pitoniak noted that Mays said the employers were enthusiastic after these sessions. Grant noted the employer enthusiasm is evident with the grant application submissions for STTF. There were a total of 75 grant applications submitted to the state with over 143 new apprentices and 2730 individuals to be trained under these grants. SEMCA is looking forward to these apprenticeships and creating new opportunities for individuals in our area.
WIOA, ES, TAA, OJT, IWT, STTF, Project Rising Tide
Salazar noted that the graduation of River Rouge from Project Rising Tides is scheduled for November 21, 2018, and the Governor will be attending.It is also the same day as the Amazon Appreciation Luncheon here at SEMCA. Pitoniak reiterated the focus behind Project Rising Tides and the services that SEMCA helped provide to the community. Ten more communities within the Prosperity Regions will be selected. Grant noted that Hamtramck and Inkster are the two communities being considered for Region 10, both SEMCA regioncommunities.
A requirement of WIOA is to have Memorandums of Understanding in place with partners located within the One Stops. SEMCA has signed MOU’s from all required partners to meet those general guidelines. There are additional MOU’s being completed with partners of our system.
SEMCA continues its work on the One Stop Certification process. All One Stop Service Centers must meet three characteristics, which encompasses a comprehensive list of about 235 different guidelines to be certified. SEMCA continues to prepare its plans, and are proud to say if we were audited today, we think we would pass.
Another project SEMCA is working on is the AARP 50 Plus Worker. We are partnered with AARP and other Michigan Works Agencies across the stateso we can create and launch a marketing campaign that connects MWA’s with employers looking to hire age 50 plus workers. The website went live two weeks ago and SEMCA has all of its contacts on the website for our region. This campaign focuses on the skilled worker over age 50 that does not need full wrap-around benefits and does not need training.
The Catalyst or America’s Promise Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing Technology Grant provide funding to train 144 workers in robotics, mechatronics and automation careers. As of yesterday Henry Ford College and Schoolcraft College are marketing the program and ready to go with training in January. SEMCA is working to help them fill their available slots. Thanks again to Dr. Chatman of HFC.
WIOA Youth, Foster Youth, JMG, WCCAN
LeBlanc will highlight just a couple of items and referred the Board to her update in the packet and showed some pictures from events attended. JMG has created a brochure that they use statewide, and a picture from the visit by the River Rouge students to the Operating Engineers Training Facility in Howell made the front cover. Thanks to O’Connell and Graham for that opportunity.
LeBlanc shared the stats from Manufacturing Day. They had over 40 Wayne County schools participate, 2,100 plus students, 6 hub sites and 35 manufacturing companies. She shared photos from Lift and IACMI in Corktown. They hosted more than 30 students. Governor Snyder, Senator Stabenow and Mayor Duggan all spoke at the event. They also attended Baker College on their tour.
LeBlanc discussed the JMG trip to DTE in Melvindale for Careers in Energy Week. DTE rolled out the red carpet and provided hands-on-activities as well as information on all of the career opportunities, apprenticeships, how to apply, and how much money you can earn. It opened up the eyes of these students to new opportunities.
SEMCA is in the process of initiation and installation ceremonies for the JMG In-School programs. LeBlanc thanked Mahoney for speaking at the ceremony for Starkweather. The students take this very seriously. They are committing to the program and the program objectives. Starkweather is smaller because it is a part-time program. LeBlanc invited the board to the program for River Rouge and noted that the board should have received an invitation that was designed by one of the students for this event. On November 27ththe ceremony will take place for Orchard Center High School in Monroe and the board is welcome to attend.