As we approach the last weeks of Summer many of us are dealing with either an end or a beginning. Many Spring graduates put off the inevitable task of finding a job for the allure of travel, being with friends or just getting some rest after school. Meanwhile, many students were working jobs or enjoying summertime in preparation for the upcoming school year. In either case, a successful outcome for the next step of finding employment or beginning a successful school year requires a focus on the skills that are needed.

Why Focus on Skills?

The nature of work is changing every day – technology is making some jobs more accessible and is eliminating others. The idea of having a single job for your career is increasingly unlikely, and while this may seem scary, it is also really exciting. Acquiring and being able to demonstrate more skills will allow you to increase your value in the workforce and transition more easily from one position to another.

Entering the Workforce?

As individuals begin to enter the workforce and develop a successful career path, the first step is to understand the skills needed in the workplace. Once you know the skills that are needed, you must then inventory the activities that you’ve undertaken to determine which of those skills you possess and find the most effective way to communicate those skills to the employer that most interests you. It is important to remember during this process that you can acquire skills by doing many things in addition to attending school – military experience, volunteer activities, and other jobs can provide you with the skills that are needed in the workplace. It is also important to connect your experiences directly to the skills that the job requires, not just put together a laundry list of activities and hope that the person reviewing your information can find what they need. Employers are looking for people who have the right skills – be clear and be specific in order to make yourself stand apart from others.

Going Back to School?

If you’re getting to go back to school – whether high school, college, or training programs – you will inevitably look at a required course or activity and question why that is necessary. There are many foundational skills like basic math, effective communication or teamwork that virtually every employer is seeking. Ideally, your school or education provider is closely linked to employers and is ensuring that the curriculum you are required to take matches closely the specific skills that employers are seeking. However, it is also important for you to learn and understand the skills that are required for jobs you may be seeking. If you are unsure, you should meet with your institution’s guidance or career counseling professionals to see if they can point you in the right direction. If that doesn’t get you what you need, then you can reach out to employers and ask what they’re looking for. You are using valuable time and spending significant dollars to get education, and it is important to know that you are getting what you need for your success.

Next Steps

Whether your objective is to get a job now or you’re going back to school and planning for the future, it is an exciting time. By focusing on skills can you better understand what you need to be successful no matter what you want to achieve.

We’re at halftime between the Republican and Democratic National Conventions and most people really want to know what the next president plans to do for them:

“How do I get a better job, make more money, raise a family, buy a house, take care of my aging parents or save for college?”

Both Mr. Trump and Secretary Clinton say they will improve the economy. They talk about tax policy reform, trade and the global economy, entitlements like Social Security and Medicare. These are all important topics to be sure, but a long way from a core issue for Americans: our jobs.

What do you do when you want to grow the economy and make life better for working people? You focus on jobs and skills.

A lack of focus on these two issues has a direct impact on real people, and keeps our economy from reaching its full potential.

For example, from 2009 to 2012, the advanced manufacturing industry in New England should have grown at a rate of 12%. Instead, it only grew 7% because there were 18,000 jobs that went unfilled. In Maryland, there are more than 18,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs today – nationally, there are over 200,000.

Everyday across this country, there are people making less money than they should because they don’t have the right skills, leaving companies without the skilled workers they need to grow, and leaving our economy without the infusion of dollars from these workers’ tax contributions.

Companies and people are making less money and the economy suffers, not because there isn’t opportunity, but because no one can take advantage of the opportunities that already exist!

How do you solve this problem? You make a process that everyone can understand and use – a process that clearly identifies the skills that employers need; one that makes it clear to employees and job seekers the exact skills required to get good jobs. And it must be a demand-driven process – that is, it must start with the employers because they have the jobs needing to be filled.

Using platforms like SkillSmart, employers can identify the specific skills they need for each position they have. Employees and job seekers can then build individual profiles based on their work and life experiences to see how closely their skills match to those positions. Additionally – and, maybe, most importantly – education and training content can be tailored to meet those industry-specific skills needs.

Too often candidates spend more money for education and training because it sounds like the right answer without knowing which education actually needs to be provided.

The technology now exists to align local, regional and national markets to employers, job seekers, educators and resources so industries like cybersecurity, manufacturing, and others can fill more contracts, while workers can earn better salaries and education resources can be used more efficiently.

This new approach won’t solve every problem, but if every company can find skilled workers, and every job seeker can learn the skills the markets need, then we will go a long way to answering the questions that Americans are most concerned about everyday, and especially during this election season.

“If you want to recruit good employees you need to post your job descriptions in as many places as possible, get high click through rates and get as many resumes as possible.”

Well, 427,000 resumes are posted on Monster each week and yet companies that advertise open positions on Monster hire fewer than 1% of their employees from that source. Plus, for every corporate job opening there are more than 250 resumes received, and fewer than five people are brought in to interview.*

When it comes to hiring, more is not better… it’s just more.

The logic of the current hiring process is stunning – if you couldn’t find a good candidate in a large pile of resumes, it must be that the pile isn’t big enough, so you should pay more to get an even bigger pile of resumes. Does that make sense?

Greater numbers do not translate to better candidates or help you hire them faster… In fact it usually takes longer because you have to wade through more unqualified candidates in the hopes of finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. Even worse, using arbitrary screening questions like “years of experience” eliminates potentially strong candidates before anyone ever sees them, just to try and make the big pile smaller.

Our solution at SkillSmart helps employers identify the specific skills they are looking for and then helps interested job seekers articulate where in their previous experiences they’ve acquired and demonstrated those skills through the use of a skills profile.

This process allows employers to be clearer about what they need while applicants have a new mechanism that allows them to clearly state how their education and experiences connect to the skills the position requires for success.

In one quick glance, a hiring manager or HR professional can see how each candidate meets their needs.

It also has the added benefit of providing each job seeker with a sense of how they match a given position before they ever submit a profile, resume or application.

These tools provide smaller numbers of results yet better-qualified candidates who have a clearer understanding of what is required for each position they may be interested in pursuing.

It is time debunk the myth that more resumes, applicants and “click-throughs” will help build a better workforce. It costs more money, takes more time and creates greater frustration for everyone involved. It’s hard to get off the “hamster-wheel” of trying to get more and more, but it can be done while increasing the satisfaction of the people hiring, applying and getting hired.

Learn how we can ease your hiring efforts.

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 *View source here

Springfield, Massachusetts has become ground zero for demonstrating a new demand-driven approach to grow its economy and workforce. And the city’s efforts are being recognized and encouraged.

Last month, the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Corporation, located in Springfield, MA, was awarded a “Working Cities Grant” by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. As one of eight jurisdictions throughout the Commonwealth to receive the grant, it will use this funding to connect local job seekers to multiple industry sectors in the area based on their skills.

One industry that will impact the community is hospitality. Today, MGM Resorts International, which will open a world-class hotel and gaming facility in Springfield, MA in the Fall of 2018, announced a new culinary training partnership with Holyoke Community College. MGM Resorts is committed to investing in the local workforce through this new gaming school designed to advance the skills of the community.

To identify talent and prepare for proper staffing, MGM has started posting the future opportunities needed for its new facility. Further, they’re outlining what requirements are needed, including the skills and credentials, for each opportunity so the local workforce has a clear understanding of what will be needed to be hired in 2018, and how to acquire the right skills if they don’t possess them today.

To start, students and job seekers interested in culinary jobs can log onto SkillSmart for MGM Springfield today to see what jobs will be available. From there, they can then take advantage of programs like the training partnership between Holyoke Community College and MGM. Between now and the facility’s opening, potential candidates will have time to train and gain valuable experience that will advance their skill sets and strengthen the region’s hospitality industry.

Springfield recognized that it can grow a stronger community when it understands the need of local industry and how those needs align with educational opportunities to create a more qualified and skilled workforce.

Employers like MGM are working with all stakeholders in the community – local education providers, community-based organizations, local businesses, students and job seekers – to make each stronger when working individually and together in building the local workforce.

By using SkillSmart’s platform, MGM has identified the skills needed for each position it will seek to hire. Job seekers then can build an individual profile to see how their skills match the positions they’re interested in.

This profile highlights the skills they need, providing a link to training opportunities offered by local education providers and community-based organizations. By connecting the job seekers to both the employer and education providers, they better understand the skills they need and see the path to acquire those additional skills to make them more competitive for these opportunities.

By better understanding the skills and hiring requirements of local employers like MGM, it’s easier for residents of the community to identify the skills they need to be hired. This also gives local education partners, like Holyoke Community College, the ability to adapt curriculum to meet these requirements, which makes the education process more efficient and cost-effective.

By connecting all the stakeholders – employers, educators and job seekers – each works more effectively to grow the local economy, make the right investments in people, and cause the community in whole to be more successful.

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Navigating The Transition From School To The Workplace

AS PUBLISHED BY THE DIANE REHM SHOW ON APRIL 14, 2016

Freshly minted graduates will soon take their degrees and set out into the workplace. But the path from college to career is not as obvious as it once was. Over the last few decades, unemployment among young college graduates has gone up while wages have gone down. Today, nearly half are underemployed. Add the burden of student debt and life post-graduation can seem pretty scary. A longtime chronicler of higher education says it doesn’t need to be that way. In a new book, he lays out a blue print for navigating the transition. A panel of experts joins him – and us – to discuss life after college.

The Diane Rehm Show invites four guests to discuss the transition and how recent graduates can navigate successfully in the workplace.

Guests Include:

Jeffrey Selingo regular contributor on higher education, the Washington Post; author, “There is Life After College: What Parents And Students Should Know About Navigating School To Prepare For The Jobs Of Tomorrow”
Anthony Carnevale director and research professor, Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University
Kristen Hamilton CEO and co-founder, Koru
Andy Chan vice president for innovation and career development, Wake Forest University

EXCERPT:

MS. KRISTEN HAMILTON: But, for example, I think what sits in the chasm between college and career really boils down to three things. It’s that they are missing relevant skills that are specific to jobs. But it’s, as Jeff said, it’s not just about those hard skills. It’s also about a set of experiences and a set of networks. And just even knowing that they need to network, right? Which is just this sort of idea that there’s this whole set of other impact skills and soft skills which really tend to be the most important things that they are lacking that helps them to make that transition. And so what we’re really done at Koru is we’ve taken the employer view. We really tried to understand what is it that employers need for our early-career hires? And we try to communicate that to college graduates. We try to help employers select people based on those right things. And then we also try to help those college graduates to really gain those things to land in jobs that they will love.

Listen to the discussion

As we launch SkillSmart with our first hospitality client, MGM National Harbor, we wanted to explore the industry further, specifically how its workforce gets its start and the potential for job growth and career advancement.

As part of our Spotlight Series, we talked with Matthew Carlin, President of the Metropolitan Hospitality Group (MHG) to get his take on the opportunities within the broad industry of hospitality. MHG is the parent company to many popular dining establishments in the Washington, DC area including Circa, Open Road, Trio Grill and Merrifield Beer & Wine.

SkillSmart (SS): How did you get your start in the hospitality industry?

Matthew Carlin (MC): One of my first jobs in high school was at a small, local pizzeria and I loved it. I worked there for years during my summer breaks in college and eventually started managing the restaurant.

(SS): What opportunities do you see for young people in the hospitality industry today?

(MC): The hospitality space has really evolved in the last five years. Today, we see a much more educated consumer who is focused on local, sustainable and quality products. The popularity of the cooking and restaurant shows has created a greater awareness about the talent and creativity required to be great in this industry. The opportunities are endless. You can transition your work with much more flexibility today – someone can go from becoming a brew master to running an entire distillery or from becoming a chef or bartender to managing and leading a restaurant.

(SS): What are the biggest misconceptions about the hospitality industry?

(MC): Years ago the industry wasn’t deemed as desirable as it is today and wasn’t viewed as a field that could become a career growth potential. Today, it’s the opposite. The industry is especially desirable in this area (Metro DC) with the explosion of every phase of hospitality from restaurants to brewing to distilleries to vineyards to hotels. With hospitality, there’s really no one, singular career path – it is open ended, with someone entering the industry having more control over their own career path than ever before just by working hard, being reliable and expanding their skill sets.

(SS): What are the biggest challenges to ensuring students are career-ready for the hospitality industry?

(MC): Many of the younger managers we hire are challenged with the skills it takes to lead a team and understanding the financial metrics required to help run a small business. When they enter formal studies for hospitality, they may not get the training for the soft skills needed to manage and lead, or the hard skills such as accounting basics. With management, especially, we rely on a slew of skills to ensure our consumers are getting the best service possible. That includes hospitality, of course, but it also includes knowing how to motivate your team, the financial understanding to make decisions on behalf of the restaurant, bar, etc.

(SS): Do you have any advice for hospitality organizations that are looking to grow or strengthen their workforce?

(MC): Hire the smartest people who have the flexibility to grow and adapt their skill sets, and to understand what skills are needed in which areas or positions. If you know that, you can be more targeted in your recruiting or training.

(SS): What are the skills you look for most?

(MC): Intelligent and purpose-driven people. Of all the successful hires we’ve had, we’ve identified that these two traits translate into someone who can learn on the job, increase their knowledge base and skill set, and who are motivated to want to climb the ladder, so to speak. We’re able to help them advance by outlining a clear plan of where we see their skill sets taking them within our group and talking with them about how they think they can get there. Again, it comes back to flexibility of our workers being able to grow and adapt their skill sets.

(SS): What challenges do you experience in hiring workforce?

(MC): Finding great people is a challenge. The market can seem flooded with people looking for jobs, it can be a challenge to identify which of those people actually have the skills we need.

(SS): What challenges do you experience in retaining your workforce?

(MC): Like every industry, growing and challenging the best and brightest workers in order to keep them engaged.

(SS): What role do you see educators/trainers playing in producing the ideal workforce?

(MC): Ultimately, we all become educators, trainers and coaches at work, teaching and mentoring our staff. The ideal workforce would be made up of great leaders with integrated leadership training between all levels of the workforce. As I mentioned, some of our managers struggle with financial metrics. Educators should play a role in all industries – not just hospitality – by incorporating ways to create a more financially astute student base. Those students, no matter high school or college educated, may very well end up working in hospitality. Having tactical applications of financial metrics could help them immensely. That’s just one example.

(SS): One challenge we hear is that there aren’t career promotion opportunities in hospitality, do you agree?

(MC): The hospitality space is growing exponentially as the world moves faster and people get busier. Great and growing companies will always have career promotion opportunities. Hospitality makes up a large percentage of the American workforce, and as it continues to grow, it will need more managers, leaders, etc. My own story is a great example – I went from working at that little pizza restaurant while on breaks from school and transitioned to managing it.

(SS): Hospitality is experiencing growth in the DC area, why do you think that is?

(MC): DC has always been fertile ground for hospitality growth as the nation’s capital. Not only do we have a growing population, especially with more private sectors coming to the region, we have a steady stream of tourism from year to year. To me, the growth of hospitality took a little longer than expected, but DC is mentioned with the likes of New York and San Francisco. That’s pretty incredible.

As a founding member of the National Capital Region Cyber Security Task Force (NCR Task Force), we’ve partnered with other organizations similarly passionate about solving for data and cyber security. The NCR Task Force is focused on creating viable solutions that will generate a talented pipeline for the 20K+ cyber security jobs in the DC Metro Region, the model for which we’re hoping can be expanded nationwide to accommodate the estimated 200K+ vacancies.

We sat down with Charles Britt, co-chair of the NCR Task Force and Manager, STEM Education Outreach for Northern Virginia Community College to talk about how we can combat the gap in qualified cyber personnel. His valuable insights have been gained over a long-standing career supporting the US Intelligence Community and serving as an education advocate.

In 2014 Charles was awarded the Bruce Oliver Leadership Award by the Fairfax County Government for his work in developing SySTEMic Solutions, a program designed to create a sustainable STEM pipeline in Northern Virginia. This year he was the inaugural recipient of thePublic Sector Innovator of the Year award by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce for developing a partnership between the the County’s Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and Office of Public Private Partnerships to bring a VEX robotics program to 10 Intel Computer Clubhouses within high poverty communities across the county.

SkillSmart (SS): Can you explain what the NCR Cyber Security Task Force is and why you felt it necessary to help found it?  

Charles Britt (CB): The NCR Cyber Security Task Force is a group of subject matter experts from workforce development, government, industry, and higher education who have come together to examine the cybersecurity workforce needs in the NCR and propose viable career pathways through skills based training for individuals with little to no direct experience. The task force was borne out of the growing need to provide employers, workforce development organizations, and institutions of higher education with a blueprint for mapping their training to specific industry credentialing and career pathways that lead to employment in cyber security-related positions in the region.

(SS): In your opinion, what’s the great opportunity and greatest threat with cyber security right now? 

(CB): The greatest opportunity is the creation of jobs required to secure networks and systems across all industries. Similarly, the greatest threat is the lack of qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to work in all of the industries.

(SS): How have you seen the threats and opportunities with cyber security evolve through your career?

(CB): Both threats and opportunities have grown in breadth and depth over the last 10 years. I feel the biggest threat continues to be state-sponsored terrorism against our financial industry. We’ve seen large-scale attacks against Sony, Target, and others in recent years grow even more in scale. Following these high-profile attacks, the opportunities for advancements in cyber security had to evolve, and quickly. Now both public and private industries recognize the importance of cyber security and are actively engaged in thoughtful conversations about the knowledge – and skills – needed to fill existing jobs and create new jobs in the cyber security arena.

(SS): In your experience, what makes students actively seek out and enroll in cybersecurity, what’s the draw?

(CB): Although not totally realistic, the biggest draw by far for students is the idea of becoming a hacker, lurking in the background stealing money and government secrets like the actors portrayed on television. However, once they’re enrolled in a program, they understand the vast scope of cyber security and how they can ethically transition their abilities as a “hacker” for greater purpose and good, and work to outsmart the hackers. That keeps them engaged.

(SS): For those who don’t actively seek out or haven’t considered a career in cyber security, what do you think is the most misunderstood aspect of cyber security that influences people entering the field?

(CB): The idea that you have to be an “expert” in the field. The cyber security and information assurance domain is so large that no one individual is expected to be an expert in every area such as hardware, software, physical security, disaster recovery, etc. Individuals must hone in on the fields they feel most comfortable learning and growing in, understanding each area requires a slightly different set of skills, abilities, certifications, and educational attainment.

(SS): At what age should we start introducing career opportunities to our youth? How do they identify this is something of interest and how can we expose them early enough to create a pipeline of skills training and qualified talent?

(CB): The first step to introducing youth to career opportunities begins with parents and teachers helping children understand their unique talents and interests as early as kindergarten and continuing through the primary grade levels. Then, starting in middle school, we should be talking to students about different career choices by using career profiles to align their interests to one or more of the 16 career clusters.

(SS): What do you find the greatest challenge of engaging the students you interact with? If you could see a change within education that could have the greatest impact on creating more qualified talent, what would it be?  

(CB): The greatest challenge I find with engaging students is getting them to understand the importance of workplace concepts and practices such as time management, critical thinking, and ethics. Increased teacher professional development and decreased reliance on standardized testing would have a tremendous impact on the quality of talent emerging from the public education system.

(SS): From your perspective, what are the biggest challenges to ensuring students are career-ready?  

(CB): The biggest challenge is the lack of opportunities for students to gain real-world experience by working in a professional environment coupled with the lack of teacher exposure in industry workplaces.

(SS): How do you think SkillSmart can play a role in advancing the skills of our workforce to meet the demands of employers?

(CB): SkillSmart can play a pivotal role in helping employers better define their talent needs which in turn helps prospective employees not only determine their suitability for a position but also where and how to gain the additional skills and knowledge to become a fully qualified candidate. This model encourages individuals to seek advanced skills and attain them from the most appropriate provider in their geographical area.

With our corporate office located in Montgomery County, MD, we’ve had the privilege of working with local employers to gain a deeper understanding of their workforce needs and challenges through our partnership with the Montgomery Business Development Corporation (MBDC).

MBDC is an apolitical organization, established by the Montgomery County Council, that provides a business-friendly perspective regarding economic development issues ranging from strategic planning, to retaining and attracting business, and to employer and workforce advocacy. MBDC creates change in the positive economic model of the County by increasing the ability to compete, encouraging culture and innovation, minimizing the cost of doing business, and fostering business growth while improving “quality of place.”

As part of our Partner Spotlight Series, we talked with Ellie Giles, Director of Operations for MBDC to get her take on how the County’s Rx for Employability Program is creating positive change for local and state employers.

SkillSmart (SS): Can you explain the Rx for Employability Program, how it came to be and what it hopes to achieve?

Ellie Giles (EG): The Rx for Employability initiative is a healthcare sector partnership as part ofEARN Maryland, a new state-funded competitive workforce and economic development grant initiative. It’s managed by the leadership of the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR). The goal of Rx for Employability is to create a sustainable industry-led career pathway model that addresses current and future workforce needs. We’d like Rx for Employability to set an example for other regions throughout the country and can be easily replicated to create a more qualified workforce at large.

(SS): What are the key components of the program?

(EG): There are several. We’ve developed the program to encompass four key components; Rx for Employability is:

• Industry Informed: comprised of industry focus groups, interviews and qualitative data that define distinct career pathways.
• Population Specific: the priority population of the program includes unemployed or underemployed individuals or incumbent workers in need of updated training in Montgomery County.
• Skills-Oriented: the program provides technical and employability skill training and support.
• Data Driven: data of individuals by their outcomes is used to measure success and tailor the program as needed.

Rx for Employability has created targeted career pathways to provide a better educated and more skilled workforce in fast-growing positions. We strive to set our participants up for success in three key positions:

• Pharmacy Technicians: participants can learn the right skills that can lead to a career path in pharmacy.
• Sterile Equipment Processing Technicians: participants can learn the right skills that can lead to a career path in infection disease control in health care facilities.
• Medical Coders: Rx for Employability provides continual bridge training from Medical Coders from ICD 9 to meet the requirements of ICD 10 as mandated by Affordable Care Act (10/1/15) so participants can continue along a career pathway in medical records management.

(SS): How does Rx for Employability receive funding?

(EG): Our funding comes in two forms. Maryland State Department of Labor and Licenses (DLLR) awarded MBDC with a $211,000 EARN grant to be paid over a 2 year period (fiscal years 2015 and 2016). We currently have an application pending for additional funding after 2016. Montgomery County Government provided $192,500 of funding for the Rx for Employability through the Department of Economic Development for fiscal year 2015; continued funding is pending.

(SS): How have Industry employers benefited?

(EG): The program has helped employers clearly establish their talent needs and identify internal career pathways not just for employers but for the industry as well. It’s encouraged the development of industry-specific career skills to ensure reliable employability today and into the future, and has provided recommended strategies for HR structures to improve job application processes and raise personnel awareness for entry level (establishing a community/industry connection).

(SS): How have community/training agencies benefited?

(EG): Through a number of ways, but most importantly Rx for Employability has enhanced support services of community and training agencies. The program has coordinated collaboration between 22 non-profit agencies for candidate outreach and participant support services, helping to identify strengths/challenges within the agencies as they interface with industry. It’s also unified a work-ready pipeline and skills development; we currently have a pending grant (for $100,000) to develop appropriate standards for consistent work-ready programs.

(SS): How have your participants benefited?

(EG): We’ve received a number of metrics that mark the success for participants. A few examples include:

• Increased employment pipeline opportunities for participants through our “Earn while you Learn” process that created unique jobs providing both employment with dignity and apprenticeship training.
• Individualized employability support to 80 potential Pharmacy Technician candidates through a partnership with CVS Health (interviewing, application completion, dressing, communication etc.).
• Successful recruitment for Sterile Processing Technician training for 10 participants through a partnership with Adventist HealthCare.
• Successful outreach for our Medical Coder-Bridge program with 290 participants through a partnership with the Montgomery County Medical Society.

In our first year, we’ve had nearly 400 participants interact with the Rx for Employment Program:

• Pharmacy Technician: 80
• Sterile Processing: 26 (Includes training participants and backfill employees)
• Coder Bridge: 290
• Total: 396

(SS): What do you feel is the greatest challenge facing the Rx for Employability program?

(EG): Coordinating all the wonderful resources in Montgomery County for a strong collaborative effort. It’s our greatest challenge, but it’s also our greatest reward.

(SS): Do you find that skills training is an issue for the employers with which you interact? 

(EG): MBDC works to engage the business community through business retention and business expansion activities. Strong talent and talent development opportunities are frequently mentioned as a reason for locating their business in Montgomery County. The Rx for Employability program has been enthusiastically embraced by the Healthcare industry and we have already expanded this model to include mid-level occupations with a new Nursing-bridge program providing specialty training.

(SS): What advice do you have for other jurisdictions looking to implement a program similar to Rx for Employability?

(EG): Listen to the industry to determine the skills needed for entry into a sector. Working with the industry sectors has not only allowed us to provide comprehensive skills training (technical and work-ready skills), but also provide the training to be progressive by addressing skills for future needs. We’ve been able create a sustainable career pathway.

(SS): What are the biggest challenges to ensuring students are career-ready?

(EG): The Rx for Employment program recruits from the wonderful non-profit community agencies in the County. Currently, we are partnering with 26 different programs to recruit candidates. The work-ready training provided by each non-profit program varies, and we’ve learned that a consistent work-readiness program across all programs is needed. To address this issue, we have applied for and have been granted additional State funding to pilot a work-readiness training program (based on input from employers) that we hope can be disseminated to all agencies and organizations within the County. The program will be competency-based with practical hands-on learning opportunities within a variety of work places.

(SS): How do you think SkillSmart can play a role in advancing the skills of our workforce to meet the demands of employers?

(EG): Making connections between current and needed skills and career opportunities is valuable support for our unemployed and underemployed. According to The Washington Business Journal, the March 2015 unemployment rate in the Washington area is 4.7%. The current opportunities require specialized skills. The SkillSmart technology is a fantastic tool to address the current employment needs by providing graphic progress reports and connections to the right skill training programs.

Learn more about Rx for Employability and how Montgomery County is working to train its regional workforce with the right skills employers need.

SkillSmart is proud to partner with other organizations whose missions are similar to ours in creating a smarter, more competitive workforce.

Our partner Per Scholas is determined to break the cycle of poverty by providing technology education, access, training and job placement services for under/un-employed communities.

As part of our Partner Spotlight Series, we recently talked with Bridgette Gray, Per Scholas’ Managing Director for the National Capital Region, to get a deeper understanding of how they’re achieving their mission.

SkillSmart (SS): Before you joined Per Scholas, you worked with other organizations in similar spaces. Can you tell us what you’ve found to be a key takeaway or learning, what makes Per Scholas different?

Bridgette Gray (BG): The key takeaway is that Per Scholas has a model of training that provides rapid entry and/or re-entry into a high demand field of employment – IT jobs. Most organizations I’ve worked with before have a long process to get to an outcome, but Per Scholas has an 8-week training model and our students gain employment within 90 days post graduation. In fact, almost 90% of our graduates have found employment in the IT field.

SS: What is the greatest challenge to the success of programs like Per Scholas?

BG: Getting corporate investment and scaling the model. Another challenge is candidate recruitment – many of the people who apply have very low literacy rates and can’t get through our assessment. As a result, it’s a struggle to admit the 20 students we’d like to have per cohort. Finally, programs like ours are seen as competition to existing programs and community colleges, which impacts our ability to collaborate.

SS: Do you have any advice for other organizations or jurisdictions that are trying to establish training programs to meet the needs of their populations?

BG: Yes, collaboration and knowledge sharing are crucial.

SS: What do you think are the biggest challenges or opportunities facing the National Capital Region?

BG: There are many.

• HR departments and hiring managers are disconnected from the hard skills needed by their organizations and continue to produce cookie cutter position descriptions without thinking through the hard skills outside of a degree.
• Employers are not invested in training programs to help build out the talent needed.
• There’s no cross pollination of knowledge or information sharing across the entities preparing our workforce.
• Post-secondary institutions are not providing the hard skills needed to provide employers with viable talent pipelines. Workforce development organizations and post-secondary institutions are not playing well in the sandbox.
• There is a literacy challenge among many people that a lot of programs in this area serve. There’s also a huge digital divide, with people having no connection to or knowledge of relevant, successful and viable training opportunities.
• Too many underachieving workforce development programs continue to receive funding, but are not reaching measurable training and placement outcomes, i.e., livable wage careers, high-demand fields, increases in literacy rates, etc. As a result, employers are not able to get the talent they need.
• There’s a lack of collaboration between training programs. For example, we partner withYear Up, a similar organization that focuses on 18-24 year olds IT, providing the first step in training in-demand skills to its students. We provide the second step, which is credentialing and job placement. It’s a great partnership that we’ve yet to see impact our funding, we’ve found that it enhances it.

SS: How do you think SkillSmart can play a role in advancing the skills of our workforce to meet the demands of employers?

BG: I think tools like SkillSmart are what we need to address the many issues we’ve identified above. I think SkillSmart can replace HR hiring tools, such as Taleo, etc. with greater accuracy of identifying the skills candidates have while highlighting where they can improve their skills. In doing so, the workforce will become skilled and qualified, meeting the demands of employers.

To learn more about how we’ll be working with Per Scholas, read the announcement regarding our partnership.