11a. Attachment - Recover Better Executive Summary
[Stamp] bzz902 #23clipboard REC OVER BE TTER A REGIO NAL PLAN FOR EQUITA BLE ECONOMIC RECOV ERY JANUARY 202 1 Executive Summary DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP STRATEGIC PLAN LEAD CONSULTANT/PROJECT MANAGER Jill Nishi RESEARCH, ENGAGEMENT & STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT Trang Tu Bob Watrus W. Tali Hairston Rich Stolz, OneAmerica EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN ABOUT The Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County (WDC) is a nonprofit, grant-making organization dedicated to creating career pathways for adults and youth through demand-driven workforce and training programs. We convene and partner with business, labor, training and education providers, nonprofits, and diverse community stakeholders to support an inclusive and dynamic regional economy and shared prosperity. MISSION To champion a workforce and learning system that allows our region to be a world leader in producing a vibrant economy and lifelong employment and training opportunities for every resident. VISION Leadership toward an inclusive, dynamic regional economy. VALUES Integrity | Support | Adaptability | Inclusion | Trust | Courage 2 REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SEATTLE-KING COUNTY LABOR MARKET EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION This is a 3-5 year blueprint for shared priorities between the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County (WDC) and its regional partners: County and City Government Industry COVID-19 IMPACT Labor Community Colleges Educational and Training Partners Community-Based Organizations RECOVERY OUTLOOK PURPOSE To align regional and partner resources in response to the job loss and economic disruption from the NORTH STARS: EQUITABLE COVID-19 global pandemic. ECONOMIC RECOVERY & JOB We prioritize equitable economic recovery, improving job quality, and the placement of dislocated workers QUALITY into quality jobs. RACIAL EQUITY FOCUS SECTOR ANALYSIS The strategies are explicit in supporting Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and immigrant and refugee communities, who have historically been marginalized from economic opportunity, and are more vulnerable without an intentional and concerted STRATEGIES effort to center their needs and ensure equitable participation in the region's recovery. OUR ROLE AS WDC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF SEATTLE-KING COUNTY 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN APPROACH We sought the perspectives of industry, labor, government, and the community whenever possible to understand enablers and barriers to employment, as well as complementary data analyses and labor market research. We relied on existing sources of community feedback to minimize the burden on community leaders as they manage the pandemic impacts. Continued community engagment will be critical as we move forward. We also looked at national and regional economic projections to make reasonable assumptions about the region's recovery. We established a short-list of "opportunity sectors"industry sectors that should be a focus of regional recoverybased on GUIDING PRINCIPLES short-term recovery indicators, job quality A set of guiding principles informed our planning and criteria, accessibility to those jobs by development, as well as our priorities and strategies: BIPOC, immigrant and refugee communities, Centering racial equity by focusing on BIPOC and industry readiness and commitment. workers, immigrant and refugee communities, Since we can't have total certainty in these and people disproportionately impacted by the complex times, we expect to evolve this current economic recession strategy. Moving dislocated workers into quality jobs Finally, we looked at national and regional offering living wages and benefits, advancement equitable workforce development practices opportunities, and safe workplaces and innovations to understand how they worked and whether they could help Improving the quality of jobs historically support BIPOC communities, immigrants, occupied by low-income workers and refugees. We also looked at how other Ensuring equitable access to economic regions are responding in this crisis to opportunity and removing barriers that inform our priorities. have historically precluded BIPOC workers, immigrants, and refugees from accessing quality jobs Working across sectors to identify solutions that include human services, advocacy, and policy Selecting strategies informed by research, evidence, and data, as well as perspectives from industry, labor, community, and partners Leading with innovation and best practices in workforce development, resisting the status quo and other real or perceived constraints 4 REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SEATTLE-KING COUNTY LABOR MARKET EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN COVID-19 I MPACT Since the onset of COVID-19 in M arch 2020, the pandemic has devastated the regio n's economy, workforce, health, and public wel l-being. We sought to understand the economic impa cts of the global pandemic on: Workers Sectors Occupations Geography Qualitative feedback from the com munity suggests that many BIPOC communities, i mmigrants, and refugees are in distress, struggling with financial, health, family needs, and navigati ng multiple systems to access resources and supports. An analysis of state Unemployment Insurance (UI) cla ims further affirms the disproportionate adverse econ omic impacts experienced by these communities . A history of economic marginalization due to systemic racism, occupational segregation, and bia s in hiring have contributed to economic injustice and resulted in the overrepresentation of BIPOC wor kers, immigrants and refugees in sectors hit hardest by j ob loss, as well as in low-wage occupations. This ec onomic hardship is further exacerbated as BIPOC and immigrant workers are facing increased exposure to C OVID-19, working as caregivers, healthcare professio nals, grocery store workers, delivery people, and oth er essential jobs. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF SEATTLE-KING COUNTY 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN RECOVERY OUTLOOK We examined core drivers of economic recovery, trends in the changing nature of workoften accelerated or exacerbated by the pandemicand qualitative research on recovery in the region. There is general consensus among global business leaders that we should assume a recurrence of the virus, slow long-term growth, and a muted world recovery in the next one to two years. Three factors will determine the timing and pace of the nation's economic recovery: Consumer behavior Development of a vaccine Federal relief and stimulus Recovery will also accelerate or exacerbate trends present prior to the pandemic, including: Rising income and racial inequality Shifts in global supply chains Increase in automation and digitization in business operations, including e-commerce Increase in remote work across many industries Taken together, these factors will greatly shape the nature of work during and after the pandemic. NEW VS CONTINUING CLAIMS When individuals apply for Unemployment Insurance (UI) for the first time, they are recorded as new claims for that week. The total of all individuals receiving UI at a given time is recorded as continuing claims. 6 REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SEATTLE-KING COUNTY LABOR MARKET EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN WORKER RECOVERY Recovery is slower for people of color, women, and workers with lower levels of educational attainment who are even more disproportionately represented among continuing UI claims than new UI claims: Blacks/African Americans make up 13.4 percent of continuing UI claims, more than double their 6.1 percent representation in the labor force. By contrast, whites make up 46.6 percent of continuing UI claims, compared to 60.4 percent of the labor force. This disproportionate pattern also holds true for American Indians/Alaska Natives and Pacific Islanders. Women are disproportionately represented among continuing UI claims. Women make up 47.7 percent of continuing UI claims, compared to 45.7 percent of the labor force. By contrast, men make up 51.8 percent of continuing UI claims, compared to 54.3 percent of the labor force. Workers with lower levels of educational attainment are also overrepresented among continuing UI claims. For example, those with a high school diploma or GED make up 26.3 percent of continuing UI claims, more than double their 13 percent representation in the labor force. By contrast, those with a BA or more make up 30.9 percent of continuing UI claims, about half their 58 percent representation in the labor force. SECTOR RECOVERY Regional recovery is happening at a slow pace and varies by sector. Some sectors in the regional economy are starting to show signs of recovery in the short term, as indicated by decreases in continuing UI claims, increases in job postings, and changes in estimated employment since the peak of unemployment. The construction sector was initially hard hit by COVID-19, with new UI claims representing 32 percent of construction jobs. Since the peak of unemployment associated with COVID-19, continuing UI claims have dropped 76 percent, job postings have increased 38 percent, and estimated employment has increased by 36,900. Estimated year-to-year employment is down less than two percent, or 1,300 jobs. Other sectors showing signs of recovery include: Some subsectors of manufacturing (e.g., computer and electronic products) Retail trade (e.g., food and beverage stores and non-store retailers) Some subsectors of transportation and warehousing (e.g. warehousing and storage) Information technology Professional and technical services Some subsectors of health care and social assistance WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF SEATTLE-KING COUNTY 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN NORTH STARS This plan is aimed at two north stars: EQUITABLE ECONOMIC RECOVERY and JOB QUALITY. TENETS These north stars (described in more detail in Section IV) are undergirded by the following tenets: Recovery as an opportunity to rebuild better Centering equity Re-envisioning workforce development; and JOB QUALITY Broadening measures of success, including redefining job quality Raises the expectation and commitment of all partners in the workforce system to: 1. Improve the quality of existing jobs where EQUITABLE ECONOMIC BIPOC workers, immigrants and refugees are over-represented. RECOVERY 2. Placing BIPOC workers, immigrants and refugees not into just any job, but into a Anchored on a recovery effort that prioritizes quality job with livable wages and benefits, the inclusion of BIPOC workers and other opportunities for advancement and economically marginalized communities; and the assurances of a safe and healthy workplace. dismantling of structural and systemic racism across our institutions, such that all workers regardless of race or ethnicity have equitable access to high quality jobs and share in the region's economic prosperity. 8 REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SEATTLE-KING COUNTY LABOR MARKET EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN SECTOR ANALYSIS Sector strategies, or the practice of targeting economic efforts to the unique workforce challenges faced by industry sectors, are a b uilding block in the focus of this plan. As the foundation for a sector-based career p athway approach, this has shown greater success than training programs placing a dults and dislocated workers into one-off, short-term trainings and low-wage jobs. SECTOR STRATEGIES: CRITERIA: Help low-income adults and people of color obtai n Size and presence of sector in regional quality, living-wage jobs in targeted sectors and economy occupations Short-term job recovery/growth Engage employers and unions as partners in the ef fort Longer-term job recovery/growth Create systemic change within the labor market Wages and benefits Education and training requirements SECTOR ASSESSMENT Career pathways Workplace safety For this plan, we conducted a sector assessment to iden tify Sectory engagement, commitment and opportunity sectors using a set of eight criteria. Sectors were readiness first evaluated regionally against quantitative indicator s (size/presence & short-term indicators of recovery). We then evaluated sectors with significant regional presence and signs of short-term recovery against subjective criteria including job quality and industry readiness. OPPORTUNITY SECTORS Using the assessment rubric and criteria, we identified opportunity sectors. While there were no sectors that rated high acr oss all criteria, some showed promise in several criteria, while others p resent barriers to job access for workers of color, and/or opportunities to improve job quality. Taken together, our analysis identified seven critical sec tors: Construction Manufacturing Retail Trade Transportation and Warehousing Information Technology (IT) Healthcare Maritime (Additional detail on Opportunity Sectors can be found in Section V). WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF SEATTLE-KING COUNT Y 9 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN STRATEGIES This plan prioritizes strategies informed by research and the identification of innovative national and regional practices aimed at equitable economic recovery. We evaluated strategies for their promise of impact as well as the degree of difficulty in their implementation. Many of the strategies will require collaboration and commitment from multiple partners in the workforce ecosystem. Their execution will necessitate the regional workforce system evolving into an innovative, industry and outcome-driven system with racial equity at its core. A NEW APPROACH IS NECESSARY The workforce development system has historically emphasized skills, training, and job placement. Our recovery strategies in critical sectors are anchored in opportunities for skill building and expanding career-based pathways within specific sectors, or are emerging in collaboration with sector leadership and other partners. " EQUITABLE ECONOMIC However, in many instances an exclusive emphasis on skills RECOVERY WILL development does not lead to employment, or at best places individuals REQUIRE AN EXPLICIT into low-wage jobs. Without addressing the barriers to work and higher quality jobs that low-income workers and workers of color often face, AND INTENTIONAL we are likely to exacerbate existing income disparity and occupational SET OF STRATEGIES segregation. TO SUPPORT BIPOC BARRIERS TO WORK WORKERS, IMMIGRANTS, Lack of financial resources to pay for education and training AND REFUGEESTHOSE Lack of access to supports that enable work (childcare and HISTORICALLY LEFT transportation) BEHIND AND AT RISK OF Exclusionary policies that relegate BIPOC to low-wage jobs with little to no opportunity for growth and advancement FURTHER ECONOMIC Structural racism MARGINALIZATION. EXPANDING SCOPE TO MEET THE CHALLENGE " The strategies presented in this report recognize and include critical elements: advocacy and changes in policies that remove barriers and increase access to jobs; as well as systemic chang es to dismantle racialized practices that historically result in inequitable economic outcomes for BIPOC workers, i mmigrants, and refugees. By design, each strategy centers equity and is explicit in its intent to suppo rt BIPOC workers, immigrants, refugees, and other historically marginalized workers. Sector strategies are featured prominently as a part of recovery strategies, informed by our sector analysis and identification of opportunity sectors (as defined in Section V). These strategies have a broad scope with many targeted impacts, but they may still be insufficient for some populations who face particular barriers to employment. As such, we developed additional strategies specific to opportunity youth and the immigrant and refugee community. 10 REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SEATTLE-KING COUNTY LABOR MARKET EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN OUTLINE OF PROPOSED STRATEGIES ORGANIZATION IMMEDIATE RELIEF STRATEGIES - INVEST IN SUBSIDIZED TRANSITIONAL EMPLOYMENT WITH PATHWAYS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT - EXPAND CAPACITY OF UI CLAIMS SYSTEM TO ENSURE MORE RELIEF STRATEGIES EQUITABLE ACCESS RECOVERY STRATEGIES REC OVERY STRATEGIES POPULATION-BASED STRATEGIES - ADVANCE SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS AND STRATEGIES ADVOCACY - EXPAND APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS - INVEST IN DIGITAL LITERACY SYSTEMS CHANGE - EXPAND ACCESS TO CREDENTIALS WITH LABOR MARKET VALUE RAPIDLY AND AT SCALE, ESPECIALLY FOR WORKERS OF COLOR (See Section VI and the Strategy Summary for more detail) POP ULATION-BASED STRATEGIES YO UTH - INVEST IN AND PRIORITIZE YOUTH OF COLOR - ENSURE WORK EXPERIENCE IS HIGH QUALITY AND LINKED TO EMPLOYERS AND PATHWAYS IN IN-DEMAND FIELDS - EMBED YOUTH VOICE IN PLANNING, PROCESS, AND SERVICE DELIVERY - HIGHLIGHT NAVIGATION AND SUPPORT IM MIGRANTS/REFUGEES - INCREASE LANGUAGE ACCESS FOR IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES - INVEST IN, AND SCALE-UP WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MODELS IN WASHINGTON STATE THAT CREATE BRIDGES TO VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES, OFFER APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS OFFERED IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH, AND PROGRAMS THAT FOCUS ON CREDENTIALS FOR FOREIGN-EDUCATED PROFESSIONALS ADV OCACY - LEVERAGE CREATIVE FUNDING MODELS - EXPAND PORTABLE BENEFITS AND WRAP-AROUND SUPPORTS - ELIMINATE PROHIBITIVE POLICIES TO SUSPENDING AND REINSTATING DRIVER'S LICENSES - REMOVE CRIMINAL BACKGROUND AS A BARRIER TO EMPLOYMENT - PARTNER WITH EMPLOYERS AND INDUSTRY ON EQUITABLE RECOVERY COMMITMENTS SYS TEMS CHANGE - STRENGTHEN THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT - MEASURE AND TRACK EQUITABLE ECONOMIC RECOVERY - INVEST IN DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE - BUILD MEANINGFUL AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY INFLUENCE AND POWER - BUILD INTERNAL ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY ON EQUITY 11 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN OUR UNIQUE ROLE & PARTNERSHIPS BUILDING ON A TRANSFORMATION ROADMAP This plan is intended as a high-level blueprint for the region's workforce and recovery efforts. The Regional Strategic Plan builds on the Regional Workforce Transformation Plan, which directed the WDC to facilitate an inclusive process to develop a 3-5 year regional workforce development strategy to: Prioritize employment and training for those who face the most barriers to opportunity, prioritizing strategies and funding that promote racial equity. Improve coordination between employers, labor, and educators to make sure job seekers are prepared for the best career opportunities available right now. Better align local, federal, and philanthropic funding to maximize impact and produce better results; and Leverage and coordinate federal, city, county and state funds to create efficiencies for the delivery of workforce development services. PARTNERS NEEDED TO SUCCEED OUR OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP Implementation of these regional strategies will require extensive planning, leadership, and Most of the proposed strategies will require shared partnership from: ownership and collaboration across sectors and organizations, as they are highly dependent on the Other workforce development entities actions and commitments of others. Government Industry The WDC is well positioned to lead or has the Labor potential to fulfill leadership gaps to drive a subset of Community colleges the strategies proposed in this plan, as envisioned in Educational and training partners its regional transformation, including: Community-based organizations Invest in Subsidized Transitional Employment w/ Pathways ADVOCACY Advance Sector Partnerships and Strategies The WDC will leverage its voice in partnership to Co-Create & Co-Invest in High-Demand Career fulfill this plan's acknowledgment of advocacy and Pathways policy as a powerful lever in driving systems change. Partner w/Employers & Industry on Equitable Historically, the organization has not played an Recovery Commitments intentional role on this front. As this is a new role for the WDC, new organizational capabilities will be built Measure & Track Equitable Economic Recovery to use the organization's voice and advocacy (within Build Meaningful and Sustainable Community the bounds of its legal authority) to support advocates Influence & Power in executing the strategies articulated in the plan. RESEARCH & INNOVATION The WDC will expand its role as the regional backbone organization to lead research and innovation in support of this plan. The WDC will leverage its current resources and partnerships in addition to expanding research, data and evaluation, prototyping, and strategy and policy development capabilities. By partnering across federal, state, and local systems, pairing that with a unique system convener role and partnership with BIPOC and immigrant communities, the WDC will bring resources and insight into the challenges facing communities furthest from opporutnity. 12 REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN FOR SEATTLE-KING COUNTY LABOR MARKET
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