Day 3

Building and Promoting Regional Identity

Convincing individual communities to come together and embrace a regional identity comes with challenges. But the benefits of such collaboration, as presented by a group of counties dubbed "The Milwaukee 7," are too great to be ignored. The region appeals to potential investors, according to Julia Taylor, President of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, by presenting a united front in terms of marketing, regional branding, and a spirit of non-competition among localities.

The Greater Milwaukee region had attempted on more than one occasion to develop regional themes and an overall identity, but these efforts were blocked by a lack of confidence in local industries and a failure to realize the global impact of incorporating "Milwaukee" into the regional title.

It took time and effort for people to realize that regional manufacturing had not disappeared, but had taken on other more high-tech forms. And while there are many distinct communities within the region, all participants came to understand that Milwaukee, as a brand name, had wide-ranging appeal.

The "Milwaukee 7" became a reality in 2005. Focusing on the assets that matter to businesses, the group has collaborated to come up with a single-minded approach to regional development. It applied for WIRED during the original 2006 competition, and was chosen to become a 2nd Generation WIRED region in early 2007.

The Milwaukee model for regional branding stresses simplicity in message and design, and attempts to eliminate the type of infighting that can hinder regional growth. For instance, a phone number has been set up that businesses can call to get information and data on the entire region. A website with facts and data about the strengths of the group and its individual members provides a "one-stop shop" for regional information and assets.

Integrating Dislocated Workers into Regional Economic Development Strategies

Speaking to a crowd of workforce training professionals, Ralph DiBattista, Director of the Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), U.S. Department of Labor, provided an overview of WIRED and how it relates to TAA. DiBattista's presentation included a map overlaying trade certifications granted within WIRED regions. As a result, WIRED regions have opportunities to leverage talent pools of skilled workers receiving TAA to attract businesses offering highly skilled, high-wage jobs.

To utilize their assets more effectively, DiBattista urged the audience to change their thinking about TAA. He recommended shifting from a mode of reacting to incoming petitions to looking at workers as community assets and resources for economic development and engaging key stakeholders to promote a coordinated regional response to layoffs. Using the Tennessee Valley WIRED region as a case study, DiBattista cited the Saturn Spring Hill Assembly Plant closing as an example of how regional partners can remain proactive in preparing for worker dislocation.

As a representative of the Southeastern Virginia WIRED region, Deborah Wright, Vice President for Workforce Development at Thomas Nelson Community College, shared examples on how her region has responded to the dislocation of workers before being selected as a WIRED region. The Peninsula Worklink, a collaboration of six regional workforce development entities, is playing a large role in the region's WIRED partnership. To date, the organization has integrated service for up to 36,000 workers, added services for military members and their spouses, embedded the state's Career Readiness Certificate program into a new regional workforce center, which also provides 48 professional license exams on site.

Registered Apprenticeship: A Key Development Tool for the Workforce Investment System

Anthony Swoope, Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship, discussed his office's engagement with high growth industries using the Registered Apprenticeship program. According to Swoope, the emergence of these industries has resulted in apprenticeship "moving forward in a new and dynamic way." Swoope also stressed that the audience should consider apprenticeship as a supplement to training received through community colleges, and not a substitute. Among the many advantages of apprenticeship programs is the ability to be employed from the outset.

Following Swoope's presentation, Gay Gilbert, Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Workforce Investment, discussed strategies to integrate Registered Apprenticeship and the workforce investment system. Included in ETA's strategies are increasing access to workforce education and training, implementing "earn and learn" programs for adults, providing opportunities for innovative workforce solutions and creating apprenticeship opportunities as part of an at-risk youth strategy. Gilbert also provided an overview of the current systems and structures that will be used to facilitate integration with the apprenticeship system. They include WIA state and local offices, the use of eligible training providers, community colleges and One-Stop Career Centers. She added that the WIRED initiative also offers an opportunity for regions to include apprenticeship as part of their talent development efforts.

Armand Corpolongo, Administrator of the Kansas 1st Workforce Investment Programs, offered ideas on how to best integrate the two systems from the state level. Through the use of state set asides, Kansas funded a pilot apprenticeship program in Wichita and Topeka and it will soon be expanded for use in greater Kansas City. The first year of the pilot programs has yielded success, as Corpolongo reported that participants in the programs have exceeded all of the performance measures.

Also speaking about Kansas' apprenticeship programs was Loretta Shelly, the Kansas Department of Commerce's apprenticeship manager. Shelly said the state has been successful in integrating apprenticeship programs with local One-Stop Career Centers. Recently, the state developed a new apprenticeship program in health care as well as a career development technician program at Johnson County Community College.

Plenary Session III Incubating Innovation: Collaborating with Philanthropy for Talent Development

Bill Sanders opened the final plenary with a thank you to ETA and Convention Center staff for all their hard work this week. After a brief dialogue with Murray the WIB Wizard, Sanders announced the last two ROE Awards, with the second honoring a western Wisconsin group that provides career skills training to out of school receiving a standing ovation which lasted several minutes.

The session was then turned over to Department of Labor Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. She emphasized the importance of strong partnerships with foundations and nonprofit organizations for talent development, stating that their help creating economic opportunity leads to social improvement. DeRocco then introduced the morning panel moderator, Jack Litzenberg, Senior Program Officer at the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The panel was comprised of:

• Judith Cone, Vice President of Emerging Strategies, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation;
• Richard McGahey, Program Officer, Economic Development Unit Ford Foundation; and
• Mark Popvich, Senior Program Officer, Hitachi.