B. * Better coordinate job development activities across the sector to reduce duplication with employers and provide appropriate leads for all job seekers accessing workforce development s er v i c es .J obde v el oper sdon’ tha v ea nea s y job. They juggle the needs of the agencies they represent, job seekers and employers. It can be a competitive field that naturally promotes the guarding of information and relationships with employers. Consequently, coordination and sharing of information among job developers may be challenging, but not impossible. It may be prudent to retain someone with good facilitative skills to work with area job developers in identifying and discussing mutual interests and areas of potential overlap and coordination, with the ultimate goal of serving the best interests of all job seekers and employers in the community.
Chicago Jobs Council WIRE-NET has developed a system to identify and keep track of employer membe r s ’ ne e dsa ndha si mpl e me nt e da n account management system. Thirteen staff membe r sa r ea s s i g ne d10t o12“ k e ye mpl oy e r a c c ount s , ”whomt he ya r er es pons i bl ef orc a l l i ng once a month to check on needs and issues. Employers are also visited twice a year; staff ask them a common set of questions to keep up with labor market trends, employer needs and ways that WIRE-Ne tc a na s s i s t . “ T heCompa ny DAT AS HE E T ”helps staff remain current and consistent with employers. This employer database includes issues that require action, such as the need for training, which are referred to the appropriate staff member. http://www.wire.cjc.net
C. Develop more transitional job opportunities for low-skilled workers with barriers to employment. Increasingly, workforce development organizations, particularly non-profits, are pursuing innovative strategies to provide transitional jobs that help their clients gain entry into the labor market and build work experience. Transitional jobs may also provide a level of flexibility that enables job seekers to care for family members and/or pursue education and training.9 In addition to subsidized employment that entails providing government subsidies to help cover the wages paid to participants by employers, two types of transitional job opportunities are generally being created through: Alternative Staffing Organizations that, in many ways, resemble for-profit staffing agencies. They charge fees and serve as brokers for temporary jobs with employers, but focus on specific groups of workers and often provide support services such as basic skills, mentoring and transportation assistance. Research on alternative staffing organizations indicates that those organizations that provide supportive services produce better outcomes for workers.10 Goodwill Works Staffing, a subsidiary of Goodwill Industries of Southern Piedmont is a local example. Social enterprises that produce real products/services for customers, compete in the marketplace and pay a competitive wage. The difference between other business enterprises is that social purpose is at the very heart of what they do, and the profits they make are reinvested toward achieving that purpose. King’ sKi t c hen, Goodwi l l I ndus t r i es ’ retail stores a ndHopeHa v en’ sCa t er i ngbus i nes sa r el oc a l examples of social enterprises.
9
Joshua Freely, Sheila McGuire and Shayne Spaulding for Public/Private Ventures, A Foot in the Door: Using Alternative Staffing Organizations to Open Up Opportunities for Disadvantaged Workers-Report on the Alternative Demonstration 2005-2008. 10 Ibid.
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