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Level 2: Other Systematic Analysis
Research/Evaluation Report

Lessons Learned In Workforce Innovation: How 10 Governors Are Redesigning Workforce Systems

About

To help states build capacity for innovation and interventions across the workforce system to support a more equitable economic recovery, ten Governors were selected to join the inaugural cohort of the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices Workforce Innovation Network (NGA WIN). This brief includes ten case studies of state objectives, activities, outcomes, and state policy options for coordinating jobseeker service delivery for better employment outcomes.

In March 2021, state teams from Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, and Washington received $100,000 to design, launch, and scale innovations to improve their jobseeker service delivery systems. States applied these funds to support project coordination and implementation, conduct research, invest in technological solutions, and launch marketing and outreach initiatives to drive user engagement in new employment tools and products.

NGA WIN implemented a similar innovation process design to identify and close gaps in jobseeker service delivery. Each state carried out a unique initiative aligned with its Governor’s workforce and economic recovery goals.

This brief also offers eight lessons learned and emerging innovations for coordinating service delivery through states’ work with the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and its partners.

(This report is 18 pages long.)

Major Findings and Recommendations

The eight lessons learned are as follows:

  1. Place jobseekers at the center of service delivery design and implementation.
  2. Engage stakeholders to develop responsive solutions to support underserved communities.
  3. Adopt data management procedures to coordinate service delivery across programs and service areas.
  4. Adopt shared definitions and metrics to facilitate accountability.
  5. Prioritize short-term training and employment opportunities that connect to support services and quality career pathways.
  6. Leverage new technologies to streamline and integrate service delivery.
  7. Build capacity through training to enable frontline staff to identify and address local employment needs.
  8. Adopt a statewide, unified brand to market available services to jobseekers and employers.

Materials

Comments

Content Details

Methodology:

Implementation/Process Analyses

Topics:

Program/Operations - General Governance Planning/Policy/Governance/Leadership - General Strategic Planning System Building/Change Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs)

Target Populations:

Limited Skills/Education Low-Income/Poverty Low-Wage Worker Unemployed/UI claimants Veterans/Spouses

Programs:

Multiple Mixed Funding Streams

Geographic Locations:

Alabama Arizona Colorado Hawaii Illinois Maine Missouri Nevada New Mexico Washington

Industry Sectors:

Cross-Industry
  • Last Updated:
  • Created:
  • Resource Publication Date: 2022
  • Author(s): Ash, K.; Rahn, M.; Stephens, R.
  • Funding Source: National Governors Association (NGA), Center for Best Practices
  • Resource Availability: Publicly available
  • Posted by: Justin Venneri
  • Posted in: Workforce System Strategies

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