September 10, 2024 Minutes

Workforce Development Board Regional Minutes

Employment Services - 315 N. 11th Ave, Bldg. B, Greeley, CO 80631
Meeting Location: First Floor Conference Room
Meeting: September 10, 2024 - 12:00 a.m. - 1:0 p.m.

Board Members Present:
Alex Kloehn, Lutheran Family Services, Rocky Mountains; Amanda Ericson, HRx Services; Bill Johnson, Yoder Family Companies; Justin Booker, City of Greeley Fire Department and IAFF Professional Firefighter's Union, Local 888 - Greeley Firefighters; Karla Torczon, Elevations Credit Union; Kelly Folks, Colorado Department of Labor & Employment; Lauren Price, Aurora Mental Health & Recovery; Lisa Taylor, The Weld Trust; Lisa Vaughn, Golden Aluminum; Matthew Hortt, High Plains Library District; Michael Wailes, Weld RE-5J; Phil MacHendrie, City of Greeley; Robert Rigg, Elder Construction; Shawn Croissant, Envision; Victoria Cordova, Banner Health;

Absent:
Cecil Courtney, Denver Pipe fitters Local 208; David Thompson, FMS Bank; David Zumbrun, Chicken Salad Chick; Meghan Greene, CDLE DVR; Nick Spezza, Aims Community College; Rich Werner, Upstate Colorado; Scott James, Weld County Board of County Commissioners; Zach Huston, Chevron U.S.A. Inc

Quorum Present: Yes

Others Present: 
Andrew Chadwick, ESWC CeCe Majchrowski, ESWC Greg Cordova, ESWC Karina Amaya-Ragland, ESWC Ruth DeBoer, ESWC Tami Grant, Weld County DHS Dan Betts, Office of Congressman Ken Buck Jesus Borrego, CDLE Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Thomas Hartman, CWDC; Kim with UNC; Deena McBain (Nick Spezza’s proxy); Olga Ruiz; Kori w/CDLE; Kristin Maybriar.

  1. Call to Order 12:00 pm
    1. Introductions – Tami Grant announced that Elizabeth Barber from the Greeley Dream Team has accepted the position of Workforce Director and will start with ESWC on Monday the 23rd.
  2. Changes to the Agenda - None
  3. Approval of Minutes – Motion to approve was made by Lisa Taylor and seconded by Bill Johnson.
  4. Board Focus
    1. Adult Education and Family Literacy Act Board Representative
      Employment Services is working with a new AEFLA partner; Aurora Mental Health & Recovery (AMHR) received their AEFLA status and funding this year and will be working with ESWC to create an MOU allowing them to co-locate within ESWC. Lori Cuno is stepping down as the AEFLA representative on the WDB and Lauren Price with AMHR will be taking her place.
    2. ESWC Performance
      CDLE is required to complete performance goal negotiations with all ten (10) local areas. USDOL requires that they submit final negotiated goals by September 30, so Karina and CeCe are leaving today’s meeting early to partake in this event. The local areas will review USDOL’s required goals and each county has the opportunity to adjust their goals up or down. For example, the Youth team does a fantastic job meeting the Measurable Skills Gains requirements. In Program Year 2023, ESWC’s standard was 59% and ESWC finished at 77.78%. This year, USDOL set the standard at 61% and ESWC plans to go up to 67% to allow another area to go down.
    3. Weld RE-4 Career Development Incentive Programs
       Michelle Smith with Weld Re-4 reached out to ESWC regarding CDIP. Colorado passed SB23-065 or what is called the Career Development Incentive Program (CDIP), which provides funding to schools for industry certifications students earn that are on the state approved list. Initially the list catered mostly to the Tech Industry, but in more recent years the list has expanded. Weld Re-4 offers a couple of certifications through their Ag Program that are not part of this list, but are certifications industry recognizes, these certifications include: Benz School of Floral Design and the Elanco Vet Science certifications. In an effort to elevate more Agricultural certifications on the CDIP list,
      Weld Re-4 is working with one of the curriculum developers used for the Agriculture Program to try to get these certifications on the list. For consideration of being added, a letter of support from the Workforce Development Board is required.
      1. ESWC provided letters of support for three certifications; Equipment & Engine Training Council’s (EETC) Principles of Small Engine Technology Certification, Elanco Veterinary Medical Applications Certification, Benz School of Floral Design Principles of Floral Design Certification to be added to the approved list of Career Development Incentive Programs (CDIP). All certifications are in listed in the top industries for Weld County.
    4. Workforce Enterprise Fund
       Previously known as ESF. We are not looking for approval from you today because this funding has been approved by the BOCC and is under their purview of responsibilities.
      1. We’re utilizing $100,000 going toward PACE – to engage persons receiving food assistance and EF.
      2. $85,000 of the funds will go to an initiative under Greg for an FTE to attend training throughout the state.
    5. Joint WDB Meeting Recap
       In August, Weld and Larimer held a joint Workforce Development Board meeting, during which members focused on exploring creative and unique ways of gaining resources through.
      • Accessibility – Marketing & Awareness
      • Quality – Customized Training
      • Affordability – Alternative Talent Pipeline Models – Apprenticeships, WBL
      • Equity – Talent Finance Model
        1. Affordability: Discussions centered on making workforce systems more intuitive and accessible with minimal user effort, such as single-click options. The group emphasized expanding paid internships for high school and college students, supporting needs like transportation and equipment, and simplifying apprenticeship engagement for small businesses. Proposed actions included business workshops led by apprenticeship participants and potential door-to-door outreach.
        2. Quality: The group highlighted a need for stronger marketing and communication strategies to boost program engagement and understanding of workforce services. Better alignment with business needs was deemed critical for increased participation.
        3. Equity: Emphasized the importance of work-based learning, particularly for immigrant and refugee communities, with trusted messengers as key intermediaries. Discussed ways to integrate internships and part-time roles into budgets to enhance workforce accessibility. Addressed the need for more career counseling in high schools, solutions for childcare barriers, flexible work schedules, and a shift toward employment pathways that lead to education rather than the reverse.
        4. Accessibility: The limitations of the "Connecting Colorado" system were noted, especially regarding user ROI. Suggestions included re-branding the public workforce system, creating a clear tagline, and a targeted marketing plan. To improve outreach, ideas like producing short videos for youth, schools, and parents were proposed.
    6. University of Northern Colorado
       Kim from the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) introduced the EPIIC grant – Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity – a three-year initiative funding a Workforce Development project at UNC. The primary goal is to strengthen partnerships and foster innovation in workforce development, with a specific focus on Weld County's needs.
      The project will combine academic research and workforce development by engaging subject matter experts and conducting focus groups and surveys to assess local workforce needs. Kim emphasized the role of UNC in addressing workforce development gaps and increasing innovation. UNC is actively seeking participants for the focus groups, including professionals, students, and community members, to gather diverse perspectives on workforce readiness and development across Weld County.
  5. Workforce Development Month
    1. Andrew Chadwick announced that ESWC will host an open house on September 19th, from 2-5 pm.
      1. The event will feature employer booths providing information about their organizations. Marketing efforts have invited job seekers to attend. Speakers are scheduled, and light refreshments will be available. All are welcome to join!
    2. Also slated for this month is the Annual Weld/Larimer Workforce Symposium. It’ll be at Aims Community College, September 24th, from 7:30 am to 2:00 pm. We have great speakers lined up for our breakout sessions and for our general session. Ruth will send out an email with the link to purchase tickets; Please share the info with your communities.
  6. Unfinished Business
  7. Announcements, Updates, and Celebrations
    1. Awareness Committee
       Since the first quarter, we’ve been developing our Newsletter, with the next edition coming out in November. It will recap the past quarter's highlights and provide a preview of upcoming events and initiatives.
    2. Youth Committee
       Our first fall meeting is next week at Roosevelt High School, where we’ll tour their CTE program and hear directly from students. The culinary program students will also prepare our meal. We’re looking forward to seeing their program in action and sharing best practices.
      If you’d like to join us, please let Ruth know by tomorrow so we can confirm our RSVP.
      In November, Greg, Lisa, Liz, and Shelby will present at the NAWDP Youth Symposium. While bringing youth representatives was challenging, Jessi and Connor, skilled in Prezi, Google Presentations, and PowerPoint, will record themselves to be included in the presentation virtually, allowing them to contribute from afar.
    3. NoCo Works
      1. The NoCo Works Training and Development Committee will lead Community of Practice sessions at the Workforce Symposium, introducing what will become a monthly virtual platform for business owners and HR representatives. This platform will focus on social topics, offering targeted resources and services. Additionally, the External Barriers report is now available, with summaries provided to board members in attendance, and it will soon be accessible on the NoCo Works website: https://nocoworks.com/subcommittee/external-barriers/
      2. Yoder Family Early Childhood Education Center
        • External challenges in building a strong workforce have been significant, especially after the pandemic, which led to substantial workforce losses. We’ve focused on reaching out to underrepresented groups, such as women and youth, who may not traditionally consider careers in automotive. Post-pandemic, we contacted former employees, but many couldn’t return due to childcare constraints. After a year of effort, we’re pleased to announce the opening of our early education center, which will be available to our employees in just a few days.
        • We secured a grant from Colorado to fund this project. There are numerous resources available to address various workforce barriers, making solutions accessible for employers.
        • Employees will pay about 50% less than the typical childcare facility rate, and our center will be staffed by fully licensed teachers.
  8. Miscellaneous
  9. Action Items
  10. Adjournment - 1:30pm

Strategic Goals

Goal 1 – Open Opportunities for Workers and Communities

  • Increase equitable economic opportunity for individuals who experience barriers based on race, ethnicity, gender, ability, age, zip code, and socioeconomic status.
  • Ensure programs focus on workers and Weld County communities who have been left behind – from reentry, to rural, to opportunity youth.
  • Increase affordability of career connected education and training for Weld County residents of all skill levels who have completed or left the K-12 education system.

Goal 2 – Building a Better Care Economy

  • Increase the quality of upskilling opportunities, jobs, and career pathways in Northern Colorado.
  • Support good jobs and protections for care workers – nursing, early care, elder care, mental health, and more – with a focus on low-wage, diverse, young adult, and women workers.

Goal 3 – New Industry Partnerships that Lead to Real, Good Jobs

  • Equip employers with the knowledge to modernize their recruitment practices, eliminate bias, and design competitive compensation packages that attract and retain top talent.
  • Empower employers to create robust career development programs and foster a culture of belonging, leading to happier and more engaged employees.
  • Enhance access to programming creating more seamless connections between high school, post-secondary education, and the workforce.
  • Broker and build partnerships with business, training providers, and workers – including new entrants and youth – to ensure all training leads to good jobs across sectors.

Goal 4 – Action Today for the Future of Work

  • Engage federal, state, and local leaders and the private sector to prepare, support, and invest in workers and communities in preparation for jobs of the future and emerging industries.

Board Recruitment

The following positions are vacant:

One Business Representative from any of the below industries –

  • Other Services (except Public Administration)
  • Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
  • Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
  • Transportation and Warehousing.

If you know someone interested in workforce initiatives and can fill one of these roles, please direct that person to Andrew Chadwick or Ruth DeBoer.

Upcoming Events

Required Meeting: 11/12/2024; 11:45 AM to 1:30 PM (12:00 PM-1:30 PM Virtual)
Awareness Committee Meeting: 10/8/2024; 11:45 AM to 1:00 PM (12:00 PM-1:00 PM Virtual)
Youth Committee Meeting: 9/17/2024; 11:45 AM to 1:30 PM (12:00 PM-1:30 PM Virtual)

Assurance

Veterans and eligible spouses are entitled to priority access to Department of Labor-funded programs. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Dial 711 for Relay Services. Employment Services of Weld County is an equal opportunity program and employer.

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