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  • Affordable, Quality Early Care and Education
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Education and Workforce Development

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A strong and diverse workforce is the backbone of any local economy.  The availability of skills enhancement enables workers to fill higher-wage jobs and, by doing so, boosts economic prosperity both for their families and for the community.

Many communities face shortages of trained workers.  Finding skilled workers is perhaps the most important barrier to growth for many companies – growth that could boost the local economy.

Fortunately, Jay County already has a strong workforce development system in place through the John Jay Center for Learning.

The need to enhance the workforce pipeline is a critical part of the Jay County Economic Development Plan.[1]  While the plan addressed several economic issues, two important goals of the plan were:

  • Determine the workforce development related needs of priority employers in Jay County; and,
  • Provide workforce development training for youth and adults of targeted employers.

The Community Prosperity Chart Book[2], completed in July 2019, reached a similar conclusion.  Jay County “has numerous larger employers … and we recommend a robust and aggressive larger employer retention and expansion strategy”.   This strategy included enhancing the workforce development system, along with other important matters.  “Workforce development includes recruitment and skills training,” the report said.

Update from Meeting held Thursday, September 22, 2022, at 9am at The Portland Foundation

Education and Workforce Development – Rusty Inman shared that there are 18 new students in the Skills Trac program since May.  The students have earned 22 certificates in the program.

Full Report
Goal 2 Wrap Up Report

Upcoming Meetings

The Grand Challenge

What common challenge are we addressing collectively?

The Goals

What are our common goals?

The Work

What are the catalytic projects?

The Metrics

What are the shared metrics we want to improve?

The Outcomes

What community level difference is made?

 

Jay County has a home-grown learning system that cultivates the talent employers need and increases educational attainment.

Jay County coordinates talent with equitable economic opportunities to raise household income and earnings.

Adult Workforce Training

An increasing number of residents achieve high value certifications in targeted workforce areas

John Jay Center for Learning offers courses based on needs of local employers

Enrollment in targeted workforce development skills courses

Number of certifications awarded in targeted areas

Employment and Wages

Residents who upgrade their skills increase their household income

JJCL and Jay County Economic Development Corp. work to increase participation in JJCL job skills and outplacement programs

Wages and benefits earned after completion of JJCL job skills programs compared to prior wages and benefits

Future Talent Pipeline

Schools and community collaborate to provide mentoring programs and engaging learning opportunities that provide the skills and developmental assets children need to thrive

4-H Youth Development Programs

Other out-of-school-time (OST) programs TBD

Career-embedded learning opportunities TBD by high school

No. of youth engaged in 4-H programs

No. and % of students engaged in other OST programs and jobs

No. and % of students who progress toward "industry standard" credentials in high school

Labor force levels improve

Workforce participation improves

Average wages rise

Median family income increases

Population grows

Net migration Improves

High school graduation levels rise

The number of residents with post-secondary degrees and certifications increase

The stories residents and others tell to describe economic opportunities in Jay County are positive.

The Grand Challenge

What common challenge are we addressing collectively?

Jay County has a home-grown learning system that cultivates the talent employers need and increases educational attainment.

Jay County coordinates talent with equitable economic opportunities to raise household income and earnings.

The Goals

What are our common goals?

Adult Workforce Training

An increasing number of residents achieve high value certifications in targeted workforce areas

Employment and Wages

Residents who upgrade their skills increase their household income

Future Talent Pipeline

Schools and community collaborate to provide mentoring programs and engaging learning opportunities that provide the skills and developmental assets children need to thrive

The Work

What are the catalytic projects?

Adult Workforce Training

John Jay Center for Learning offers courses based on needs of local employers

Employment and Wages

JJCL and Jay County Economic Development Corp. work to increase participation in JJCL job skills and outplacement programs

Future Talent Pipeline

4-H Youth Development Programs

Other out-of-school-time (OST) programs TBD

Career-embedded learning opportunities TBD by high school

The Metrics

What are the shared metrics we want to improve?

Adult Workforce Training

Enrollment in targeted workforce development skills courses

Number of certifications awarded in targeted areas

Employment and Wages

Wages and benefits earned after completion of JJCL job skills programs compared to prior wages and benefits

Future Talent Pipeline

No. of youth engaged in 4-H programs

No. and % of students engaged in other OST programs and jobs

No. and % of students who progress toward "industry standard" credentials in high school

The Outcomes

What community level difference is made?

Labor force levels improve

Workforce participation improves

Average wages rise

Median family income increases

Population grows

Net migration Improves

High school graduation levels rise

The number of residents with post-secondary degrees and certifications increase

The stories residents and others tell to describe economic opportunities in Jay County are positive.


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