Supported Workforce Development

From "Local Economic Peacemaking" from The Wages of Peace

In the United States, workforce development systems are often federal contract management infrastructure masquerading as community-based efforts. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) provides nationwide funding and regulation for One-Stop or WorkSource centers. These centers provide résumé writing, career navigation services, and training funding. They focus on workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own, low-income adults, and youth and young adults. Unfortunately, managing public contracts is stressful and cumbersome. So these affiliates around the country have extensive and expensive administrative staff to manage contracts and ensure reporting requirements are met. This is a tremendous service to local communities, and we need the workforce development sector to function well so this work can be executed in the community. However, being a federal contract manager is not as alluring as some of the

boisterous community engagement activities that complementary partners do, like Friday night activities for youth or food banks with families lined up at the entrance. Colleges have

campuses, cities have prominent city halls, Goodwills have stores, Boys and Girls Clubs have large facilities, and United Ways hold large public fundraisers—whereas your regional

workforce development stakeholder probably has a discreet office in a commercial district with a name no one recognizes. Still, while WIOA organizations tend to be less well known,

they do not have to fundraise as nonprofits do; they are flush with federal cash assigned to them. We should advocate for these systems to invest those dollars for maximum benefit in the community. Unfortunately, these workforce development agencies often try to replicate what others are doing rather than focus on providing their unique niche well.

WIOA organizations should put every dollar they can into funding training programs that lead to living wage jobs, providing high-quality career services, or getting actionable information from employers about jobs and hiring needs. Instead, many organizations host events and fund community engagement strategies with no clear goal or benefit. Years ago

at a community meeting, I tried to explain why we should focus on what each of us does well rather than each organization trying to do everything, stepping on each other’s toes, and competing for funding and attention from the community. We should stop being embarrassed by who we are, admit what we do well, be proud of the value of that contribution, and focus on executing that vision with excellence. WIOA partners and centers vary by state, but they can be found in or nearby to most communities.2 To support their efforts, we can volunteer on community advisory boards and develop relationships with local elected officials. We can ask questions about living wage jobs, employers, and competencies and expect our workforce development agencies to have answers. And when they do, we can be thankful for their critical work in the community. We can find them, get to know them, support them, and express appreciation for their efficiency and impact on training the workforce for a chaotic job market. As always, relationship-building is a core competency for economic peacemaking.