WORKCON 2019 SPONSORS
PREMIUM SPONSORS
San Bernardino Workforce Development Board
Northern Rural Training and Employment Consortium (NoRTEC)
PLATINUM SPONSORS
Grant Associates
Public Consulting Group, Inc.
G*Stars/ AGS Data Systems
SILVER SPONSORS
CASAS
CompTIA
Emsi
Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board
Geographic Solutions
Jobspeaker
KRA
LiteracyPro Systems
PAIRIN
CONFERENCE PROGRAM
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
9:30 – 11:30 Pre-Conference Training Sessions
The Barrier Buster: New, Faster and More Powerful Ways to Eliminate Barriers to
Employment!
Garden 1
Larry Robbin, Executive Director, Robbin & Associates
The way we address barriers is stuck in a time when there were fewer and less
daunting barriers than what we see today. Individuals with multiple and
powerful barriers require a whole host of new and innovative strategies, but our
approach has not always kept up with this new reality. If you are curious about
new ways to reframe your barrier conversations, don't miss this preconference
training.
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Check out why this is one of the most requested regional training sessions in
California!
Grant Writing: How to Give Yourself a Fighting Chance
Harbor / 2nd Floor
Tressa A. Dorsey, President, TAD Grants
Grant writing is one of the hardest and most rewarding jobs in the world. The
best grant writers adhere to a process and know that organization and having a
strong team is imperative to success. Those that are not grant writers that find
themselves contributing content, research or data may feel overwhelmed with
looming deadlines and a lack of clarity.
This workshop will focus on the core fundamentals of how to respond to funding
opportunities from Federal and State Agencies. Attendees will learn a strategic
process to organize their efforts, learn how to identify the key roles in a grant
writing team and what grant reviewers are looking for in a winning proposal.
Courtroom to Breakroom: Secrets to Employment for Clients with Criminal
Convictions
Garden 2
Toni White, Attorney at Law; Co-Founder, Ascend Program Inc.
A criminal defense attorney who co-founded the acclaimed Ascend Program
speaks to the root causes of crime, solutions for stopping the revolving door of
the criminal justice system, and the new era of employment discrimination
faced by clients with criminal records. Learn how Ascend is using Accelerator
6.0 funding to forge a new way through these challenges.
Serving Customers with Disabilities
Pacific / 2nd Floor
Toni Bamford, Training Officer, Disability Access Services Training Team
California Department of Rehabilitation
This training will help staff understand different disability experiences, improve
customer service interactions, discuss disability etiquette practices and share the
use of effective communication strategies.
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SPECIAL FORUM ON RURAL ISSUES
10:00 – 11:30
Garden 3
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Facilitator: Kathy Garcia, Tehama County Job Training Center, NoRTEC
This Forum will provide those operating programs and providing services in rural
areas an opportunity to share successes and challenges. Take a “data walk”
around rural issues, and be inspired by new ideas for getting programs designed
for urban areas to work in more sparsely populated and/or agricultural
communities.
12:45 – 2:00 Opening Plenary Grand Ballroom A - D
Welcome
Jan Vogel, Chair, CWA;
Executive Director/ CEO, South Bay Workforce Investment Board
Keynote Address
The Economic Graph: Significant Trends Relevant to Learning and Employment
Joey Zumaya, Manager, Public Sector, LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn’s Economic Graph is a digital representation of the global economy
based on over 610 million members, 50 thousand skills, 30 million companies, 20
million open jobs and 84 thousand schools. In short, it’s all the data on LinkedIn.
Through mapping every member, company, job and school, LinkedIn can spot
trends in talent migration, hiring rates and in-demand skills. These insights provide
a data rich context for partnering with governments and organizations around
the world to help them better connect people to employment opportunities.
2:30 – 3:30 Curious: Round One Workshops
A Different Look at Recidivism and What We Can Do About It
Garden 1
Toni White, Attorney at Law and Co-Founder, Ascend Program Inc.
A criminal defense attorney who co-founded the acclaimed Ascend Program
speaks to the root causes of crime, solutions for pulling clients out of the
revolving door of the criminal justice system, the new era of employment
discrimination being faced by clients with criminal records, and the little lapses
that can send clients back to prison.
A New Playbook? Workforce Development in a Full Employment Economy
Garden 2
David Shinder, Workforce Consultant
L. Bradley Williams, VP for Operations, ResCare Workforce Services
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For decades, the workforce system has operated under a set of norms and
tactical standards that address the needs of job seekers and businesses. But are
our best practices from the past still relevant in a full employment economy?
Across a wide range of sectors, businesses are thriving and seeking talent at all
levels, and even the least experienced workers are being hired to meet industry
needs. The remaining talent pool is shallow and unemployed job seekers include
many with multiple barriers to employment. Innovative approaches and
creative strategies are needed to marry the unique needs of today’s lean and
talent-hungry businesses with a talent pool that needs development.
This session will consider opportunities for re-writing the “workforce development
playbook” to include more agile labor market approaches. This session will
heighten your curiosity and empower you to think beyond current practices and
embrace new ideas for meeting both the demand and supply sides of our
economy.
Creating a Marketing & Communications Plan That You Can Start Tomorrow
Garden 3
Laura Kohn, Director of CLIMB and Marketing & Communications
Stephani Mitchell, Marketing & Communications Specialist
Wilda Wong, Senior Marketing & Communications Specialist
San Diego Workforce Partnership
The Marketing & Communications Team from the San Diego Workforce
Partnership will facilitate a discussion and share strategic frameworks and
accessible tools that have helped humanize programs and services, share
research, promote equity in the region and fuel public and private fundraising.
Join us for an action-driven conversation on how to tackle workforce
development communications by putting goals and objectives first.
MOU: From Concept to Reality Through Shared Success
Garden 4
Angela Gardner, President, Workforce Development Solutions, Inc.
One-Stop Operator, San Bernardino County
Bessine Richard, Grace Cleveland & Cheryl Shelby,
AJCC Managers, San Bernardino County Workforce Development Department
Todd Haag, Principal, Chaffey Adult School
Adele McClain, Administrator, Apple Valley Adult School
Timothy Vasquez, Assistant Manager, Economic Development & Corporate
Training, Workforce Development, San Bernardino Community College District
Rhonda Wolke, Interim Deputy Director, Transitional Assistance Department
San Bernardino County
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How do 29 entities representing 15 WIOA programs come together as one
system with one vision?
Join this lively group to discover how San Bernardino County has taken the WIOA
MOU from concept to reality. Participate in a thoughtful conversation with AJCC
System Partners who will share strategies they used to develop cooperative
working relationships and deliver integrated services to employers and job
seekers. Also, hear from a participant who has benefitted from partners working
together.
Mind the Soft Skills Gap: Are We Focusing on Employers’ True Needs?
Harbor
Blake Konczal, Executive Director
Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board
Erik Cherkaski, Business Services Manager
Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board
Brenda G, Budke, SPHR-Executive Director, Sierra HR Partners, Inc.
With so much attention paid to the skill gap, are workforce development efforts
focusing on the hiring issues that matter most to employers? While the emphasis
has been on investing in training for technical skills, studies and employer
feedback continue to highlight the importance of soft skills in both hiring and job
retention in a wide variety of industries.
Learn how the Fresno Workforce Development Board is working with employers
to understand the exact nature of the soft skills required for individuals to be
work ready and a better fit for what business is looking for. Walk away with
strategies for employer engagement and training development.
LAUNCH: Beyond the California Apprenticeship Initiative
Pacific
Joshua Modlin, Project Director, Apprenticeship Support Network,
Foundation for California Community Colleges
Nick Esquivel, Apprenticeship Coordinator,
California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
Charles Henkels, Apprenticeship Director, Norco College
Over the last four years the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
has competitively awarded 80 grants through the California Apprenticeship
Initiative (CAI). This $60 million investment is intended to expand Apprenticeship
into new and innovative sectors and help underserved and under-represented
individuals gain entry and succeed in state registered apprenticeship programs.
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Learn more about potential funding opportunities and follow Norco Colleges’
journey from a program to a growing network of community colleges, workforce
boards, high schools and industry partners.
Amplify Your Employer Relationships with Dynamic Data
Salon I
Cheryl Parker, CEO, The Urban Explorer
Michele Robertson, Senior Manager, Dun and Bradstreet
Maiknue Vang, Deputy Director, Workforce Development Board of Madera
County
Some Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) are using data and analytics to
streamline and enhance relationships with businesses. Speakers will share how
your WDB can incorporate up-to-date, filtered data into their daily workflow to
improve staff efficiency, increase outreach effectiveness, and build credibility as
a leading community voice. These Boards are leveraging business data,
interactive data visualization and mapping resources in innovative ways to
support companies at all stages of the business cycle.
Seeing Yourself in Tech
Salon V
Zakiya Harris, Co-Founder, Hack the Hood
Tashae Hawkins, HTH Alumni & Community/Career Pathways Developer,
Hack the Hood
Hack the Hood is an award-winning non-profit that introduces low income youth
of color to careers in technology. Recent efforts led to the creation of a series of
videos to inspire youth to explore this industry. Seeing Yourself in Tech, features a
collection of short videos showing people of color who have created thriving
careers in tech on their own terms. By showcasing success stories and
expanding the definition of “in tech” beyond the world of coding, the videos
allow young people to see themselves succeeding in the tech world.
The workshop will include a screening of selected videos as well as best
practices on how to create youth-led culturally relevant content to support
workforce development strategies in underrepresented sectors.
Employee Disability Disclosure: Should I or Shouldn’t I?
Salon VI
Toni Bamford, Training Officer, Disability Access Services Training Team
California Department of Rehabilitation
The disclosure of one’s disability is a very personal decision. This interactive
workshop will discuss the need to disclose a disability in the recruitment,
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application, interviewing and employment phases of employment including
why and when to disclose a disability; what and whom to disclose; and how to
disclose during the recruitment, application and interview stages, as well as,
strategies for disclosure once employed.
The Orange County Local Partnership Agreement Community Programming
Efforts
Salon VII – VIII
Linda O’Neal, Transition Specialist & Consultant, Chapman University;
Thompson Policy Institute, SDSU Interwork Institute & RCOC
Norman Albances, Manager, County of Orange, Community Investment Division
Arturo Cazares, Associate Director for Employment, Regional Center of Orange
County
Kurt Kosbab, Vocational Specialist, Huntington Beach UHSD
Trinh Van Erp, Team Manager, California Department of Rehabilitation
Christine Gascon, Executive Director, Adult Education,
Rancho Santiago Adult Education Consortium
Karena Gibbs, Administrator, Irvine Unified School District
The Orange County Local Partnership Agreement (OCLPA) has been
operational for 20 months and brings together representatives from community
organizations committed to improving employment opportunities for individuals
with disabilities.
Presenters will share what they have learned about cross-agency efforts
focusing on promoting, developing, and sustaining employment. Effective
workforce development strategies will be discussed, particularly their Universal
Referral Pilot Program that uses an Integrated Resource Team approach to
ensure warm handoffs between agencies.
4:00 – 5:15 Plenary Session
State of the Workforce
Bob Lanter, Executive Director, CWA
Bob Lanter will share recent data on the impact the larger workforce and
education system is having on many of the issues impacting our lives and our
communities, and that drive our politics and divisiveness.
Following his remarks, a reaction panel will discuss the new Administration in
Sacramento and the dynamics likely to play out in Washington DC now that the
Democrats control the U. S. House of Representatives. Discussion will also include
emerging priorities and initiatives that should be on our radar, new discretionary
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funding opportunities, as well as the policy and program trends likely to continue
into the foreseeable future.
Reaction Panelists
John Bailey, ETA Regional Administrator, Region 6, U.S. Department of Labor
Ron Painter, President/ CEO, National Association of Workforce Boards
Joe Xavier, Director, California Department of Rehabilitation
Yolanda Castro, Executive Director, SELACO
Michael Cross, Executive Director, NoRTEC
K-Rahn Vallatine, Founder, LiveAboveTheHype
5:30 – 7:00 Welcoming Reception North Tower Pool
Thursday, May 16, 2019
7:30 – 8:30 Continental Breakfast Grand Ballroom E - G
8:30 – 10:00 Morning Plenary Grand Ballroom A - D
Welcome and Speaker Introduction
Blake Konczal, Executive Director, Fresno Regional Workforce Board;
Treasurer, California Workforce Association
Strengthening your Curiosity Muscle
Diana Kander, Director of Innovation Culture and Habits, Maddock Douglas
Diana, a Georgetown educated attorney, left her successful law practice to
start and sell numerous business ventures, spanning software, real estate,
hospitality, construction, staffing and consulting. After the sale of her last
company, Diana spent three years as a Senior Fellow at the Ewing Marion
Kauffman Foundation, the largest non-profit in the world dedicated to
entrepreneurship and education, and two years as a professor of
entrepreneurship in the MBA program at the University of Missouri.
Diana is currently with Maddock Douglas, an innovation consulting firm. In this
role, she trains executives and Fortune 1000 companies to be more creative and
inspires employees to think like entrepreneurs. Diana is also the author of the
NYT’s Bestseller All in Startup, which is used in over 70 colleges to teach
innovation and entrepreneurship. Her most recent book is: The Curiosity Muscle.
10:30 – 11:30 More Curious: Round Two Workshops
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Integrating Case Managers as Part of a High Performing Business Engagement
Team
Garden 1
Christine Bosworth, Ed.D., Co-founder/CEO, Business U, Inc.
Celina Shands, Co-founder, Business U, Inc.
Business U’s national 2019 Workforce Case Manager Study revealed major
disconnects in how business services and case management teams coordinate
effectively to build credibility and trust with employers while meeting job seeker
performance outcomes. This session reviews the study’s preliminary findings and
offers a business engagement blueprint to help attendees strategically move
out of siloes and toward a more integrated approach to serve both demand
and supply customers.
E-Learning Training Solutions for the Modern Jobseeker
Garden 2
Phyllis Stogbauer, Deputy Director for Programs
Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board
Patricia Carlson, Training Navigator, Tooling U-SME
Steve Christianson, Founder, The Water School
Ben Munoz, Selma-Kingsburg-Fowler County Sanitation District
As technology advances and jobseekers become busier with their daily lives,
flexibility and accessibility becomes paramount and Workforce Boards must be
flexible in how they deliver trainings. Learn more about ways to provide
customer centered online e-learning training solutions that include instructor led
facilitated training.
Project HIRRE: Using Technology to Create a Participant-Centric, Integrated
Workforce, Education, and Social Services System
Garden 3
Heather Henry, Executive Director, Solano County Workforce Board
Christine Hess, Executive Director, Solano Adult Education Consortium
Garth Neil, VP Sales, and Marketing, LiteracyPro Systems
Solano County is taking a bold and collaborative step. Having identified 32
agencies, schools, and non-profits actively supporting and developing the
county’s workforce, we are transforming previously isolated entities into a
cohesive service delivery system. Learn how we are aligning synergistic
programs and leveraging data by using a data-sharing technology platform.
And, learn how we are addressing referrals, privacy concerns and cost sharing
across partners to create a participant-centered system that connects services
and supports.
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Career Pathways 180: A Strategic Approach to Serving Adults on Parole
Garden 4
Robert Chavez, Operations Manager, South Bay Workforce Investment Board
Carla Cortez, Program Manager, South Bay One-Stop Business & Career Centers-
Vincent Thompson, Parole Administrator, CDCR/ Los Angeles
Mary Weaver, Executive Director, Friends Outside/ Los Angeles
Paul Guzman, Executive Director, New Opportunities Organization
South Bay Workforce Investment Board’s Career Pathway 180 (CP 180) is a
partnership with CDCR-Parole, Friends Outside and New Opportunities
Organization to prepare recently released parolees through a comprehensive,
robust week-long workshop to learn strategies to overcome their barriers.
Learn how the Partnership allows for career ladder self-sustaining employment
through leveraged funding (including WIOA) to provide career pathway
counseling, vocational training, paid work experience, on-the-job training and
job development.
Beyond Jobs: Elevating and Supporting Irregular Employment
Harbor
Nick Schultz, Executive Director, Pacific Gateway Workforce Board
Andrew Munoz, Director of Staffing Services,
Pacific Gateway Workforce Partnership
Tens of millions of Americans are engaged in the gig economy and the numbers
are growing. Outside of the Uber/Lyft/TaskRabbit/Independent Contractor
world, most gig work is found offline and off-the-books. What is the gig economy
and what role could/should the public workforce system play to increase
stability, prospects, and quality in this area and how should the system go about
making it happen?
Learn from the approach underway in the City of Long Beach and how the
public workforce system is leading the effort.
Partnering with Purpose
Pacific
Tressa A. Dorsey, President, TAD Grants
No matter how strong, competent or productive your organization is, partnership
building is ongoing. Determining which partnerships we build, how we build
them and why, is accomplished through comprehensive evaluation and
strategic planning. Learn the process of building sustainable and intentional
partnerships through discussion and activities. Discussion will cover developing
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shared workspace, promoting accountability and common communication
guidelines.
Workforce Boards: Building a Culture of Innovation
Salon I
Ron Painter, President and CEO, National Association of Workforce Boards
Tom Kavanaugh, Senior Consultant, Public Consulting Group
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act expanded the role of local
workforce boards by pushing boards to think beyond the mandates of the
federal law and focus on strategic planning for the workforce system in their
communities. This session will focus on how to understand the shifting dynamics
in workforce development and how to bring new visioning to the table.
Inspiring Generation Z and Preparing Government Agencies for the Future Public
Sector Workforce
Salon II
Moderator
Randi Kay Stephens, Institute for Local Government
Panelists
Candy Vickrey Smith, Faculty,
Folsom Lake College (Los Rios Community College)
Sandra Paschal, Sacramento County Human Resources
Terri Carpenter, Sacramento Employment & Training Agency
Twenty eight per cent of all employment in the Sacramento region is in the
public sector. Learn what partners in workforce/youth development, human
resources and educators are doing to address the gray wave while innovating
pathways into public service. Fueled by curiosity and a desire to address
challenges in the civil service, leaders are diagnosing challenges, aligning
systems, and making progress. From dual enrollment and training to engaging
at-risk youth in the public sector, the team aspires to develop the diverse
workforce of the future.
Employer Fears and Misconceptions
Salon V
Toni Bamford, Training Officer, Disability Access Services Training Team
California Department of Rehabilitation
This fast-paced workshop is designed to help job placement staff dispel
employer held myths, misconceptions and misinformation that impedes the
hiring and retention of qualified job seekers with disabilities. Participants will be
able to educate prospective employers regarding common misconceptions
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and identify California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) employment
responsibilities.
Move that DigiBUS! A Creative Rapid Response Collaboration
Salon VI
Martha Espinosa, Business Services/Rapid Response Coordinator
Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board
Shannon Morrison, Adult Programming Librarian
Fresno County Public Library
May Ly, Program Specialist, CLCA
Richard Heath & Associates, Inc.
What happens when a business doesn’t want you to provide Rapid Response
Services on their premises?
Discover the creative uses of the Fresno County Library’s Digibus and learn how
7 organizations leveraged their resources to provide Rapid Response and Rapid
Reemployment Services for business closures and layoffs. Learn from case
examples in our area to improve services to dislocated workers in yours.
Using the Good Jobs, Good Business Toolkit to Meet Small Business Workforce
Development Needs
Salon VII – VIII
Kristy Henrich, Analyst, Impact Investing, Pacific Community Ventures
Tom Woelfel, Director, Impact Advisory Services, Pacific Community Ventures
Jenny Weissbourd, Senior Project Manager
Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program
Jeannine LaPrad, Senior Fellow, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce
Through the Aspen Institute’s Reimagine Retail Initiative, Pacific Community
Ventures has worked with small retail businesses to develop and pilot a toolkit
with practical approaches to improve job quality for their workers. Participants
will learn more about these tools, explore the opportunities and challenges in
working with small businesses on their hiring and advancement practices, and
develop new ways in which this toolkit could be adapted to meet business
needs in their own community.
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11:45 – 1:00 CHARLIE BROWN AWARDS LUNCHEON Grand Ballroom A - D
The Awards Luncheon honors those who have contributed significantly to the
workforce profession and to workforce development in their communities, and
who emulate the go-to-where-the-need-is leadership and innovation that the
late Charlie Brown embodied.
1:15 – 2:15 Even More Curious: Round Three Workshops
Questions Nurture Curiosity, Answers Crush It: Using Questions to Build Problem
Solving Capacity
Garden 1
Silver Rose, Silver Rose Enterprises
Get your curiosity mojo back! In a society that seeks instant answers, true
innovation comes from nurturing your innate curiosity by wrestling with questions.
In this funny and interactive session, you will learn how to build your strategic
problem-solving muscle by applying Appreciative Inquiry to ask good questions.
If you are feeling stagnant in your work or you often think, “There has to be a
better way,” this session is for you!
LinkedIn Learning: The Easy Way to Upgrade the Skills of Your Customers
Garden 2
Joey Zumaya, Manager, Public Sector, LinkedIn Learning
Samantha Tobin, Account Executive, Public Sector, LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is an American massive open online course website offering
video courses taught by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills.
Find out more about ways you might use this readily available training to further
the skills and credentials of your customers.
Extreme Employer Engagement: Hiring Chambers of Commerce to Deliver WIOA
Business Services
Garden 3
Frank Avery, Executive Director, CareerSource North Central Florida
Eric Godet, CEO, Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce
Jeffrey Tate, COO, CTD Holdings; Vice Chair and Board Chair-elect,
CareerSource North Central Florida Board
Kim Tesch-Vaught, Business Development Director, Public Consulting Group
Business likes working with business. So how do we as government and non-profit
workforce boards break into the business community? For over a decade,
CareerSource North Central Florida has answered this question by putting
business on the frontlines, literally. CSNCFL has seamlessly integrated workforce
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board WIOA resources into a fully-integrated, service provider delivery model
through regional chambers of commerce. The model was recognized by the U.S
Chamber of Commerce in 2009 and serves as an enduring example of sector-
based, industry-driven business engagement strategies.
Hear how this one-of-a-kind partnership streamlines service delivery and
elevates business, economic and workforce development for the region.
Using Technology to Automate Lead Generation for Workforce and Education
Campaigns
Garden 4
Celina Shands, CEO/Founder, Full Capacity Marketing, Inc.
Lead generation is a proactive strategy to garner interest in your workforce
services and convert prospective job seekers and employers to meet targeted
performance metrics. This session deconstructs how lead generation was used
to successfully target hard to reach populations.
Participants will learn how to: 1) create compelling calls to action that generate
interest; 2) deploy outreach using common communication mediums to
capture leads; and 3) automate lead distribution and follow-up to minimize staff
time.
SNAP Employment and Training: Understanding the Opportunity, the Model and
How to Get Started
Harbor
Ken Barnes, Senior Policy Associate, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce
Nick Codd, Senior Consultant, Seattle Jobs Initiative
Sarah Turner, CalFresh Employment and Training, CDSS
Robert Garcia, Program Specialist, County of Alameda
California Workforce Development Boards are integrating CalFresh E&T into their
updated WIOA plans in 2019. This session will provide an overview of the USDA’s
SNAP E&T model including the funding opportunity offered by the SNAP 50/50
reimbursement model. The panel will provide guidance and examples on how
local WDBs can collaborate with county and state CalFresh departments to
integrate services that reduce poverty and increase employability for CalFresh
participants.
Data Driven Program Management
Pacific
Tressa A. Dorsey, President, TAD Grants
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Data is a key element to determining the success of a project. Often the data
collected is not as useful as it could be. Attendees will learn what types of data
should be collected, how it can be utilized and what it can reveal about
program design flaws. The workshop will focus on how to use data to manage
teams and processes and how to incorporate performance into marketing and
grant writing campaigns.
Incumbent Worker Training: Helping Regional Businesses Compete and Thrive
Salon I
Thi Pham & Stephanie Murillo, IERPU Regional Organizers
Antonette Llano, Business Solutions Consultant
Riverside County Workforce Development
Darren Cook, Business Services Supervisor
San Bernardino County Workforce Development
The Inland Empire Regional Planning Unit has tackled Incumbent Worker Training
(IWT) regionally, developing a process that is mirrored in two counties. IWT is a
crucial service for businesses, especially in a time when the unemployment rate
is so low. Responsiveness and the ability to provide this service to businesses is
improving relationships and stimulating the economy in the Inland Empire.
Join us for a discussion on how the Inland Empire is making this work.
Creating a Skills-for-California Network
Salon II
Brianna Bruns, Director of Policy & Advocacy, California EDGE Coalition
The California EDGE Coalition, in partnership with the National Skills Coalition,
convened the first annual Skills for California Summit in February 2019 where over
100 attendees representing business, labor, community-based organizations,
workforce boards, educational institutions, and job training providers convened
to endorse a series of broad strategies for closing the skills and equity gap in
California. Come hear about the effort and join this growing network.
Honey, We Forgot the Kids! Addressing the Near Complete Absence of Youth in
Regional Plans
Salon V
David Shinder, Workforce Consultant
California’s state, regional and local plans are the best in the nation, charting
the course for effective services for priority populations and industries. The Plans,
however, are light on strategies focused specifically on youth. Local boards,
service providers, educators, and other stakeholders may find value in
developing plans to meet wide-ranging needs of young workers.
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Explore opportunities to borrow from California’s workforce planning playbook
to craft approaches that could be used to develop youth-focused workforce
plans.
STEPS Youth and STEPS Connections: Developing Innovative Solutions to
Effectively Serve Reentry Youth
Salon VI
Edward Sajor, WIOA Re-Entry Division, Ventura County HSA
Elsa Banuelos, WIOA Re-Entry STEPS-Connection Division, Ventura County HSA
Guadalupe Paz, Supervising Deputy Probation Officer,
Ventura County Probation Agency
Ivette Gutierrez, Associate, Social Policy Research Associates
Kate Dunham, Director, Workforce and Human Services Division
Social Policy Research Associates
Ventura County’s WIOA Re-Entry Division, along with its county probation
agency, is implementing the STEPS-Youth program to help youth ages 16-21 who
are on probation or incarcerated with finding unsubsidized employment. The
County is also using an Accelerator grant to fund the STEPS-Connection
program, which is aimed at identifying innovative solutions to overcome
challenges—such as a lack of transportation—to serving these youth effectively.
Learn more about the county’s curiosity-driven efforts in this interactive
workshop.
Lessons from a High-Profile Regional Workforce Initiative
Salon VII – VIII
Larry Berry, Director, K12; United Way Bay Area
Roshni Wadhwani, Research Associate, Public Profit
United Way Bay Area will be discussing their experience serving as a backbone
organization for a city-wide youth workforce initiative in San Francisco (Mayor's
Youth Jobs+) and sharing insights, best practices and failures from their
experience and recent independent evaluation of the initiative.
Programs and organizations looking to partner with the public and private
sectors around regional workforce initiatives can benefit from UWBA's seven
years of experience managing a high-impact, high-profile initiative. Join us and
learn more.
2:45 – 3:45 Curiouser: Round Four Workshops
Why Don’t They Show Up?
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Garden 1
Larry Robbin, Executive Director, Robbin & Associates
Are you curious about why job seekers either don't come to our programs or
why there are so many no shows for appointments? Job seeker no shows for
appointments are not only frustrating, but many staff waste literally weeks of
time in a year waiting for people to come. Do you wonder why more employers
are not showing up at our doors asking about our services? If our business
services are so good, why aren't more employers referring other business people
to us?
If you are a manager or staff person that wants the answers to these questions
so you can get more job seekers and employers to show up, make sure you
come to this workshop! This session is based on surveys with hundreds of job
seeker and employer customers that delved into the reasons they did not show
up. These listening sessions did not provide the obvious answers because we
were curious about the deeper level issues. Putting this revealing information
into your work will mean you will be able to better serve more job seekers and
businesses in less time because people will show up!
Learn by Texting: Improve Training Outcomes with Text Messaging
Garden 2
Kim Coulthurst, Co-Founder, CareerHub and Pathways Consultants
Amanda Gerrie, Co-Founder, CareerHub and Pathways Consultants
Tanika Carter, Senior Case Manager, Bay Area Community Resources
Karine Kanikkeberg, Resource Teacher, Kern High School District, Career
Resource Department
Ena Volic, Consultant, Los Angeles Transition Age Youth Collaborative
Did you know that Americans spend close to four hours a day on their cell
phones? Texting is a great way to communicate with clients and remind them of
meetings and events, but did you know that you can provide training via texting
too? Three service providers, serving different California regions and different
populations will share how they use texting to provide training virtually. Come
learn how virtual training can improve your outcomes, engage clients and offer
efficient online services at low cost.
Integrating Re-entry Services in Career Center Operations
Garden 3
Jim Painter, CSNCFL Board Member/Executive Director,
Florida Concrete Masonry Education Council
Sean McCoy, Business Services Manager CSNCFL, Public Consulting Group
Kim Tesch-Vaught, Business Manager, Public Consulting Group
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This session will share our experiences in creating a partnership between
CSNCFL, the Florida Department of Corrections Probation Services, community-
based organizations and employers to maximize employment opportunities for
justice involved citizens.
The integrated service plan between probation and employment specialists
resulted in 69% of clients placed in employment, and provided access to
employment, entrepreneurship training, while removing social stigma and
apprehension about working with government agencies.
More Walk, Less Talk: Creating a Culture of Accountability
Garden 4
Josh Davies, Chief Executive Officer, The Center for Work Ethic Development
One of the greatest challenges a leader faces is dealing with issues of trust and
accountability. How do you ensure the staff and customers you’re leading
demonstrate integrity on a daily basis? Personal and organizational
accountability are one of the easiest things to talk about but one of hardest to
“walk.”
Using a collaborative and positive approach, participants will go through an
experiential process to learn how to get themselves, their team and their
organization not just talking but walking accountability.
Innovative Strategies for Priority Populations Using Adult Ed: Changing Lives
Forever
Harbor
Dr. Alfred Ramirez, Director, GlendaleLEARNS, Adult Education Consortium
MaryAnn Pranke, Coordinator, GlendaleLEARNS
Verdugo Workforce Development Board
The implementation of the California Adult Education Program allowed for
innovative strategies for increasing access for English Language Learners and
individuals with intellectual disabilities, and other priority populations. Glendale
used this opportunity to integrate education with workforce development and,
using Design Thinking, implemented strategic co-enrollment that integrates
WIOA and non-WIOA sources, providing services that change lives forever.
Proven success is demonstrated through its CNC Machinist Academy for
students with autism celebrating its 88% job placement.
Careers that Build Communities: Creating Sustainable Construction Career
Pathway Models
Pacific
18
Robert Chavez, Operations Manager, South Bay Workforce Investment Board
Carla Cortez, Program Manager, South Bay One-Stop Business & Career Centers
Pamela Penn, President, PDA Consulting Group
Jason Vogel, CEO, Career Expansion
Tanya Stukes, Inclusivity & Workforce Development Manager, Kiewit
Michael Richardson, EEO DBE Manager, Skanska
The Construction Utilities Pathways Program (CUPP) supplies a pipeline of
qualified candidates by providing support services and access to training and
employment to major construction projects in LA County. CUPP’s mission is to
increase community knowledge, demystify the construction industry and help
individuals build the framework to start apprenticeship careers in the
construction industry. By providing case management, workshops and
assessments, enrolled and work-ready clients are identified to Union, Jobs
Coordinators, Contractors, Developers and Owner/Agencies.
Getting Curious About Branding
Salon I
Jose Hernandez, Sarah Sandoval & Nashon Mitchell
Career Development Program Specialists, Los Angeles County Office of
Education
Stella Garcia, Mobility Manager, 211 Los Angeles
Innovation is fueled by the power of collaboration, and transformation –
TRANSFORM your life today by getting curious about branding. Fuel your
curiosity and learn more about how the power of branding can
#changeyourlife for the better. Get curious about branding and create a
BRAND that reflects who you are and what you represent.
Not Your Grandfather’s Strategic Plan: Strategic DoingTM
Salon II
Lisa Rice, CEO, Every Strength Counts, LLC
Do you even know where your Strategic Plan is? Are you able to say that you
have accomplished most items you put into your Strategic Plan? Would you like
to have a way to strategically get things done? Join this workshop for hands on
Strategic DoingTM that will move your organization forward every 90 days.
Participants will engage in a Strategic DoingTM scenario that is realistic to the
workforce development industry.
Navigating the Legal Quagmire of Fiscal Agency in an RPU Setting
Salon VI
19
Blake Konczal, Executive Director, Fresno Regional Workforce Development
Board
Kenneth J. Price, Esquire. Baker Manock & Jensen, PC
Craig Armstrong, Attorney, Baker Manock & Jensen, PC
California’s WIOA Regional Planning Units serve to align workforce development
resources with larger regional areas and resources to provide services to job
seekers and employers. However, Local Workforce Areas having to serve as
fiscal agents for other LWAs has led to a host of unforeseen problems.
Learn about how to address these problems in a thoughtful and pragmatic way.
Curiosity Is Your Super Power
Salon VII - VIII
Wallace Walrod, Chief Economic Advisor, Orange County Business Council
Jeff Hittenberger, Chief Academic Officer, Orange County Department of
Education
Amy Kaufman, K14 Career Pathways Specialist
Los Angeles/Orange County Regional Consortium
Department of Ed & Behavioral Sciences, University of California at San Diego
Augmented Reality. Virtual Reality. Artificial intelligence. Automation. How do
we equip our students for the fourth industrial revolution? What are the
defensible competencies that cannot be automated? How can we use human-
centered design thinking to fuel students’ curiosity to become their own super
hero, and thrive in this new world of work and life?
4:00 – 5:15 Mini-Plenary Sessions
Pick the session that most appeals to you. These sessions delve more deeply into
the most daunting issues facing business, job seekers and the workforce system.
MOVING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS & REFUGEES TOWARD SUSTAINABLE
CAREER PATHWAYS
Garden 4
Moderator
Kristina Meza, Section Chief, CalFresh Employment and Training,
California Department of Social Services
Featuring
Vicki Brannock, Director of Programs, San Diego Workforce Partnership
Jason Mangold, Strategic Workforce Development Manager, CompTIA
Antonio Vigil, Supervising Employment and Training Counselor
County of Sonoma Human Services
20
Mitch Johnson, Senior Program Manager, International Rescue Committee
Is your community challenged with providing refugee and English Language
Learners with high-wage, high-growth career pathways? Do your programs assist
the under-served Limited English speaking community by connecting them
directly to language skills that could benefit them in their career?
Panelists will share some specific examples of cost effective collaborations and
partnerships that led to exceptional outcomes. Find out why a high percentage
of refugees and EEL participants completed an entire training program
sponsored by the San Diego Workforce Partnership, and how they managed to
pass the challenging certification exams taken in English in the IT world.
Learn how Sonoma County brought together partners from the business,
government and non-profit community to develop a new vocationally focused
intensive English language program.
And, discover new ways you can serve this often underserved population, and
make an even bigger impact on the lives of these individuals.
NEXT LEVEL BUSINESS SERVICES
Garden 2
Moderator
Tressa A. Dorsey, President, TAD Grants
Featuring
Brenda G. Budke, SPHR-Executive Director, Sierra HR Partners, Inc.
Erik Cherkaski, Business Services Manager,
Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board
Darren Cook, Business Services Supervisor,
San Bernardino County Workforce Development
Taking a step back and looking at business services holistically can present
challenges.
This session will include real talk on overcoming objections, identifying true
company needs and services, and connecting to partners within the
community.
Walk away with practical examples of how to market business services, promote
repeat customers, bring partner agencies together to meet the needs of the
business, ensure follow through, and other ways to exceed your business client’s
expectations.
21
INTRODUCING THE CALIFORNIA YOUTH APPRENTICESHIP COALITION
Garden 1
Moderator
Eric Flores, Policy Director, CWA
Featuring
Vinz Koller, Senior Strategist for Capacity Building, Social Policy Research
Associates
Tim Aldinger, Executive Director, Workforce Development
Foundation for California Community Colleges
Don Daves-Rougeaux, Vice President, Higher Education and Workforce
Engagement, Linked Learning Alliance
The California Youth Apprenticeship Coalition (CAYAC) was formed to improve
access to economic opportunity and increased post-secondary degree
attainment for young people in California through apprenticeships. CAYAC
brings workforce boards, educators, training providers, and employers together
with experts to build a youth apprenticeship system that is integrated, universally
accessible and open to as many as 500,000 Californians by 2029. Learn about
CAYAC’s grand plans and how your Board and region can join in.
THE FIRST FAIR CHANCE: BUILDING EQUITY FOR JUSTICE-IMPACTED AND
REENTERING WORKERS
Garden 3
Moderator
Aisa Villarosa, Associate Director of Policy and Advocacy, Insight Center
Featuring
Heather Henry, Executive Director, Solano Workforce Development Board
Darris Young, Program Associate, Boys and Men of Color, Urban Strategies
Council
Linda Denly, Regional Consultant to SELACO Workforce Board;
Criminal Justice Consultant, Owsley & Denly Consulting
A year after California “Banned the Box,” far too many justice-involved people
grapple with re/entering the workforce.
A panel of workforce and policy experts will present findings from the Bay Area
Fair Chance Taskforce, a regional collaborative led by Rise Together United
Way, the Insight Center, and Urban Strategies, and generally highlight
innovative bright spots in local reentry work. Learn more about the Taskforce’s
policy, workforce, and employer recommendations, and other “next” practices
that you should be incorporating into your programs.
22
8:00 – 10:30 Casino Night Grand Ballroom E
Join us for a night of taking chances. Great prizes to the top “money” winners of
the evening.
Friday, May 17, 2019
6:45 – 7:15 Pilates with Diane Walton Grand Ballroom Foyer
7:30 – 8:30 Continental Breakfast Grand Ballroom Foyer
8:30 – 9:45 Morning Plenary Grand Ballroom A
Session Moderator
Teresa Hitchcock, Second Vice Chair, CWA; Executive Director,
Kern, Inyo & Mono Counties Workforce Board
Plenary Presentation
Applied Improv
Izzy Gesell, Improv Coach & Trainer, IzzyG & Company
Until recently, the word “Improv” was usually connected to “theater,” so it had
no relevance to most of us except as entertainment. We looked, we laughed,
we left.
The kind of Improv that is applicable to our daily lives and personal growth is
known as Applied Improv. The premise is the skills that make Improv theater
people successful are the same ones that make us all successful.
Desired and achievable Improv skills include thinking on our feet, dealing with
reality, focusing on what’s important, able to disagree without dissolving into
conflict, having fun and being creative. It’s a growing field of practice around
the world and popping up in all kinds of places and for all kinds of uses.
Like mindfulness, Applied Improv uses a skillset that is deceptively simple. Since
it’s a skillset, it requires practice. Since its fun, it gets done.
10:00 – 11:00 Curiouser and Curiouser: Round Five Workshops
Using Technology and Digital Badges to De-Risk Non-Traditional Hires
Garden 1
Michael Simpson, CEO & Founder of PAIRIN
Brenda Perea, Director of Education and Workforce Strategies
23
Do you work with employers that won’t hire your amazing candidates because
they can’t get past their non-traditional backgrounds? Could your program
benefit from technologies that reliably match candidates to opportunities and
differentiate you from high-cost recruiters?
This session will uncover how workforce agencies can become cutting-edge
providers of high-quality, undiscovered talent! Learn how technology can help
you impact more people by utilizing digital badging, soft skills data, job-specific
matching and applicant sharing.
The 21st Century Workforce: Using Apprenticeship for Pipeline Development
Garden 2
Julianna Kirby, Director of Client Services & Chief Operating Officer
Training Funding Partners
Deborah Shepard, Career Pathways Coordinator
South Bay Workforce Investment Board
Using apprenticeship as a strategy for workforce pipeline development can be
an important tool for business when recruiting talent. Learn how the South Bay
Workforce Investment Board has created employer driven pre-apprenticeship
and registered apprenticeship career pathways to help business secure the
local talent they need. Discover how the program was designed by employers
to be flexible, allowing them to define the training plan, while providing new
opportunities for students, job seekers and incumbent workers.
Using Labor Market Research to Promote the Resilience of Retail Companies and
Workers
Harbor
Sarah Burns, Director of Research and Evaluation,
San Diego Workforce Partnership
Jenny Weissbourd, Senior Project Manager,
Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program
Jeannine LaPrad, Senior Fellow, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce
Through the Aspen Institute’s Reimagine Retail Initiative, the San Diego
Workforce Partnership (SDWP) conducted research on the impact of changes in
technology, consumer behavior, and the minimum wage on retail businesses,
jobs, and workers. Participants will learn about the process and findings from this
research and how it’s informing changes in policy and practice, including how
the SDWP plans to work with retailers, small businesses, and workers on job
stability and mobility in the sector.
Rising from Homelessness through Employment
Pacific
24
Judith Velasco, Executive Director, Verdugo Workforce Development Board
Melissa Younesian, Manager. Verdugo Jobs Center
Rasheedah Scott, Case Manager, Verdugo Jobs Center
The Verdugo Workforce Development launched the Regional Immediate
Intervention Service to Employment (RIISE), in partnership with the Verdugo Jobs
Center, Los Angeles County, City of Glendale and community based
organizations to provide a comprehensive work-based learning project that
immediately moves participants to the work environment. Through strategic co-
enrollment, this project combines multiple funding sources to address the various
needs of participants, from meals, transportation to work sites, paid transitional
employment and work readiness workshops.
Partnering with Your Local Child Support Agency: Building a Successful
Collaboration
Salon I
Brigid Reilly, Job Center Navigator
Workforce Development Board of Solano County
Tara Knobbe, Senior Support Specialist, Training Team
Solano County Department of Child Support
This workshop will focus on how to set up a partnership between Workforce
Development Boards (WDBs) and Local Child Support Agencies (LCSAs) and the
benefits of doing so.
Panelists will discuss the relationship between WDBs and Department of Child
Support Services from the state level, the benefits of the partnership to the LCSA
and their customers, how to go about building a positive and fruitful
collaboration between the agencies, and ways to incorporate the partnership
into daily case management.
Best Practices for Transgender Inclusion in the Workplace
Salon V
Rex Wilde, Program Director, Trans Can Work
In the year 2025, millennials will represent 75% of the workforce. Millennials are
twice as likely to identify as LGBTQ and more likely to identify as transgender or
non-binary than previous generations. For employers, it is no longer a matter of
what to do if they have transgender employees, but a matter of preparing for
when they have transgender employees. This session will provide an
environment for professionals to elevate their understanding of transgender
inclusion.
25
JOBS Work: An Innovative Private-Nonprofit Partnership that Helps Communities
Thrive
Salon VI
Christa Sheehan, Deputy Director, Hope Builders
A 2018 Deloitte study showed Hope Builders’ graduates contributed almost $1.3
million annually back to Orange County. This study inspired additional employers
to help us design a program to grow this economic impact. Last spring, the
agency launched a staffing model that fast tracks youth into quality jobs,
connects employers to a vetted, reliable labor pool, and generates revenue to
expand a workforce pipeline.
Join us and find out how to bridge the skills gap and help underserved
communities thrive.
Curiosity from the Inside Out: The Power of Listening
Salon VII – VIII
Lisa Michelle, Coach, Facilitator, Program Manager Santa Clarita AJCC
What is the difference between asking questions and deeply listening?
This interactive learning explores how asking questions can be a roadblock to
curiosity whereas strength based listening permits us to be truly inquisitive and
acquire desirable and essential information.
Grow your listening in such a way that builds resiliency in individuals, grows
employee retention, provides excellent customer service even in breakdown,
and boosts morale and productivity.
11:20 – 12:30 Closing Plenary Grand Ballroom A
Thinking on your Feet
Session Moderator and Game Host
Izzy Gesell, Improv Coach & Trainer, IzzyG & Company
Building on the morning plenary and fueling our curiosity, we’ll leave you with a
demonstration of thinking on your feet through some fun group experiences.
Teams of players selected from amongst attendees will practice this skill through
a few rounds of friendly competition. The audience will vote for the team they
think has done the best during each round and then overall.
Concluding Remarks
Bob Lanter, CWA and John D. Baker, Conference Curator
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