SESSION DESCRIPTIONS BY DAY
(As of April – check back for updates)
(As of April – check back for updates)
Thursday, May 9
8:00 am – 9:15 am Morning Plenary
Keynote address The 2020 Census: Why it is important to workforce development in Washington This presentation will provide an overview of the 2020 Census, its importance to the state in terms of policy making and policy planning, and data on the state’s changing workforce. The data collected in each decennial census serves as the basis for the distribution of political power from the federal to the local levels, as well as for the distribution of more than $880 billion. It also serves as the foundation for all future surveys for the next decade and for the important forecasting and research done by policy makers to plan for investments in education, health services, housing, and a host of other things. The following questions will be addressed: What does the Washington workforce look like now and how will it change in the future? What kinds of strategic alliances and partnerships are being created right now to ensure a complete and accurate count in Washington state? What are the immediate needs of the Census Bureau in Washington state in terms of full- and part-time temporary staff to carry out the massive exercise of counting the population in the state? Track: Enhancing workforce services through strategic alliances and partnerships Lisa McLean - 2020 Census Coordinator, Forecasting Division (Washington State Office of Financial Management) Rob Kemp - Senior Forecast Analyst, Forecasting & Research Division (Washington State Office of Financial Management) 9:30 am – 10:15 am Breakout Sessions Current and emerging workforce initiatives: Career Connect, Economic Security for All, Opioid Disaster Response This panel will provide participants with an overview of new and ongoing workforce initiatives, such as Career Connect Washington, Opioid Disaster Relief, and Economic Security for All. Piloting innovative programs, testing their design elements and impact on the target population, and scaling practices that work, allows Washington to remain a leader in workforce development nationally. Track: Enhancing workforce services through strategic alliances and partnerships Anna Nikolaeva - Career Connect WA Manager (Washington State Employment Security Department) John Traugott - Workforce Initiatives Manager (Washington State Employment Security Department) Erica Maki - Workforce Initiatives Manager (Washington State Employment Security Department) Supporting successful reentry Persons reentering the community from points of incarceration and others who also face barriers because of an encounter with the Criminal Justice System must embrace new technologies, new job skills, and a new attitude for a better future. In keeping with the "Back to the Future" theme, successful reentry programs represent a chance to re-set life priorities and overcome dicult setbacks. New tools and strategies are available to equip justice involved persons for success. Agencies and organizations desiring to meet the specialized needs of justice involved job seekers must also move out of the past and look forward with an eye toward apprenticeships and job training. Job Fairs, hiring events, and targeted recruitments continue to be important strategies. Additionally, providing timely job search preparation to currently incarcerated persons is an increasing priority. The current high demand for workers, mainly in metropolitan areas, is an opportunity for job ready candidates. The reentry population is a resource to address that growing need. The panelists in this session will describe why they are involved in this work, their various strategic approaches to service delivery and partnerships, challenges and positive outcomes/participant success. Track: Connecting job seekers and employers Moderator: James Walker – Statewide Reentry Program Operator (Washington State Employment Security Department) Teresa Sparks – Statewide Program Support Specialist (Washington State Employment Security Department) Kristi O'Neill – Community Engagement Specialist (WorkSource Okanogan) Tennille Johnson - Reentry Employment Specialist (WorkSource Vancouver) Ana Perera – CEO (Adonai Counseling Services) Serving businesses in Washington: New website makes it easier to serve businesses in your city A powerful new business website - business.wa.gov - has been relaunched by the Small Business Liaison Team (SBLT) - comprised of 26 Washington state agencies and the IRS to support business growth in cities across Washington state. There have been numerous attempts to organize government services to the business community. The relaunch of business.wa.gov integrates all of the services at the County, City and State levels for an employer in one location to improve service delivery effectiveness. At the heart of this website is the Small Business Guide, which is updated quarterly by subject matter experts within the SBLT member agencies. The website was released in September 2018 and by the start of 2019 it was the top result on Google for the search phrase "business regulations in Washington state". Business.wa.gov continues to expand into a more robust and resourceful site having all the information a business will need to start, run, and grow a business in Washington state. Track: Employer programs and business service models Moderator: John Glynn - Business Services and Workforce Planning Manager (WorkSource Seattle-King County) Rafael Colon - Small Business Outreach Manager (Washington State Employment Security Department) Scott Hitchcock – Manager, Business Services (Washington State Office of Regulatory Innovation and Assistance) 10:45 am – noon Breakout Sessions DISC: Understanding communications styles and behaviors In this session, you will learn how the four DISC factors - Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance - predict your behavior towards others and the everyday things you do: (1) Understand your own behavior communication style, strengths and tendencies; (2) Identify someone else's style by quick, user-friendly techniques; (3) Adjust behavior to increase communication effectiveness with all levels; (4) Recognize when teammates are under high stress; and (5) Drive performance and execution. Track: Effective communications and promotion Kakela Hall – President (KD Hall Foundation) Professional Pathways In 2017, the Employment Security Department (ESD) identified the need for employee pathways that would allow opportunities for new staff to learn the agency business and grow in their positions, while weaving in new insights on Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and Talent and Prosperity for All. The initiative, Professional Pathways, was created to provide a standardized baseline knowledge which progresses as the employee promotes up. The current pathway moves staff up to the goal class at the WorkSource Specialist 4 level, and future pathways will lead into either technical or leadership tracks. The national American Job Center offices in Washington State are known as “WorkSource” centers, where they provide universal access to a wide range of employment and training services, and the current Professional Pathway provides the opportunity to learn the core skills necessary to be successful in these services at the goal class level of WorkSource Specialist 4. The program is optional for existing staff members and required for new agency staff. For those this program is optional for, over 80% of existing staff have enrolled. This program has provided more than 11,000 training opportunities in the past year focused on developing our WorkSource staff members. Professional Pathways is partnered with IAWP, where participants complete the WorkForce Professionals Course, and the National Veterans Training Institute, where all staff learn about serving veterans in their community. Track: Personal professional development Nona H. Mallicoat - Strategic Operations Manager (Washington State Employment Security Department) Brad McGarvie - Deputy Assistant Commissioner (Washington State Employment Security Department) Phil Castle - Chief Learning Officer and Organizational Development Manager (Washington State Employment Security Department) Tammi Leclerc - Professional Pathways Coordinator (Washington State Employment Security Department) Tax Incentives which spur job creation This session will present the findings of Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) studies of three tax preferences whose objectives include job creation: two sales and use tax deferrals for investments in high unemployment counties and for establishing corporate headquarters in designated zones, and a sales and use tax exemption for purchases data center equipment. JLARC staff will discuss the types of data and analyses used to evaluate the incentives and the conclusions and recommendations made to the Legislature. This session will also provide analysis on how public policy can influence labor markets and some of the ways the Legislature evaluates the effectiveness of its policies. Track: Workforce/labor market trends and the future of work Pete van Moorsel – Research Analyst (Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee) Zack Freeman – Research Analyst (Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee) Noon – 2:00 pm Lunch Keynote address Making work and workplaces more human This fast-paced, fun, interactive session will explore the actual practice of love at work and the many types of love that are part of being human and successful at work. Through stories, reflection, and small group dialogue participants will come to better understand loving experiences that support our best contributions, surprising innovations, and effective collaborations. We aren't talking about romantic love, but love expressed in respect, trust, kindness, empathy, and inclusion - appropriate for the workplace and that in fact we need to thrive and achieve performance. Track: Personal professional development Renee Smith - Director of Workplace Transformation (Results Washington – Office of the Governor) Keynote panel Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) update and new initiatives Three of Washington state’s twelve Workforce development Council leaders will provide an update on innovative new programs and partnership initiatives being implemented across the state including new ways of working with Chambers of Commerce and developing Centers of Excellence. Track: Enhancing workforce services through strategic alliances and partnerships Elizabeth Court - Director (Olympic Workforce Development Area) Jack Fitzgerald - Executive Director (South Central Workforce Council) Cheryl Fambles - CEO (Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council) 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm Breakout Sessions Making work and workplaces more human This fast-paced, fun, interactive session will explore the actual practice of love at work and the many types of love that are part of being human and successful at work. Through stories, reflection, and small group dialogue participants will come to better understand loving experiences that support our best contributions, surprising innovations, and effective collaborations. We aren't talking about romantic love, but love expressed in respect, trust, kindness, empathy, and inclusion - appropriate for the workplace and that in fact we need to thrive and achieve performance. Track: Personal professional development Renee Smith - Director of Workplace Transformation (Results Washington – Office of the Governor) Using labor market information to connect people and employers Workforce professionals are tasked with helping individuals find optimal career paths, helping businesses find their optimal workforce, and identifying trends that point to the evolution of work into the future. Labor market information (LMI) is a critical part of the workforce professional’s toolkit. When used well, LMI can be used to identify risks and opportunities, and can ultimately lead to better decisions. This session will showcase LMI resources available from the Employment Security Department’s Labor Market & Economic Analysis (LMEA) division. A regional economist will walk participants through the LMEA site and other public websites, highlighting where datasets can be found and offering insights about how to use and interpret labor market data. Labor market information provides a map that allows workforce professionals to see where we are going by showing us where we have been. Understanding how to read the "map" (best practices) provides decision-makers with tools that will allow them to move successfully into the future. Track: Connecting job seekers and employers Anneliese Vance-Sherman – Regional Labor Economist (Washington State Employment Security Department) Ajsa Suljic – Regional Labor Economist (Washington State Employment Security Department) How unconscious bias impacts customer service Customer service training is a standard part of most jobs: smile and greet; assess needs; offer solutions- the pattern of that training is very often similar. This session is designed to help us examine our customer service delivery in new and innovative ways that come from a shift in thinking rather than from a script or a checklist. The session will also explore how most people subconsciously process information by filtering it through their own values and priorities first, which can lead to the creating of unconscious biases. These biases can impact our relationships with others and - importantly in the field of workforce development - the way we deliver customer service. This session will create a safe place to examine the biases we may have and implement some tools for limiting their impact on the delivery of customer service. Track: Customer Service Sharon Johnson – Senior Training Consultant (Washington State Employment Security Department) 3:45 pm – 5:00 pm Breakout Sessions Meaningful employer recognition programs for veterans at the federal, state, and local levels Currently we enjoy a labor market where employers want access to our Veteran talent pool. This session will showcase the Department of Labor’s VETs HIRE VETS Medallion Program, YesVets, and Washington State Veteran Employer of the Year recognition programs, how to connect employers to these programs as well as Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Track: Employer programs and business service models Sam Mitchell - Program Operator for Veterans and Military Family Initiatives (Washington State Employment Security Department) Monique Martin - Veterans Program Coordinator (Washington State Employment Security Department) What you see is not always what you get: How perceptions and attitudes shape communications During this session you will learn about how your perceptions and attitudes affect how you interact with co-workers, customers, and community members. Participants will be encouraged to “think outside the box” in this session. We will explore the benefits of positivity and the cost of negativity in the workplace, and examine ways to be more positive. Participants will learn about types of communications and the use of the SOLER technique during conversations. Attendees will take a communications personality test to explore their communications styles and discuss the four communication styles for better business communications. Track: Personal professional development Rebekah Wilkes - Employment Counselor (Washington State Employment Security Department) WorkSource Pierce: Partners Under One Roof Bringing services together under one roof, applying reliable service standards and ensuring open access to everyone is the operating principle and genius of the WorkSource Pierce Center. The process to change the antiquated WorkSource system in Pierce County started two years ago. There were two separate WorkSource offices in Tacoma and very little integration. With the support of the local Workforce Development Council, Employment Security Department, and WorkForce Central, the vision of having one larger, enhanced, and integrated service center for the job seekers and businesses in Pierce County started to become a reality. After two years of planning, meeting with partners, picking out furniture, discussing paint colors, endless IT questions and workarounds, the key players were able to close the two locations and open the newly integrated WorkSource Pierce Center -all while no lapse in services! This new combined space is 20,000 square feet, houses 80 staff and 8 partner agencies. During the first month of operation (December 2018) the center served over 1,500 customers. It now averages more than 2,200 a month. Attendees will learn about the integration process, best practices, and the many ways the WorkSource Pierce partners collaborate in order to delivery seamless service to Pierce County jobseekers and businesses. Track: Enhancing workforce services through strategic alliances and partnership Cheryl Keating- One-Stop Center Manager (WorkSource Pierce) Kim Pontsler – Customer First Manager (Central Sound Region, Pierce & King County |
Friday, May 10
8:00 am – 9:00 am Morning Plenary
Keynote address Suzi LeVine – Commissioner (Washington State Employment Security Department) 9:15 am – 10:30 am Breakout Sessions Career Bridge: 6,500 pathways to a new career Career Bridge isn’t just home to the state’s Eligible Training Provider List. This (free!) award-winning website features over 6,500 education programs in one place and was recently upgraded to make it even more user-friendly. Find out how a new digital portfolio feature can help job counselors work more closely with jobseekers. Plans are also in the works to make the site mobile-friendly and connect it to a national credential registry so jobseekers can see whether education programs lead to living-wage jobs. This presentation will help you make the most of Career Bridge and discover key features, including a “consumer report card” that shows how much recent graduates of education programs earned, where they went to work, and more. Track: Enhancing workforce services through strategic alliances and partnerships Marina Parr – Communications Director (Washington Workforce Board) Lindsay Elwanger – Communications Consultant (Washington Workforce Board) Combatting labor shortages and closing the skills gap through apprenticeships Finding skilled talent can be difficult when employers look at today’s labor pool. From construction and electricians to medical fields and technology, the story is the same. There are not enough skilled people to fill these types of jobs. To help bridge the gap, a record number of employers in Washington are turning to Registered Apprenticeship. This time tested, on-the-job training model provides a pipeline of new workers to employers, helps career-seekers fill the skills gap and provides apprentices with living wages and a bright future. Learn how partners from all over the state are working together to lift the workforce and develop key talent resources for our state’s future. Track: Connecting job seekers and employers Jennifer Carlson – Executive Director (Washington Technology Industry Association Workforce Institute) Jody Robbins – Apprenticeship Program Manager (Washington State Labor and Industries) Lynn Strickland – Executive Director, (Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee AJAC) Understanding generations in the workplace It's such an exciting time in our history, with five generations in the workplace. However, from Baby Boomers to Gen Z’s, managing five generations in the workplace can be a challenge! ALL generations are valuable in the workplace. Each generation of workers is capable of creating best practices through innovation and sharing historical knowledge. This session explores approaches to successfully work alongside every generation and strategies to overcome negative generational stereotypes, including insights into shared characteristics of each generation, what motivates the generations and what skills and values they bring to your workplace. Track: Connecting job seekers and employers Carol Cauthron – Business Solutions Specialist (Washington State Employment Security Department WorkSource) 10:45 am – Noon Breakout Sessions Engaging employees and customers: Customer service best practices in Washington state government In this session, you will learn various approaches the Washington State Departments of Revenue (DOR), Licensing (DOL) and Labor & Industries (L&I) have used to gather customer feedback and improve customer service. Session participants will hear about DOR’s work to develop a shared Customer Experience Vision statement as well as what they did to discover the top five ways to engage their employees. Track: Customer service Moderator: Sam Virgil – Strategic Initiatives Manager (Washington State Employment Security Department) Janet Shimabukuro - Assistant Director, Customer Experience and Communications (Washington State Department of Revenue) Gregory Chaney - Deputy Assistant Director for Customer Relations Division - (Washington State Department of Licensing) Ron Langley - Customer Relationships Manager (Washington State Department. of Labor & Industries) Future of work: Washington State Task Force Report and labor market trends This session will provide a summary of the findings in the “The Future of Work Task Force Plan of Action for 2019” which provides a roadmap to explore policies to “future proof” Washington’s workforce and employers. The session will also highlight some of the distinct regional trends within Washington state that contribute to the statewide picture, using projections and other forward-looking indicators to chart the way forward. Track: Workforce/labor market trends and the future of work Joe Wilcox – Co-Manager, Future of Work Task Force Report (Workforce Training & Education Coordinating Board) Anneliese Vance-Sherman - Regional Economic Economists (Washington State Employment Security Department) Ajsa Suljic - Regional Economic Economists (Washington State Employment Security Department) Telling your stories through social media Social media is constantly innovating the way we communicate in the virtual world - from sixty-second videos that tell an entire story, to the human experiment of live journaling and undetected tweets that bring to light breaking news from all corners of the world. This session will explore social media strategies for personal enrichment and professional development from communications pros. Share, tweet and snap your way to social network success, with insights into social media concepts, and appropriate use of the tools such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn or Snapchat. Participants will also learn about social media's changing role, how to target specific audiences best practices for using it for online promotion. Track: Effective communications and promotion Caitlin Cormier - Web Communications & Social Media Manager (Washington State Employment Security Department) Jessie Payne - Digital Media Manager (Office of Washington State Governor Jay Inslee) Stephanie Malham – Communications Consultant (Washington State Health Care Authority) Jessica Wilson – Communications Lead, Center for Government Innovation (Washington State Auditor’s Office) Gary Lott – Communications Consultant (Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs) Robert Hunter – Social Media Lead (Washington State Department of Health) Noon – 2:00 pm Lunch Keynote panel Governor's Poverty Reduction Work Group (PRWG) On November 6, 2017, Governor Inslee formed a Poverty Reduction Workgroup (PRWG) recognizing the importance of improving Washingtonians’ social and economic well-being for the future of our state. The primary task of the workgroup is to create a comprehensive, 10-year strategic plan to reduce poverty by December 1, 2019. A large and ever-growing body of research very strongly suggests that the results Washington State is trying to achieve in every area critical to social and economic well-being – education, jobs, health, environment, economic development, child welfare, criminal justice, civic engagement, and more – will simply not be realized when one of every four residents struggles to make ends meet. Reducing poverty and increasing intergenerational opportunity and well-being for all Washingtonians, therefore, is vital to our state’s progress and collective well-being. For too many Washingtonians these resources are not available, making it difficult to weather the life storms that can affect all of us – a layoff, the loss of a loved one, a sudden illness. Today, conservative estimates suggest 1.9 million people across our state don’t have the income to pay for healthy food, safe homes, and warm clothing, let alone the access to things like high quality education, good jobs, and other essentials all Washingtonians need to reach our full potential – that is enough people to fill over 25 stadiums the size of Century Link field. Track: Enhancing workforce services through strategic alliances and partnerships David Stillman – Assistant Secretary, Economic Services Administration (Washington State Department of Social and Health Services) Lori Pfingst – Senior Director, Economic Services Administration (Washington State Department of Social and Health Services) Tim Probst – Director, Workforce Initiatives (Washington State Employment Security Department) 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm Breakout Sessions Customized employment: A new competitive edge In the ever changing workforce landscape attracting and keep talent while meeting business objectives, more times than not requires out of the box thinking and solutions. Customized employment is one of those out-of-the-box solutions that not only benefits employers and the employees but the community as a whole. This presentation will cover Career Development Principles and Methodologies around Customized Employment solutions that attract non-conventional talent that can meet and support business objectives. Track: Connecting job seekers and employers Jamie Stout - Director of Disability Services (Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region) Ivanova Smith - UW Lend Fellow and Atwork Advocate (Atwork) Trust: How to build (and restore) trust when it matters most Do you have a high trust workplace? If so, congratulations! High trust workplaces have more collaboration, increased creativity and increased commitment. And they are just more fun to be a part of. This workshop will help you know how to maintain that environment. Do you have a low trust workplace? If so, there is hope. In this workshop, you will learn specific strategies and tools about how to build and restore trust when it matters most. Based on the bestselling book Speed of Trust, this workshop will show you the four ways to build trust quickly at work, at home and in your community. Track: Personal professional development Corey Leneker – Leadership Consultant (Compass Consulting, LLC) Creative Win-Win Public-Private Partnerships We have all heard of Win-Win Partnerships but how do you create them? Finding and securing the right strategic partner(s) can be difficult. How do win-win strategic partnerships come into existence? Why do some partnerships flourish and others never get off the ground? This session will discuss how to think creatively about the design of partnerships to create an innovative strategic partnerships plan. Participants will learn how to identify, cultivate and leverage partnerships that uniquely align and complement their organization’s strategic goals. This session will examine partnership models and share best practices including how design thinking and negotiation strategies can be used to support the development and use of strategic partnerships to springboard innovation in an organization. Track: Enhancing workforce services through strategic alliances and partnerships Jessica Sullivan – Consultant (JASMedia Design & Communications) 4:00pm – 5:00pm Closing Plenary |