Welcome to the NGA Workforce Innovation Network (NGA WIN) Quarterly Newsletter! This newsletter, prepared by the NGA Center for Best Practices, provides state workforce leaders, NGA WIN Advisors and Partners, and external parties, with updates about the Workforce Innovation Network, an initiative of the Workforce Development and Economic Policy Program. For more information about this newsletter, please contact Katie Nichols.
Visit the Workforce Innovation Resource Hub
NGA WIN has launched a resource hub on its homepage! This collection of resources made available by NGA WIN Sponsors and Advisors will remain publicly available on our website and will be publicized to Governors and states throughout our programming.
We have recently added a new section featuring resources Digital Access and Skill Development. Visit hereto learn more about efforts underway through the Network and for new research, tools, and templates.
NGA WIN Case Study | Leveraging Technology for Human-Centered One-Stop Workforce Service Delivery
NGA WIN partnered with Research for Improving People’s Lives, an NGA WIN Advisor, on a September case study of the Hawai‘i Career Acceleration Navigator — an accessible, data-driven and full-service government platform for unemployed people and other jobseekers to search for jobs and access supportive service benefits.
*Coming Soon* Lessons Learned in Workforce Innovation: How Six States Are Planning to Advance Digital Skills for Equitable Economic Participation
Stay tuned for a new NGA WIN publication featuring emerging best practices from the second round of state grantees from the NGA Workforce Innovation Fund. The brief will be published on the NGA WIN website later this Fall.
Public Library Association to Host 160 Digital Literacy Workshops
The Public Library Association (PLA) is coordinating digital literacy workshops in 160 libraries across the country, doing so with more than $1 million in contributions from AT&T, the organization has announced. The PLA Digital Literacy Workshop Incentive is designed to support public libraries in their efforts to boost digital skills for all members of their communities. The workshops leverage online digital literacy courses that are available to anyone through DigitalLearn.org and AT&T ScreenReady®. The site’s digital literacy offerings cover everything from technology basics to how to avoid online scams.
Digital Resilience in the American Workforce (DRAW) Technical Assistance Pilot Program
The Digital Resilience in the American Workforce (DRAW) initiative, as part of NGA WIN Advisor Jobs for the Future, prepares adult education practitioners who support learners that struggle to fully engage in tasks that demand the use of digital technologies. The DRAW Professional Development Technical Assistant (TA) Pilot Program is a training program for instructors in adult digital literacy programs whose work is funded under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), as well as state professional development leaders. The pilot offers participants an opportunity to engage in peer learning and develop plans for using materials created by the DRAW team to enhance digital literacy instruction and make supplementary resources available to adult education learners. The program will include a webinar, state and local courses, and coaching will train instructors and state leads on how to integrate DRAW materials, methods, activities, and tools into their programs and professional development training. To learn more about the pilot and to complete the application visit the resource page here.
NGA and Upskill America Release New Brief | Leveraging the Digital Equity Act to Advance Digital Skills: A Guide for Business Leaders to Partner with State Policymakers
NGA WIN partnered with Advisor UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute to help prepare employers to engage in leveraging Digital Equity Act (DEA) investments to advance in-demand digital skills. This latest guide offers three key strategies and guiding questions for employers to contribute to DEA planning and implementation, as well as strategies for state policymakers to support and collaborate with employers:
- Study Your Skill Needs
- Tell Your Story
- Sustain Your Engagement
Network News
Free Workforce Trainings Expanded to More Hawaiʻi Residents (University of Hawai‘i):
More Hawaiʻi residents are now eligible to apply for free short-term trainings leading to industry credentials in the resilient sectors of healthcare, technology and the skilled trades through the Hana Career Pathways program. This program, provided through the University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges, connects students with work-based learning opportunities such as paid internships and guaranteed interviews with local employers, and also prepares students to apply for registered apprenticeships and related degree programs. It was recently expanded to include those who are currently employed.
Governor Cooper Announces $206M in GREAT Grants to Expand Internet Access in 69 Counties Across the State (Office of Governor Roy Cooper):
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced last month that nearly 85,000 households and more than 2,400 businesses in 69 counties are set to receive access to high-speed internet thanks to more than $206 million of Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants. This is the state’s largest round of GREAT grant awards to date. With this announcement, over $260 million in GREAT grants have been awarded to providers since July 2022.
Five More States to Receive Money from Capital Projects Fund (Broadband Breakfast):
The Treasury Department announced Tuesday that five more states – Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Nebraska and North Dakota – will receive grants from the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund to finance new broadband development. North Dakota will receive $45 million to address broadband deficiencies in tribal lands.
Oklahoma Hosts the National Governors Association Summer Workforce Symposium (Oklahoma Employment Security Commission):
The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC), in partnership with Governor Kevin Stitt and the National Governors Association (NGA), hosted the NGA Summer 2022 Workforce Symposium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The NGA Center for Best Practices Summer 2022 Symposium brought together workforce leaders from across the nation to highlight best practices across the country. The event ran from August 14 – 17 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Network Advisor Spotlight
The NGA WIN Advisory Network consists of stakeholders who support Network goals by advising and supporting NGA WIN state grantees, Governors, states, and NGA staff. Advisory members advise NGA on the development and delivery of programming and technical assistance to states as well as collaborate to identify opportunities for shared program delivery, coordinated technical assistance, new initiatives, resource development and more. This quarter we are especially grateful to one partner, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta is part of the central bank of the United States. The Federal Reserve System consists of twelve Reserve Banks located around the country and the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C. The Atlanta Fed territory covers the Sixth Federal Reserve District, which includes Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, and portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The Atlanta Fed’s Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity focuses on employment policies and labor market issues that affect low- and moderate-income individuals. It acts as a bridge between research and practice, connecting researchers, businesses, and policymakers with innovative approaches to creating economic opportunity through education and employment.
The Workforce Innovation Network is generously supported by its Founding Sponsor, the Cognizant Foundation, and is grateful to have additional sponsorship from Intel, Microsoft, Walmart, and Western Governors University.
Welcome to the NGA Workforce Innovation Network (NGA WIN) Quarterly Newsletter! This newsletter, prepared by the NGA Center for Best Practices, provides state workforce leaders, NGA WIN Advisors and Partners, and external parties, with updates about the Workforce Innovation Network, an initiative of the Workforce Development and Economic Policy Program. For more information about this newsletter, please contact Katie Nichols.
Visit the Workforce Innovation Resource Hub
NGA WIN has launched a resource hub on its homepage! This collection of resources made available by NGA WIN Sponsors and Advisors will remain publicly available on our website and will be publicized to Governors and states throughout our programming.
We have recently added a new section featuring resources Digital Access and Skill Development. Visit hereto learn more about efforts underway through the Network and for new research, tools, and templates.
NGA WIN Case Study | Leveraging Technology for Human-Centered One-Stop Workforce Service Delivery
NGA WIN partnered with Research for Improving People’s Lives, an NGA WIN Advisor, on a September case study of the Hawai‘i Career Acceleration Navigator — an accessible, data-driven and full-service government platform for unemployed people and other jobseekers to search for jobs and access supportive service benefits.
*Coming Soon* Lessons Learned in Workforce Innovation: How Six States Are Planning to Advance Digital Skills for Equitable Economic Participation
Stay tuned for a new NGA WIN publication featuring emerging best practices from the second round of state grantees from the NGA Workforce Innovation Fund. The brief will be published on the NGA WIN website later this Fall.
Public Library Association to Host 160 Digital Literacy Workshops
The Public Library Association (PLA) is coordinating digital literacy workshops in 160 libraries across the country, doing so with more than $1 million in contributions from AT&T, the organization has announced. The PLA Digital Literacy Workshop Incentive is designed to support public libraries in their efforts to boost digital skills for all members of their communities. The workshops leverage online digital literacy courses that are available to anyone through DigitalLearn.org and AT&T ScreenReady®. The site’s digital literacy offerings cover everything from technology basics to how to avoid online scams.
Digital Resilience in the American Workforce (DRAW) Technical Assistance Pilot Program
The Digital Resilience in the American Workforce (DRAW) initiative, as part of NGA WIN Advisor Jobs for the Future, prepares adult education practitioners who support learners that struggle to fully engage in tasks that demand the use of digital technologies. The DRAW Professional Development Technical Assistant (TA) Pilot Program is a training program for instructors in adult digital literacy programs whose work is funded under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), as well as state professional development leaders. The pilot offers participants an opportunity to engage in peer learning and develop plans for using materials created by the DRAW team to enhance digital literacy instruction and make supplementary resources available to adult education learners. The program will include a webinar, state and local courses, and coaching will train instructors and state leads on how to integrate DRAW materials, methods, activities, and tools into their programs and professional development training. To learn more about the pilot and to complete the application visit the resource page here.
NGA and Upskill America Release New Brief | Leveraging the Digital Equity Act to Advance Digital Skills: A Guide for Business Leaders to Partner with State Policymakers
NGA WIN partnered with Advisor UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute to help prepare employers to engage in leveraging Digital Equity Act (DEA) investments to advance in-demand digital skills. This latest guide offers three key strategies and guiding questions for employers to contribute to DEA planning and implementation, as well as strategies for state policymakers to support and collaborate with employers:
- Study Your Skill Needs
- Tell Your Story
- Sustain Your Engagement
Network News
Free Workforce Trainings Expanded to More Hawaiʻi Residents (University of Hawai‘i):
More Hawaiʻi residents are now eligible to apply for free short-term trainings leading to industry credentials in the resilient sectors of healthcare, technology and the skilled trades through the Hana Career Pathways program. This program, provided through the University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges, connects students with work-based learning opportunities such as paid internships and guaranteed interviews with local employers, and also prepares students to apply for registered apprenticeships and related degree programs. It was recently expanded to include those who are currently employed.
Governor Cooper Announces $206M in GREAT Grants to Expand Internet Access in 69 Counties Across the State (Office of Governor Roy Cooper):
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced last month that nearly 85,000 households and more than 2,400 businesses in 69 counties are set to receive access to high-speed internet thanks to more than $206 million of Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants. This is the state’s largest round of GREAT grant awards to date. With this announcement, over $260 million in GREAT grants have been awarded to providers since July 2022.
Five More States to Receive Money from Capital Projects Fund (Broadband Breakfast):
The Treasury Department announced Tuesday that five more states – Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Nebraska and North Dakota – will receive grants from the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund to finance new broadband development. North Dakota will receive $45 million to address broadband deficiencies in tribal lands.
Oklahoma Hosts the National Governors Association Summer Workforce Symposium (Oklahoma Employment Security Commission):
The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC), in partnership with Governor Kevin Stitt and the National Governors Association (NGA), hosted the NGA Summer 2022 Workforce Symposium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The NGA Center for Best Practices Summer 2022 Symposium brought together workforce leaders from across the nation to highlight best practices across the country. The event ran from August 14 – 17 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Network Advisor Spotlight
The NGA WIN Advisory Network consists of stakeholders who support Network goals by advising and supporting NGA WIN state grantees, Governors, states, and NGA staff. Advisory members advise NGA on the development and delivery of programming and technical assistance to states as well as collaborate to identify opportunities for shared program delivery, coordinated technical assistance, new initiatives, resource development and more. This quarter we are especially grateful to one partner, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta is part of the central bank of the United States. The Federal Reserve System consists of twelve Reserve Banks located around the country and the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C. The Atlanta Fed territory covers the Sixth Federal Reserve District, which includes Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, and portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The Atlanta Fed’s Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity focuses on employment policies and labor market issues that affect low- and moderate-income individuals. It acts as a bridge between research and practice, connecting researchers, businesses, and policymakers with innovative approaches to creating economic opportunity through education and employment.
The Workforce Innovation Network is generously supported by its Founding Sponsor, the Cognizant Foundation, and is grateful to have additional sponsorship from Intel, Microsoft, Walmart, and Western Governors University.
