Workforce Innovation Network

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically reshaped large segments of the U.S. economy, resulting in the rapid loss of 20 million jobs and the closure and bankruptcy of thousands of small businesses, while accelerating trends toward automation and remote work. Governors have worked to secure assistance for displaced workers and affected businesses, meanwhile building new frameworks and interventions to support a more equitable economic recovery. As Governors lead efforts to promote equitable and forward-looking economic recovery in their states and territories, the Workforce Innovation Network helps facilitate innovative state-level policy solutions that improve employment and workforce outcomes.

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The Workforce Innovation Network (NGA WIN) is helping states build capacity for near-term innovation and longer-term strategy to prepare their workforces for a post-COVID-19 economy. NGA WIN serves as a non-partisan learning and action collaborative for state leaders who have demonstrated strong commitments to building a resilient workforce.

The Network is dedicated to:

  • Expanding access to essential support services
  • Rapidly connecting jobseekers to work
  • Advancing digital access and skill development
  • Enhancing job quality for all workers

With support from the Cognizant Foundation, Intel, Microsoft, Walmart, and Western Governors University, NGA is pleased to announce a second round of funding available from the Workforce Innovation Network (NGA WIN) and Workforce Innovation Fund. Launched in January with founding sponsorship from the Cognization Foundation, NGA WIN is dedicated to helping states respond to the impacts of COVID-19 on the labor market and improve employment and workforce outcomes. 

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    23Nov2021_Burgum

    “North Dakota’s workforce shortage remains the No. 1 barrier to economic growth in our state, and joining the NGA’s Workforce Innovation Network will help us ensure that North Dakotans have the digital skills they need to enter the workforce, pursue education or seek training opportunities.”

    Governor
    Doug Burgum
    23Nov2021_mckee

    "I am proud that Rhode Island is being nationally recognized for its forward-thinking solutions to driving business and getting Rhode Islanders back to work. This opportunity through NGA WIN will help keep our momentum going as we continue our economic recovery and train Rhode Islanders with the skills they need to secure better-paying jobs."

    Governor
    Dan McKee
    23Nov2021_stitt

    “I am committed to strengthening our state’s workforce and am proud to support the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission in this initiative. We have made intentional decisions over the last 19 months to help get Oklahomans back to work, adding countless jobs to the workforce and reducing our unemployment to one of the lowest in the nation. I look forward to making even more great strides in the future through this partnership."

    Governor
    Kevin Stitt
    23Nov2021_cooper

    “The pandemic is shining a bright light on the critical need for digital literacy. By joining the Workforce Innovation Network, we can help North Carolina employees gain the skills employers need them to have so people in the workforce are better paid and more effective for their companies."

    Governor
    Roy Cooper
    23Nov2021_ige

    “We have a strong team that includes diverse stakeholders with expertise to advance a coordinated strategic approach to digital equity throughout the state. This grant supports our shared vision of a diversified economy with a focus on digital access and equity.”

    Governor
    David Ige
    23Nov2021_pennsylvania

    "We either strengthen workforce development or we risk falling behind. We must be bold and ambitious and break from the status quo."

    Governor
    Tom Wolf
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    State Innovations

    • Spring 2021 Grantees - Coordinating Service Delivery for Jobseekers and Families
    • Fall 2021 Grantees – Advancing Digital Skill Development

    Round 1: Coordinating Service Delivery for Jobseekers and Families

    From March – July 2021, 10 states adopted a unique design to improve coordinated service delivery for jobseekers, with a goal of improving workforce and employment outcomes. State grantees applied an innovation design framework to identify and close gaps in jobseeker service delivery and connect jobseekers to education, work, or training in alignment with state workforce and economic recovery goals. Themes explored include human-centered design, data governance and sharing, local workforce area capacity building, and workforce system rebranding and marketing.

    Lessons Learned In Workforce Innovation: How Ten Governors are Redesigning Workforce Systems for Better Employment Outcomes

    To help states build capacity for innovation and interventions across the workforce system to support a more equitable economic recovery, ten Governors were selected to join the inaugural cohort of the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices Workforce Innovation Network (NGA WIN). Each state carried out a unique initiative aligned with its Governor’s workforce and economic recovery goals. This brief includes case studies of state objectives, activities, and outcomes achieved during the grant period.

    Read the Brief

    Round 2: Advancing Digital Skill Development for Equitable Economic Participation

    State grantees will receive grant funding and technical assistance to advance digital skill development for equitable economic participation in alignment with state workforce and economic development goals. The NGA Center will engage staff and subject matter experts to provide targeted technical assistance to Hawaii, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island from November 2021 – June 2022.

    Lessons Learned In Workforce Innovation: How Six States Are Planning To Advance Digital Skills For Equitable Economic Participation

    To help states develop innovative, long-term plans to close digital skills gaps, meet employers’ talent needs and develop a workforce that is more resilient in the face of digital transformation, six Governors were selected to join the second cohort of the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices Workforce Innovation Network (NGA WIN). Each state developed a strategic plan to increase digital skills attainment in alignment with their Governor’s workforce and economic development goals.

    This brief includes lessons learned and case studies of state innovations achieved during the grant period and a framework for other states to develop their own plan to advance digital skills.

    Read the Brief

    Using Data To Advance Digital Skills: A State Playbook

    The Digital Equity Act (DEA), a provision within the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117–58), includes a historic federal investment to promote digital equity, literacy, and inclusion. In particular, the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program will award nearly $1.5 billion in federal funds to states to support the development and implementation of Digital Equity Plans to promote digital equity and digital skill development. Governors have authority to select the entity that administers these plans and may select one of many eligible entities to implement the host of new grant programs that, together, can help states close the digital divide through promoting access, affordability, and adoption of digital technologies. To assist states in closing digital skill gaps and preparing for digital equity planning, this brief offers key questions and resources for state leaders to consider.

    Read the Brief

    Leveraging The Digital Equity Act To Advance Digital Skills: A Guide For Business Leaders To Partner With State Policymakers

    Nearly one-third of workers in the United States lack digital skills, creating talent and growth issues for businesses of all sizes. The Digital Equity Act will deploy $2.75 billion to advance foundational and industry-specific digital skills. As state policymakers prepare plans to bridge the digital divide, employers can help them better understand the digital skills gap and collaborate on solutions. This guide, developed in partnership between UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices Workforce Innovation Network, offers three key strategies and accompanying guiding questions for employers to contribute to DEA planning and implementation.

    Read the Brief

    Workforce Innovation Resource Hub

    Resources from Workforce Innovation Network Advisors and Partners

    Career Pathway Navigation and Supports

    Job Quality and Economic Mobility

    Workforce Equity and Inclusion

    Labor and Education Data Systems

    Digital Access and Skill Development

    Sample State and Local Digital Equity Plans

    Industry-specific Fact Sheets on Digital Skills

    Digital Skill Discussion Guides and Templates

    Sample Digital Skill Frameworks

    Stakeholder Engagement Tools and Resources

    Digital Equity Act (DEA) and Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Resources

    Digital Equity Reports and Research

    Resource Libraries from WIN Network Members

    Workforce Innovation Network Advisors and Partners

    The Workforce Innovation Network, State Roadmap for Workforce Recovery publication, and Creating an Agenda for Workforce Recovery workshop series are generously supported by the Cognizant Foundation.

    “As we continue to address the inequities stemming from COVID’s economic impact, Governors will play a critical role in deploying workforce strategies in communities across the country. We look forward to seeing this network evolve as states build, implement and share innovative workforce strategies that get people back to work and into family-sustaining wages.”

    Kristen Titus, Executive Director, Cognizant Foundation

    State Roadmap For Workforce Recovery

    In the Fall of 2020, the NGA Center hosted Creating an Agenda for Workforce Recovery, a four-part design workshop series to help states frame key challenges faced by their workforce, define short- and long-term recovery goals, and foster innovation and teamwork to improve workforce outcomes. Content and conversations gathered from more than 100 state and industry leaders during this series have been compiled in the State Roadmap for Workforce Recovery. This roadmap offers a first-of-its-kind framework for organizing state workforce response and recovery activities to accomplish four critical objectives that can support a stronger and more equitable post-pandemic future:

    • Expand access to essential support services
    • Rapidly connect jobseekers to work
    • Advance digital access and skill development
    • Enhance job quality for all

    For each of these four objectives, the roadmap organizes state planning activities and policy strategies across three essential phases of recovery: Respond, Restart, and Recover. Evidence already demonstrates that states will necessarily transition between these phases at different times and may propose varying definitions of these phases in their recovery plans. For this reason, this roadmap is not intended to specify a single or linear path. Instead, it offers a framework for addressing these four critical objectives in a way that will support a strong and equitable recovery.

    Learn More…

    States Participating in the Network Benefit from:

    • Peer learning and collaboration with other member states to identify best practices and share lessons learned across the education and workforce development system
    • Connections to NGA‘s partners, including corporate partners and national nonprofit organizations
    • Access to technical assistance including webinars, facilitated peer-to-peer learning, virtual state site visits and more

    Workshops & Events

    The NGA Center and its network of technical assistance partners host virtual and in-person workshops for Network members designed to:  

    • Identify and share best practices related to data infrastructure, data sharing and data use for improved service delivery
    • Incorporate equity and inclusion into state recovery planning to improve employment and workforce outcomes, particularly for populations that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19
    • Integrate technology and digital navigation tools to increase access to, and outcomes of, virtual and in-person employment and support services
    • Engage employers to train and hire new employees, prioritizing jobs that pay a living wage or more

    Grant Funding & Customized Technical Assistance

    States proposals accepted for funding from the Workforce Innovation Fund will be eligible to receive:

    • Support in developing a state action plan and policy recommendations to develop or scale innovations that increase employment and deliver stronger workforce outcomes
    • Up to $100,000 in grant funding to support personnel and project coordination to carry out state innovations
    • Virtual or in-person site visits and regular coaching calls from NGA Center staff, as well as national experts and consultants to meet individual state needs and priorities

    Resources & Tools

    • Receive early access to innovative tools designed by peers in the field and be paired with experts to carry out state innovations
    • Building upon policy conversations from the State Roadmap for Workforce Recovery, the NGA Center will publish resources to highlight emerging innovations developed by participating states

    Hawai’i

    NGA WIN will enable Hawai’i to identify key barriers to accessing digital skill development and coordinate across state agencies to develop a comprehensive plan to close identified gaps. The state will build upon Hawai’i’s first grant from the NGA Workforce Innovation Fund by prioritizing skills needed to access online services and training, including through the state’s new innovative service delivery platform, HI Career Access Navigator (HI CAN).

    North Carolina

    NGA WIN will enable North Carolina to train and connect residents with high-paying digital careers and employment opportunities. The state will develop and pilot a Virtual Connectivity Hub and hire a Digital Navigator to facilitate ease of access to critical resources and training. These efforts will contribute to toward the state’s goal to rebuild the middle class by eliminating the digital divide by 2025.

    North Dakota

    NGA WIN will enable North Dakota to gather data on digital skill gaps and develop a comprehensive state plan to increase digital equity for adults, especially those in rural, tribal, and New American communities. To state plans to launch new public and private partnerships to address gaps identified, including leveraging WIOA Governor’s set-aside funding.

    Oklahoma

    NGA WIN will enable Oklahoma to transform the way people have historically engaged with the workforce by ensuring that all Oklahomans have the digital skills they need to access virtual training and supportive services. The Oklahoma team plans to target digital skill development in communities that face the widest digital literacy gaps, including rural communities, to meet the industry demands of the technological sector.

    Pennsylvania

    NGA WIN will enable Pennsylvania to establish a statewide definition of digital literacy, gather new data on significant digital skill gaps, assess available resources, and build a sustainable action plan to close the digital skill gap. The state plans to leverage new data tools to measure the digital divide to establish digital literacy skill development programs and build equitable skill attainment in high-need communities.

    Rhode Island

    NGA WIN will enable Rhode Island to launch a multi-stakeholder, statewide coalition that will be responsible for developing and implementing a multi-year digital inclusion plan. The coalition will launch focus groups, surveys, and convenings, culminating in policy recommendations for the Governor. The digital inclusion coalition plans to operate beyond June 2022 with the goal of creating continued partnerships and interventions to benefit those who struggle the most to compete in a digital workforce.

    Washington

    NGA WIN will enable Washington to map available resources and launch a collective impact campaign to connect the most economically vulnerable jobseekers with clear, navigable routes to livable wages in high-demand, high-wage fields. Washington’s WIN team will also identify performance metrics to help track the state’s progress towards this goal.

    Nevada

    NGA WIN will enable Nevada to launch Job Force, a new initiative to coordinate job training and placement assets for improved service delivery. The team will target jobseekers who have not previously engaged in the workforce system, especially those who had been working in the hospitality industry.

    Arizona

    NGA WIN will enable Arizona to create a one-stop digital delivery system, with a specific focus on enhancing the digital literacy skills of jobseekers. This system will feature a comprehensive application and delivery of services that meets the needs and serves clients across state and local workforce system partners.

    Colorado

    NGA WIN will enable Colorado to operationalize the workforce development of the state’s economic recovery plan, CO POWER ’21, operationalize equity in workforce response services, and adopt the first statewide definition of job quality.

    Missouri

    NGA WIN will enable Missouri to develop an action plan to increase jobseeker engagement in its workforce development programs by 60 percent by 2025. The team will work to examine journey maps which show different regional processes to inform improvements to service delivery and jobseeker outreach and engagement.

    Illinois

    NGA WIN will enable Illinois to gather new data on the obstacles facing high-risk, jobseeking veterans and develop an action plan to pilot a coordinated-service delivery model to improve job training and placement outcomes for veterans, which may serve as a model for coordinating service for other populations in the future.

    Alabama

    NGA WIN will enable Alabama to launch the Skills-Based Recovery Initiative, a capstone demonstration project to offer employers technical assistance to create skills-based job descriptions using the Alabama Occupational Ontology.

    Maine

    NGA WIN will enable Maine to implement the state’s ten-year economic development strategy, primarily focused on the ‘Grow Local Talent’ strategy for jobseekers. The team will prioritize aligning workforce programs to support jobseekers in engaging in the continuing education to achieve credentials for career advancement, and work across state agencies to coordinate business marketing, outreach, and engagement efforts to streamline business access to workforce services and talent.

    Hawai’i

    NGA WIN will enable Hawai’i to identify key barriers to accessing digital skill development and coordinate across state agencies to develop a comprehensive plan to close identified gaps. The state will build upon Hawai’i’s first grant from the NGA Workforce Innovation Fund by prioritizing skills needed to access online services and training, including through the state’s new innovative service delivery platform, HI Career Access Navigator (HI CAN).

    New Mexico

    NGA WIN will enable New Mexico to launch and brand ReadyNM, a campaign to connect jobseekers and employers and to amplify awareness of workforce and supportive services. A new website will be launched mid-May.

    Hawaiʻi

    NGA WIN will enable Hawaiʻi to research and design the state’s first human-centered, digital one-stop shop to provide jobseekers with easy access to essential support services, training and upskilling.