WORKENOMICS

Work·e·nom·ics means workforce development and economic development woven together

ORGANIZATION

These are the ongoing functions of Workenomics for 2010 and beyond.

Strategy: Workforce Data Clearinghouse

The core mission of Workenomics is to support economic development’s need for workforce

data relevant to capital investment attraction. The data must be timely, consistent, and up to

date. It must be readily available to all site developers and economic development

professionals for deployment. A major update to the data should be conducted by Fall 2010.

Strategy: R&E Support

Support of existing industry is a key function of all workforce development and economic

development organizations in Licking County. Workenomics must support Licking County’s

R&E program by providing a workforce linkage to problem solving, attacking the workforce

issues identified from the R&E data and overall, lending support to the volunteer component

of interviewing and seeking to interview local firms. This is an ongoing function in 2010.

Strategy: Website

Workenomics’ website is in need of regular attention to keep it up to date and relevant. A

major update is needed by mid 2010.

Strategy: “Face” of Workenomics

A single point of contact should emerge from Workenomics whom is perceived as neutral by

the local workforce and economic development providers and also credible by the business

prospects. This “face” should be careful to not be confused as a point of contact for a

economic development deal but as the workforce development czar for a deal. Every major,

new project should see the “face” of Workenomics. This is an ongoing function.

Strategy: Ad Hoc Committee

No single person can be expected to replace the breadth and depth of knowledge available

from a team approach to solving employer-driven workforce concerns. Any member can call

upon the Ad Hoc Committee to recommendation solutions to a single employer’s workforce

needs. This tool aids investment attraction as well as retention of existing employers. Every

major, new project should know of the availability of the Workenomics Ad Hoc Team.

Strategy: Networking with State Workforce Agencies

A key to long-term funding sustainability and influencing new programs to the favor of Licking

County is being known by and knowing the players in the state workforce development arena.

Strategy: Membership Management

Starting in September 2011, members will be identified as to workforce and economic

development and be asked to make a financial contribution (and/or re-contributions) to the future success.

Strategy: Branding of Workenomics

An ongoing strategy is to achieve a consistent look and feel of Workenomics with consistency

from website to e-mails to printed materials. This is a focus in 2010 and ongoing.

PROJECTS

A number of initiatives have been conceived over the years as needed to improve Licking

County’s integration of talent to investment attraction. This is a two-year strategy.

Year 1 Strategy:  Talent Retention Program

Recognizing the existing and projected workforce shortages, a campaign aimed at talent

retention from a variety of fronts is the top new initiative to be started in 2010. A registration type

network of resources will assembled in combination with the State of Ohio’s job seeker

database OhioMeansJobs.com. The system will seek to register talent in the region so as to

achieve greater demographic information on active jobs seekers and, through integration with

investment attraction, make real-time talent data available for use in attracting investment while

helping employers graduate from data to reality by connecting with that available talent.

In addition to the traditional job seekers, the system will include a target-marketed campaign

to reach talent with these profiles:

• Commuters: Over 40% of the county’s workforce commutes out of the area for work. In a

labor shortage and high cost of commuting environment, it is hoped that commuters can be

aided to find work closer to home as opposed to moving closer to their work.

• Homesick Ohioans: The database will be an effort to reach out to Ohioans who have left

the state for employment but has a desire to return for the right job. This should be tied to

the OhioMeansHome.com effort at the state level.

• Reverse Brain Drain: Young professionals who have left the region for job opportunities

but with sought-after talent and a desire to return for the right job.

• Retiree Resources: A major demographic in Ohio and, in particular, this region is the aging

workforce. Workenomics believes the future workforce will often call for shorter-term,

project-based workers.

Development professionals will have real-time workforce data and talent information available

at their finger tips as they are in contact with capital investment decision makers. Site location

decision makers will have a larger-than-normal pool of talent to draw from when answering

their workforce needs. Ultimately, employers will be able to tap that larger pool to fulfill

workforce talent needs.

Year 1 Strategy:  Retirees Database

As part of the talent retention strategy, Workenomics should maintain a database of retirees

willing to serve as shorter-term, project-based workers.

Year 1 Strategy:  Training Slots Scheduling

Often, training providers providing on-site training have open slots available.  By the end of 2010,

Workenomics should possess the ability to seek out such openings and serve to

more widely communicate them to potential slot fillers and job seekers.

Year 1 Strategy:  Targeted Industry—Workforce Components

The region enjoys a strong manufacturing base with a history and a strong story to tell in

advanced materials (glass, metals, fiberglass, etc.), building material products, and food

production. It is expected that the Licking County Chamber and economic development teams

will have honed in on a targeted industry campaign by the end of 2010.

Workenomics will hone in on the key workforce attractants of targeted industry sectors

identified. This effort also includes summarizing the demographic capabilities as well as the

access to local workforce support infrastructure that fit a particularly industry. The ultimate

goal is to promise, and then deliver on, an available pool of workers ready to go for future

expansion and development in the region. Thus, the effort becomes an investment-attraction tool.

Year 1 Strategy:  Internships Program

A component of talent retention is finding jobs for college students in the area. The State of

Ohio through the Third Frontier Program and a yet-to-be-announced Board of Regents

stimulus program make funding available, including administrative funding for local administrators.

Local industry has shown a demand for interns. Workenomics should, at a minimum, be a

catalyst for the establishment of an internship program in Licking County focused on

manufacturers.

Year 2 Strategy:  Grant Funding and Funding Sustainability

The funding model for Workenomics envisions grant funding and administrative funding calls

for outside resources to be sought. By the close of year two, a comprehensive funding model

is needed to sustain Workenomics and its projects.

Year 2 Strategy:  Labor Shed Mapping

A trend in site selection shows the need to be proactive in providing labor shed maps for

specific industry and skill sets. By 2011, key industry labor shed maps should be a major

component of the Workenomics data offerings.

Year 2 Strategy:  2010 Census Integration

The earliest data from the 2010 Census will begin to become available starting in 2011. In

order to be and appear to be on the cutting edge, Workenomics must be among the first to

deploy this Census data in its data clearinghouse materials. Starting in 2010, Workenomics

should consider encouraging local citizens to understand the importance of the Census and

the “long form” to the work Workenomics does.

Year 2 Strategy: Regionalized Approach

Though ongoing, the beginnings of a regional approach for Workenomics should be taking

shape by 2011.

Year 2 Strategy:  Workenomics “Franchise”

A possible funding source as well as a justification for many grants is the ability for

Workenomics to be replicable and scalable in other communities and regions. By 2011, the

concept of a Workenomics franchise must be fully ready for deployment elsewhere.

Membership Levels

Membership in Workenomics gives organizations a voice in shaping the future of efforts to marry

workforce development and economic development for the growth and benefit of Licking County and

our Ohio region.

Members mirror the strong public-private legacy of Workenomics and include local governments,

social service organizations, utilities, economic development organizations, developers, real estate

brokers and educational providers.

Workenomics is a member-driven organization that is an affiliate of the Licking County Chamber of

Commerce. Members will be able to participate in the strategic development of the organization

while also benefitting directly and indirectly from the work of the organization.

There are four levels of membership in Workenomics. There is no benefit derived at each level

greater than another level except a public recognition of the organization’s commitment to the

success of Workenomics. Funding is in cash and steering committee-accepted in-kind

contributions. The steering committee can waive, at its discretion, funding requirements for reasons

of distress. Associate members may also join at any of these membership levels based on the level

of funding provided.

Platinum

Members at the Platinum Level are leaders in workforce and economic

development wishing to demonstrate a top-level commitment. Though not a prerequisite,

members whose representatives serve on the Steering Committee are

encouraged to participate at this funding level or raise funds at this level.

FUNDING LEVEL: $10,000 per year or more

Gold

Members at the Gold Level are leaders in workforce development and economic

development from among the most active workforce and/or economic development

providers in Licking County. Beneficiaries of the demographic info and services

provided by Workenomics are encouraged to participate at this funding level.

FUNDING LEVEL: $5,000 per year or more

Silver

Members at the Silver Level are among those involved those in a support role in

workforce development or economic development and wish to demonstrate a

strong commitment to Workenomics. Service providers and potential beneficiaries

of Workenomics services are encouraged to participate at this funding level.

FUNDING LEVEL: $2,000 per year or more

Bronze

Members at the Bronze Level are those involved in Workenomics where workforce

and/or economic development account for less than half of their day-to-day

function. Also, based on economic distress, member organizations may be

accepted by the Steering Committee at a lower funding level than the minimum.

FUNDING LEVEL: $1,000 per year or less depending on economic status