Pennsylvania Partners

This interactive panel discussion will highlight the PA Department of Education, Adult Basic and Literacy Education programs and the opportunities they provide to more fully prepare job seekers for employment, advancement in current jobs, and transitioning to postsecondary education, as well as experiences working with employers to provide customized basic skills instruction. Workforce Investment Act Title II workforce development partners play an active role in both the PA CareerLink® and the community to advance the educational skills of adults.

Presenters:

Luke Suereth

Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education, PA Department of Education

Paula Smith

Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education, PA Department of Education

ABLE Provider Panel

(Education & Literacy/Workforce & Economic Development)

Regional Employment Dynamics in Green Jobs – Implications for Workforce Development

Crystal A

The workshop is built on a case study conducted by the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board for the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. It focuses on three main components: 1) methodology used to segment green jobs and to assess employment trends in each of the segments factoring in age and sex of the workers; 2) analysis of employment trends and implications for the regional labor market; and 3) broader recommendations for workforce development. The workshop will encourage audience participation in sharing best practices or in initiating cross-state collaboration in similar efforts.

Presenter:

Vera Krekanova Krofcheck

Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board

(Green Jobs/Workforce & Economic Development)

2010 Self-Sufficiency Standard for Pennsylvania: How Can Workforce Professionals and Employers Take Advantage of It?

Empire A

The presenters will discuss the 2010 Self-Sufficiency Standard for Pennsylvania, with an emphasis on how workforce professionals and employers can take advantage of this new publication. This workshop will include examples of how the standard has been used in Pennsylvania and nationwide. It will also provide an overview of the Online Training and Benefits Eligibility Toolkit, which shows families their personal Self-Sufficiency Standard and links to public benefits screenings and Workforce Investment Act trainings.

Presenters:

Carol Goertzel

PathWays PA

Marianne Bellesorte

PathWays PA

(Policy/Workforce & Economic Development)

Rehabilitative Services Activity for TANF Clients

Empire B

Some TANF clients have mental health and substance abuse issues that stand in the way of their successful participation in employment and training programs. Pennsylvania is now eligible to count some of the time spent in rehabilitative services as a work activity for the purposes of counting core hours. County Assistance Offices and provider staff attending the workshop will learn how to make clients aware of these services and how to properly manage the activity.

Presenter:

Jesse Kowalick

Bureau of Employment and Training Programs, PA Department of Public Welfare

(Overcoming Barriers to Employment/TANF)

‘It’s Not Easy Being Green’

Empire C

Join the National Work Certified team and Kermit D. Frog for some fun and information about the greening of Work Certified, the Work Certified Academy, the new TANF program, Overcoming Barriers to Successful Employment, the Work Certified/Work Keys connection and the YESS (Youth Employment Success Solutions) program that is responsible for increased retention numbers for summer youth participants. Do you want to make a difference in your participants’ lives? If so, attend this workshop.

John Kraczkowski

Work Certified Solutions

Susan Waller

Work Certified Solutions

Linda Kopcha

Work Certified Academy

(Green Jobs/Overcoming Barriers to Employment/Workforce & Economic Development/Youth)

E4: Developing the 21^st Century Workforce through Career Education

Partnerships with School Districts

Empire D

This session will present a model Regional Career Education Program (E4) that assists schools in developing comprehensive strategies for integrating the Career Education and Work Standards (CEWS) into an existing K-12 curriculum, while creating connections among educators, employers and community-based organizations.

Presenters:

Micah Frankenfield

Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board

Dan Paul

Allegheny Intermediate Unit

(Education & Literacy/Youth)

PA Center for Green Careers: A Conduit for Green Career Training

Magnolia A

Join the Green Jobs Revolution, and find out what Pennsylvania is doing to prepare the emerging green workforce. Pennsylvania is among the states with the highest number of green jobs. Advanced workforce policies and wise investments have made the state a national leader in creating and fostering a green economy. By creating the Center for Green Careers, the PA Department of Labor & Industry has established a conduit for growth in the green careers sector, helping to identify and meet the demand for green career occupations across the state.

Presenter:

Steve Wolf

PA Center for Green Careers

Employers from Green Industries

(Green Jobs/Workforce & Economic Development)

Navigating the Mine Fields: Benefits, Vocational Rehabilitation and Other Services for Veterans with Disabilities

Magnolia B

This workshop will outline the benefits and services available to veterans in Pennsylvania who may experience mental illness, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injury or other disabilities. Community resources will be discussed. The vocational rehabilitation services available through both the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Veterans Vocational Rehabilitation Program will be discussed. In addition, the process of appealing a denial of service connected to veterans’ disability benefits will be described.

Presenters:

Stephen Pennington

Pennsylvania Client Assistance Program

Lee Lippi

Pennsylvania Client Assistance Program

Jamie Ray-Leonetti

Pennsylvania Client Assistance Program

(Overcoming Barriers to Employment)

Partnering to Develop Training for Green Jobs

Magnolia C

Developing new programs quickly for green training with stretched staff and resources is a challenge. One way to accomplish this is to partner with external organizations. This is the approach that was used when the PA Department of Environmental Protection partnered with the Montgomery County Community College to develop a program to train and certify water treatment operators.

Presenters:

Suzanne Holloman

Montgomery County Community College

Jenifer Fields

PA Department of Environmental Protection

Rosalind Johnson

Montgomery County Community College

(Green Jobs)