Strategic Plan

- Executive Summary -

As part of our Strategic Plan process, an environmental scan of the our region has been conducted.  The following goals and action steps have been developed as a result of that data collection effort.  Complete Environmental Scan results are available upon request.

1. Improve Academic Performance in the Region

    a.    Increase the number of GED and High School completers.

        1).  Serve 20 new participants each year.

        2).  Work with other Adult Education funding sources/agencies to insure non-duplicative services.

        3).  Establish reliable and non-duplicative data base of service levels and performance outcomes to enable accurate measurement of goal achievement.

    b.    Increase the number of college enrollments in two years and technical training programs.

        1).  Utilize Workforce Investment Act, JET, Michigan Rehab Service, and other partner funding sources to increase enrollment of participants in two year or certificate programs.

        2).  Increase enrollment by 2% each year for five years.

        3).  Promote the No Worker Left Behind Initiative.

        4).  Establish and maintain reliable data base to track these enrollments and outcomes.

    c.        Improve student basic skills as measured by MEAP.

        1).  Encourage local schools and I.S.D.'s to continue efforts to improve MEAP outcomes. 

        2).  Become aware of local efforts to improve MEAP results and provide funding assistance where possible.

        3).  Use WIA and JET funds to improve basic skills of in-school youth participants through tutoring and other individualized assessments.

        4).  Establish a goal that 75% of all students in Western U.P. schools will "pass" the MEAP tests.

2.    Improve Workforce Readiness by concentrating training and education efforts on the person who may not be immediately workforce attached upon graduation from high school, and who is not planning to attend a four year degree program.

    a.    Insure that all phases of the workforce development system are made available to this target group.

        1).  Establish joint marketing effort by partner agencies to better inform in-school students and out-of-school adults as to education, training, and other workforce readiness services available to them.

        2).  Develop appropriate printed material and web-site information.

        3).  Initiate at least one major information distribution campaign in the region each year regarding the availability of workforce readiness services.

    b.    Increase the availability of occupational training options at both  K-12 and Associate Degree levels.

        1).  Use WIA and JET funds as "seed money" to design and establish at least one short-term vocational training offering in the region each year to serve youth and/or adults.

    c.    Promote the use of EDP's and portfolio's in the school systems and by local employers.

        1).  Through a deliberate and targeted effort, inform at least 50 employers each year how EDP's and portfolios are utilized in the school systems, and that such information can be accessed by employers in their new hire recruitment.

    d.    Work with Principals and Counselors to promote career awareness throughout the K-12 system.

        1).  Make at least five in person visits to K-12 school systems each year by partner agency representatives to determine level of career awareness activities.

        2).  Develop efforts consistent with goal 3 in those school districts willing to participate.

    e.    Insure that local employers connect with students throughout their High School career.

        1).  Develop activities consistent with goal 3.

3.   Improve Communication between Employers and Education/Training Community

    a.    Develop a pool of local employers willing to be utilized as resources for student and teacher in-service activities.

        1).  Develop at least one pool of local employers from a multi-community area each year for 5 years.

    b.    Develop a consistent and do-able system in each County to insure that these communications links can be sustained throughout each school year.

        1).  Analyze effectiveness of effort from both the employer, student, and teacher perspectives and make necessary adjustments.

4.    Encourage Training/Education Opportunities for Existing Workers to Upgrade Skills

    a.    Inform employers concerning all of the resources and options available to them in terms o both services/programs and facilities.

        1).  Through Goal 2c, insure that employers are fully aware of services available to them.

        2).  Make at least 5 presentations to employer groups.

        3).  Encourage the use of Incumbent Worker Training funds.

    b.    Insure that the flexibility provided by State and Federal program funds to serve currently employed workers is utilized to its fullest.

        1).  Work with WDB's, CEO's and EAG's to develop programming policies that will accomplish goal.

        2).  Utilize MI Works funds to provide workplace literacy service.

    c.    Inform the education/training system about the resources and options available to them to serve employers.

        1).  Accomplish this goal through activity reflected in goal 2b and 2d.

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