Eastern Washington

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Eastern Washington Agriculture and Food
Processing Partnership
Click to Proceed
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Introduction

• Agriculture and Food Processing employers are
  deeply concerned over the shortage of workers
  with the skills needed to keep pace with
  technology.
• Employers are constantly tested in their ability
  to retain existing workers who need more skills
  to work in modern production plants.

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• At the same time, the workforce is severely
  challenged by corporate downsizing, mergers and
  acquisitions, relocation, and the need to keep
  pace with technology.
• The education, training, and information
  available to most workers is often insufficient
  to deal with technology-driven changes in the
  workplace.

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• This Partnership demonstrates the benefits of
  building systematic and sustained goal-oriented
  relationships targeted at skill shortages in the
  industry.
• You will see how strong ties are built between
  growers, packers, food processors and their
  partners.
• This project brought together valuable but
  isolated industry curricula, skill standards,
  training delivery systems, current employer data
  on skill shortages and skill gaps, lessons
  learned and employment resources that provide a
  cohesive training system for future workforce
  demands.

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Partners

• Workforce Development Councils
• Benton-Franklin
• North Central Washington/Columbia Basin
• The Eastern Washington Partnership
• Tri-County
• Other State Partners
• The State Board for Community and Technical
  Colleges
• Washington Training and Education Board
• Governors Office
• Office of Trade and Economic Development
• Washington State Employment Security
• Washington State Labor Council
• Department of Agriculture

• Business and Labor
• Northwest Food Processors Association
• Washington Growers League
• Teamsters
• Operating Engineers
• Community and Technical Colleges
• Big Bend
• Columbia Basin
• Walla Walla
• Wenatchee
• Yakima Valley
• Community Based Organizations
• YVOIC

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Outcomes

• 785 Incumbent Worker TRAININGS
• 26 Customized COURSES Developed
• 38 Training SESSIONS Conducted
• 50 Industry WORK-SITES Participating
• 325,000 TUITION Paid by Grant
• 480,000 MATCH by Industry

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Demonstration Project Results

• The opportunity for
• Workforce Partnerships.
• Initiating Agricultural Workforce Development.
• Collaboration among state, federal,
  private-sector, and workforce development
  organizations.
• Four (4) WDCs across nineteen (19) counties to
  be Responsive to the Eastern Washington
  agriculture industry.
• Reduction of Industry Skill Gaps.
• Recognition of Washington State Employment
  Security Department as an effective coordinator
  of skill upgrades.
• Recognition of local/regional Workforce
  Development Councils as effective
  clearing-house coordinators of skill upgrades.
• Recognition of an industry-lead Labor Management
  Committee as an effective coordinator of skill
  upgrades.
• Industry Layoff Aversion.
• Incumbent worker Job Retention.
• Affordable Tuition Rates.

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More Demonstration Project Results

• The opportunity for
• Incumbent worker Promotions.
• Incumbent worker Wage Increases.
• Skill Upgrades.
• A fresh approach to designing Program Development
  concepts.
• Witnessing the value of Customized Curriculum
  designed according to industry needs.
• Training Provider Flexibility.
• Creative Service Delivery.
• Sustained Training in Agriculture and Food
  Processing.
• Capitalizing on the Momentum of a successful
  Public/Private Partnership Model.
• Workforce development organizations to understand
  Trends and Gains magnified in quality skill
  upgrades.
• Real Results for industry, incumbent workers,
  Washington State, and the Federal Government.

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Industry Says
Food Processing companies that use skill
standards and associated assessment tools are on
the leading edge of workforce development in the
United States. This Association encourages its
members to enhance their competitive position by
implementing skill standards (for use as an
assessment/development tool) in one or more of
the following areas recruiting/employment,
performance appraisals, pay standards and
training. Dave Klick, Executive Vice President,
Northwest Food Processors Association.
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Industry Says

• In the extremely competitive global economic
  environment in which we operate, Washington
  agricultural producers and processors need to
  focus on adaptation of new technology, and
  lowering the cost of production while maintaining
  the highest quality of food products for our
  nation. Agriculture must have people with the
  skills to implement the new technology. Skill
  standards will enable Washington agriculture to
  meet its human resource needs in the most
  efficient way possible and to develop our
  workforce to stay competitive.
• Mike Gempler, Executive Director, Washington
  Growers League

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Education Says.

• Preparing a highly skilled workforce in
  partnership with the Agriculture and Food
  Processing industry is a smart investment in
  rural communities and is a strategy for staying
  competitive on a regional, national and global
  level.
• Dr. Steven L. VanAusdle, President, Walla Walla
  Community College.
• This partnership has enabled our colleges to
  better respond in preparing future workers and
  providing training for current workers, all based
  upon industry standards and expectations.
• Dr. Ron Langrell, Vice President of Instruction,
  Walla Walla Community College.

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Workforce Development Councils Say.

• This project has demonstrated opportunity for
  Workforce Partnerships across the agricultural
  industry with strategic collaboration among
  state, federal, private-sector and workforce
  development organizations. WDCs now have a model
  that is responsive to reducing industry skill
  gaps.
• It also demonstrates that local/regional
  Workforce Development Councils are effective
  clearing houses for coordinating skill
  upgrades.
• Patrick Baldoz, Executive Director, Tri-County
  Workforce Development Council.

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Department of Labor Says

• Economies of scale create new possibilities.
• Bureaucracy was minimized.
• Labor/management collaborations attracted other
  partners.
• Strong, creative, strategic leadership.
• Integration of federal, state, and private
  dollars.
• Application to other industries.
• Awarded a national Pyramid Award, September 2002.

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Employment Security Says

• The successful lessons learned from this
  award-winning new model have already spread to
  neighboring states and other industries within
  Washington, Mundy said. The program
  fundamentally changed how training institutions
  and government entities helped catalyze new
  training for existing workers. It took the old
  adage listen to your customer and made it real
  in a way that has led to stronger businesses and
  increased income for a group of workers who
  traditionally have seen few career opportunities.
  As a result, the partnership has helped reshape
  the future of agricultural and food industries in
  Washington and beyond.
• Dr. Sylvia P. Mundy, Washington State Employment
  Security Commissioner

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Partnership Oversight
A labor management committee established in 1995
provided direction and guidance for
training/education service providers to ensure
training programs meet the needs of
agriculture/food processing/packing
house employers and their employees.
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Leadership and Management

• Dual leadership and management of the
  partnership was established between an industry
  association (providing the content/context) and a
  local workforce development council/board who had
  experience managing state and federal funds.

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Labor Management Committee Goals

• Identify training/education needs of the
  customers (Employers and current and transitional
  workers.)
• Provide monitoring and oversight to ensure
  training/educational programs meet employers and
  current and transitional workers needs that are
  cost effective.
• Provide leadership to secure funding in support
  of training/educational programs.
• Identify on-going industry research and
  development opportunities for employers and
  current and transitional workers to have access
  to current information and trends in
  training/educational programs.
• Identify methods for core competencies,
  performance standards, and evaluation of
  training/educational programs.

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The Sustainable Goals

• Assess the industry employment and training needs
  for the next 5 years.
• Develop and implement additional skill standards.
• Expand curricula based on industry skill
  standards.
• Develop a cross industry job ladder.
• Expand incumbent workers basic skills and
  technology training on-the-job.

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Funding

• Funding for this Partnership came from four
  sources.
• Department of Labor
• Washington State
• Washington State SKILLS program
• Industry In-Kind and Match

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Integration of Federal and State Resources
United States Department of Labor 750,000
Total Investment 3 Million
Industry Match in Excess of 1.5 Million

Total 1.3 Million
Washington State STIWP 500,000


Washington State SKILLS Program 65,000
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Skill Training For Incumbent Worker Program
(STIWP)

• STIWP was developed to provide direct training
  money as part of the partnership. This would meet
  the immediate needs of employers to provide skill
  upgrades for workers to fill known skill gaps and
  potentially lead to promotion for workers and
  more profitability for businesses.

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Washington State SKILLS Funding

• A train-the-trainer curriculum -
  Introduction to Food Processing was developed by
  a SKILLS panel (with industry subject matter
  experts) to integrate basic skills and basic
  technical food manufacturing skills that every
  worker must have to obtain and keep a job in
• the industry.

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Partnership Deliverables

• For the Department of Labor
• Two Skill Standards
• Skill Gap Assessment Model
• Individual Training Plans
• Pilot Training for a minimum of 50 people.
• A Job Ladder
• Industry Research
• A sustainability plan
• Partnership evaluation
• For the State of Washington
• Direct training in areas of crisis for a minimum
  of 400 people.
• Development of a local SKILLS panel and the
  Introduction to Food Processing curriculum

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ResearchNorthwest Policy Center, University of
Washington Evans School of Public Affairs

• The Agriculture and Food Processing Industry
  employs 230,000 workers
• (4.7 of all employment in the state)
• and is undergoing significant change (global
  competition, increased use of technology,
  restructuring).

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Employer Survey Results

• 80 have difficulty hiring retaining skilled
  and semi-skilled workers.
• 61 train and promote entry level workers from
  within the company as the primary source of
  skilled and semi-skilled workers.
• 60 report their workers lack general academic
  and English language skills.

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Recommended Strategies for Closing the Skill Gaps

• Make industry skill standards user-friendly by
  designing easy to use training tools.
• Promote skill standards form public/private
  partnerships to pilot them.
• Expand adult basic education and English as a
  Second language tied to industry training needs.
• Provide incumbent worker training and skill
  upgrades at convenient times and locations.
• Create career/wage ladders in broad skill areas.

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Agriculture Job Ladder

Few High Skill Jobs
Many Low Skill Jobs
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Food Processing Job Ladder
High Skill Jobs
Low Skill Jobs
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Combined Job Ladder
There is a natural movement across job ladders
for higher skills.
Food Processing
Food Processing has more higher skilled jobs.
Agriculture
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Industry Needs

• A task force of employers accompanied by a
  survey determined the following to be the highest
  areas of need
• Ammonia Refrigeration
• 93 current positions, 2 vacancies and 26
  projected jobs in the next two year
• Electrical/Electronics
• 176 current positions, 20 vacancies and 93
  projected jobs in the next two years.

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Skill Standards Identified for Maintenance
Occupations

• The following skill standards were identified
  for development based on common skills needed
  between agriculture and food processing
  occupations.
• Electrical/Electronic
• Ammonia Refrigeration

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Skill Gap Assessment

• The Model
• Assessment Tools Used
• How Tools Were Administered
• Results
• An Employer Guide

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Skill Gap Assessment Model
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Assessment Tools Used

• Interest Assessments
• Career Scope
• ASSET
• Meyers Briggs
• Industry Video
• Employability Assessments
• WorkKeys
• Others based on what local education and
  workforce professionals knew.

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Assessment Tools Continued

• Basic Skills Assessments
• CASAS
• TABE
• Technical Assessments
• NOCTI www.nocti.org
• Basic Manufacturing Assessment
• Pre Assessment based on the skill standard
  identified by the worker and employer.
• Post Assessment (on-site)

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How Tools Were Administered

• Administration of the tests largely depended on
  the familiarity of the workforce partners of the
  test. For the NOCTI tests, one community college
  had to formally register to do the scoring for
  all the testing.
• Section 1 - Workforce Development Councils or
  Community Based Organizations.
• Section 2a and 2b - Workforce Development
  Councils, Community Colleges or Community Based
  Organizations
• Section 2c - Community Colleges
• Section 3 - Community Colleges
• Section 4 - Employer

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Assessment Participation Results

• 92 individuals participated in the assessment and
  training part of this project across 4 Workforce
  Development Council areas and 5 Community College
  regions.
• 76 were incumbent workers.
• 16 were future and transitional workers.
• All future and transitional workers completed the
  interest assessment.
• Of 92 workers, 27 chose electronics, 6 chose
  ammonia refrigeration, 36 chose general
  maintenance, and 9 chose operator maintenance.

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The Employers Guide

• Review industry skill standards available.
• Review skill standards for other industries.
• Identify the skill standards that are applicable
  to the job categories appropriate for your
  companys circumstances.
• Review the skill gap assessment model.
• Identify the people in your company who with
  increased skills could 1) move up in their
  current position or 2) could move into a new
  position.

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The Employees Guide Continued

• Contact your trade association to see if other
  companies in the area may have similar needs.
• Determine the number of people that will be
  affected.
• Do an inventory of your companys current
  assessments to see how they fit into the skill
  gap assessment model.
• Call a meeting with your local community college
  and workforce development council to discuss your
  needs. (Take all your supporting research to this
  meeting.)
• Ask your partners to work together to provide a
  variety of potential solutions to your company
  needs.

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Organizations Who Provided Training for the
Partnership

• Community Colleges
• Private Technical Colleges
• Individual Companies
• Private Training Providers
• Trade Associations
• Tuition ranged from 60-730 per person for
  training in the partnership.

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Community College Consortia

• Five community colleges participated each
  focused on one developed industry skill standard.
  One college focused on basic skills to support
  the other four colleges work around skill
  standards.
• Big Bend Community College Basic Skills
• Columbia Basin College General Maintenance
• Walla Walla Community College
  Electrical/Electronics
• Wenatchee Valley Community College Ammonia
  Refrigeration
• Yakima Valley Community College Advanced
  Maintenance
• Educators modified course sequence, content, and
  assessments to meet industry needs.

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Dissemination of Educational Materials

• Each college shared educational instruments and
  results with other consortia members.
• Each college in partnership with the local WDC,
  One-Stop or Community Based Organization
  administered the skill gap assessment tests as
  part of the skill gap model.
• Each college participated in the DOL pilot
  training project in partnership with local
  Workforce Development Councils.

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Types of Training Delivered

• Ammonia Refrigeration
• Programmable Logic Control
• Warehouse Spanish
• Entry Level PLC
• Advanced Level PLC
• Forklift
• Low Voltage Electrical
• Hydraulics
• Post Harvest Handling
• Horticultural Crops
• Vineyard Equipment Operation
• Industrial Electrics
• Basic Electrical
• Irrigation Management
• Principles of Industry Accounting
• Modularized Worksite Safety

• Introduction to Food Processing
• Motor Controls
• Orchard Equipment Operation
• Introduction to Instrument
• Basic Electrical Maintenance
• Hydraulic Systems I
• Hydraulic Systems II
• Maintenance Welding
• Welding Application
• Small Engine Repair
• Sprayer Calibration
• Farm Equipment Electrics
• Tractor Maintenance
• Security Risk Teleconference
• Industry Relevant ESL

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Lessons Learned

• The industry identified short term crisis needs
  have naturally aligned with the long term needs
  and industry skill standards.
• The cost of training for industry on an average
  is
• 3 x the actual tuition cost.
• Industry relevant curriculum came from private
  technical colleges, college continuing education
  or customized training departments, or private
  training providers.
• In the case of Ammonia Refrigeration training a
  strong partnership between WVC, NWFPA and RETA
  (Refrigeration Engineers Technicians Association)
  created a very successful program that moved into
  certification.

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More Lessons Learned

• Training needs to be provided in geographically
  convenient locations and at times trainees and
  employers can accommodate.
• Time to create new curriculum is not available
  due to the speed at which industry moves.
• Time to customize available curriculum with
  industry direction can be available as long as it
  can be moved to the street in the shortest time
  possible.

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• Thanks to all the partners involved in making
  this project a success!
• For further information please contact
• Pam Lund, WTECB, plund_at_wtb.wa.gov
• Curtis Kaple, Tri-County WDC, curtiskaple_at_co.yakim
  a.wa.us
• Mike Gempler, mgempler_at_growersleague.org
• David Klick, dklick_at_nwfpa.org
• Click Here to Find Other Resources on this CD