Events

SkillUp WA and Aspen Institute present: Zeynep Ton and Richard Galanti: The Low Cost of ‘Good Jobs’




On Friday, June 13, SkillUp and the Aspen Institute co-hosted “The Low Cost of Good Jobs” featuring Zeynep Ton, the author of The Good Jobs Strategy, and Richard Galanti, the CFO of Costco (one of four featured companies in Ms. Ton’s book). City Council member Sally Clark gave introductory remarks and participated in the discussion. The event was held at Seattle’s Town Hall with over eighty people attending. The event was filmed by the Seattle Channel.

 

2013 Alternative Staffing Forum

 

More than 40 representatives from workforce development, local government, social service agencies, local employers and community colleges attended the June 28, 2013 forum, sponsored by SkillUp Washington.

“The Alternative Staffing model offers some intriguing possibilities for addressing some of our key workforce development challenges,” explained Susan Crane, Executive Director for SkillUp Washington, who kicked off the panel discussion.

Teresa Peterson, a consultant who has been working on the feasibility study, set the context for the panel discussion by providing a reality check about the growing reliance of employers on the temporary staffing industry as a way to onboard new employees and respond to their needs for a flexible workforce.

Sheila Maguire, a researcher involved in the foundational work of creating the alternative staffing model, highlighted how the new model emerged as a response to the traditional staffing industry, which was not historically successful in serving job seekers with limited experience or other barriers to employment.

Dave Shaffer, President & CEO of DePaul Industries, expanded on how his organization has used the ASO model to leverage business to grow DePaul into a $36 million non-profit organization creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Debbie Poulin, of the J.M. Eagle company, a client of DePaul, described the potential of the ASO model to meet the business needs of employers.

SkillUp Washington is working to keep this conversation going and is planning a field visit to DePaul Industries operations in Portland in September and arranging follow-up conversations with organizations who are interested in learning more about the ASO model and partnership opportunities with DePaul.

 

Click here to view forum agenda:docx Alternative Staffing Forum Agenda

Click here to view desk research summary: pdf Skillup Desk Research Summary

Click here to view panel presentations: pdf Alternative Staffing Organizations; pdf DePaul Industries

Click here for more information on Alternative Staffing: http://altstaffing.org/about-the-sector/

Click here for more information on projected growth of the Staffing Industry: http://www.americanstaffing.net/statistics/economic.cfm

 

Video: Prior Learning Forum

Sen. Patty Murray Introduction

 

 Amy Sherman,Council for Adult and Experiential
Learning, on the Importance of College Attainment
in Seattle Region



Rep. Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney Advocates for Prior Learning



Melinda Nichols, Apprenticeship Program Manager, Washington
State Department of Labor and Industries, on the Importance of
Prior Learning to Apprenticeship Community

 

Student Persistence Forum Materials

"Getting to the Finish Line: Strategies for Keeping Community College Students in School and on the Road to Graduation”

Thanks for joining SkillUp Washington and the Seattle Community College District for this important discussion. We would also like to thank Maureen Conway of the Aspen Institute for her excellent presentation. Maureen is Executive Dipicture-1405_Maureen_Conway_Aspen_Instituterector of the Economic Opportunities Program (EOP) and leads EOP’s Workforce Strategies Initiative which identifies and advances strategies that help low-income Americans gain ground in today's labor market. She has conducted extensive research on how community college - nonprofit partnerships fund supportive and career navigation services for students in training.

Forum Materials:
The Price of Persistence: How Nonprofit – Community College Partnerships Manage and Blend Diverse Funding Streams
Maureen_Conway_Forum_PowerPoint_August_2011.ppt
Agenda:
Getting_to_the_Finish_Line_Agenda.doc

Pictures


Panel_2_august_forum(From left: Jill Wakefield- Chancellor, Seattle Community College District; Diane Troyer- Educational Consultant; Rep. Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney; Maureen Conway- Aspen Institute. Standing: Nancy Yamamoto, Senior Policy Analyst, City of Seattle Office of Economic Development)

panel_1_better_lighting

(From Left: Michelene Felker-Shoreline CC Career Navigator; Jaime Bennett-Graduate, Shoreline CC CNC Machinist program;  Maureen Conway- Aspen Institute. Standing: Holly Moore, Moderator)
 

Past Forums

2009 Port Jobs Forums

Port Jobs & SkillUp Washington held exciting policy forums and discussions with distinguished speakers from around the country in June and December 2009.  Click here for program materials and participant information.


2010 SkillUp Forums

August 9, 2010 - North Seattle Community College
A panel of local/national speakers discussed how service integration can be efficient and successful. The  program took place during the launch of the Opportunity Center on the campus of North Seattle Community College.

 

 

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Latest Research

  • Economic Opportunity Center Feasibility Study

    The City of Seattle in cooperation with SkillUp Washington, Impact Capital and SouthEast Effective Development (SEED) examined the feasibility of integrating multicultural service delivery at a single location accessible along the light rail line. This project stemmed from the legislature’s interest in replicating the Opportunity Center for Employment and Education model located on the campus of North Seattle Community College. Examined here is the possibility of creating a similar Center in Southeast Seattle that could help people get an education, get a job, or grow a business, and the findings suggest that such an Economic Opportunity Center is needed in and desired by the community.

    Download the Executive Summary: EOC: Executive Summary

    Download the Full Report:EOC: Final Report

     

    To request a hardcopy of the Executive Summary or the full report, please email Ashley Plaga at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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