OPERATIONAL PLAN GOAL ONE: DETERMINE WORKFORCE NEEDS AND WHAT SKILLS EMPLOYERS WANT THEIR NEW EMPLOYEES TO HAVE AND THEN DEVELOP COMMON MEASURES OF WORKPLACE READINESS AND OCCUPATIONAL ASSESSMENT. Measures of Success: A follow-up survey of major industrial and service sector employers will be conducted to determine if improvements in workforce readiness have occurred. Some workforce readiness and occupational assessment measurements will be implemented in all schools and colleges in the region. A follow-up survey will demonstrate that data collected from workforce readiness and occupation assessment measurements are being used to improve the performance of career and technical education completers. 2001 Initiative: Determine workforce needs and what skills employers want their new employees to have. Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1. Gather and examine data already collected concerning workforce needs, recognizing that workforce needs are ever changing. Michigan Works! has lead responsibility. Michigan Works! West Central Strategic Planning funds 2. Determine deficiencies in data already collected and fill those gaps by collecting additional information through a survey of employers. Michigan Work! has lead responsibility for completing this annual data gathering function. Michigan Works! West Central Strategic Planning funds 3. Review annually the SCANS skills (Michigan Department of Education Career Employability Skills Content Standards and Benchmarks, 1998) that employers desire and prioritize these skill needs on a county basis. ISDs will have lead responsibility and involve constituent K-12 districts.   4. Where applicable, engage existing advisory committees throughout the region in the process of reviewing and affirming the validity of the workforce needs and the workforce readiness documentation. EAG will have overall responsibility in concert with Tech Centers, colleges and FSU.   2002 Initiative: Develop an instructional strategy that prepares students with the skills that employers want their employees to have. Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1. We anticipate using and enhancing various Action Steps in achieving this initiative after the skill needs are identified.   2002 Initiative: Develop common measures of workplace readiness and occupational assessment. Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1. Utilize MEAP (secondary) and Work Keys (post-secondary). The EAG will have lead responsibility for all three of these action steps.   2. Survey school districts to determine current attendance policies, encourage stronger requirements where applicable and use attendance records to measure workplace readiness, i.e. work ethic.   3. Discover and use other standard measures such as the Newaygo County ISD's employability skills statement of findings.   2003 Initiative: Measure the attainment of desired skills as demonstrated in the workplace and make improvements in the instructional strategy as needed. Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1. Complete one and five-year follow-up surveys of all high school graduates. ISDs will have lead responsibility. ISD funds 2. Complete an annual survey of employers. Michigan Works! will have lead responsibility. Michigan Works! Strategic Planning funds 3. After analyzing the effectiveness of instruction, make recommendations for changes to address deficiencies and opportunities to improve the performance of students. Intermediate and K-12 School Districts have this responsibility. GOAL TWO: IMPROVE THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE. Measures of Success: The ratio of personal computers to students in all 17 public schools will improve. In the process of collecting baseline data, we have received information from twelve K-12 districts. Public access to personal computers through libraries and Michigan Works! will increase. We have collected baseline data from Michigan Works! and 22 public libraries in our five county region and have determined that they collectively provide 162 personal computers with 138 internet connections. The number of e-mail accounts will increase. The number of active customer accounts held by Internet Service Providers in our five county region would appear to be a useful indicator of the proliferation of Internet connectivity in the homes of our citizens. While some data was collected, the overall effort to develop a comprehensive picture was deemed unsatisfactory for several reasons: 1) Local ISPs are not the only providers in any particular geographical area; 2) The ISPs contacted were not equally precise in reporting their number of active customer accounts; 3) Some ISPs had a policy against disclosing the number of accounts because of the competitive field they are in. Although initially stymied, we are going to try again to collect the data through a renewed sales pitch that represents a win-win result and a guarantee of confidentiality. 2001 Initiative: Determine base line data relative to access, use, quality, proficiency of staff and plans for future development. Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1. Examine ISD Technical Literacy survey. Michigan Works! assumes leadership for each of these Action Steps. Michigan Works! Strategic Planning funds. 2. Examine local K-12 "Teacher Technical Initiative."   3. Survey technology staff of all K-12 districts to determineProficiency and needs for additional training.   4. Survey Internet Service Providers (ISP) to determine the number of active e-mail accounts.   5. Examine Ferris State University study "The Path to Prosperity: Training Skilled Workers for the Jobs of the 21st Century."   6. Complete a survey of colleges, public libraries and Michigan Works! Service Centers to determine base line data.   2002 Initiative: Improve access to technology throughout the region. Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1. Evaluate the base line data that has been collected, an EAG responsibility. 2. Identify in writing all future plans of schools, colleges, public libraries and Michigan Works! to increase access to technology. Michigan Works! will take the lead. 3. Launch an effort to gain broadband capacity throughout the region. FSU will provide the leadership. 2003 Initiative: Improve the proficiency of staff, the quality of technology and establish a plan to maintain access and the currency of technology. Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1. Implement actions incorporated in K-12 technology plans, a K-12 school district responsibility. State funds (e.g. Technical Literacy) 2. Implement a plan to maintain and improve technology proficiency of faculty and staff. Responsibility of all schools, colleges, public libraries, and Michigan Works! State funds (e.g. Technical Literacy) GOAL THREE: IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE INCUMBENT WORKFORCE. Measures of Success: A follow-up survey of major industrial and commercial employers in our region will demonstrate improved performance of entry level employees All intermediate schools and colleges in the region will implement Work Keys or another similar method of measuring skill level proficiency in their training programs if they are engaged in providing this service. 2001 Initiative: Determine how the effectiveness of the incumbent workforce can be improved and what skills assessment measures are being used. Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1. This information will be obtained as part of the survey of employers referenced in Goal One, 2001 Initiative-Action Step 2. Michigan Works! will assume this responsibility. Michigan Works! Strategic Planning funds 2002 Initiative: Develop and implement a plan to improve workforce effectiveness Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1. Review and evaluate the data collected, an EAG responsibility.   2. Assuming opportunities to improve worker effectiveness are identified, make recommendations to implement new or revised training measures to improve performance. FSU, WSCC, Baker College and the Newaygo ISD have lead responsibility. Economic Development Job Training (EDJT) grants and funding from involved businesses and industries. 2003 Initiative: Measure incumbent workforce effectiveness and make improvements in the training and education delivery system. 1. Measure the skill level of employees trained through follow-up surveys. Michigan Works! will assume this responsibility. Michigan Works! Strategic Planning funds GOAL FOUR: IMPROVE CAREER EXPLORATION AND DECISION MAKING THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP OF STUDENTS PARENTS TEACHERS BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES. Measures of Success: There will be an increase in the number and breadth of career exploration programs among all schools and colleges in the region. There will also be evidence of strong partnerships in each program. The stakeholders, students, parents, teachers, businesses and industries will be surveyed to determine their level of satisfaction with the career exploration/decision making process. 2001 Initiative: Complete a regional GAP analysis. Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1. Complete a regional GAP analysis by surveying a random sample of school administrators, teachers and counselors to determine their perspective of current career exploration programs and assess the effectiveness of these programs. ISDs have the lead responsibility. Local funding through ISDs. 2001 Initiative: Expand Educator Academies Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1. Evaluate the effectiveness of Educator Academies, make appropriate improvements and expand their use. A collaborative effort of ISDs, FSU and WSCC. Local funds, Eisenhower funds and tuition. 2002 Initiative: Develop a plan that addresses the opportunities to improve career exploration and decision making as identified in the GAP analysis. Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1. We anticipate the continuing employment and adoption of various Strategic Assets, a local ISD and K-12 initiative. Local resources. 2. Recommend the greater use of EDPs by post-secondary institutions. Action will be taken by FSU, WSCC and Baker College.   2003 Initiative: Measure our success in increasing the breadth and depth of career exploration programs in the region and the level of satisfaction of all stakeholders. Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1. Complete a follow-up GAP analysis. This action will be taken by the ISDs. Local funds from ISDs 2. Establish a Career Exploration Research Center and complete other technical career studies. FSU will complete other research similar to its study of technology and health related careers completed in 2000. FSU/State funds. GOAL FIVE: DEVELOP COMMON DEFINITIONS OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND ADULT EDUCATION COMPLETERS GRADUATES WITH ADEQUATE ACADEMIC/CONTINUING EDUCATION SKILLS AND DEMONSTRATED IMPROVEMENT IN LITERACY SKILL LEVEL AMONG ADULT EDUCATION COMPLETERS. Measures of Success: There will be a marked improvement in the collection of adult education data. Common definitions of Career and Technical Education and Adult Education completers and graduates with adequate academic/continuing education skills will be adopted throughout the region. Common measures that demonstrate improvement in literacy skills level among Adult Education completers will be adopted throughout the region. 2001 Initiative: Develop a common definition of CTE completers among our three ISDs and the measures of adequate academic/continuing education skills and literacy skill level. Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1.   2. Collect adult education data for our region, a Michigan Works! responsibility.   3. Use one or more of the Michigan Adult Education Reporting Systems (MAERS) "participant outcomes" as our common definition of skill achievement. The EAG will involve adult education directors in this determination.   2002 Initiative: Begin using these new definitions and measures as new motivation to improve our instructional effectiveness. Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1. Implement these new measures of achievement. Action taken by all K-12 schools throughout the region.   2003 Initiative: Determine that these definitions and measures have been universally adopted and are being used and assess the results and outcomes. Action Steps Redeployed Resources 1. Utilize MAERS survey to measure adult education results.   2. Annually complete an internal Environmental Scan. Michigan Works! will lead this effort.