Many CAAs have encountered increasing difficulties in delivering workforce development services related to more narrowly focused eligibility guidelines for program participants.

Only 20% of CAAs receive funded referrals from Career Centers or from a Service Delivery Area.

Some 67% of CAAs have been involved in planning or operating local One-Stop Career Centers.

II. Introduction

MASSCAP’s Workforce Development Initiative sought to develop a clear picture of current CAA delivery of workforce development services, to provide key information on Massachusetts’ public workforce development systems, and to develop an initial forum for discussion of common concerns and objectives. This Final Report provides a summary of the project, documents three half-day meetings of CAA representatives, presents survey results, outlines initial lessons learned through the work of the initiative, and recommends strategies for CAAs to strengthen and expand workforce development services.

In brief, MASSCAP’s Workforce Development Initiative evolved as follows:

A September 17 (1999) meeting was convened to outline and shape the initiative. Based on several initial meetings of MASSCAP’s Education, Training, Employment, and Workforce Development Committee, a proposed outline was reviewed and then revised by approximately 20 CAA representatives. Participants requested that the initiative start with full and basic descriptions of the public workforce development system as it now exists, as well as discussion of major changes which will occur over the next one to two years. A draft survey of CAA workforce development programs was reviewed, and CAA representatives suggested several additions, including "wrap-around support services" as an important part of the CAA workforce development service delivery system.

The October 22 meeting provided participants with baseline definitions and descriptions of the workforce development system in Massachusetts—a description of the landscape—with particular focus on: (a) One Stop Career Centers now opening across the state; (b) the ongoing transition from the federal Job Training Partnership Act to the new Workforce Investment Act; (c) the Welfare-to-Work program; (d) adult education services funded by the Massachusetts Department of Education; and (e) the new state-funded Workforce Training Fund.

The November 5 meeting focused largely on a case study based on the current situation facing one Massachusetts CAA. After considerable discussion and development of the case study, participants agreed on a series of next steps and challenges facing CAAs (see section V, Recommendations) as the organizations seek to increasingly provide workforce development services.

During November and December, twenty-three CAAs completed a four-page survey of workforce development programs. Survey tabulations and summary results are appended to this report.

Throughout initial discussions and the extended meetings with CAA representatives, attention was focused on developing a strategic agenda for CAAs. This is reflected in particular in the Recommendations section of this report.