WIB Websites

How to Turn Your WIB Website into an Engine of Economic Development and Job Creation

Presented By: Colleen LaRoseNorth East Regional Employment and Training Association

We are going to go where no WIB has gone before….

What is required to be “Revolutionary.”

Recognize self as change agent and leaderOpen to new ideasVisionBelief in possibilitiesDesireFearlessBold

“The NERETA Revolution”

You can’t be everything to everyone!

State WIB

Local WIB

Employers

Job seekers

Partners

State DOL

Please fix these issues!Low Literacy LevelsMental HealthLaziness/poor work ethicComputer iilliteracyYouth employment needsOlder worker employment needsVeterans employment needsOffender employment needsPerson’s w/disabilities employment needsEverybody else’s employment needsTransportation /child care needsArticulation between schools

We will have more for you to fix tomorrow.

Staff/Contractors

Help!

DEAR WIB DIRECTOR:

Stakeholders vs. Target Market

Stakeholders – Those who are invested in your success.

Target market – Those who you need theattention of in order to be a success.

Who should be your priority?Which are your stakeholders? Who is your “target market?

Politicians, Jobseekers, Local Board, USDOL, State DOL, State WIB, Staff Contractors, Partners, Economic Development, Chambers of Commerce, Employers

What is Success for a WIB?

Active Board?Invited to sit on other boards?Quoted often in the media?Acquired many grants?Respected by state/federal officials?Fix lots of issues/problems?Positive financial impact on the

region?...HOW???

What is the product of a WIB?

?

If the WIB’s Product is a Quality Workforce....

Have you looked at the workforce through the “marketing” lens?

Product - quality, usability

Place – available when and where I need it

Price – relative value, competitive

Promotion – Benefits are known by potential users

Have you ever sold a product?

What is our unique selling proposition?

(What makes our cupcakes unique, special, different, memorable?)

Does the look and feel of the website matter when ordering a cupcake?

Do testimonials about our cupcakes matter?

Let’s say we are starting a company selling cupcakes.

Which is most powerful?

FEATURES (telling -marketing) How big is the cupcake How tasty is the cupcake How attractive is the cupcake

BENEFITS (believing -persuasion) You will attract attention when holding the cupcake People will think you are smart/powerful/wealthy when

you are holding the cupcake People will be jealous of you when they see you have

the cupcake

Steak

Sizzle

Sell the Benefits of your region’s Workforce Capabilites

Features:Close to major universityLow cost laborLarge youth population

Benefits: Close to major university – Great minds at your doorstep to help you

with your business challenges

Low cost of labor - You can afford a larger staff to get more hands and minds working for you

Large youth population – Youthful vigor with up-to-date technical skills and fresh ideas

Why does your WIB have a website?

Because we were told to have a website

To explain who we are and what we do (justify our existence)

To provide a place where people can see public reports, meeting minutes, meeting schedules, etc.

To provide information about workforce services and links to local employment and training providers

To entice businesses to locate or expand in the region based on our workforce capabilities

So then, who is the target audience for your WIB website?

Board members? Politicians? System partners and other stakeholders? Jobseekers? State and/or federal officials?

Of course not…the priority and target audience of the WIB is

Employers!

Again….who is the WIB’s priority?

Why concentrate efforts on employers?

WIB’s are Demand Driven

WIB’s are 51% private sector

Employers create jobs

Employers grow the economy

When employers are happy, so are:◦ Politicians◦ Jobseekers◦ System partners◦ Board members

“All Employers” are not the WIB’s Target Audience

Can the WIB “position” the local workforce in the

marketplace to retain and attract strategic “buyers?”

Which employers should your WIB target?

Which employers is economic development trying to attract?

Which employers are growing?

Which employers are crucial to retain in the community?

Think like an employer! (or the site selector they hired)

If you were evaluating a region to determine relocation

or growth potential for a company,

what would you want to know about the workforce?

What is special about your region’s workforce

capabilities?

UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

Who are you marketing to?

Highly educated

Proud history of strong work ethic

Low absenteeism

Motivated, engaged

Innovative

Diverse

Strong technical capabilities

Superior training facilities

Young workforce

Older, experienced workforce

Is this similar to your WIB’s website content?

Is this what is on your WIB website?

Strategic plan and other reports

List of your members

List of your committees

Minutes of meetings/Calendar of future meetings

System partners

Incentives, tax credits that can benefit employers (that are really about hiring the down and out…not about helping employers)

Information about some training programs

WIB policies and procedures

Telling vs. Doing

Are you explaining why the WIB is valuable? (Playing defense)

Are you demonstrating that the local workforce is valuable? (Playing offense)

A quality workforce is the number one reason that businesses now choose their location…surpassing tax incentives, low cost of business, transportation, and even quality of life!

Economic Developers say, “Workforce Quality is #1”

Communicating with Employers

Encoding Decoding

What you are telling employers

What employers say they need

What employers want to know

What is provided to employers

Learning to speak the language of employers.

Quantify, Quantify, Quantify!

How much does it improve their profitability? (Most important!)

How much does it reduce their costs? (Not as important)

Would you rather have a dollar bill or a dollar off coupon?

Would these topics intrigue employers?

What is special about your region’s workforce capabilities? (unique selling proposition)

What are the existing workforce characteristics?

How are training needs met in the region?

What are the existing employer characteristics?

What are the emerging employment trends and economic opportunities?

What other supports can you provide employers ?

What are the existing workforce characteristics?

How large is the local labor pool?

What are the prevailing wages? How are wages meeting living expenses? (How does cost of living compare to the national average?)

What are the skills possessed by the local labor pool? ◦ Basic skills? ◦ Workforce readiness certified? ◦ PC Literacy?◦ High school graduation rate?◦ Percent in remedial education in 1st year of college?◦ Percent with BA degree? MA degree? PhD’s?

Work ethic?◦ Turnover rates?◦ Absentee rate?◦ Productivity?

How are training needs met in the region?

Are k-12 and colleges participating in the economic vision and solutions?

Is there one point of contact for employers to get information they need about finding and training workers?

Are employers surveyed regularly about their training needs?

What Colleges, voc schools, and private training providers located within one hour?

How are the training providers and colleges doing on their “scorecards?”

Who provides which kind of training?

Worker training programs?◦ Incumbent worker training?◦ Apprenticeship programs?◦ On the job training?

What are the existing employer characteristics?

What are the major industries?

Who are the local major employers?

Which companies are unionized? Is this a “right-to-work” state?

Who are the newest employers? Home grown? Recruited?

What are the emerging employment trends and economic opportunities?

Are there untapped/hidden pools of labor? Is the region attractive to talent who may

need to be recruited nationally?

What other supports can you provide employers?

NOW PROVIDE Recruitment, LMI, UI, Compliance, Incentives

WHAT ELSE? Human resources, Labor relations, Wellness

Being/becoming a value to the community?◦ How to achieve/maintain preferred employer status in the community?◦ Civic involvement/corporate giving?

Industry specific initiatives?

Economic gardening program? (business expansion/CEO training)

Temp services?

The Difference….

Home Workforce Profile

Key Sectors

Grow Your Business

About Us

Home Workforce bd

Contact Us

Training Providers

Jobseekers Resources

RfP’s About Us

RECOMMENDED MENU (Employer Focused)

TYPICAL WIB MENU (Board Focused)

Which Menu draws the attention of employers?

Which Menu has the best chance of driving economic development and job creation?

Which menu entices businesses to locate or expand in the region based on the region’s workforce capabilities?

How to get “There” from “Here”

Will require some additional research (Labor market assessment and annual employer survey).

Will require a commitment to engaging with employers.

Will require NEW thinking! Able to see the benefits. Willingness to be “revolutionary.”

More than just “LMI”

Labor Market Assessment (Objective)

◦Population and Demographics Overview ◦Labor Location (commuting distance)◦Labor Demand◦Industries rising/Industries falling◦Education and Training◦Labor Costs (regulatory, unions, etc)◦Draw to recruit workers (Quality of Life)

Annual Employer Survey

Employer Self-Report (Subjective)

◦Workforce reliability (Availability, Stability, Productivity, Quality)

◦Training (in house, consultants, providers)◦Employee type (ft, pt, temp)◦Company plans (growing, merging, exporting,

new products/services, etc)

A Step by Step Online Guide

www.wibwebsite.com

Stakeholder Opinions….

How will politicians, system partners, board members and even jobseekers feel about a WIB website that sells the benefits of the local workforce as its dominate message?

Quality Communications Planning

Fresh, Attractive, (balance of graphics and text)

Interactive, easy to navigate and intuitive

Uses effective language for target audience (No Jargon)

Define mission of organization and clearly explain products/services BENEFITS

Calls to action/opt-in - take our survey, sign-up for newsletter, connect on social media, sign-up for online workshop, send questions/suggestions

Pertinent and up-to-date news (local unemployment rate, plant closings, business openings…what this means for jobs)

Strategic partner links and information (economic development, education, industry associations, etc)

Tracking and responding to analytics, SEO Plana

The Don’ts

Don’t overwhelm with too much information. (Keep the information “quippy” You want them to call for more information)

Don’t combine the One Stop and WIB websites

Don’t limit WIB information/offerings to currently funded programs.

The Do’s

Do make the WIB website employer centric

Do Highlight the positive Labor Force aspects of your region

Do a Labor Assessment! Listen to Employer Needs and Try to Respond to their Needs (not just give them what you already have available)!

Do explain the many training options available for staff and executives that encourage opportunities for business growth and expansion

Do use the website and social media to regularly stay in touch with local employers

Do offer Industry focused opportunities for employers to engage on topics about the local workforce with other local employers in their industry

Questions?

Need further assistance? We can help! Labor market assessments/Employer surveys Industry sector/Industry cluster studies Website improvement/development Strategic planning/Organizational development Public relations/Marketing Social Media/Online technologies

Colleen LaRosePresident and CEONorth East Regional Employment and Training Association (NERETA)P (908) 995-7718E colleen@nereta.orgwww.nereta.org