Concurrent Working Sessions:
Rural Dislocated Worker Summit
September 2, 2004
North Raleigh Hilton
3415 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, North Carolina
Key Program and Policy Issues Affecting Dislocated Workers (Salon D)
(Moderator: Anne Scharff, Senior Associate for Workforce Development, N.C. Rural Center)
Panelists in this working session will provide an overview of key programs and policies affecting dislocated workers, describe best practices, and offer their recommendations for improving programs and policies. Examples of issues that will be addressed by the panelists include unemployment benefits, training programs, job search and career guidance, comprehensive services provided by government agencies and community-based organizations, and policy or funding barriers. The panel may also touch on trade policies and their impact on businesses and workers.
Session participants will offer their input on the issues raised by panelists and identify other issues not already identified. Session participants will then identify which of the issues require long-term vs. short-term action and prioritize issues for further exploration.
Panelists:
Michael Aheron, President, GM Aheron Consulting
Bill Schweke, Vice President of Learning and Innovation, Corporation for Enterprise Development
Manfred Emmrich, Director, Employment Service, Employment Security Commission
Brenda Savage, Chief of Planning and Policy Development, Division of Employment and Training -
NC Department of Commerce
Retraining Dislocated Workers (Salon A)
(Moderator: Robin Pulver, Vice President for Community and Human Resource Development, N.C. Rural Center)
In many rural areas, the lack of jobs makes it difficult for dislocated workers to know what training to pursue, and the shift from traditional manufacturing to "new-economy" jobs means that workers need more education than in the past to earn a decent living. This panel will pose the question, "train for what?" and summarize the retraining or remedial education challenges faced by dislocated workers.
Session participants will brainstorm about strategies to develop training for current or future jobs in the new economy and identify ways to overcome barriers to retraining or educating dislocated workers. Participants will offer suggestions for unique program features or policies needed to reach and effectively serve different groups of dislocated workers, including workers laid off from traditional manufacturing industries (e.g., tobacco, textiles, apparel, and furniture), older workers, low-skilled workers, workers with children, and workers with limited English proficiency.
Panelists:
Dr. Stephanie Deese, Director, Workforce Initiatives, N.C. Community College System
Dr. Randy Whitfield, Associate Vice President, Academic & Student Services & Basic Skills, N.C. Community College System
Howard Jones, President/CEO, Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) of Wilson
Comprehensive Services for Dislocated Workers and Local/Community-Based Responses to Layoffs (Salon E)
(Moderator: Diana Jones Wilson, Executive Director, Faith Partnerships, Inc.)
This panel will provide an overview of local and community-based responses to layoffs and explore the comprehensive services needed by dislocated workers.
Session participants will suggest ways to enhance the local/community response, build stronger partnerships between traditional and nontraditional workforce development organizations, and establish new connections between workforce development and health and human service systems. Session participants will also brainstorm about the set of comprehensive services needed by dislocated workers and rural communities, including services to help laid-off workers meet basic needs, obtain health care, and have access to supportive services such as child care to help them as they look for jobs and participate in training.
Panelists:
Theresa Reynolds, Director, Northwest Piedmont Workforce Development Board
Jim Cook, Director, Cabarrus County Department of Social Services
Bill Owens, Chief Executive Officer, Franklin-Vance-Warren Opportunity, Inc.
Research on Dislocated Workers (Salon B)
(Moderator: Jean Crews-Klein, Vice President of Business and Natural Resource Development, N.C. Rural Center) This panel will provide an overview of existing research on dislocated workers and related issues (unemployment, emergency services, etc.).
Session participants will identify other existing research, research in progress, and further research desired on dislocated workers, their needs, and related workforce/economic development topics.
Panelists:
Dr. Robert Bowles, Economist, Labor Market Information Division, Employment Security Commission
Dr. Graham Watt, Senior Policy Associate, N.C. Commission on Workforce Development -
N.C. Department of Commerce
Sorien Schmidt, Legislative Director, N.C. Budget and Tax Center - N.C. Justice Center
