Weekend News: Collective Workforce

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This screen shot is from a brochure for an upcoming conference.
This screen shot is from a brochure for an upcoming conference.

Ahh, another weekend. Time for a brief break from the working world for some of us. However, for those of us against Common Core, we’ve learned our work is still before us. We’ve learned that the WIOA of 2014, Common Core, Career Tech Education, Career Pathways, STEM, and American Apprenticeships are ALL not only part of the CCSS Machine, but part of WIOA as well. (WIOA stands for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014)

As I’ve done in the past, I’ll be using NC as the example from which you can use to see what’s up like it in your state.

The NCWorks Initiative:

Based on a plan by the Governor of NC, Pat McCrory, created by a group of state level authorities. Below is only 1 excerpt from the website. To see the rest of the Initiative’s purpose, visit: http://www.nccommerce.com/ncworks

“Governor Pat McCrory has a dedicated plan for workforce success. Throughout this year the Department of Commerce Division of Workforce Solutions, the North Carolina Commission on Workforce Development, the North Carolina Community College System and hundreds of dedicated employees will partner to make NCWorks. The focus is on one goal: connecting North Carolina jobs with North Carolina people through the efficient use of resources, streamlined customer service for citizens and businesses, alignment of programs and a consistent, cohesive strategy all under one name NCWorks.”

Funding for all this ‘one goal’ business? I’m so glad you asked. Look below:

To see the entire flowchart: http://www.nccommerce.com/Portals/0/Documents/Recovery/PRSPCommerce_flowchart_ARRA_Workforce_Discretionar.pdf
To see the entire flowchart:
http://www.nccommerce.com/Portals/0/Documents/Recovery/PRSPCommerce_flowchart_ARRA_Workforce_Discretionar.pdf

That’s right from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act! (remember all the ‘shovel ready projects’ that was to bring? Remember all the other nightmares we have now due to the ARRA’s funding?) The flowchart above is from 2010. However, let me point out:
1) this is just the Workforce funding, other funds from the ARRA have been placed in several other related categories. The biggest went to the NC Dept. of Commerce. ‘Oddly’ enough, all the fund reports EXCEPT the Commerce‘s report, are available for you to access. See: http://www.nccommerce.com/research-publications/recovery-programs-funding
So, knowing the Workforce alignment is going on as we speak; knowing we can trace the funding, where should you look in your state for such activities?
1) The Chamber of Commerce(state and local levels)
2) the local workforce development boards, the state workforce development agencies
3) tourism departments and  agriculture commissions
4) economic development boards, offices, or projects (NC has one called “Thrive NC”, chock full of community-workforce-education alignment)
See: http://www.thrivenc.com/whync/education (here you’ll find the NC New Schools (very CCSS aligned) the Gates Foundation, the Career/College Promise (which is the CCSS/CTE bridge I’ve previously written about), you see the SAT and other assessments, you’ll see Smart Start and more)
5) educational partners (especially in the post-secondary institutions) If you’re not sure about which educational partners you’ll need to look into, try the “ThriveNC” document where it’s all laid out: Thrivencreport
6)  any regional or city-to-city partnerships your state has.
These are all the places you’ll find ARRA funds; Workforce education aligned to CCSS and all under the guise of ‘collective communities’.
7) Look into your state laws/statutes. Here in NC, there are several which are in place already and some which will be re-written to further support all this alignment. For example, NC General Statute 150B-21.3A  (adopted in 2013) lays out all the rules for ‘streamlining’ the ‘creation of jobs’ in NC.

Warriors: if we ignore the rules of government on a state and local level which cater to the CCSS Machine, we’re doomed! We must look into our state laws and demand the citizens be heard. You’ve seen the evidence that more folks are against the CCSS than are for it. If we don’t attack the CCSS Machine on all fronts, we’re going to continue to see our nation suffer! CCSS is NOT just for K-12.
8) Below you’ll see the “NC Prosperity Zones”, check to see if your state has a similar zoning map. (This is key to our anti CCSS battle as much of the re-authorization efforts for the ESEA 1965 (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) via HR5 (Student Success Act), S1177 (Every Child Achieves Act) and the HEA (Higher Education Act), ALL have ‘poverty’; ‘less fortunate’; or ‘disadvantaged youth’ included in the language of these bills in several places.)

Set up for the 'haves' and 'have nots'?! Could this be another kind of segregation our nation is gearing up for?! Think about it.
Set up for the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’?! Could this be another kind of segregation our nation is gearing up for?! Think about it.

So, Where’s the CCSS, CTE? I Don’t See Them:

Up to this point, you’ve not seen anything in documented proof which states the Career Tech Education (or any of its other names) or CCSS is specifically tied to the WIOA, NCWorks, or the ARRA funds. So, where are the CTE/CCSS/Career Pathways, etc. hiding?
Look into this set of slides from the NCWorks Career Pathways Conference: NCWorks Pathways Conference Slides_MB
When you look into it, be sure to note that the “NC Prosperity Zone Map” is also included.

Another place you need to look in your state: The current WIOA funds awarded to each state for ‘job creation’
1)  the businesses receiving funding to help in the job creation/education ‘marriage’.
2) WIOA funds are being treated much  like the Race to the Top funding, in that states can apply for funds to streamline education/workforce, jump through several hoops, have to supply certain amounts of data of every participant, and help the CCSS/CTE agenda along at the same time. Below is a screen shot of the application’s portion for data collection/mining:

A brief look at a 2015-16 application for funds to continue Workforce activities.
A brief look at a 2015-16 application for funds to continue Workforce activities.

To see the entire application for 2015-16: 4-NCWorks IW PY 2015 LWDB Guidelines Final 9-18-15

Want more Career Pathways proof? Here’s a document which gave NC $5.25 million for Career Pathways for the disadvantaged: https://www.nccommerce.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=Pv4HMQ0y8Gs%3d&tabid=3697&mid=8957
The ‘catch’ for any disadvantaged participant? They MUST have a Career Readiness Certificate. (CRCs are CCSS/CTE aligned) You can find the CRC requirement on pages 3 and 4 of the above document. Oh, by the way, NC will award business for their participation in these programs. The CP for disadvantaged comes with a $150,000.00 ‘incentive’!

The NCWorks Partnership Conference:

This ‘smooze fest’ of CCSS/CTE/Career Pathway enthusiasts is set for October 28-30, 2015.
Here’s a large portion of what attendees will be able to learn:
••Align4NCWorks: Collaborative Planning = Greater
Collective Impact
••The Skills Employers Want from College Grads
••NCWorks Goes to College! Forging the Workforce &
Adult Education Partnership
••Federal Workforce Development Policy: What’s
Happening & What’s Next
••Regional Economic Development Collaboration:
Project New York (CBC Americas)
••Hit a Home Run! New Tools for Career Planners
••NC Youth Apprentice Panel
••Industry Recognized Credentials: Aligning Training
to Workforce Needs
••NCWorks Online for Staff
••Lateral Thinking Skills: Developing a New Breed of
Leaders

To see the entire brochure: NCWorks Conf_Registration_Brochure_Updated BOARDS
Related resources:

1) To see how CCSS is driving jobs: https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/03/19/tech-thursday-ccss-workforce-pushing-labor-reform/
2) To better understand the Career Pathways, the U.S. Dept. of Education’s 6 key goal for CP education, the U.S. Dept of Labor’s 10 agenda points for CP:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/01/08/tech-thursday-national-career-pathways-network/
3) To see where else in NC, CCSS/CTE alignment is not only firmly in place but funded handsomely:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2014/11/06/tech-thursday-workforce-commissions-education-and-common-core/
4) To better understand the Career Readiness Certificates:

Tech Thursday: Just Say “No” to ‘NOCC’


5) In case you’re wondering where NC’s data mining goes (use to see if your state has similar):
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/08/27/ccss-follow-up-system-more-than-money-will-follow-your-students/
6) To see other places in the NC state level departments, CCSS strategy is ‘hiding’ (will help you look in your state):
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/07/19/rmt-dont-look-now-nc-ccsscte-overload/
7) This article involves several states in connection to Career Tech Education and Pearson Publishing:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/05/03/rmt-connected-to-the-core/
8) How the Community Colleges are sold out to CCSS/CTE:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/04/25/sic-em-saturday-using-community-colleges-for-more-core/
9) How the job development grants are being used for further Common Core:
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2015/03/25/wybi-job-development-grants-and-ccss/
10) To learn more about the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s “Workforce Quality Data Initiative” (purpose of the WQDI is to ‘marry’ data from the Workforce efforts to the Student Longitudinal Data Systems already in place):
https://www.commoncorediva.com/2014/10/23/tech-thursday-blast-from-our-workforce-past/

 

13 thoughts on “Weekend News: Collective Workforce

  1. Hi Lynne, Hope your feeling better, I had approximately 10 years of therapy..less for occupational therapy. You can do it!

    I was looking at the application process and trying to think of how this might apply… In Florida, in the early 1990, after earning a BS in Clothing and Textiles-retail and a minor in Marketing, I was working at Maas Brothers/Jordan Marsh, that filed for bankruptcy and I stayed with the sinking ship. While they were closing, this took several months, we were given classes on how to find gainful employment. It just so happened to coincide with Eastern Airlines bankruptcy and so we were clumped together. Well, I don’t remember how it was stated but “retraining” came up… Probably in one of our classes, so I did some research and found that some jobs were in demand. I went the retraining route and it only took 1 1/2 years to get my BA in Psychology. I was introduced to my counselor Bunny Bernstein, no I didn’t make that up. She gave me vouchers for books and classes, I could take my classes at a number of public institutions. I had to attend seminars also, go through hoops. I see a lot of potential fraud and abuse with this. I did try to use my new degree for good for a few years and when I obtained the clerk role in at another college, I tried to get a MEd but something wasn’t right with what they were trying to push.

    Thanks for listening. And I’m still praying for you, your mom, your family. Thank you for being you and for your wonderful articles that help me in my local fight.

    Cherise

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