Regional CA
“Regionalism is a place for organizing resources, effective approaches, systems, and leadership to achieve scale and impact from existing workforce programs. The end-game is not regionalism for its own sake; it’s to get more Californians into good jobs, with a focus on those traditionally left out of economic prosperity.”
– Tim Rainey, Executive Director,
California Workforce Development Board
The objective of regionalism is to enhance partnerships, create collaboration among multiple workforce systems, improve resources, and develop effective and innovative approaches by bringing key workforce leaders together. The focus is to strategically scale successes and to generate impact throughout our workforce system that will enrich working conditions and provide livable wages throughout our state. The exact manner in which these goals are achieved varies from region to region, due to the uniqueness of each Regional Planning Unit (RPU). To support the development of strong regions, the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) invests in regional capacity building through professional development, training, promoting regional advocacy, and providing regional technical assistance.
The RPUs are tasked with developing regional partnerships and plans to improve equity, job quality, and economic mobility and to promote a high road economy by focusing on the following regional indicators:
- INDICATOR A – INDUSTRY DRIVEN TRAINING SOLUTIONS: Region has a process to communicate industry workforce needs to supply-side partners.
- INDICATOR B – EQUITY AND JOB QUALITY: Region has policies supporting equity and strives to improve job quality
- INDICATOR C – SERVICES TO TARGET POPULATION: Region has shared target populations of emphasis
- INDICATOR D – PARTNERSHIPS AND SHARED RESOURCES: Region deploys shared/pooled resources to provide services, training, and education to meet target population needs
In the next iteration of moving the needle on regional work, CWDB is supporting regions in expanding and deepening their regional efforts by investing in partnership building and cross-system planning through the Regional Equity and Recovery Partnership (RERP) grant. The RPUs, in partnership with the 8 Regional Consortia representing California’s 10 Community College regions, will build upon existing regional and industry planning efforts by incorporating the elements of CA’s High Road vision to identify and build pathways to quality jobs and serve the most disadvantaged communities in the region.
For more information on regionalism, be sure to read:
Regional Resources
- Regional Staff
- Regional Plan Implementation
- Regional Equity and Recovery Partnerships
- Technical Assistance
- Evaluation
- Regional & Local Resources
Regional Staff Roles & Responsibilities
Regional Organizers
Regional Organizers (ROs) positions are funded by the CWDB and the ROs are hired by the Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) in each RPU. The RO’s are tasked to support ongoing efforts to enhance collaboration of regional workforce leaders and implement the Regional Plans. They are also responsible for assisting the LWDB Directors to develop and maintain regional communication and governance structures, to support industry sector partnerships, and coordinate with other initiatives to assist with accomplishing regional goals.
Regional Organizer Scope of Work (SOW)
Regional Training Coordinators
Regional Training Coordinators (RTCs) positions are charged with ensuring that workforce staff and regional workforce partners receive training and professional development opportunities to ensure regional plan goals are fulfilled. RTCs also provide the necessary oversight and coordination of all regionally based professional development opportunities for staff and partners within the RPU.
Regional Training Coordinators Scope of Work
Regional Plan Implementation (RPI)
The Regional Plan Implementation grants allowed RPUs to continue efforts in actualizing the goals of the Regional Plans and policy objectives of the State Plan. Through this opportunity, RPUs have the ability to implement regional initiatives that build upon, scale or expand on high road strategies that support equity, innovation, regional partnership investment, and professional development.
Follow the course of our regional work by reviewing each RPU’s project since its inception.
- Slingshot (RPI 1.0) Project Summaries
- RPI 2.0 Project Summaries
- RPI 3.0 Project Summaries
- RPI 4.0 Project Summaries
- RPI 5.0 Project Summaries (TBA)
- *Access RPI 5.0 grant program, solicitation, and funding information here.
Regional Equity and Recovery Partnerships (RERP)
Regional Equity and Recovery Partnerships (RERP) represents an acceleration and deepening of the existing Regional Plan Implementation efforts and will support and invest in partnerships attempting to add high road approaches to existing sector strategies and career pathway programs. RERP Projects will leverage and integrate community college priorities, including but not limited to industry-valued credentials, academic support, credit for prior learning, and work-based learning, with workforce development priorities of economic recovery, racial justice, and equity, and digital access and literacy.
Each RPU’s RERP project can be found below;
- RERP Project Summaries
- RERP Partnership List
RERP Grant Administration and Data Guide
CWDB State-Funded CalJOBS Data Guide (includes RERP projects)
Cal-E-Grants Reference Guide – Participant Data Upload Process
Cal-E-Grants Reference Guide – Participant Data Manual Process
*Access RERP grant program, solicitation, and funding information here.
Technical Assistance Providers
The contracted Regional Technical Assistance providers will assist the CWDB to provide ongoing high-level technical in an effort to meet the needs of the RTCs and ROs throughout the state. The goal of the technical assistance providers is to help the RPUs address challenges, barriers, break down silos, address administrative inefficiencies, and/or implementation efforts to fulfill efforts to accomplish goals as outlined in the RPUs Regional Plan.
- California Workforce Association (CWA)
- Jobs for the Future
Evaluators
The evaluation is designed as a formative evaluation designed to help CWDB evaluate regional plan implementation efforts, explore the lessons learned, provide real-time recommendations to address ongoing issues impacting policy direction, regional coordination, service delivery and better understand the alignment between the regional plan implementation efforts and the vision outlined in California’s Strategic Workforce Plan.
- Slingshot Evaluation (available upon request)
- RPI 2.0 Evaluation
- RPI 3.0 Evaluation
Additional Resources
CWDB, EDD, LWDA & FOW, WIOA & DOL Reference Materials/Links
This tab will provide regions access to CWDB, EDD, LWDA/FOW, WIOA/DOL most commonly used or sought after resources/tools that the region may find helpful.
- California Workforce Development Board (CWDB)
- Employment Development Department (EDD)
- Labor Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) & Future of Work (FOW)
- Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) & Department of Labor (DOL)
Labor Market / Data Systems & Resources
This tab will provide links, tools, and resources regions may find beneficial to reference or utilize when interested in Labor Market information throughout their region.
- EconoVue Brochure
- EconoVue – How to Manage Your MY LIST Area PowerPoint Presentation
- EconoVue Useful Help Center Resource Links:
- Employment Development Department Labor Market Information Division (LMID) Training Catalog
- D&B Market Insights Brochure
- Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research website
- Chmura website
- Emsi Brochure
- Emsi website
- Brookings Job Mobility Pathways tool
- EDD LMID – Find Employers Tool
Workforce Partners Information/Links
This tab will provide links, tools, and resources regions may find beneficial to reference or utilize when interested in engaging other workforce partners.
Race and Equity
This tab will provide regions information, trainings, resources, and tools that may be helpful when further implementing or evaluating current Race, Equity, and Diversity efforts. For procured trainings available on the California Workforce Association California Training Initiative list, be sure to reference the Regional Training Resources & Commonly Used Websites tab. Additionally, training topics are available in the Employment Development Department Training Catalog located in the CWDB, EDD, LWDA & FOW, WIOA & DOL Reference Materials/Links.
- Ready for Equity in Workforce Development – Racial Equity Readiness Assessment Tool
- Anti-Transphobia Campaign
- TransCanWork “First Day on the Job” A Diversity & Inclusion Training Course
- Trans Can Work Building a More Inclusive Workplace
- The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) – Racial Equity website
- Race Forward
- Government Alliance for Racial Equity (GARE)
- Tidal Equality’s Equity Sequencing Approach
- Project Implicit – Implicit Association Test (IAT)
- Michigan Works Racial Equity Toolkit – A Road Map for Government, Organizations and Communities
- Let’s stop talking about diversity and start working towards equity – Paloma Medina – TEDxPortland – YouTube Video
- The Unequal Opportunity Race – YouTube Video
Digital Inclusion, Digital Literacy
This tab will provide links, tools, and resources regions may find beneficial to reference or utilize when addressing Digital Inclusion, Digital Literacy throughout their region.
- California Broadband Council
- Making Digital Skills Building Work for Business, by – Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships
- National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA)
- Digital Inclusion Start-up Manual
- California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) – Internet and Phone
- California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF)
- Connected Capital Area Broadband Consortium (CCABC)
- CPUC’s California Interactive Broadband Map
- BroadbandUSA
Publications
This publications tab has been created to provide and highlight some publications you may find helpful as you further implement regional strategies in your region.
- The Genius of Regions Partnerships That Unlock Social Mobility
- Registered Apprenticeship Before You Leap PPT
- Strengthening Nonprofits: A Capacity Builder’s Resource Library – Partnerships: Frameworks for Working Together
- Transforming Workforce Development Boards into Innovation Engines | by Rachel Dzombak | Dec, 2020
- ACT Research – Condition of Career Pathway Readiness in the United States
- Ascend – Toni White – Employer Empowerment PowerPoint
- Ascend Blog – Reasonable Doubt Inside Out
Visit the website to request The Street Guide To Constructive Possession – How Not to Get Arrested for Other People’s Illegal Stuff
California Workforce Development Board’s Prison to Employment & CDCR’s Presentation on ARCAID on YouTube.
(Please allow some time to process from a live stream to a regular video)
Email inquiries can be sent to: reentry@cwdb.ca.gov