THE KANSAS STORY
Workforce Initiatives Positioning Kansas
for Competitive Advantage
Zoe Thompson
Director, Workforce Training and Education
Kansas Department of Commerce and
Kansas Board of Regents
November 19, 2014
Governor Brownback’s Vision
for a Competitive Kansas
Economic
Strategic Plan
Respond to
Business
Agency
Collaboration
Incremental Decisions Support
Comprehensive Policy Changes
Statute
Policy
Procedure
Operational Connection is Vital
• Connection must be structural and
survive an administration or person
• Must connect workforce/economic
development and education agencies
• Must share common vision and goals
5
Big Changes to Funding
for Community & Technical Colleges
Old funding model – no relationship to course or
program delivered
 New funding model – based on cost to deliver
course or program
 Based on a variety of costs including instructor
costs, extraordinary costs, instructional and
institutional support costs
 Results – increased $$ for courses that cost more
to deliver

SYSTEM
WIDE,
INDUSTRY
DRIVEN
PROGRAM
ALIGNMENT
High School Students Earn
College Credit – SB155
Number of High School
Participants (Headcount)
College Credit Hours Earned
by High School Students
10,000
60,799
60,000
6,101
6,000
4,000
70,000
8,208
8,000
50,000
3,475
44,087
3,870
40,000
2,000
30,000
0
20,000
2011
2012
2013
2014
28,00028,161
10,000
Industry Credentials Earned
1,500
0
2011
2012
2013
2014
1,419
201
2
1,000
711
500
0
548
8
College Certificates
Healthcare
Welding
Manufacturing/Machining
Aerostructures
All Other
10%
26%
7%
6%
Enrollment
College Credentials
Industry Credentials
12 credit hour Pathway
Number Employed
Year 1
Year 2 Year 3 Cumulative
1069
994
1173
3118*
184
456
710
1350
1191
1086
1514
3791
341
450
325
1116
366
247
229
842
*Cumulative, unduplicated headcount
9%
AO-K TANF Enrollments
Enrolled
Completed
Total TANF Students served
42%
64
14
78
Legislative Support for AO-K
 2014
legislative session included:
• AO-K Proviso - $500,000 for tuition support
• GED Accelerator - $1.9M for incentives for
colleges
► $500/student
for GED attainment
► $170/student for cost of taking GED exam
► $1000/student for career technical education
credential
Employer Engagement Supports
Industry Credential Attainment
 Three
levels of engagement
• Supporter, Partner, Champion
 All
levels begin with Kansas Department of
Commerce Skills Pledge
 Higher level of recognition follows more
“engaged” use of industry credentials
Industry Driven Initiatives
Support the Governor’s Strategic
Economic Plan for Kansas
• Companies sign the Kansas Department
of Commerce Skills Pledge recognizing
and prioritizing industry credentials
• Workforce AID (Aligned with Industry
Demand) responds to company demand
for a skilled, credentialed workforce
Workforce AID
KANSAS COMPANIES
KANSAS BOARD OF
REGENTS
KANSAS DEPARTMENT
OF COMMERCE
STATE LEVEL
SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT
ED = Director of Workforce Training
and Education
Federal/State
Training Resources
Community and
Technical Colleges
SKILLED EMPLOYEES WITH
INDUSTRY AND COLLEGE CREDENTIALS
Private Resources
FIND, TRAIN AND DELIVER







FIND
Identify talent need/quantity/timing
Partner with companies
Recruit qualified participants
TRAIN
Employability and Technical Skills
Industry credentials- NIMS, MSSC, AWS, etc.
College Credit
DELIVER
Skilled Workforce
PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
KEY TO SUCCESS
Companies
Private
Staffing
Agencies
Colleges
KANSASWORKS
IMPACT ON THE KANSAS
ECONOMY IN 2014 (FEB-OCT)
• 12 training projects across the state
• Nearly 100 participants completed training
with industry credentials/college credit
• 92% with full industry credentials=employed
• Average starting wage = $14.44+/• Over $2,500,000 impact on the Kansas
economy in just nine months
Thank You, Questions,
Contact Us
• Zoe Thompson
Director, Workforce Training &
Education, Kansas Department of
Commerce and Kansas Board of
Regents
zthompson@kansascommerce.com
785.296.0205
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