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Read the Career Development Report Card
Read the Statement of Work for Implementation of local Startegic Operational Plan

This document was last revised on October 23, 2001

STRATEGIC PLANNING is defined as a proactive means of positioning an organization or system to achieve and maintain excellence in an environment of dramatic trends and transitions. The essence of strategic planning is crafting long-term strategies that, when followed, will favorably position the organization to thrive in a future rationally anticipated through the analysis of internal and external trends and issues.

INTRODUCTION
To help place the content of the Career Development System Comprehensive Plan into context, the following is offered as background.

The Michigan Works! System is a comprehensive workforce development system composed of federal and state-funded programs that prepare people for jobs and careers, so that employers have the skilled workers they need to be competitive in our global economy.

The Governor, through the Michigan Department of Career Development (MDCD), provides administration and oversight of programs at the state level. The Michigan Works! System is coordinated locally by a partnership between 25 local Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) and local elected officials. The WDB members represent the private sector as well as education, economic development, social services, organized labor, community-based organizations and other groups affecting workforce development in a community.

Michigancs Career Development System has three subsystems:

Career Preparation System - Delivered by K-12 school districts, community colleges, private technical schools, and colleges and universities.
Workforce Development System - Delivered by Michigan Works! services, adult education programs, Work First programs, and Workforce Investment Act Programs.
Worker Enhancement System - Delivered by employer-based training programs and customized training activities.

Each workforce development region has governing bodies, agencies and institutions involved in establishing and delivering an array of programs and services that make up the three subsystems. The Michigan Department of Career Development has asked each of the state’s 25 Workforce Development Boards and their respective Michigan Works! Agencies to work through an extensive community-based strategic planning process involving the Career Development System partners. The focus of this effort is “Building Strategic Partnerships for Career Development.”

MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA) is to provide leadership to create a lifelong workforce development system that is responsive to market demand.

Vision: Where we want Wayne and Monroe Counties to be in 2005.

A thriving business climate that contributes to the overall well being of the community.
An abundant local workforce that is prepared for jobs that require high-skills.
A K-12 educational system in which students and teachers routinely utilize current information technologies as part of the curriculum.
A K-12 and adult education system that prepares students for fulfilling career paths which offer lifelong self-sufficiency.

Significant Trends & Critical Issues (from the Environmental Scan)

Critical Trends and Issues are those internal and external factors that must be dealt with if the organization is to proceed in a manner consistent with its mission.

Over the past five years, the high school completion/graduation rate has decreased slightly in Monroe County while increasing dramatically in Wayne County (excluding the city of Detroit).
The largest obstacle to economic growth in Michigan is a lack of skilled workers. Gaps still exist between the type and quality of skills that the K-12 system provides, and the knowledge base and skills necessary to thrive in the workforce.
From 1990 to 1999, enrollments in two-year community colleges increased significantly. Community Colleges, through partnerships with school districts and business, are now playing a pivotal role in developing a competent workforce.
Having access and familiarity with current and emerging technologies is crucial in employment, daily life, and in learning. Although improvements have been made, the “digital divide” still exists in many Michigan schools. In wealthier districts, there is an instructional computer for every 5 students. In high-poverty school districts, there is only one computer for every seven students.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH
As part of the environmental scanning process, SEMCA incorporated several community outreach activities designed to include community input into the information gathering process. SEMCA distributed a brochure that described the strategic planning process, a Career Development Report Card, and a survey, which we called our Two-Cents Worth brochure. These efforts were also posted on SEMCA’s website and announced in the SEMCA newsletter. Also, brochures and surveys were distributed, and presentations were made at major career fairs and relevant conferences. A press release was distributed to major daily newspapers as well as local community papers in the SEMCA service area.

The Downriver Summit, a meeting of community leaders in Wayne County, took place in May 2001. This community outreach event was part of Phase IV of SEMCA’s strategic planning process. SEMCA surveyed over 220 community leaders who were comprised of 35% business leaders, 31% government leaders, 22% nonprofits and labor, and 12% education leaders. In the survey, 48% answered “skilled workforce” to the question asking the most important factor in where to locate business. Seventy percent (70%) said that changing the current education system was important to the future of their organization, and 40% indicated that they were actively seeking a solution for keeping up with the demand for skilled workers.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION
STRATEGIC DIRECTION, established by a well-crafted strategic plan, sets the course for the organization’s capacity to thrive in its rationally anticipated future.

The improvement of education levels and workplace skills will become an increasingly critical force for propelling the local economy into a sustainable growth pattern. Optimized learning at all levels and for all populations holds the promise of moving families out of poverty, improving per capita income, enhancing the local economy, and bettering the over-all quality of life for the region’s residents.

The SEMCA Career Development System offers the following goals and strategies as products of its community based strategic planning process:

STRATEGIC GOALS
STRATEGIC GOALS are statements defining the desired outcomes resulting from the organization’s efforts.

Goal 1:	Diminish the gap between K-14 education output and industry needs by 20% by 2004.

Goal 2:	Improve Work Keys levels and employability skill levels for all adult workers tested by one level by 2004.

* Work Keys is a workplace skills assessment system used nationwide by employers, students, workers, and educators to measure worker skill levels, occupational profiles, and job profiles.

LONG-TERM STRATEGIES
STRATEGIES are significant, multi-year, general efforts towards which the organization is or will be dedicating resources in order to achieve its strategic goals.

Addressing Goal 1:

Diminish the gap between K-14 education output and industry needs by 20% by 2004.

Establish a baseline of the current gap between industry needs and education output.
SEMCA will serve as a facilitator of communication between educators and industry so that education provides necessary skills training. Likewise, industry must provide information as to current and future skills needed for workers and the projected demand for particular skill sets.
Increase the access of information technology resources to students and teachers in the SEMCA region.
Increase Career Pathways implementation within schools by 5% each year, for the next three years (establish baseline).

Addressing Goal 2:

Improve Work Keys levels and employability skill levels for all adult workers tested by one level by 2004.

Establish a baseline that determines an aggregate current level of Work Keys and employability skills, as well as the current and future deficiency in skill sets.
Increase the number of adults enrolling in and successfully completing programs that improve basic adult education skills (GED, HS completion) and employability skills (Work Keys).

STRATEGIC ASSETS & INITIATIVES - Goal 1

ASSETS

SEMCA

In collaboration with community colleges, Intermediate School Districts, and its network of One-Stop Service Centers, SEMCA will launch a study to determine the level of Work Keys usage as well as overall employment skills.
SEMCA has made BrainChild™ study aids available to adult learners through One-Stops. This device allows clients to study various subjects while simultaneously increasing comfort levels in using technology.
SEMCA promotes Career Pathways through web sites, newsletters, etc. Because our newsletter is distributed to a diverse audience, thus many people are made aware of Career Pathways who might not otherwise know about it.

Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA)

RESA has their Career Pathways framework in place, and it has been communicated to the districts. The development and implementation of a framework for the county has helped to facilitate a greater measure of uniformity that would otherwise occur.

Monroe County Intermediate School District

MISD has their Career Pathways framework in place, and it has been communicated to the districts.
Monroe School District has rolled the 6 Pathways into 4. By 9th grade, students have pathways identified, but career path can be altered at any time.

Henry Ford Community College

HFCC hosts a program called the Bridge to Advanced Manufacturing Careers and Education, which is attended by hundreds of high school students.
In the fall of 2001, HFCC will open one of 16 statewide Michigan Technical Education Centers (M-TEC). The HFCC M-TEC is a 30,000 sq. ft. facility that will offer apprenticeship training, job skills upgrading, information technology training, network administration training, and customized instruction for companies as well as the general public. Ford Motor Company will be a major customer of the HFCC M-TEC.

Downriver Career Technical Consortium

DCTC holds annual summer workshops for consortium counselors, teachers and administrators to develop Career Pathways plans for implementation in the upcoming school year. This year’s theme is “Connect With Your Learner.”

Livonia School District

The Livonia School District has developed a four-year plan indicating high school requirements, electives, Career Center programs, and the University President’s recommendations. All 8th-11th graders and their parents receive a copy of this plan.

INITIATIVES

SEMCA

SEMCA will commission a study by Wayne State University to collect the needed baseline data.
SEMCA has applied for federal funding for a technology program involving the City of Inkster and the Inkster School District.
SEMCA will educate teachers and counselors about career preparation resources online.
SEMCA is considering inviting students to use One-Stop labs in the evenings or after school.
SEMCA will encourage and coordinate local technology grant applications by the Intermediate School Districts, districts, and community organizations.
SEMCA will assist districts in writing proposals for Career Pathways grants from the state.
SEMCA plans to assist every district in the region achieve North Central Accreditation at the “transitional level,” which recognizes workplace readiness and career planning as baseline standards.
SEMCA plans to continue to encourage implementation of Career Development Plans for every student.

Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA)

Pathways workshops for administrators, counselors and teachers are being planned.

Monroe County Intermediate School District

Pathways workshops for administrators, counselors and teachers are being planned.
MISD wants all 11th & 12th graders to have work experience in their chose pathway.
12th graders must have a Capstone, which is a co-op, job shadowing, or internship.

Henry Ford Community College

In March 2001, twenty students completed a pilot of job and learning skills based orientation to specific labor market sectors for career development.

Downriver Career Technical Consortium

Implementation of Career Pathways starting in 8th grade will begin in the 2001-2002 school year.
Curriculum guides distributed to the students in consortium schools should mirror Career Pathways.

STRATEGIC ASSETS & INITIATIVES - Goal 2

ASSETS

SEMCA

SEMCA produces and distributes Career Planning Kits that help students and parents realize that excellent career preparation is available prior to or instead of a four-year degree.
SEMCA makes available lists of demand occupations to assist students and adults in making sounder career preparation decisions.
SEMCA provides speakers for diverse groups to support the idea of a skills gap. Very frequently, additional speaking opportunities arise from these groups because people recognize the importance of this information.

Hamtramck Adult Education

With 24 different languages represented, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are 87% of Hamtramck Adult Education Instruction.
13% of Hamtramck instruction is Adult Basic Education, GED Preparation, and high school completion.

Southgate Community School District Adult Education

Southgate’s Asher School is the Downriver area's largest Adult Education program. Through a Partnership for Adult Learning Grant provided by SEMCA, Asher provides GED, high school completion, and English as a Second Language services.

Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency

RESA actively supports Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling, Education Development Plans, and Pathways, which will aid students in choosing programs appropriately and in a timely manner to prepare for a career.
Added cost funding of RESA programs is based on employment demand list. This is a real incentive for districts to provide programs in critical skill areas.

Monroe County Intermediate School District

MISD actively supports Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling, Education Development Plans, and Pathways, which will aid students in choosing programs appropriately and in a timely manner to prepare for a career.
Students serve internships in local companies as well as in nonprofits and public schools.

Henry Ford Community College

HFCC maintains partnerships with Ford Motor Company for dealer training. This relationship guarantees a perfect match between company skills requirements and the training provided.
HFCC maintains a partnership with Oakwood Health Systems utilizing the Partnership for Adult Learning grant provided by SEMCA. HFCC and Oakwood are addressing the shortage of healthcare workers in a collaboration that combines on-the-job experience with the necessary classroom training.
HFCC’s Bridge Education Project assists underemployed and under-skilled workers to become employed in technologically advanced manufacturing firms.
HFCC has designed a Manufacturing Education Center to support the Bridge Project and other curricula.

Downriver Career Technical Consortium

DCTC supports career related field trips that help students recognize the career options available without a four-year degree.
DCTC provides tours to all Career and Technical Education programs provided for 10th graders so that they have the opportunity to see exactly what these programs consist of and to dispel misconceptions about “vocational” programs.
In all, during the 2000-2001 school year, 2,000 students experienced field trips.

Taylor Career Center

TCC provides tours to all Career and Technical Education programs provided for 10th graders so that they have the opportunity to see exactly what these programs consist of and, hopefully, to dispel any misconceptions about “vocational” programs.

INITIATIVES

SEMCA

SEMCA will continue to apply for competitive grants.
SEMCA will make the public aware of the high numbers of H-1B waiver applications.
The PAL grant will be used to fund several programs including a partnership with the Detroit Automobile Dealership Association.
Search for grant opportunities that expand the capacity of One-Stops to provide basic education services for adults.

Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA)

RESA will continue to encourage districts to provide more opportunity for students to explore career opportunities on line.

Monroe Intermediate School District

MISD will continue to encourage districts to provide more opportunity for students to explore career opportunities on line.
MISD and 5 districts are pooling funds to hire an Employment Coordinator to oversee relations with businesses, internships, job shadowing, etc.

Henry Ford Community College

HFCC plans to develop a career related learning skills orientation program designed to increase the number of labor market ready students.
HFCC plants to share corporate/industrial design and manufacturing hardware and software through educational partnerships.

Schoolcraft Community College

A newly equipped Technology Center is scheduled for completion in 2003. Downriver Career Technical Consortium
A luncheon that focused on nontraditional careers for girls was held during the 2000-2001 school year. The luncheon will be held again next school year.
Many of the school districts within the DCTC consortium are planning “Career Days” for students.

Taylor Career Center

The Taylor Career Center is exploring partnerships with local community colleges to provide extended learning opportunities for adults.

While the content of this plan constitutes products of the strategic planning process to date, establishing and strengthening strategic partnerships is viewed as on-going effort in the SEMCA Michigan Works! region.

With 42 school districts, more than a dozen charter schools, 4 community colleges and other colleges, universities, and private training institutions in our region, it has not yet been possible to receive feedback from all potential resources. One overriding strategy of the SEMCA Workforce Board will be ongoing engagement with the broader community to continually identify assets that can help to further the goals of this Strategic Plan.

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