We discussed the paper with key leaders in the field, and Senior Fellow Ed Strong presented the concept at NAWB Forum 2012, the CWA Annual Spring Conference 2012, and A Summit in the Heartland. We also talked with state and local practitioners about the concept. Everywhere we went, there was eagerness to identify strategies to better serve today's unemployed, and a recognition that workers need skills and credentials in order to improve their chances of getting a good job.

We also learned that the transformation we are proposing should address a couple of additional needs in the One-Stop system. Job seekers need a better system to help them identify, make choices about, and prepare for career opportunities. We're working on an approach to career navigation to address this need. People who want to create their own job also need support, so we are looking at models for supporting entrepreneurship through the One-Stop system as well. 

We've also been following what other people are saying about revamping the One-Stop system. A particularly interesting proposition comes from Joseph M. Carbone, CEO of The Work Place, which is the One-Stop system in Connecticut. He is widely seen as an innovative operator and was recently on 60 Minutes to share their successful pilot project to help people find new jobs after multiple years out of the workforce. He offers a compelling alternative purpose for One-Stop centers to what we've posed: could One-Stops be designed to target the difficult transitions of the long-term unemployed? We think it is an option that is also very different from the status quo and worth discussing. 

One thing has become perfectly clear to us: given the fiscal restraints, the One-Stop centers can't be all things to all people. One-Stop centers urgently need to be transformed and we are looking at all options. If you have ideas about what the future of One-Stops should be, visit www.skilledwork.org/one-stop-reinvention and join the discussion. If you are interested in exploring ways to re-purpose your One-Stop system, we'd love to work with you on the design and implementation of new ways of doing business. Just contact Ed Strong at estrong@skilledwork.org to let us know that you are interested.

CSW president Jeannine LaPrad and board members Andrew Brower, an associate program officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Donna Gambrell, director of the U.S. Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, attended the 2012 Clinton Global Initiative America Meeting in June in Chicago. This second annual meeting was dedicated to forging collaborative solutions and generating commitments to address the United States' most pressing economic challenges. Nearly 1,000 leaders representing Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, foundations, and government, including governors, mayors, and members of the Obama Administration attended. Job creation, stimulating economic growth, fostering innovation, and supporting workforce development in the United States were dominant themes of the meeting. The full program, webcast schedule, and list of all CGI America commitments is available here.

Chairman Larry Good joined Jack Mills, Director of National Network of Sector Partners, and Martin Simon, Program Director at National Governors Association, to provided an overview on sector strategies at the Oregon Sector Strategies Summit, which launched the state's industry sector strategy. The half-day workshop and policy academy provided foundational knowledge regarding sector strategies to those who are new to the concept. It also provided opportunities to learn about the latest trends for those who are more experienced. 

This summer Dr. Keith W. Bird, Senior Fellow for Workforce and Postsecondary Education, continued his work with community colleges to further align postsecondary education with workforce and economic development. In June, Keith was keynote speaker at the University System of Georgia Adult Learning Consortium Summer Institute. He also facilitated community college leaders from across the country to discuss workforce development and the implications of the recommendations in the American Association of Community Colleges' Reclaiming the American Dream: Community Colleges and the Nation's Future. 

In August, Dr. Bird spoke at Henry Ford Community College's event, Filling the Skills Gap in Manufacturing: New Learning Tools & Opportunities. The college continues to collaborate with various partners, including Ford Motor Co., to create the next generation of manufacturing programs across the country. These programs have been designed by the Automotive Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative. 

Dr. Bird was also part of the team that reviewed applicants for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence over the summer. The Aspen Prize recognizes community colleges with outstanding academic and workforce outcomes in both absolute performance and improvements over time.