GWB update

Lincoln D. Chafee, Governor   

Constance A. Howes, JD, FACHE, Chair 

Rick Brooks, Executive Director                                  

April 10, 2014

Governor's Workforce Board awards $1.5 million to train nearly 5,000 employees

 

The Governor's Workforce Board (GWB) Rhode Island has awarded $1.5 million in Incumbent Worker Training grants to improve the skills of 4,775 employees at 68 Rhode Island-based companies.

 
January's Request for Proposals had allocated $700,000 in grant funding to be awarded this April, but overwhelming interest in the program prompted the Board to approve an additional $800,000, which will be available July 1st. Governor Lincoln D. Chafee said, "The robust response in requests for matching training dollars is proof that RI employers are increasing their investment in training."

Incumbent Worker Training grants are competitive grants that offer matching funds to businesses to upgrade the skills of their employees. Grants range in size from $5,000 to $40,000. The funds are available to all Rhode Island for-profit and not-for-profit businesses that contribute to the Job Development Fund.
 
For more details, read the full press release by the Office of the Governor.

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GWB investments address workforce needs of RI businesses and workers

 

The Governor's Workforce Board is responsible for planning, coordinating, evaluating, and funding workforce training and education efforts in RI so that businesses are able to hire skilled workers and workers are able to obtain good jobs.  The GWB annually invests approximately $10.1 million in Job Development Funds, and $650,000 in general revenue funds to support training and education for the current and future RI workforce. For further details about the types of investments, click on the chart below.

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Stepping Up skills up incumbent medical assistants

 

Stepping Up, a GWB Healthcare Industry Partner, and program of the UNAP/RIH Education Fund is defining and building pathways around the Medical Assistant (MA) occupation. The work began with an occupational analysis and recommendations in 2013 based on input from the Rhode Island Department of Health, healthcare employers, MA training programs, and MAs. This research was published in the report "Realigning the Medical Assistant Career Ladder."

 

Since then, Stepping Up has helped the Rhode Island Department of Health outline a set of MA guidelines . MAs are not required to be registered or licensed in Rhode Island, but a scope of work now exists.

 

As healthcare facilities prepare for implementation of the Affordable Care Act, many are identifying skills needed to deliver a new model of care called Patient Centered Medical Homes. Coastal Medical Group and University Medicine approached Stepping Up to design training modules that ensure their MAs are prepared for this model of care. The curriculum is ready for delivery, and includes topics such as critical thinking, pre-visit planning, electronic health record documentation, chronic disease management, motivational interviewing, clinical skills review, and an optional certification exam prep course. 

 

Stay tuned for a comprehensive healthcare industry skills gap study to be released this spring from Stepping Up, Healthcentric Advisors, and HARI!  

 

 

 
Career overviews now available on GWB website
 
The Workforce On-Ramps project, in collaboration with the GWB, recently published career overviews of common jobs within four of Rhode Island's industries and sectors:
  • Health care
  • Information Technology
  • Manufacturing
  • Hospitality
Click here to view and download the career overviews.
 
 


Director's Blog
 

  
Read Executive Director Rick Brooks' latest post about the impact of GWB investments.
 
 


About the Governor's Workforce Board 
Rhode Island
 
The Governor's Workforce Board is the primary policy-making board for Rhode Island workforce development. Since its inception in 2005, the board has invested more than $70 million in initiatives that improve the existing skill base of the workforce and anticipate the future needs of growing and emerging businesses.
  
GOVERNOR'S WORKFORCE BOARD RI
1511 Pontiac Ave.
Cranston, RI 
02920-4407
ph: (401) 462-8864
fx:  (401) 462-8865