Peer Learning Project Toolkit

From June, 2006 to May, 2007, the Commonwealth Workforce Coalition implemented the Capacity Building Initiative, with the support and partnership of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. The Inititiave was made up of nine training sessions and five Peer Learning Projects.

Thirty staff from 12 Boston agencies (all with workforce development services and funded by UWMBMV) participated in the Peer Learning Projects. Each Peer Learning Project developed a toolkit in a specific topic area. The toolkits are listed below as chapters. The chapters are in a PDF format and can be downloaded individually. The beginning of each chapter includes a table of contents. The cover page and Introduction at the top of the list provide details about the Inititiave.

 Cover page and Introduction
 CH1 - Flexible Curriculum and Instruction -integrated curriculum, assessment, soft skills, life skills and job readiness
 CH2 - Manager’s PLP -staff retention, team building, organizational change
 CH3 - Marketing to Employers -sales tips, hard data, industry research
 CH4 - On Line Applications - tips for working with employers / participants
 CH5 - Post Placement and Retention -employment support, resource guide

Business Value Assessment Toolkit

The Business Value Assessment toolkit includes a planning handbook, an automated Excel file for tracking specific business value outcomes, and basic guidelines for using questionnaires to assess business value outcomes. Developed in manufacturing and health care workplaces, the Business Value Assessment toolkit is adaptable and can be applied to a variety of workforce development services, settings and industries.

Download the free toolkit at www.aspenwsi.org

State Training and Education Policies and Statistics (STEPS) Clearinghouse

The STEPS Clearinghouse contains a unique mix of quantitative and qualitative policy information to assist advocates, researchers, and policymakers interested in improving state implementation of federal workforce development policies, including: Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Pell Grants under the Higher Education Act (HEA), Perkins Vocational and Technical Education, Adult Education and Family Literacy, and Wagner-Peyser / Employment Service programs.

For more information, go to the homepage of Workforce Alliance.

State-Specific Resources

Go to the homepage of Workforce Alliance for:

• State Plans and Reports - Access any state's workforce system, including links to required state plans and reports and a printable summary of funding, participant, and performance data from each state's workforce system for the most current year.
• Interactive State Database - Connect to dynamic state summaries by program, search for information on multiple states and years, and use STEPS comparative tools.

Using a Self-Sufficiency Continuum as a Framework for Workforce Development

Go to MassCAP's website for case studies and other resource materials aimed at understanding how community action programs can help individuals get the kinds of training and other services that would lead to jobs that pay family-sustaining wages.

Commonwealth Workforce Coalition • c/o CEDAC, One Center Plaza, Suite 350 • Boston, MA 02108 • 617-727-5944 • fax 617-727-5990