With teacher attrition rates high and enrollment in traditional education prep programs low, districts across the country are asking the question: “Where will we find the next generation of teachers?” An increasingly popular strategy is to create pathways to bring paraprofessionals, classified staff and long-term substitute teachers into the profession. Most of these folks would like to be in fully certified teaching roles but run into barriers, including time and, with federal funding cut or in limbo, cost.
To address persistent teacher shortages and build a sustainable talent pipeline by helping these educators become certified, school districts are collaborating with Local Workforce Development Boards. For decades, LWDBs have supported local talent pipelines in industries ranging from construction to technology to nursing, but they haven’t historically partnered with school districts. Some workforce boards may not be aware that their school districts are the largest employers in their entire community, and many district leaders haven’t realized that workforce boards can provide essential services and supports for talent development programs. Here’s a quick primer on what LWDBs are and what they can do for your district.
What is a Local Workforce Development Board?
Local workforce development boards, otherwise known as LWDBs or simply workforce boards, support businesses, employers and job-seekers in a local area. The number of counties a board serves varies, as does the total number of boards in a state. Think of them like an educational service center (e.g., BOCES, Intermediate Unit, ESC, etc.) for businesses and employers. LWDBs serve several functions:
- They conduct labor market and workforce data analysis.
- They share workforce pipeline promising practices.
- They ensure appropriate use of workforce funds.
- They provide career services.
For school districts focused on developing their teacher pipelines, LWDBs can provide sustainable and recurring funding for program implementation, support with marketing and recruitment, and wraparound support services to eligible individuals.
What is the funding mechanism?
LWDBs are funded through the federal Department of Labor and receive formula-based flow-through funding. Funding for adult workers can be accessed through a variety of funding streams; each LWDB has its own policies, so it’s important to discuss which funding route your LWDB may prefer or prioritize:
- Incumbent worker training encompasses any training program for current staff at a school district who have at least 6 months of history with that district. Districts pay for a share of the training based on the size of their staff, and then they are reimbursed for the remainder of the training costs. For example, a school district with more than 100 employees could be responsible for 50% of the tuition, and the workforce board would reimburse the remainder of the training costs.
- Individualized training accounts are vouchers granted by an LWDB that an eligible individual can utilize for qualified job training programs. Individuals are deemed eligible through an intake process conducted by an LWDB staff member, and individuals typically demonstrate eligibility via financial need or a need for additional academic support for on-the-job learning. For your district’s training program to be eligible for an ITA, the training provider (college/university) must first be on your state’s eligible training provider list. Districts can obtain approval by applying directly for the state ETPL or becoming a registered apprenticeship program.
- An employer provides on-the-job training to a paid participant. Through OJT funding, LWDBs can reimburse up to 50% of the participant’s wages.
- Customized training funds are utilized with programs designed to meet the specific requirements of a specific employer. LWDBs may opt to utilize customized training funds depending on their local policies.
What are the results of workforce partnerships?
According to Sara Dail, Ph.D., assistant superintendent of Sterling Public Schools in Illinois, her district’s training partnership with the local workforce board has been “a game changer.” Through a collaboration facilitated by BloomBoard, the district secured 50% reimbursement for the costs of certifying paraprofessionals as teachers. The district now has a robust pipeline of paraprofessionals who are invested in staying in the community and ready to step into teaching roles, and the funding for them to get certified.
In Pennsylvania, a workforce board partnership netted Capital Area Intermediate Unit 15 as much as $7,000 per candidate to help paraprofessionals become certified teachers. Executive Director Dr. Andria Saia noted that the unit will have 19 new teachers certified through the program in the next six months and that its success has “encouraged other intermediate units to support similar initiatives.”
How do I get started?
The first step in building a relationship with your LWDB is simple: reach out to them. Some districts undertake this on their own, while others might choose to partner with an intermediary such as an educator preparation provider to help them build relationships between LWDBs and district workforce development specialists. This support can include email outreach templates, meeting facilitation and translation of workforce jargon. The ultimate goal is to guide districts through applying for funds and to help them develop a long-term partnership with their workforce board.
Through partnerships with LWDBs, districts can unlock new funding sources and leverage expertise and community connections to attract and support a diverse pool of aspiring educators. In our time of economic uncertainty, collaboration between school districts and LWDBs is a reliable way to recruit, train, and retain a teaching workforce that can meet the needs of all students.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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