Initiatives

             Initiatives of Southeast Missouri WIRED            

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■  Implementation Plan  ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

05.27.08 Revised FINAL Implementation Plan.doc(2.9 MB)

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■   SWOT Analysis  ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■  

Click Below to Access the SWOT Analysis Reports

SWOT Analysis Report

Executive Summary

Emerging Clusters Report

Enhancing Occupational Education Report

Employment Center Analysis Report

Outreach Plan

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■  Initiatives■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Seven Education and Business Innovation Forums

For the purposes of gathering valuable information intended to guide planning the development of the implementation plan and to build consensus across the region, WIRED’s SkillSmart Committee hosted, in conjunction with local likeminded entities, a series of seven forums in early 2008 which brought together, at the subregional level, educators and business and community leaders to discuss the vital issues facing business and education both today and in the future.  The compiled results from these summitsidentified the talent development needs in Southeast

Missouri that have been utilized as building blocks at the Governor’s Summit to spark further discussion and action, as well as in the crafting of the implementation plan.  They validated other regional studies that have been conducted that demonstrated that lack of personal effectiveness competencies or basic soft skills, career development awareness, and math, science, and technical skills are the main deficiencies of the workforce at large.  Documenting the voices of the region has served as the catalyst for the development of new programs targeted at the identified issues as well. 

Governor’s Business and Education Summit

Governor Blunt convened a series of summits across the state to promote Missouri’s METS Initiative and P20 Council, an event which provided WIRED a high profile opportunity to gather the region’s education and business leaders for a roundtable discussion with the Governor, but also to provide them with information on innovative education programs that provide students with the skills they will need to be productive 21^st century workers and thinkers.  WIRED, together with several business and education partners, seized the opportunity to formalize the relationships being built by organizing the region’s P20 Council, the Business and Education Network of Southeast Missouri.

Southeast Missouri P20 Council:

A Business and Education Partnership to Develop 21st Century Workforce 

The Southeast Missouri P20 Council will address critical issues facing the education and business communities, both today and in the future.  Many in the region are viewing this organization as the grassroots effort to sustain the WIRED philosophy after the end of the federal funding period.  The council is in the process of securing 501C organizational status and has organized itself into the following working teams:

• Resource Partnerships – Purpose: To develop business and education partnerships; To link regional business and education resources; To conduct Needs Inventory Survey.  This group will facilitate the planning of subregional, industry-specific, interactive career exploration fairs targeted at 7^th through 9^th graders. 
• Core Academics – Purpose: To ensure students have the basic academic skills needed for success; To facilitate veritical curriculum alignment; To promote critical thinking, information gathering, and analysis skills
• Employment Skills – Purpose: To promote personal effectiveness competencies; To ensure all individuals have the basic skills necessary to be successful employees or business owners; To improve soft skills (work ethic, professional behavior, communication, etc.)  This group will actively promote the expansion of WorkKeys and the Missouri Career Readiness Credential with area schools, employers and workers. 
• Career Pathways – Purpose: To ensure seamless transitions for individuals from pre-school through post-secondary education into employment; To make all students and workers aware of training requirements and employment possibilities; To create pathways for existing careers and those of the future.  This group will facilitate expediting the process of establishing personal programs of study for area high school students in accordance with DESE’s Career Paths, Clusters, and Pathways.

Renewable Energy Conference

A renewable energy conference was held at the Delta Center in Portageville in March to increase awareness of possibilities for building the renewable energy industry in Southeast Missouri.  A second conference is being planned for February 2009.

Missouri REAL Entrepreneurship Program

WIRED has provided start-up funds for the Missouri REAL Entrepreneurship Program which is operated out of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Southeast Missouri State University.  Its mission is to develop entrepreneurial talent through action learning in an effort to foster the creation of innovative and sustainable enterprises throughout Missouri.  Five area teachers attended training in June to become certified to teach the curriculum, and they will be the instructors at future summer academies so they concepts of entrepreneurship can infiltrate classrooms across the region.  MO REAL Entrepreneurship is a small part of the comprehensive entrepreneurship arsenal the university is building which includes an entrepreneurship major, minor, elective course, student organization, competitions, and special events.

Missouri Enterprise Eureka Winning Ways Program

WIRED has contracted Missouri Enterprise to consult with area companies through the Eureka Winning Ways process.   Through this facilitated process, companies will evaluate their processes in pursuit of greater efficiencies and explore ideas for new product lines, markets, and processes.

WorkKeys Profiles and Assessments

WIRED will actively promote, through partnership with the Division of Workforce Development and workforce development network, the extension of WorkKeys profiling and assessment and is currently involved in negotiating additional testing sites that can accommodate larger numbers of test-takers and in more convenient locations.  WIRED is also matching a WIB investment of $45,000 to increase the number of position profiles in area businesses.

Believe to Achieve Program

The Southeast Missouri Hospital Foundation was awarded WIRED funding to implement a program, in partnership with Cape Girardeau Public Schools’ Alternative School and MERS/Goodwill’s Scholars at Work Program, to provide at-risk high school students and GED candidates with valuable medical training and experience that will help them progress toward CNA certification.  Southeast Missouri Hospital will provide the venue and training will interview all students completing the program for an entry-level position at the hospital.

Nurse Preceptor Academy

WIRED will work in conjunction with the Missouri Hospital Association to bring the Nurse Preceptor Academy to four regional locations.  This is a one-day intensive training program for nursing staff geared at preparing them to be mentors for new nurses.   With the region and nation experiencing an extreme shortage in nursing, providing training opportunities and creating better work environments have been proven to reduce the rate of nurses leaving the profession.

 Building Operator Course

Through a partnership with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center, WIRED will be involved in making available a Building Operator Course in Energy Efficiency beginning in April 2009. 

Digital Workplace Literacy

RFPs will be released to solicit proposals for programs that will increase the digital workplace literacy of the region’s populace.

Entrepreneurship Training

RFPs will be issued for proposals that address the needs of “2^nd tier” small businesses owners.  WIRED is also in the process of determining the best method for creating a system to collect useful data from small business owners that would indicate to resource providers the types of services to implement or develop.  The business licensing process at the county level seems to be the best option.

Asset Mapping

An online asset map outlining area infrastructure and community assets will be developed.  WIRED has partnered with the three regional planning commissions to populate regional and community level information on Location One, a nationally recognized economic development website.  The RPCs will actively seek out information for cities with populations over 2500, county seats, and cities with industrial parks.  The end goal is to develop a structure by which trained individuals at the localities will maintain the integrity of the information on the site, so pertinent information concerning workforce and economic development is always accurate and available online.

Targeted Career Fair

Area businesses in specific high growth and technical industries will be asked to participate in an interactive, hands-on career fair designed to spark the interest of students and begin the process of preparation for their chosen career field.

Promotional training materials

Materials will be developed on a regional scale and provided to area guidance counselors, students, and parents to educate them on the various options for careers and their training requirements and options in the region.

Guidance Counselor Seminar

WIRED will host a half-day seminar for area guidance counselors in which all regional post-secondary education institutions will have the opportunity to showcase their programs and requirements.  Area businesses that have partnered with education to create scholarship or internship programs will also be invited to present information on their programs.