TSWDB Staff Members at the 2019 WIOA Boot Camp training in Lillington, NC. Back (l to r) Adena Mitchell, Angela Nicholson, Rosalind Cross, Kim Shaw and Mike Peluso. Front (l to r) Jessica Ingram, Jackie McMillian, Dottie Cieciorka, and Malinda Marsh.
Staff of the Triangle South Workforce Development Board held their 5th Annual WIOA Boot Camp Training on September 18th and 19th at the Harnett Health Sciences Center in Lillington, NC. WIOA Service Providers and NCWorks Career Center personnel gathered from Chatham, Harnett, Lee, and Sampson Counties to learn about new policy development and to receive feedback and guidance from their peers at the local and state offices.
Day One
The training sessions held on Day One were designed specifically for WIOA Title I service providers. Attendees received updates on work-based learning goals and initiatives and were provided with various policy updates. Additional instructions were provided on the Finish Line Grant, and the regional and state analysts provided assistance with keying information into NCWorks Online. The Director of Performance, from the Division of Workforce Solutions, provided updates on how our local area was meeting the Department of Labor’s mandated performance measures. Attendees also learned the importance of proper stress management and got the chance to self evaluate their work personalities through completing a DISC assessment. For the final session of the day, WIOA service providers attended breakout sessions led by their local area Program Coordinators.
Day Two
The training sessions held on the second day of Boot Camp were designed with all WIOA Titles and partner programs in mind. The State Equal Opportunity Officer provided important information on inclusiveness, affirmative outreach, and provided services to individuals with disabilities and language barriers. A representative from the North Carolina Labor and Economic Analysis Division (LEAD) provided valuable resources on finding Labor Market Information for our customers. The TSWDB Business Services Coordinator led a panel of employers that discussed their service provision experiences with local NCWorks Career Centers and provided information on what additional services they may need moving forward. Regional Analysts for NCWorks Online provided information to upcoming system changes and provided answers to system user questions, and the Director of Performance returned to provide Title III performance information and discussed the new employer performance measurement requirements from the US Department of Labor. At the end of the day, we had the opportunity to hear from front line staff in Chatham and Sampson County and learned important information on what it means to be a Training Champion.
TSWDB’s Annual WIOA Boot Camp training 2019 was a success. With over 30 participants attending on day one and almost 70 attendees on day tow, the entire local area had a chance to connect and learn new information and be reminded of current requirements and policies. The reviews from attendees were positive, with the average person rating Boot Camp with 4 out of 5 stars.
Next year, we look forward to implementing more interactive training sessions, workshops, and changing the theme from Boot Camp to something else that is more reflective of our current development under WIOA. We are grateful for the continued support from local area staff and partners who help make our annual training better and more enjoyable each year.