Dive Brief:
- The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning launched Work Learn Earn, an initiative that will introduce working adults in certain regions to learning pathways.
- Work Learn Earn connects job seekers and students with educational programs and career pathways by bringing education providers, employers and economic development agencies into the conversation. The initiative will create websites that feature tools and resources to help users find training, credentials and career paths.
- The initiative expands upon programs the non-profit developed in Tennessee, New York City and the Gulf Coast. It helped these areas drum up talent in industries including manufacturing, IT, healthcare, oil and gas, and finance.
Dive Insight:
The need for talent has driven states and cities alike to come up with creative initiatives to entice workers to move and develop their skills there. The Work Learn Earn program aims to be a national example of something that has been tested in a number of states. New York state's Workforce Development Initiative committed $175 million to talent development projects, for example. The money will be divided between local employers and stakeholders to fund initiatives that support "regionally significant industries in emerging fields with growing demands for jobs, including those in clean energy, life science, computer science and advanced technologies," according to a press release from Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Other areas have looked to lure workers from elsewhere to grow their talent pipelines. Maine, for example, offers the Opportunity Maine Tax Credit. The program, which began in 2008, awards college graduates depending on when they earned their degree and the type of degree they earned. If a graduate is a Maine resident in a given tax year and both earned a degree at an accredited school in the U.S. and graduated on or after Jan. 1, 2016, the graduate gains either a refundable tax credit or a tax credit that offsets income taxes owed to Maine, depending on some other factors.
As another example, Tulsa, Oklahoma, runs the Tulsa Remote program, providing grants to workers who work remotely and move to Tulsa County. The grants cover some relocation costs and living expenses. Applicants must move to the city within six months of receiving the grant, the program website said.
