Transcript Sustaining STC

Sustaining STC
Now and in the Future
Neil Gorrell
Employment System Policy & UI Director
Washington Employment Security
Department
2015 STC Summit
Sustaining our Gains:
What comes next?
Neil Gorrell
Employment System Policy & UI Director
November 2015
2015 STC Summit
Washington’s STC Experience
• Shared Work created in state law based on
model guidelines in 1983
• Used in at least three major recessions and
several localized economic downturns
• Demonstrated history of use in economic
downturns and expansions – there’s always a
place for it in a state’s toolbox
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Who is using Shared Work?
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Who is using Shared Work?
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Growing Pains – Great Recession
• The Shared Work program experienced
incredible growth during the recession.
• Sharp increase in number of employer plans:
– In 2008: approximately 300
– In 2010: approximately 3,000
– In 2013: approximately 2,500
• From 5,700 covered workers in 2008 to almost
44,000 in 2010.
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Middle Class Tax Relief and Job
Creation Act of 2012
• Federal government encouraged states to implement
and improve Shared Work programs
– Provided federal money to implement, improve and
advertise shared work programs
– Provided reimbursements to states for benefits paid
for shared work
– Gave states the option whether to use additional
funds to shore up trust fund or provide relief to
employers
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Promote & Enroll Grant
• Goals – update promotional tools and
materials
• Progress – recreated brochures, videos,
communications with updated information
and identifiable “brand” for ongoing use after
grant period
• What comes next – finalize changes to
materials for ongoing use
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Promote & Enroll Grant
• Goals – consider and test innovative outreach
techniques for businesses
• Progress – identified and tested several
avenues for outreach to businesses, local
organizations, workforce partners
• What comes next – standardize approach to
successful outreach avenues; set aside those
that did not succeed as hoped
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Implement & Improve Grant
• Goals – Review and streamline business
processes to improve work flow
• Progress – Lean review of entire process;
identified several improvement opportunities;
continuing to work those improvements
• What comes next – continue making
improvements and standardizing work;
prepare for business changes coming with
new benefits system
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Implement & Improve Grant
• Goals – improve technology tools to streamline
data entry work and reduce duplication
• Progress – Updated paper forms to web based
fillable forms; final stages of developing a webbased SQL database to log and track employer
plans (replacing an Excel workbook)
• What comes next – finalize SQL database;
prepare to integrate into new benefits system
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Preparing for the Next Recession
• Invest in tools to simplify the work
– Move from manual to automated processes –
even partial or incremental improvements can
result in substantial gains
• Improving the process is as important – if not
more so – than improving the tools
• Nurture the program – not just for downturns
• Build relationships with workforce partners
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DISCUSSION
What are you doing in your state
to sustain your gains?
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Thank you!
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