Values and Guiding Principles 

Vision:  A workforce systems that meets employer demands for a highly skilled workforce and worker's needs for training for high skill jobs.

Employer and worker-driven workforce system:

    * Meeting the workforce development needs of business and labor is the primary focus of the initiative.  Implication:  Demand driven.
    * Focusing on the dynamic traded sectors generates the most economic benefit.  Implication:  Focus funding priorities to traded sectors.
    * Employers and workers need and deserve a coordinated and connected delivery system.  Implication:  All economic and workforce services must be integrated.


Effective and Efficient Allocation of Resources:

    * Replication of good workforce models can bring training programs to an efficient scale.  Implication:  Include replication as one of state's funding priorities.
    * The state encourages support of its investments in the public training system yet allows the employer the ultimate choice of training providers.  Implication:  Public institutions will in most cases be the training providers.
    * Workforce resources need to focus on jobs that lead to worker self-sufficiency.  Implication:  Wages that lead to worker self-sufficiency will be the goal for the Employer Workforce Training Fund (EWTF).
    * Leveraging private sector resources expands the state's investment and achieves longer-term partnerships.  Implication:  Employer match will be part of the funding requirements for the EWTF.
    * Statewide, integrated economic development and workforce strategies provide context for the operation of regional services and maximize the overall impact. Implication:  Utilize existing strategies, provide statewide leadership, and build the capacity of regional efforts.
    * Using statewide data and analysis to make decisions for resource allocation insures long-term success through the investment in demonstrated best practices. Implications:  Set priorities and allocate funding using statewide and regional data.


Link Workforce and Economic Development:

    * Workforce development is economic development.
    * Creation and retention of jobs is an important factor in Oregon's economic recovery and workforce development is crucial to job generation.  Implication:  Workforce measures need to have an economic development context.
    * Regional cross-functional teams meet employer and worker needs by operating more effectively and efficiently when there is collective knowledge and utilization of good team skills, process, and procedures. Implication:  Regions will need assistance in meeting funding priorities and criteria.
    * Employers and workers need a single point of contact for both economic development and training issues.  Implication:  Regional teams and the 311 hotline/website must provide fully integrated services.