State and Regional Roles in Legislative Strategies

State Role in Winning Legislative Support

One of the most important roles that the state partners can play to ensure the long-term sustainability of their sector strategies is to work on legislative strategies for both funding and public policy inclusion. This includes:

Embedding sector strategies into state statute

Several states worked with their legislature to imbed sector strategies into various pieces of legislation. This can be very effective even if there are no funds immediately available to support sector strategies. Writing sector strategies into state policy so that partners view the strategy as something more than a short-lived “program” not only increases partner buy-in but also puts the strategy on the “radar screen” for potential future funding.

Including sector strategies in state funding legislation and budget processes

Several states have been successful in securing state general funds to support sector strategies. Some states very directly supported the development of sector strategies (i.e. PA, WA), while other states supported sector initiatives more indirectly through legislation targeted at a specific industry sector (i.e. MA and OK). Specific examples include:

• Pennsylvania
• Washington – Industry Skills Panels and Centers of Excellence
• Massachusetts – Health Care Industry
• Oklahoma - Targeted to the Aerospace Industry [Tuition Tax Credit]
• Michigan - In Michigan’s No Worker Left Behind initiative, the legislature provided $5 M in general funds to support the Michigan Nursing Corps.

Engaging business champions and advocates to support legislative efforts

Business champions and other advocates can be very effective partners as you pursue your legislative strategies. For example:

• In 2008, the legislature in Pennsylvania was considering discontinuing funding for sector strategies. The business community advocated on behalf of continuing the funding because they believed in the value and effectiveness of sector strategies. The sector funding was continued. When funding was threatened again in 2009, WorkforcePA created a website where employers and other stakeholders could sign a letter of support.
• In Massachusetts, Workforce Solutions, funded by SkillWorks, has significant business support.
• The California EDGE campaign, is supported by the Bay Area Workforce Funding Collaborative.
• The Reinvestment Fund brought together employers in Pennsylvania to advocate for workforce development systems change prior to Governor Rendell’s election.

Regional Role in Securing Legislative Support

Regions have two primary roles in support of state legislative strategies:

• Identifying champions and advocates in their regions that can promote sector strategies with the state legislature.
• Providing case studies, outcome and evaluation data, and “telling stories” to the state to use when working with the legislature.