GNO, Inc. Analysis of Coastal Restoration Workforce Assets, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

GNO, Inc.


Analysis of Coastal Restoration Workforce Assets, Challenges, and Opportunities in South Louisiana

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Funded by the Foundation for Louisiana

Information Gathering

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Quantitative Data

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Information collected on 59 CPRA projects dating from July 2007 – Aug 2014

• Represents total spend of

$755M

• Information on cash transfers

for each project

• Construction Close Out

Reports obtained for 25 projects

• Focus on restoration projects

because of detailed data availability (USACE manages most of the protection projects)

$2 $3 $18 $20 $35 $38 $57 $122 $212 $248

$- $50 $100 $150 $200 $250 $300

Oyster Barrier Reef Other Hydrologic Restoration Diversion Infrastructure Hurricane Protection Shoreline Protection Marsh Creation Barrier Island/Marsh Creation Oil Spill Protection Million

Source: CPRA

Qualitative Information

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17 companies interviewed, 4 regional roundtables, and a structured survey of 22 service providers in the GNO region

Professional Services Construction

Findings & Recommendations

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FINDING: The Road to the CPRA is Paved with Subcontractors

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Prime:

• Civil & Coastal

Engineering

• Environmental

Sciences (permitting)

• Drafting
• GIS Mapping

Subcontract:

• Computer Modeling
• Public Outreach
• Archeology

Planning Engineering & Design Construction Operations & Maintenance

Prime:

• Civil & Coastal

Engineering

• Drafting
• GIS Mapping

Subcontract:

• Surveying
• Geotechnical Drilling

& Sampling

• Inspection
• Computer Modeling
• Prime:
• Equipment Operations
• Boat Captains & Crew
• Diesel Mechanics
• Skilled Crafts
• Civil Engineering
• Labor

Subcontract:

• Surveying
• Marsh Buggy

Operations

• Transportation

Prime:

• Biology
• Engineering

Technicians Subcontract:

• Surveying
• Transportation

Source: GNO, Inc. creation

RECOMMENDATION:

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MARKETING Organize regional networking lunches with CPRA prime and potential subs. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Engage relevant business assistance organizations to hold workshops for current CPRA subs with aspirations of becoming primes. WORKFORCE ASSISTANCE Provide potential subs with the resources to attract and retain relevant talent. POLICY Pilot a CPRA professional services contract opportunity for small-to-medium size businesses.

Increase local employment and wealth generation by expanding the participation of LA firms in CPRA contracts

FINDING: If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage or market it

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*Bolded companies are incorporated in Louisiana Source: Data from CPRA, total spend captures $755M from projects completed between July 2007 and August 2014

• Minimal data of subcontractor and sub-consultant activities in CPRA

projects

• Role of subs will become more relevant as contracts and team sizes

increase

• Subs tend to employ more local labor than primes

RECOMMENDATION:

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MARKETING Track and publish the extent small-to-medium sized firms are utilized in CPRA contracts. OUTREACH Data can be used by community based and workforce development

• rganizations to help residents connect to economic opportunities and jobs.

DATA ANALYSIS The scale and scope of LA firms engaging in coastal work could be measured and reported over time

Explore how the CPRA or other entities could institute procedures necessary to track subcontractor activity

FINDING: Workforce pipelines must extend to our coast

10 Source: The Data Center’s ‘Coastal Index’

RECOMMENDATION:

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BEST PRACTICE RESEARCH Review workforce strategies utilized by peer industries operating in coastal zone, specifically shipbuilding and oil & gas. SYSTEMS SOLUTIONS Form regional taskforces including a diversity of stakeholders to innovate effective strategies for overcoming barriers to employment. OUTREACH AND SUPPORT Ensure service providers are aware of and ready for new coastal workforce demand

Develop regional solutions for addressing systemic barriers to building coastal workforce pipelines

MARKETING Synthesize intelligent strategies and present to coastal employers and service providers

FINDING: Coastal Jobs = Career Ladders

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Occupation Education Requirements/ Licenses Pay Licensed Surveyor Bachelor’s Degree Professional License (LA)- $24.65/hr (US)- $27.04/hr Party Chief High School/Some College Survey Technician with 5+ years Experience (LA)- $21/hr (US)- $21/hr Survey & Mapping Technician Highs School/ Some College Multiple Licenses Available (LA)- $16.27/hr (US)- $19.07/hr Survey Helper None Drug Test (LA)- $10-14/hr (US)- $10-14/hr

Example: Surveying

RECOMMENDATION:

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RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS Create career maps with an emphasis on industry based certifications (IBCs) that are stackable. MARKETING AND OUTREACH Form regional taskforces including a diversity of stakeholders to identify constraints and effective strategies for overcome barriers to employment. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT Establish regional Water Management Education & Training Coalitions, programmatically informed and supported by industry partners.

Create awareness of the spectrum of upwardly mobile career opportunities within coastal restoration

FINDING: No Instructors = No Workers = No Coastal Restoration

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• Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS)

struggles to attract and retain faculty

• Declines in public funding and high demand and salaries from the

energy/petchem industry are driving deficit

• Most of the occupations in demand from the energy/petchem industry

are used in coastal restoration and water management

RECOMMENDATION:

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OUTREACH Engage the LCTCS to gauge feasibility of untraditional talent pipelines. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT Develop a pilot program to train and hire a cohort of instructors. LEVERAGING EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS Utilize existing Industry Advisory Committees to form coalitions that can assist schools in attracting and retaining difficult to fill faculty positions.

LCTCS must diversify its pipeline for instructors by hiring retirees and returning citizens, and getting donated faculty from industry

SYSTEMS SOLUTION Establish an LCTCS level position to manage and coordinate talent pipelines.

FINDING: Industry based certifications – A chicken or egg problem

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• Many jobs in coastal restoration can be obtained with an industry-

based certification (IBC)

• Students pursuing an IBC are ‘non-degree seeking’ and not eligible

for traditional forms of financial aid

RECOMMENDATION:

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OUTREACH Review models used in other industries such as tuition reimbursement, tuition stipends, funded accelerated training, etc. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT Pilot a program that first engages employers to identify workforce demands then coordinates with stakeholders and service providers to recruit potential enrollees.

Change the paradigm of industry-based certifications to access more potential enrollees and expand the role of employers

FINDING: Multiple industries need skilled craft workers

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3,500 Projected New Jobs 32,000 Overlapping Projected New Jobs 5,500 Projected New Jobs Water Management 19,400 Total Projected New Jobs 27% Job Growth

• Energy & Petrochemical

21,700 Total Projected New Jobs 20% Job Growth

Source: The Data Center’s ‘Coastal Index’ & EMSI Database

RECOMMENDATION:

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RESEARCH Catalog re-entry programs and evaluate the effectiveness of each. MARKETING Educate re-entry programs on the unique opportunity presented by the coastal restoration industry. OUTREACH AND SUPPORT Connect re-entry programs to coastal employers to build out robust employment pipelines. Engage LCTCS where appropriate to provide accelerated training.

Re-entry programs should be engaged by coastal restoration firms as a source of skilled labor

Background

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GNO, Inc. authored the study which was commissioned by the Foundation for Louisiana and funded by the Walton Family Foundation

Contact Information

Dane Worthington

O: 504.527.6908 dworthington@gnoinc.org

Robin Barnes

O: 504.527.6996 rbarnes@gnoinc.org


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