1. Calhoun County Community Listening
Session
Bauer Community Center
November 8, 2005
Regional Workforce and Economic
Development
Office of Workforce and Economic Development
The Victoria College

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Victoria College Service Area
•

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What is a (CLS) community listening
session?
• Community listening sessions allow Victoria
College to listen to and develop responses to
workforce and economic development needs.
• Community listen sessions are part and parcel
of the state of Texas’ “demand driven”
approach to a regional workforce and
economic development system.

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What is the (CLS) process?
• At least two “industry cluster” representatives
are at each round table.
• Each roundtable will have a facilitator to assist
with verbal and written responses to questions.

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Questions and Answers
• Each roundtable will have ten minutes to answer six
questions.
• The facilitator will record the answer on flip charter
paper and report the same to the larger group.
• The facilitator will encourage stakeholders to
exchange information about each question.
• A summary of the CLS will be provided to attendees
and interested parties within ten days of the session.

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Question # 1(10 minutes)
• What is Victoria College doing that is most
effective at your organization?

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Question # 2 (10 minutes)
• How can Victoria College serve your
organization/community better in terms of:
future employees, in-service training for
current employees, civic responsibilities,
partnerships with schools, businesses and
agencies and transfer preparation?

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Question # 3 (10 minutes)
• What segments of your
organization/community is the college not
reaching and/or serving? What can Victoria
College do to reach those individuals?

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Question # 4 (10 minutes)
• How will your organization change over the
next five years? What should Victoria College
do to prepare for those changes?

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Question # 5 (10 minutes)
• What programs (particularly
vocational/workforce, occupational or
technical) does your organization/community
need Victoria College to provide that is not
currently available? These may include
training such as leadership, team building,
conflict resolution, ethics [Sarbanes/Oxley],
diversity and gender issues, succession
planning and management, technology and
project management.

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Question # 6 (10 minutes)
• Do you have any specific suggestions for ways
in which we could improve our programs
and/or services?

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•• Philosophies and strategies of economic development have
changed dramatically over past several decades.
• The role of post-secondary education in facilitating and
supporting both community and economic development has
changed as well.
• There is a growing demand for affordable access to high
quality post-secondary education and workforce development
programs that offer educational and career development
strategies for individuals and employers regardless of where
they are located in the state.
• It is less costly and time- consuming when stakeholders
collaborate.
Why Economic Development Collaboration?

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•• First Wave- Prior to WWII the primary economic development
strategy was “smoke stack” chasing. Built on cheap land, labor and
low taxes.
• Second Wave-Tax abatements, training programs and other public
assistance programs to attract industry. Linkage between education
and workforce began to take shape.
• Third Wave- In the 1970’s, states and regions began to adapt to the
changing global economic marketplace and new economic pressures
from international competitors. Focus on workplace skills (deficits in
workforce), technology, modernization, and new product capital.
Stopped “smoke stack” chasing and focused on retention and
expansion.
• Fourth Wave-Introduction of regional and local strategies, which
depend on a blending of community assets and state and private
resources to generate a supportive environment for the attraction and
development of new businesses.
History and Strategies

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Collaboration: The Economic Development
Triangle: In pursuit of a Fourth Wave Strategy
• To be successful in economic development, it is important to
coordinate investment in: educational reform, workforce development
and community development. This will foster invention and
innovation.
• Quality of educational system, workforce quality and investments in
community and economic “health” are reinforced and increased in
effectiveness by investment in higher education.
• Human capital and intellectual capital and the creation of wealth are
linked together. The educational system becomes the primary
infrastructure that holds all of the elements of the Fourth Wave
together.
• Social capital describes the resources embedded in social structures
(such as Rotary Clubs)) and networks rather than in individuals (see
Robert Putnam’s “Bowling Alone”).

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What does successful economic and community
development collaboration look like?
• Networks/consortia in which local and state government, not for
profits and foundations become facilitators rather than sole providers
of services to support and encourage job creation and diversification of
the local economy
• Local stakeholders identify opportunities and assets and recommend
how investments should be made to encourage local development
• Public dollars leverage private partnerships
• Comprehensive policies and programs based on regional approaches
rather than overall statewide approach
• Competition is used to test models and strategies and to encourage
public/private partnerships.
• Use of investments rather than grants
• An emphasis on a higher level of accountability

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Success Continued
• Consistent investment in higher education
• An emphasis on the quality of K-12 education and its
effective connection to post-secondary education.

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Five Key Factors are always present in Successful,
Collaborative Regions
• A highly educated and trained workforce with access to
continuing education
• Access to high-quality university research and the means
to translate basic research into practical knowledge and
utilization
• An excellent communication and transportation
infrastructure
• A physically attractive environment
• Excellently managed local public services and effective use
of public resources to support economic development on a
local/regional basis.

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Future Workers
• Will come from the millennium or “slacker” generation
• Will need more developmental and remedial education
• Will work in a “knowledge” based economy
• Will be more ethnically diverse
• Will have an average of six to seven careers
• Will live and work a lot longer than workers today
• Will be multi-tasked
• Will be less loyal to their company/employers
• Will have a shorter attention span
• Will be highly mobile
• Will need lots and lots of “soft skill” training
• Will be more apt to question everything

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Just the Facts
• Texas has nearly 3,800,000 undereducated adults
• Texas has to double the number of college students by the
year 2015 (close the Gaps) if the economy is to remain
strong and viable (500,000 new students will need to be
enrolled by then).
• Texas ranks near the bottom in the US in literacy
• The Golden Crescent Workforce Board is actively seeking
collaborative relationships to address workforce and
economic needs of the region.
• The Golden Crescent Workforce Solutions has funds
available to train incumbent workers in computer classes,
customer service and safety.

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College Service Area
• Eight county service area less white (older-
35+ years)
• Hispanic population growing rapidly
(younger-0-34 years majority)
• Black population showing almost no real
increase.
****(Data obtained from 2000 US Census and Fall, 2001 Strategic Insight, Victoria College)

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College Service Area (Continued)
Outcomes
• 2000 public high school graduates: 48% White, 43 %
Hispanic, 8% Black
• Of the1998 Freshman class (dropout %): 26% White,
65% Hispanic, and 59% Black
• Half of all entering 1998 minority freshmen dropped
out of school before graduation.
• From Texas Public School Attrition Study

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Outcomes (Continued)
• Income disparity (Median incomes): Whites $48, 402,
Hispanics $30.041, Blacks $28, 142.
• Below poverty level: Whites 8%, Hispanics 23%,
Blacks 30%.
• Nearly ½ of all minorities have no H.S. diploma/GED
• About 19% of Whites have a Bachelors or higher.
Only 4% of Blacks and Hispanics do.
• Golden Crescent Region 2000 Census Data

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State of Texas
• By 2030 Texas Population: Whites 36.4%, Hispanic 46.2%,
Black 9.5%
• By 2030 Texas Population over age 65: Whites 23%,
Hispanics 10.4%, Blacks 13.6%
• Increasing Urbanization
• Rapid growth in many areas (particularly by Hispanics)
• By 2030 the Texas population will be larger than the US
population at the start of the civil war
• US Census 2000 Data

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Texas (Continued)

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College and Community Impact
As far as our community is concerned, consider the following
quote from an article in the October 2002 issue of Texas
Monthly Magazine that VC President Dr. Jimmy Goodson
recently shared with all Victoria College faculty and staff.
“The issues raised by Steve Murdock are the most
important questions facing Texas. How are the Texans of
today going to prepare the Texans of tomorrow to learn to
read and to qualify for good jobs? Increasing the
socioeconomic opportunities for the non-Anglo population
is not a liberal issue or a conservative issue; it isn’t a
Democratic issue or a Republican issue. It is a survival
issue for Texas”

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College and Community Impact
• "In manufacturing, 88 percent of companies say
they're having trouble finding qualified applicants to
fill at least one kind of job in their operation. One in
five companies says, today, it literally cannot expand
its operation, even though the markets are there,
because they don't have workers with the right skills."
• Former President William Jefferson Clinton
"Remarks by the President on Closing the Skills
Gap"
January 28, 1999
1999 White House Education Press Releases and
Statements

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In an attempt to encourage higher education in our region The Victoria Chamber of
Commerce is introducing A Sure B.E.T. Business and Education Together
One way to participate in the program is by granting employees leave to visit schools
and encouraging them to do so. This time can be spent mentoring students,
participating in current business/education programs or assisting the school in any
other manner in which would enhance the quality of education.

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What is The Victoria College doing to foster collaboration?
• Recommitted to regional workforce and economic development
• Hired a Vice President Workforce of Economic Development
• Allocated staff and resources
• Implementing master plan to include new allied health and continuing
education buildings
• Expanding program offerings
• More proactive, collaborative and visible throughout region
• Conducting regional “listening” sessions.
• Working more closely with K-life long learning
• Obtaining workforce grants and other sources of funding
• Recently received a TWC Skills Development Grant
• Strengthening relationships with all stakeholders

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A sampling of Victoria College Workforce Programs
• Vocational and Associate Degree Nursing (100% placement)
• Computer Programming/Web Specialization
• Electronics Technology
• Local Area Network Administration
• Child Care Development
• Instrumentation Technology
• Emergency Medical Services
• Police and Fire Academies
• Wide Area Telecommunications
• Process Technology
• Electronics Technology
• Continuing Education Courses
• Adult Education/GED/ESL

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Collaboration and Cooperation
• It is a Win–Win-Win for all concerned.

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Thanks
• Questions, comments. etc.
• Dr. Craig T. Follins
• VP, Workforce and Economic Development
• The Victoria College
• 361-582-2510
• craig.follins@victoriacollege.edu