Consent 1.G.
Regular City Council Meeting
- Meeting Date:
- 12/14/2015
- TITLE
- Approve Resolution Allocating $2,500 of Council Contingency to BillingsWorks Workforce Council
- PRESENTED BY:
- Tina Volek
- Department:
- City Hall Administration
Presentation:
PROBLEM/ISSUE STATEMENT
City Council approved an initiative at its Oct. 26, 2015, business session to allocate $2,500 from the Council Contingency account to the BillingsWorks Workforce Council. At the same meeting, the Council requested a presentation from the Workforce Council, which will be made Dec. 7, 2015.
A State of the Workforce Report was developed in 2015 as a collaborative effort by Big Sky Economic Development,the Billings Chamber of Commerce, School District #2, all area colleges, the City, Yellowstone County, the Billings Job Service, the Montana Departments of Labor and Commerce, and more than 80 private industry partners. It showed that Yellowstone County employers had plans to hire more than 1,000 new workers in the next year, in part contingent upon the availability of qualified talent to fill the positions. The county also was found to have a 68.8 percent labor force participation rate, and education and training providers able to equip workers with the knowledge skills and abilities needed.
However, a Workforce survey showed only 47 percent of Yellowstone County employers are confident in the overall quality of the workforce. Nearly 7 out of 10 employers also reported a lack of available workers hinders business growth.
The goal of the BillingsWorks Workforce Council is to cooperatively identify workforce issues, establish goals, develop and implement strategies , and monitor outcomes to address near- and long-term workforce needs, so the area will become the premier workforce hub in the economic development region by 2023.
CIty Code requires that a Council Contingency allocation be approved by a resolution, which is attached.
A State of the Workforce Report was developed in 2015 as a collaborative effort by Big Sky Economic Development,the Billings Chamber of Commerce, School District #2, all area colleges, the City, Yellowstone County, the Billings Job Service, the Montana Departments of Labor and Commerce, and more than 80 private industry partners. It showed that Yellowstone County employers had plans to hire more than 1,000 new workers in the next year, in part contingent upon the availability of qualified talent to fill the positions. The county also was found to have a 68.8 percent labor force participation rate, and education and training providers able to equip workers with the knowledge skills and abilities needed.
However, a Workforce survey showed only 47 percent of Yellowstone County employers are confident in the overall quality of the workforce. Nearly 7 out of 10 employers also reported a lack of available workers hinders business growth.
The goal of the BillingsWorks Workforce Council is to cooperatively identify workforce issues, establish goals, develop and implement strategies , and monitor outcomes to address near- and long-term workforce needs, so the area will become the premier workforce hub in the economic development region by 2023.
CIty Code requires that a Council Contingency allocation be approved by a resolution, which is attached.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYZED
City Council may:
- Approve the resolution allocating a $2,500 Council Contingency donation to the BillingsWorks Workforce Council; or;
- Amend the amount of the allocation; or
- Disapprove the allocation
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The FY 2016 Council Contingency account has a balance of $64,809, so there is adequate funding available for the $2,500 allocation.
Additional allocations in future years can be made by additional Council Contingency resolutions or by approving a supplemental budget request, beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017.
Additional allocations in future years can be made by additional Council Contingency resolutions or by approving a supplemental budget request, beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approves the resolution authorizing an allocation of $2,500 to the BillingsWorks Workforce Council from Council Contingency, Acct. No. 010-1110-411.79-70.