Monday, October 20

12:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Welcome and Lunch

12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Governor Edward G. Rendell, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

General Session

The Greening of the American Workforce
As our country begins to move towards more alternative sources for energy, states are struggling with filling the ever-expanding number of green-collar jobs and the skills they require. Many of these jobs are what we call "middle-skills jobs" – those that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree – and they are expected to make up a significant number of jobs required in the new economy. While they constitute nearly half of all jobs in the workforce a number of myths about them still exist, such as: outsourcing to other countries has eliminated these jobs in America, a four-year college degree is needed for a good job, the only high growth area is high end, hi-tech.

This session will cover the workforce landscape of the new economy and what types of preparation the current and future workforce will need to take advantage of the new green collar jobs.

Speakers Include:

• Sandi Vito, Acting Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
• James Whaley, President, Siemens Foundation
• Andy Van Kleunen, Executive Director, The Workforce Alliance
• David A. Dzombak, Faculty Director, Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research, Carnegie Mellon University
• Moderator: Thomas Ginsberg, Deputy Business Editor, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Recommended Reading:
>>> Millions of Jobs of a Different Collar
(The New York Times, March 2008)

1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Break

2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

General Session

Opportunity Cost: Undocumented Students, In-state Tuition, and Financial Aid
With 78 million baby boomers approaching retirement age, American companies are looking to the next generation to fill their jobs. Currently, close to 75,000 undocumented immigrant students will graduate from American high schools this year. Having lived within the U.S. for the majority of their lives, states are now faced with deciding whether or not they are eligible for in-state tuition and/or government grants and loans. With the current workforce shortages that exist now and are expected to grow, states are debating this hotly contested issue.

 Speakers Include:

• Eduardo J. Marti, Ph.D., President, Queensborough Community College
• David Shreve, Federal Affairs Counsel, National Conference of State Legislatures
• Peter A. Zamora, Regional Counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)
• Moderator: Angelo Amador, Director of Immigration Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Recommended Reading:
>>> In Tuition Aid Rules, Immigration Debate Meets Reality (The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, April 2008)

3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Break

3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

General Session

Retooling the Teacher Contract
No one understands better than business how labor contracts impact a company's ability to be agile, efficient, and competitive in the marketplace. With increasing attention on teacher union contracts and their role in enabling or hindering education reform, it is important for the business community to understand the latest developments, reports, and recommendations on how the contract debate is playing out in districts across the country.

• John Wilson, Executive Director, National Education Association
• Nelson Smith, President, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
• Moderator: Frederick M. Hess, Resident Scholar and Director of Education Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research

Recommended Reading:
>>> The Leadership Limbo: Teacher Labor Agreements in America's 50 Largest School Districts
(Thomas Fordham Institute, February 2008)

5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Welcoming Night Reception
Join your colleagues for cocktails and networking while enjoying spectacular views of the Philadelphia Skyline.

Welcoming Remarks by Mayor Michael Nutter, City of Philadelphia

Sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline

Tuesday, October 21

8:15 a.m – 8:45a.m.              

Continental Breakfast

8:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.            

General Session

Communicating the Competitiveness Agenda
Learn how to more clearly articulate what the business community needs and expects from both the public education and workforce development systems to keep America competitive. Discover how to be more persuasive when it comes to communicating the value of policies that support improvement and access to education and training. Develop your ability to tell the compelling human stories that can bring data, ideas, and policies to life. 

Presented by: Terrence McNally, Strategic Communications Consultant, a goodman

10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Break

10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Series of Workshops

Is Your State Making the Grade? Understanding the Nation's Report Card
The National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) also known as The Nation's Report Card TM informs the public about the academic achievement of elementary and secondary students in the United States. It is the only exam administered in every state providing performance comparisons among states and student demographic groups.

Learn the ins and outs of this national assessment, the differences between state assessments and NAEP, and how to best communicate your state's results with policymakers.

Speakers Include:

• Mary Crovo, Interim Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board
• Natalia Pane, Executive Director, National Assessment of Educational Progress, American Institutes of Research

Policy Primer: K-12, Postsecondary and Workforce Development Federal Policies
Get up to speed on current education and workforce policies including NCLB, HEA, Carl Perkins' Vocational and Technical Education, the Workforce Investment Act, and more. Learn the status of these bills, proposed changes, Congress' agenda, and the inside scoop on policymaking in Washington.

Speaker: Victor F. Klatt, III, Vice President, Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc. and Former GOP Staff Director for the House Education and Labor Committee

WIRED for Business: Next Steps
Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED), a multi-billion dollar initiative from the U.S. Department of Labor, is focused on public/private partnerships implemented in 36 regions nationwide. Participate in a discussion with national and state WIRED experts to learn about successes and plans for sustainability.

Speakers Include:

• Gina King, Manpower Analyst, Health Care Industry, U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration
• Fred Dedrick, Acting Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
  
  

Deal or No Deal? Can Your Community Solve its Skilled Worker Challenge?

A significant proportion of the nation's workers are not well-equipped to advance out of entry-level work to career employment. Frequently, working individuals who want to improve their job skills and move into new career paths have to start in non-credit ABE, ESL or other training programs because they are not ready for entry and success into occupational degree programs. 

This workshop will take a look at different strategies for helping working adults succeed within community and career colleges; in creating better "on ramps" to college for less skilled workers; and discuss new models for helping accelerate progress into middle-skill jobs that pay well and that the economy needs.

Speakers Include:

• Dr. Jerome S. Parker, President, Delaware County Community College
• Shawn Bohen, National Director of Strategic Growth & Impact YEAR UP
• Michale McComis, Associate Executive Director, Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology
• Moderator: Richard Kazis, Senior Vice President
  Jobs for the Future

11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Break

11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

ICW Leadership Awards Luncheon

2008 ICW Excellence in Leadership Award
Honors a private or public sector leader who has demonstrated a commitment to creating positive, systemic change in education and workforce development.

2008 ICW Community Competitiveness Award
Recognizes a regional public/private partnership working together to ensure their community is globally competitive in the 21st century.

1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

Break

1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Series of Workshops

The New CTE: Scaling Career Clusters
Career and Technical Education (CTE) is experiencing a much-needed redesign and resurgence. Entry-level jobs and apprenticeships require more math, science, communications, and problem-solving skills than ever before. But, while the jobs have changed, the public education portion of the training has not kept pace with the changes. Ninety percent of the fastest growing jobs and over 60% of all new jobs will require some postsecondary education or training, but not necessarily a bachelor's degree. Learn which states are taking the lead by using career clusters to integrate CTE and general education courses to prepare students for the rigors of postsecondary education.

• Marie Barry, Director, Office of Career and Technical Education, New Jersey Department of Education
• Daniel Fogarty, Board Member, PA State Board of Education
• Jennifer Lerner, Senior Program Associate, American Youth Policy Forum
• Moderated by: Domenic Giandomenico, Director of Education and Workforce Programs, Institute for a Competitive Workforce

Is Three the New Six? Pre-K and Your State's Policies
For fiscal year 2009, 16 governors and the mayor of the District of Columbia acted boldly to protect and grow high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten programs. Their proposals total $261 million in increased funding for pre-k and would make early childhood education programs available to 60,000 more children, if passed by state legislatures.

Learn what your state is doing and prepare yourself with the right resources and tools to make a compelling argument for change.

Speakers Include:

• Elena Rocha, Senior Fellow, Early Childhood Education Initiative, Institute for a Competitive Workforce
• Sara Watson, Senior Officer, Pew Center on the States, and Director, Partnership for America's Economic Success, The Pew Charitable Trusts  
  

The Shift to Single Source: A New Model for the Public Workforce Investment System
Employers have been challenged in meeting their workforce needs by a fragmented system of offerings. How can private industry work to maximize services to both employers and job seekers? Dive deep into the inherent challenges the public workforce system faces and how employers can actively engage to make positive solutions in their states and regions.

Speaker: Bojan Cubela, Workforce Strategy Consultant, Workforce Development, Manpower Inc.

Grass Tops and Grass Roots: Connecting National and State Initiatives to Local Businesses
Several education and workforce reform initiatives have business engagement at the state level, but have not yet hit the ground. Learn which initiatives are gaining traction in your state and how you can get plugged in.

• American Diploma Project
  Matt Gandal, Vice President, Achieve
• National Fund for Workforce Solutions
  Geri Scott, Program Director, Community Workforce Development Strategies, Jobs for the Future
• Mary Wright, Program Director
  The Conference Board 

 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Ice Cream Social

3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Afternoon Break
Enjoy this time on your own to meet with colleagues or check in with the office before the Fall in Philly Dinner Reception at 5:00 pm

5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Fall in Philly Dinner Reception
Celebrate Autumn in Philadelphia with festive food stations, passed hors d'oeuvres, and seasonal beverages.

Wednesday, October 22

7:30 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.

Hot Buffet Breakfast

8:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

General Session

Presidential Candidates Education and Training Platforms
Succeeding in this new era will require our children to be prepared for the intellectual demands of the modern workplace and a far more complex society. Yet the evidence indicates that our country is not ready. Despite decades of reform efforts and many trillions of dollars in public investment, U.S. schools are not equipping our children with the skills and knowledge they—and the nation—so badly need.

• There is not one state where more than half of the 4th and 8th graders are proficient in either reading or math based on the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress report.
• Only about two-thirds of all 9th graders graduate from high school within four years, only about half for minority students. And 90% of the fastest growing jobs require some form of postsecondary education.
• At least 40% of students enrolling in college have to take at least one remedial course.
• American 15 year-olds rank 15th of 29 industrialized countries in reading literacy. In mathematics literacy, American 15 year-olds rank 24th of 29 industrialized countries.

Hear what our presidential candidates are proposing to do when it comes to education reform and improving our training systems. Learn what policies they are proposing and how the business community can become better informed and more engaged.

Speakers Include:

• Jon Schnur, Education Advisor, Obama-Biden 2008 Campaign
  
• Lisa Graham Keegan, Senior Education Policy Advisor, McCain-Palin 2008 Campaign and Former Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction

Recommended Reading:
>>> Senator Barack Obama's Education Platform
>>> Senator John McCain's Education Platform

10: 00 a.m.

Summit Concludes