• Agencies’ Challenges: finding and retaining the best talent and utilizing them to the best of their abilities.  48% of government employers find themselves unable to fill their job vacancies because of the “skills gap” and high attrition rates.
• Information about workforce training and education program completers is insufficient: workforce development planners and policymakers need more information on program completers over a longer period of time to better determine program effectiveness.  Data that align specific program completions with specific jobs obtained as a result thereof is not available for most workforce development programs. 
• Detailed, localized information on the workforce for workforce development planning is insufficient: It is often reported that skills gaps exist; however, the narrative is too general for workforce development policymakers and planners to make well-informed decisions. Data gaps need to be addressed, especially the lack of sufficiently localized occupational information to identify specific skill shortages.

Teaming up with partners such as local departments of labor, local community colleges and universities, business and trade organizations, workforce development boards, local business and corporations, local entrepreneurs, and economic development agencies that are aimed at helping communities with increasing their workforce development opportunities, resources, and training.

Key Areas of Focus

The Cliiimb Workforce Development Channel will lead a new narrative towards better local workforce development opportunities:

• Aligning education and workforce training with industry needs
• Providing valuable information that will affect the Career Decisions of Students and Workers
• Determining the effectiveness of workforce training and education programs
• Capturing the characteristics of the local workforce 
• Making workforce and labor market information more accessible and relevant to end-users
• Enhancing government data sharing, collaboration, and funding among statistical agencies
• Hosting job fairs that include opportunities for OTJ training, incumbent worker training, and registered apprenticeships
• Informing communities about national emergency grants for significant dislocation events to expand service capacity at the state and local levels through time-limited federal funding assistance
• Assisting businesses in applying for Work Opportunity and Welfare-to-Work Tax Credits
• Demonstrating how some workforce needs locally can be addressed through local entrepreneurship