Technical Assistance

The Center for Workforce Development-TA unites leaders in their fields to bring their individual success and depth of experience to support the success of non-profit organizations.  Each organization has depth of knowledge in their subject matter area.  The CWD team includes more than two dozen experienced organizational and program development coaches strategically located throughout the country. 

For information on a specific TA topic click on one of the following areas:

Organizational Capacity Building

Organizational capacity building is more than fundraising, it’s the development of resources to support every aspect of an organization: staff and executive development, partnership development, and community involvement. 

The Approach

• Assessment. CWD works with an organization’s Executive Director, Board, management, and staff to ascertain where an organization is and where it is headed.
• Strategic planning. More than just another file folder, CWD designs and supports implementation of a strategic plan.  We believe that a strategic plan must be usable and organic, having the ability to change and grow with the organization.  Strategic planning involves the entire staff, defining roles of staff and board(s), and demonstrates how staff affect outcomes for the organization now and future growth.

• Fundraising and Development. By understanding an organization and its programs CWD can show programs how to implement and effective development plan that will meet the needs of the organization and its participants.  Understand how to identify and utilize local resources, volunteers, in-kind donations, and how to diversify funding.

Additionally, CWD works with organizations on staffing, retention, outcome management, setting goals and telling the story of the organization.

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Workforce Development

Workforce development has always been more to CWD than numbers or worse a government entitlement program.   Workforce development creates opportunity, the opportunity for individuals to begin a career path.   

In order to do this, organizations must adjust and change with an employers’ need and the abilities of their participants.  CWD creates tools that evaluate employment potential within a community.  Furthermore we work with organizations in using technology, by teaching skills for high growth and demand occupations needed within communities.  Finally, by working with participants to create a career ladder, and are never satisfied with a placement with no long term potential.  

The Approach

• Effective Staffing of Job Placement and Retention
• Tools for Business Mapping, working with employers, and participants, matching participants with employers.
• Integrating placement into all training components.
• Employment and Post Secondary Education Placement and Tracking
• Components of a retention program

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Partnerships

Over the last several years funding for workforce training programs has become more performance based with a demand of leveraging funds to match government monies.  The idea of non profits becoming more business minded and partnering with business is certainly not a new one.  The Center for Workforce Development and their staff have 20 years of combined experience in partnership development and facilitating joint ventures between businesses, non profits and government agencies. 

• CWD works with organizations in creating and using resource and business mapping tools to identify needed resource partners.
• CWD works with organizations to create and negotiate MOU's for partnering resources and businesses.

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Executive and Staff Development

Many non-profits have come to the realization that retaining people in the program is an on-going challenge! The more success you have in staff development and retention, the more likely your program will be effective and have great outcomes.

The Approach

• Identifying staff positions, roles and responsibilities.
• Smart Hiring Practices, how to hire, interview, check references, and how to relieve someone of their position.
• Developing and implementing handbooks and policies for staff.
• Effective staff meetings.
• Structured Communication
• Staff Training

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Program Development

Program Development Program development starts within an organizations community.  CWD does not believe in "one size fits all." While there are many successful vocational and placement models, we begin with a basic structure and then apply the unique individual and the community needs to form the specific program approach. The Approach CWD works with non-profits in conducting a Feasibility Study to measure community needs, resources required, and identify potential partners, and funders.   CWD teaches non-profits how to use mapping tools to identify   local businesses, skills needed for placement opportunities for participants and community members, and the types of  High Growth Training needed for developing Career Paths for participants. CWD works with the non-profit and their staff to create a viable  a Strategic Plan where all staff have a role.  CWD  also assists in the development of Data Management system whereby all staff can work towards their own internal component goals and see how their goals contribute to the success of their participants and organization.

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Data Management

Using data to manage and improve programs. The chief aim of the CWD-TA is to train non-profits to use the donor required collected data they for program improvement.  We believe in using data to tell stories, and each individual working on this project views their work through the lens of data management and review.  Understanding the performance measures of a funder and how they reflect a participant or community change of life, is our number one goal.  Using performance measures to create internal outcomes for each staff member also develops staff ownership of data collection and a deeper understanding of the how, what, and why affects they will bring to their participant's lives.

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Social Enterprise and SME Development

Like many individuals, CWD believes small business is the backbone of any society’s economic structure.  Indeed the overwhelming numbers of new businesses created in the United States are small as opposed to large corporate businesses; two thirds of all businesses in the United States are considered “small or medium.” Small and medium businesses provide economic advantages not offered by larger corporations.  Small businesses create more than two thirds of all new jobs. Small businesses enjoy the luxury of flexibility, the capacity for new product development, and the ability to adapt quickly to changing market demands. Moreover, they have a record of resourcefulness – the envy of big businesses – too often caged by procedure and protocol.    

At CWD we approach the development of a social enterprise for non-profits as building a small business.  Similarly, this development approach is also applied when assisting community members in developing Small Medium Enterprise’s. 

The Approach

• CWD works with non-profits in conducting a Feasibility Study to measure community needs, resources required, and identify potential partners, and funders.  
• CWD also teaches non-profits Business Mapping where by non-profits can identify local businesses, skills needed for employment opportunities for participants and community members, and the type of business that will support High Growth Training and Career Paths for participants.
• Finally, CWD works with each non-profit and its staff to create a viable Business Plan and a Strategic Plan.  Once the business plan is created, CWD then assists with fund development.

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