CARSON CITY – Nevada officials say they intend to focus on launching a Job Force initiative after the state was one of nine selected to participate in the first cohort of the Workforce Innovation Network.
The Workforce Innovation Network is a concept created and supported by the National Governors Association and Cognizant U.S. Foundation. The goal is to aid states in post-pandemic economic recovery by developing greater resilience in the workforce through innovation, training and access to quality jobs.
“Even as Governors work to defeat COVID-19 in their states and territories by making vaccines available to millions, they recognize that the effects of the pandemic on their workforces are far-reaching and, in some cases, may be permanent,” said Timothy Blute, director of the National Governors Association Center.
“The effects of the pandemic have been disparate across sectors of society and the workforce, necessitating partnerships among governmental leaders, business and civic communities,” he added.
In January, the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, reported eight consecutive months of employment growth, but still charted a statewide unemployment rate of 9.2%. The number of jobs remains down 96,900 since December 2019, an annual decline of 6.8%, DETR officials said in a statement.
Mining and logging were the only industries to see substantial job gains year over year, with minor gains attributed to financial services. While most job sectors have seen at least modest gains since initial pandemic job losses, the leisure, tourism and hospitality industries continue to struggle to recover.
Nevada’s Job Force is an effort to help job seekers who may have lost employment during the pandemic to train for new roles in the workforce and help them find work.
A crux of the Workforce Innovation Network is collaboration with other states and with partners across sectors, including local governments and private and non-profit organizations, to share best practices and lessons learned, along with technical assistance.
Nevada’s successful proposal for participation in the Workforce Innovation Network earns it up to $100,000 in grant funding to support the project’s work. The state will also receive coaching and technical assistance from national experts and consultants, and support to develop a state action plan and workforce policy recommendations.
Source: Nevada Governor’s Office
