CITY OF SUNNYVALE
City Council Study Session Summary
Overview of the Operating Structure for the North Valley (NOVA) Job Training Consortium, Current Status of NOVA Operations and Emerging Initiatives for the NOVA Workforce Board
May 8, 2007
The City Council met in study session in the City Hall–West Conference Room, 456 West Olive Avenue, Sunnyvale, California on May 8, 2007 at
6 p.m., with Mayor Otto O. Lee presiding.
City Councilmembers Present:
Mayor Otto O. Lee
Councilmember John N. Howe
Councilmember Dean J. Chu
Councilmember Ron Swegles
Councilmember Melinda Hamilton
Councilmember Christopher R. Moylan
City Councilmembers Absent:
Vice Mayor Anthony Spitaleri
City Staff Present:
Amy Chan, City Manager
David Kahn, City Attorney
Robert Walker, Assistant City Manager
Mike Curran, Director of Employment Development
Visitors/Guests Present: None
Call to Order: 6:08 p.m.
Study Session Summary:
City of Sunnyvale Department of Employment Development Director Mike Curran provided background on the North Valley (NOVA) Job Training Consortium, the relationship between the Sunnyvale City Council and the NOVA Workforce Board, the NOVA Workforce Board/Local Elected Official (Sunnyvale City Council) Agreement process, the impact that NOVA has had in the region as to businesses/individuals served and financial resources invested, local trends in workforce development, the NOVA Workforce Board agenda for 2007, and an introduction to the California EDGE Campaign.
The particular trends that were highlighted showcased the evolving relationship between workforce development, economic development and community development, and included: the continued globalization of work and the access to a world wide workforce; the increased productivity of our local firms and employees; NOVA’s experience with the continued churning of jobs with the creation of new opportunities being accompanied by the destruction of less-than-productive employment and product line opportunities; the demographics of our aging population, with a new trend of many job openings occurring because of retirements rather than because of job growth; the increased skill requirements of our new jobs versus those that are being eliminated; the need to have access to and resources for life long learning opportunities for our adult population; the reduction in funding/investment for human capital development, especially from the Federal level; and the growth of our immigrant population both in numbers and in total percent of the region’s population.
Area’s of work that were highlighted that the NOVA Workforce Board is pursuing included: literacy training, especially English language workplace-based training for adults; increasing the capacity and industry relevance of Career Technical Education (AKA vocation education) opportunities for our youth and for our adults; understanding the workforce challenges/needs of new and emerging industries by targeting solutions to the new opportunities being created by the design, development and deployment of solar technology products and services; and providing a leadership role for a regional initiative that uses the California EDGE Campaign as a springboard to define and strategize on the importance of investing in the re-tooling of our adult workforce. (As to the EDGE Campaign, Council was informed to expect a request for its endorsement in the next several weeks through a Council Agenda item, with the expectation that it will provide an example to the other consortium cities for their support of the EDGE agenda.)
Adjournment: 6:48 p.m.
Mike Curran
Director Employment Development Department