2020-2022
VISION
FORWARD
VA LUES | GOALS | STRATEGIE S | MEASURES
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES // VISION FORWARD
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES // VISION FORWARD
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MESSAGE FROM
THE DIRECTOR
My Vision Forward Plan will guide my work as the District’s labor
administrator and Director of the Department of Employment
Services (DOES) along with the work that we are doing to accomplish
our strategic goals.
I am proud to lead a team of professionals who are dedicated
to developing and execung meaningful strategies to reduce
unemployment and increase labor force parcipaon across all eight wards. From Anacosa
to Woodley Park, DOES is reimagining the way we deliver important workforce services to
residents and businesses.
Leveraging the strengths of our workforce partners, which include community-based
organizaons, educaonal instuons, training providers, government agencies and other
stakeholders, is the key to the success of our Vision Forward Plan. These strategic partnerships
will ensure that we connue expanding employment opportunies by building the District’s
workforce and growing our local economy.
We have an opportunity to fully coordinate components of the District’s workforce ecosystem
to further accelerate pathways to the world of work, training, and professional credenals.
DOES has made great progress in addressing the needs of opportunity youth, and there is
more work ahead. A greater alignment of strategies will help improve outcomes, and we are
commied to working from the place where educaon and workforce intersect.
I am excited about the strides we are making and the energy around our new direcon. Our
Vision Forward is built on a challenge for us to elevate our services to DC residents and
businesses and realize our greatest potenal as a community.
In partnership,
Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES // VISION FORWARD
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES // VISION FORWARD
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MISSION
Our mission is to connect District
residents, job seekers, and employers
to opportunies and resources that
empower fair, safe, and eecve
working communies.
VISION
We provide comprehensive employment
services to ensure a compeve
workforce, full employment, life-long
learning, economic stability and the
highest quality of life for all.
WE BELIEVE...
+ It is our role to serve all residents of
the District from all economic, social, and
cultural backgrounds.
+ We are responsible for providing excellent
service to all of our customers and partners.
+ We are the partner of choice for all DC
employers to nd skilled and talented
employees in the District.
+ We must increase equitable opportunies for
all DC residents so they may secure jobs that
provide livable wages and the opportunity for
economic advancement.
+ We must provide training that is responsive to
the needs of employees and innovave to meet
the needs of employers in our growing city.
+ The key to our success is to leverage cung-
edge technology to support residents seeking
meaningful employment.
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES // VISION FORWARD
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES // VISION FORWARD
54
GOALS
1 Promote the District’s Human Capital
2 Align Workforce with Educaon
3 Create Equity and Access
4 Achieve Excellence in Service Delivery
5 Operate Smart and Eecve Systems
6 Provide Best-in-Class Customer Service
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES // VISION FORWARD
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES // VISION FORWARD
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PROMOTE THE DISTRICT’S
HUMAN CAPITAL
FOCUS 1.1
Align service delivery systems to
ensure that DOES is the premier
workforce development partner for
DC businesses
+ Conduct a comprehensive study of current
DOES services, District resident workforce,
and current and future job market needs.
+ Prepare the District workforce for incoming
tech jobs.
FOCUS 1.2
Provide quality job training, job
placement and career development
services for all DC job seekers
+ Provide personalized career development
services to customers through
comprehensive intake, skill assessment,
and case management services.
+ Support employee retenon through job
coaching services.
FOCUS 1.3
Connect employers to District
residents seeking jobs
+ Determine the workforce needs of
employers using data collected by the
Oce of Talent and Client Services.
+ Idenfy workforce needs which include in-
demand jobs and other careers that are cen-
tral to economic development in the region.
FOCUS 1.4
Develop human capital within DOES
+ Develop comprehensive strategy to recruit
and hire qualied individuals.
+ Foster a culture of learning by aligning
training opportunies with agency needs
and sta development goals.
+ Hold bi-annual meengs that allow all sta
in the agency to meet each other, and learn
about upcoming projects and iniaves
within other bureaus.
+ Increase retenon through targeted and
diverse trainings for employees so they
can upskill.
+ Oer a professional coaching program for
agency managers.
+ Provide promoon opportunies for current
DOES employees.
ALIGN WORKFORCE
WITH EDUCATION
FOCUS 2.1
Create more than one pathway
to success
+ Idenfy early career opportunies in
addion to the Marion Barry Summer Youth
Employment Program.
+ Create an online workforce academy to
provide job seekers alternave ways to earn
credenals in high demand elds.
FOCUS 2.2
Generate and promote opportunies
for employment that incorporate on
the job training
+ Address essenal and occupaonal skills
through new and innovave methods and
pathways.
+ Identify, endorse, and track the
achievement of a core set of workforce
credentials that demonstrate job readiness
and occupational skills.
FOCUS 2.3
Ensure robust career training and
technical educaon programs available
in high schools are oered to youth,
young adults and adults seeking career
growth opportunies
+ Partner with the District of Columbia Public
Schools and Public Charter Schools, the
University of the District of Columbia, and
career and technical educaon programs
to include competency-based and dual
enrollment opons.
+ Establish a MBSYEP Teacher Internship.
+ Create and distribute a workforce
development toolkit that will provide DC
stakeholders including K-12, postsecondary
students, teachers, community-based
organizations, government and other
stakeholders with funding and strategic
resources and connections.
1 2
GOAL
GOAL
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES // VISION FORWARD
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES // VISION FORWARD
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CREATE EQUITY
AND ACCESS
FOCUS 3.1
Determine the career development
needs of and opportunies for our
underserved populaons
+ Perform a full assessment of current DOES
services and programs and compare to the
current needs of our residents through the
use of research grants.
FOCUS 3.2
Expand the service oerings to our
most underserved populaons
+ Administer grants and oer incenves that
support quality outcomes to diverse and
minority populaons including veterans, the
homeless, women, returning cizens, and
at-risk youth.
+ Provide alternave ways for District
residents to access services through online
or alternave work hour opportunies.
+ Idenfy and endorse a list of high-
demand occupaons including those that
are strategic to the District’s economic
development and that pay a family-
sustaining wage.
+ Partner with the Mayor’s Oce on
Returning Cizens Aairs, the Mayor’s
Oce of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, and Quesoning Aairs, the
Mayor’s Oce on Fathers, Men and Boys,
the Department of Disability Services and
other government agencies to support
populaons in need through specialized
trainings and programs.
FOCUS 3.3
Build and maintain a diverse workforce
at DOES
+ Create opportunies for residents who
complete our workforce programs to obtain
employment at DOES.
ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE IN
SERVICE DELIVERY
FOCUS 4.1
Provide quality and meaningful
learning and career opportunies to
our customers
+ Conduct regular meengs with stakeholders
to gain insight and feedback on current
DOES services and programs.
+ Administer user surveys to assess customer
needs related to job interests and training
needs.
+ Provide more meaningful job matching
through DC Networks and case
management services.
+ Hold hiring events that connect our
residents to employer partners.
3 4
GOAL
GOAL
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES // VISION FORWARD
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES // VISION FORWARD
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OPERATE SMART AND
EFFECTIVE SYSTEMS
FOCUS 5.1
Develop a responsive, integrated and
eecve system of record for data
management
+ Plan and promote agency-wide Data
Enterprise Management.
+ Design and develop a database that
will allow us to beer track customer
informaon, share informaon with our
stakeholders, and support customer
employment goals.
+ Create a data governance and
management plan.
+ Use data analysis and visualizaon tools
to promote performance-driven decision
making.
FOCUS 5.2
Streamline agency processes that
are responsive to the needs of our
residents, employers and other
stakeholders
+ Review, update and create program
Standard Operang Procedures that are
responsive to customer needs.
+ Opmize service delivery through a
customer touchpoint analysis.
FOCUS 5.3
Culvate a culture of accountability
+ Align employee performance with agency
goals.
+ Promote data uency, literacy and capacity
through inter-agency learning opportunies
for all sta.
PROVIDE BEST-IN-CLASS
CUSTOMER SERVICE
FOCUS 6.1
Create a Culture of Excellence to
provide each customer, stakeholder,
and employer with a tailored and
posive experience
+ Provide training to all sta about enhancing
the customer experience and increasing
customer sasfacon.
+ Provide skill development opportunies
for our front desk, call center, and language
access sta to create more posive
customer experiences through the new
Oce of Customer Experience.
+ Promote DOES Services and DC Networks
to the District’s residents and employers
through a public service campaign.
+ Conduct regular customer sasfacon
surveys and use the data to drive change
within the agency.
FOCUS 6.2
Implement a customer service strategy
that contributes to overall customer
service excellence
+ Hire a Customer Service Ocer.
+ Centralize external-facing customer
service operaons.
FOCUS 6.3
Improve employee sasfacon and
morale
+ Conduct regular employee sasfacon
surveys and use the data to drive change
within the agency.
+ Hold bi-annual sta engagement lunches
between the Director and sta so the
Director can receive feedback and is aware
of sta-level concerns.
5 6
GOAL
GOAL
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES // VISION FORWARD
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES // VISION FORWARD
1312
MEASURING
FOR RESULTS
DOES WILL TRACK AND REGULARLY REPORT OUR
PROGRESS USING THE FOLLOWING INDICATORS.
+ Total number of DOES customers who enter/re-enter the
workforce
+ % of new hires from Ward 7 and Ward 8
+ % of new employer partnerships
+ % of customers that access services during extended
service hours at the American Job Centers
+ % Labor Market parcipaon
+ % of returning Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment
Program employer partners
+ % of parcipants that aain a recognized postsecondary
credenal or a secondary school diploma
+ % of new DC Networks users
+ # of hiring, recruitment, educaon, and training fairs for
District job seekers
+ % decrease in call-wait me
+ % of employees that have condence in DOES
+ % of employees that nd their job fullling
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES // VISION FORWARD
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VISION
FORWARD
2020-2022