Colorado employers and workforce development board leaders convened in Washington, D.C., March 29 to April 1 to address the evolving workforce landscape amidst disruption and funding changes at the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) Forum. The conference's theme, “Together. Forward. Change.” emphasized the need to unify around a shared belief in the power of work to change lives and communities and embrace transformational change to move the workforce system forward. The call for change comes at a time when the nation’s largest federal workforce legislation, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), is still pending reauthorization.
NAWB CEO Brad Turner-Little urged leaders to remain focused on connecting talent with opportunity despite challenges. “As we try to maintain balance amid shifting sand, we as a network committed to building opportunity can’t get stuck in the mire and lose sight of our purpose. We must use change as a catalyst to reenvision and reinvigorate how we move forward,” said Turner-Little. Keynote speaker Mark Perna stressed the need to lead with passion and purpose to engage younger generations with education and employment opportunities. For young people, “choosing a career is no longer just an economic decision - it has become a lifestyle decision,” said Perna.
Colorado's work was featured in several sessions, uplifting the impact the public workforce system is having in the state. In a session titled Unlocking Innovation: How Technology and Co-Investment Transform Workforce Outcomes, the Tri-County Workforce Board shared how they leveraged technology and strategic partnerships to confront the challenges local boards face in serving returning citizens and other underestimated populations that face barriers to training and work. In partnership with FreeWorld, Tri-county prioritized services and tech innovation to tackle recidivism in their community, resulting in 85% of participants being placed in jobs and a $38.7M cost savings from reduced recidivism nationwide.
Other sessions from Colorado included:
- Turning Data Into Action, Practical Tools for Workforce Boards - Todd Nielsen, Colorado Urban Workforce Alliance
- Unlocking Innovation: How Technology and Co-Investment Transform Workforce Outcomes - Michelle Foley, Karalyn Johnson, Andrew Bercich, Tri-County Workforce Board
- Using Apprenticeships 2.0 to build future talent pipelines - Traci Marques, Pikes Peak Workforce Center
- The Role of Workforce Boards in Advancing and Scaling Learning and Employment Records for Stronger Economies - Jessica Maiorca, Colorado Workforce Development Council
- Is There Love Between Your Local and State Workforce Board? How Local Area Flexibility Meets State and National Workforce Needs and Guidance - Lee Wheeler-Berliner, Colorado Workforce Development Council, Traci Marques, Pikes Peak Workforce Center, and Todd Nielsen, Colorado Urban Workforce Alliance
Advancing a Future Focused System
In an interactive session, National leaders from JFF and Deloitte highlighted future-focused practices and participants provided their input on how to move the workforce system forward. The discussion emphasized the need for the public workforce system to:
- Center people: Be radically responsive to the needs of individuals and employers.
- Be Agile: Continuously adapt and improve.
- Empower Leaders: Foster bold ideas and creative leadership.
- Leverage Technology: Utilize AI to enhance efficiency and free up people to provide uniquely human support.
Key Takeaway:
The public workforce system remains a critical asset for economic opportunity. We must lead boldly to create a future-focused system to expand its impact.
Call to Action for state and local workforce boards:
- Prioritize the needs of individuals and employers.
- Implement data-driven strategies.
- Expand apprenticeship programs.
- Advance learning and employment records.
- Strengthen state-local collaboration.
- Embrace AI and other technologies to enhance service delivery.
This post was edited with support from Gemini