It All Begins With Session One
It’s crazy in a way to work so many years in an “industry” that never really considered itself an industry. Workforce development is acknowledged as a system-inside-systems and so we professionals define ourselves more in terms of what system we work in than the larger workforce development system. We’re from government, or education, or economic development, or transportation or housing or human services, or from state/local workforce development boards. We use our own jargon and answer to our industry metrics. Yet, we are the collective that produces a skilled workforce that fuels our regional businesses and keeps our economy going.
Because our funding is generally siloed at the Federal or state level, we rarely plan together or report together. It’s no wonder Legislators have a hard time understanding what the ROI for the “investments” they make is. We moan about stagnant funding and keep thinking someone must be advocating for sufficient funds and regulatory relief so “we” can do what our region needs. Maybe as an industry we need to better understand and support each other. How?
Well, on April 29th-May 2nd in Raleigh, NC in collaboration with NC State’s Institute for Emerging Issues, the Workforce Leadership Institute is launching an overview of the workforce development system. We’re going to try and create an understanding of not only what Federal policies are in place, but also why. We’re going to look at how economists describe workforce valuation, but also what is advocacy and how’s it done. What is happening to financing skill development. How can we look ahead with any sense of confidence and what might that future mean for our organization and our interests. We’re brings experts in each of the fields of workforce development boards, data, education and policy to help teach. So thanks to Lightcast, the Prism Group, Social Finance, Accenture, WSU-Tech in Wichita, NC State, the NC Works Commission, and individual experts to hel[p make it happen.
If you're interested in attending, check out the events page and join us, or help us organize the next cohort in your state.