Behind Every Employer: Recent Episodes
COABE
In this episode, leaders from Old Dominion Group (ODG), a specialty services construction contractor, and Chesterfield County Public Schools team up to share how they built a powerful partnership to support ODG’s growing workforce. From financial literacy to English language and digital skills development, they break down what it takes to create programs that truly make an impact. The conversation highlights the importance of starting small, prioritizing the right instructor fit, and building a deeply collaborative relationship, one that amplifies ODG’s true superpower: its culture and unwavering commitment to its people.
In this episode, Anson and Jeff sit down with Chelle Travis, executive director of SkillsUSA—the nation’s premier workforce development organization for students. Celebrating its 60th anniversary, SkillsUSA continues to bridge the gap between education and industry, empowering over 440,000 student and instructor members nationwide. Chelle shares insights on the organization’s record-setting growth, its role in shaping future-ready professionals, and how SkillsUSA remains the number one catalyst in student workforce development for high school and postsecondary learners alike.
In this episode of Behind Every Employer, Anson Green and Jeffrey Abramowitz spotlight innovative approaches to building and sustaining the nursing workforce. Hear how Texas employers and educators are collaborating to train, support, and advance nurses to meet today’s critical healthcare demands through a partnership with the Trellis Foundation and UpSkill America.
Anson and Jeff sit down with Dr. Kiesha King, a passionate advocate for digital equity and ethical technology practices in education. As T-Mobile’s Senior National Education Administrator, Dr. King leads Project 10Million, a groundbreaking $10.7 billion initiative aimed at closing the digital divide for students across the country. With more than two decades of experience engaging and transforming the education landscape, Dr. King shares her powerful perspective on digital transformation. Her work spans nonprofits, juvenile justice, public schools, colleges, and the business community—bringing access, relevance, and dignity to the communities and individuals she serves. She’s also a five-time Forbes contributor with a global readership of over 3 million, known for addressing the big questions at the intersection of education, technology, and workforce readiness.
If you really want to understand how to be a “Fair Chance” employer, then listen to this episode of the Behind Every Employer Podcast with our guest Jacqueline Cooley. Passionate about empowering individuals, Jacqueline champions personal and professional growth through mentorship and innovative coaching. At JBM Packaging, a leader in sustainable packaging, Jacqueline plays a pivotal role in enhancing employee satisfaction and career development while fostering a culture of inclusivity and accountability. Her commitment to second chance hiring stems from personal experiences, inspiring her to create opportunities for individuals overcoming barriers to employment. This is a must watch episode as Jeff & Anson show you what should be happening “behind every employer”.
In this episode Anson and Jeff sit down with Kelly Aiken, director of workforce development and planning at UMass Memorial Health (UMMH), and Mandy Townsend, senior vice president of employer engagement at Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) in Boston, to discuss how UMMH built its workforce development function from the ground up. Leveraging their multi-employer Healthcare Training Institute and utilizing support from JVS Boston has allowed UMMH to upskill workers, strengthen career pathways, and support internationally trained professionals through credential validation, digital literacy, ESOL, citizenship interview preparation. Kelly and Mandy explore the challenges and successes of creating an accessible talent pipeline that benefits both employers and workers. Tune in for insights into innovative workforce strategies that are reshaping healthcare employment.
In this episode, Diane Temme Stinton, CEO of TMCO, shares insights into her leadership journey of following in her father’s footsteps at the helm of the company. Under her guidance, TMCO was named Nebraska’s Manufacturer of the Year in 2023. Diane discusses her passion for workforce development and manufacturing advocacy, as well as TMCO’s impressive growth. The company not only creates high-quality components for industries like agriculture, aerospace, and energy but also prioritizes its employees' well-being by offering ESL classes, early childhood programs for workers’ families, and language volunteers to support non-native English speakers. Tune in to hear her inspiring story of innovation, leadership, and community impact.
In this episode, Adam Leonard, a self-described data evangelist and chief analytics officer at the Texas Workforce Commission, sits down with us to discuss generative AI’s potential to transform the career prospects of job seekers and students. As AI dramatically changes jobs in unpredictable ways, it is critical to have a mechanism to track and respond to these changes. But while AI is a catalyst for change, it is also a key piece of developing that model. AI can deliver near-time feedback on the skills employers are seeking, thus providing immediate direction to students and job seekers on what they need to study. Additionally, generative AI can automate common tasks on the job that are typically learned through experience or trapped in tribal knowledge, thus closing the knowledge gap for new workers more quickly. Because generative AI can automate mundane work, workers' capacity can be freed up for more rewarding and creative tasks.
Rachel Riggs is leading the field of adult education using Generative AI in the classroom. Check out her review of the state of play for instruction and learning. In addition to a powerful review of high quality tools that instructors can use, Rachel shares her ideas on how instructors are overcoming creative hurdles, developing materials, and finding new ways to integrate the goals of adult learners into instruction.
In this episode, Vi Hawes, from Pima Community College, describes her journey becoming an AI instructional trendsetter in adult learning. She explains how she simplifies complex concepts for beginners and shares how ChatGPT enhances her daily classroom activities with its efficiency and value.
Priyanka Sharma, Vice President of World Education, joins Anson and Jeff at the 2024 Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) National Conference to explore current trends at the intersection of trending digital technologies and adult education with a focus on impact of AI and the Digital Equity Act. Priyanka discusses how AI is reshaping education and the need for bridging the gap between tech-savvy education mavericks who are blazing the trail with AI and the large majority of educators who are still figuring it out. The conversation concludes with a thoughtful review of the Digital Equity Act's status and what states and communities can anticipate.
Looking for better new hires? Switch to skills-based hiring! In this episode, Chad Patton and Marlene Brostrom from West Michigan Works and HireReach, are joined by Kenyatta Brame from Cascade Engineering to discuss how they have figured out how to strengthen the hiring process through data driven evidence. With the skills-based hiring model job seekers benefit by being able to show what they know and can do, not just what they have on paper. Employers can get down to business by getting right to what they want. The right knowledge, skills and abilities in a candidate! No longer is the hiring process overly influenced by pumped up resumés, insufficient application data, and the inherent weaknesses and biases in job interviews!
In this episode, Kevin Mattran, training administrator for Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing, and Bryan Seck, executive director for Lincoln Literacy, sit down with us to discuss how Kawasaki Motors and Lincoln Literacy have partnered to fuel and drive economic expansion and career pathways in Nebraska. This workforce population is exceptionally diverse with 10% nonnative to the United States. Lincoln Literacy and Kawasaki partnered to develop a basic and intermediate level English class to help New Americans increase their understanding of safety, the workplace, and career pathways in the company. This episode provides outstanding examples of not just employer/education collaboration, but also of city leadership, economic development, immigrant integration, comprehensive corporate training pathways, and non-profit trailblazing. Kawasaki Motors has fueled this story of community transformation and has led the way in not only diversified manufacturing but also embracing and growing the strengths of a diversified workforce!
At the heart of our workforce are people teaching others how to succeed. In this episode of Behind Every Employer, the amazing Chef Jeff Henderson shares his remarkable story from being incarcerated to becoming one of the best chefs in the country. Jeff's rise through the culinary ranks is only topped by his passion to give those impacted by our justice system a chance to change their lives in a career pathway filled with food, hard work, and lots of love. Join Jeffrey Abramowitz and Anson Green as they get to know Chef Jeff and learn about the Chef Jeff Project and New Direction Programs that work to give others a second chance and find that pathway to culinary success.
In this episode, Mathew Jerlecki, director of learning at Lippert Components, Inc., discusses Lippert’s best-in-class upskilling model that positions the company for the future while building economic opportunity for team members. Using a scalable model, Lippert makes education and training easily accessible through collaboration with local resources, including colleges and universities. Programming is intentionally designed to minimize business interruption and accommodate team members’ busy schedules. Lippert’s learning programs have been so well received by team members that Lippert is expanding its model to additional national locations in 2024.
What happens when you match Michigan’s largest employer with Western Michigan’s largest community-based organization dedicated to literacy? Kevin Vos, Vice President at Corewell Health, and Wendy Falb, Executive Director at the Literacy Center of West Michigan, sit down to discuss how their collaboration is transforming lives for entry-level workers and bringing bottom-line benefits to Corewell Health. Wendy and Kevin share the value this workplace literacy collaboration brings to their respective organizations and specific takeaways that stress the importance of program customization and executive leadership to create a true win-win for both organizations.
In this episode serial entrepreneur Maxine Gomez sits down with us to share her insights on building skills, positive engagement, and career growth for team members in the restoration/remediation industry. Whether it is cleaning up dust, blood, or mold, Maxine shares not only the importance of building skills, leadership, and certifications but also how she supports the team to feel like they are part of something bigger than the often difficult work of remediation. Moving back and forth from her steel toes to stilettos, Maxine brings her expertise as a certified mold expert, StrengthsFinder coach, bilingual trainer, and inspirational speaker and shares her recipe for building commitment to career advancement for frontline workers. Her chapter in Called to Speak Lead and Impact: 20+ Experts Share Wisdom and Lessons on Life and Business underscores Maxine's enlightened perspective to empowering people and building leaders.
We can't believe that Behind Every Employer Season 1 is behind us and we hope you will join us on an incredible look back at 2022. We had amazing guests that were able to share their passion, insight, and knowledge on how we can all do a better job supporting adult learners in our country. Join Anson Green and Jeffrey Abramowitz as they take a walk back in time and reflect on 2022 and gear up for what lies ahead for the Behind Every Employer Podcast in 2023. Thank you to all of our listeners, to our support staff Lindsey Lord and Sharon Bonney, our editor Tyler Anderson, and to our host that makes this all possible, COABE!
In this episode leaders from Northgate Gonzalez Market, National Immigration Forum and the Western Association of Food Chains (WAFC) sit down with us to discuss their successful workplace English program in the retail grocery industry. These organizations have stacked English and digital literacy training as onramps to retail credentialing and management certification. This effort supports employees with limited English proficiency at Northgate in developing their English within a retail environment and prepares them for enrollment in the WAFC-endorsed Retail Management Certificate accredited college program. Northgate explains how their collaboration with the National Immigration Forum and its innovative workplace ESL program English at Work began with a small pilot and built on their success to scale the English training program for high-potential employees looking to pursue a retail management certification. The team discusses how they identify talented immigrant workers and provide an education pathway that bolsters retail management and other corporate careers, and why the English at Work model works well in the busy grocery sector. The inclusion of the WAFC-endorsed certification has allowed this team to build an industry recognized pathway to retail management within community colleges across the United States.
Jaime Fall sits down with us to discuss his plans for launching a $5 million digital upskilling initiative for the Economic Development Collaborative in Ventura County, California. After seven years as director of UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute, Jaime explains how he is using his past experience to build a portfolio of digital skills solutions for jobseekers and workers in Ventura. Jaime describes Ventura’s progressive plan to address three unique segments: Those who lack digital skills, workers who need improved digital skills for work, and small businesses who lack the digital skills to thrive or survive in an increasingly digital economy. His insights for planning these efforts can provide other communities with a framework for vying for funding under the Digital Equity Act. Jaime concludes with powerful insights on the importance of businesses that are offering no-cost online college options to their workers, which he sees as a transformative opportunity for millions who otherwise would not be able to afford college.
As employers across the country struggle to find and keep talented employees, more and more employers are looking at the “Untapped Talent” which can be found in the men and women who have been impacted by our justice systems. Jeff Korzenik, an executive from Fifth Third Bank, has been sharing the benefits of tapping this talent pool with employers of every size and across the country. Join us as we explore how a banker is changing the face of employment for the men and women traveling through our criminal justice systems.
In this episode Amy Parman and Reina Camargo from Tazikis Café sit down with Katie Brown from EnGen, a language upskilling platform, to discuss investing in valued immigrant team members through tech-forward English upskilling. Tazikis, a Mediterranean café chain with locations across the U.S., believes that food is the cornerstone to communities and that community inclusion is critical in the workplace. Amy and Reina share Taziki’s enlightened model for supporting immigrant team members with English upskilling through EnGen. This model has helped them build career paths for team members from the kitchen to leadership positions. Katie shares how EnGen collaborates with businesses like Taziki’s to support growing workers from within using technology-based language training that allows workers to access content at a time and place that works for the busy lives of adults.
Jesse sits down with us to discuss his experience enhancing the image of careers in the trades. Digging into his own diverse career in construction—from grading ditches to counseling executives—Jesse delivers unique insights into supporting business leaders’ ability to expand their influence with their workforce. We discuss effective leadership in managing increased use of technology on the worksite as well as how increasing language and gender diverse worksites influence dynamics between management and the frontline crew members. Jesse shares what effective leaders can do in trades and other fields to effectively manage these shifts while maximizing getting the job done. Jesse’s message can support leaders in finding their own methods to increase contribution, ownership, and vulnerability as leaders, a message he underscores weekly in his podcast, “Learnings and Missteps,” and the livestream experience known as “No BS With Jen & Jess.”
Van Ton-Quinlivan joins us to discuss what she calls the fire hose and the garden hose of workforce demand and provides various models for developing an ecosystem of education partners to deliver adult friendly education at scale. Her insights from a distinguished career in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors have helped her devise enterprise models for upskilling frontline workers by harnessing community colleges and the private sector in both the energy and healthcare sectors. A nationally recognized thinker and do-er in workforce development, Van’s organization Futuro Health has become a catalyst for economic mobility in healthcare. She describes approaches from her book and podcast, Workforce RX, that leaders can use to “slay the dragons” of private and public bureaucracies and disrupt legacy workforce development models to develop solutions for frontline workers.
Employers and educators are eager to find ways to support Ukraine and Afghanistan refugees. In this special episode, experts from the National Immigration Forum and Upwardly Global join us to share updates on the immigration status of these new immigrant groups and insights into what employers can expect related to employing this potential talent.
Hao joins us to discuss how traditional organizations can become innovation powerhouses through technology. Hao’s diverse experience provides him with a unique look into how leaders approach technology deployment. He explores how the unconscious biases tech leaders may have toward frontline workers can blind them to how best to effectively match tech solutions to work tasks. Better understanding the ability, familiarity, and comfort these workers have with technology can speed companies’ ability to introduce tech solutions. Hao also shares insights into how organizations that nurture the creative confidence of workers with technology have done so by disrupting legacy learning and development models.
Jacque joins us to share her experiences bridging the healthcare sector training demands with adult friendly education and training. Businesses across almost all sectors are seeking ways to upskill and reskill their frontline and entry level workforce to meet new job demands and an increasingly digital environment. At the same time adult educators are eager to help businesses meet that challenge. Jacque tells us how. Her perspectives span more than 30 years developing comprehensive systems of responsive training for University Health, South Texas’s largest health system based in San Antonio, Texas, as a volunteer literacy tutor and administrator for workplace ESL classes, literacy, and through her consulting firm Award Winning Results. A leader within ATD, the Association for Talent Development, her insights have been recently published in their book, Talent Development and Training Healthcare Handbook.
Listen to the trailer of the Behind Every Employer Podcast. Hosted by Anson Green and Jeffrey Abramowitz.