Ready for Work: Recent Episodes
ACT Workforce
We all have a stake in making our communities more competitive. Closing the skills gap and driving economic growth starts at the grassroots level. Tune into the Ready for Work podcast for a discussion about strengthening the workforce ecosystem. Make ACT Ready for Work your go-to source for ideas to revolutionize your workforce. Provided by the experts. Curated by ACT. Learn more at act.org/readyforworkpodcast.
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From the stage of ACT’s Workforce Summit in Atlanta, episode 60 brings humor, insight, and real-world wisdom on AI’s role in workforce development. Host Jasen Jones is joined by tech experts DJ Burrel, Joshua Cox and Davin Jackson to explore how AI is transforming cybersecurity, government, and education. From ethical hacking to gaming as a gateway to tech careers, the panel breaks down complex topics in a way “the goats can get.” If you’re tech-savvy or just curious, this episode offers practical takeaways and inspiration for navigating the future of work with AI.
Voices of Excellence on Episode 60
- DJ Burel, Manager of Talent Acquisition, Pure Recruiting Agency
- Joshua Cox, I.T. Director, City of Forest Park, GA
- Davin Jackson, Founder and CEO, Alpha Esports and Technology/Cybersecurity
Links and Resources
- Transcript for Episode 60
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
- WorkKeys Career Readiness Dashboard
- WorkKeys Benchmarks - Information Systems
How early should we begin career development in a child’s life? It’s earlier than you might think. Heidi shares how Strive-Together is helping communities nationwide align around seven key educational milestones—from kindergarten readiness to career entry. Discover how data becomes a flashlight, not a hammer, and why systems thinking, equity, and authentic collaboration are essential for sustainable change.
Voices of Excellence and Resources for Episode 59:
Heidi Black, Vice President of Training | LinkedIn
- StriveTogether and the Training Hub
- Transcript and Show Notes (PDF)
- Work Ready Communities at ACT
- ACT Workforce Solutions
What does it take to transform education and workforce systems in a way that truly reflects local needs? In this episode, we explore the Talent Hub designation—a model-agnostic standard recognizing excellence in cross-sector partnerships at the local, regional, and state levels. Born from Lumina Foundation’s work with 75 pioneering partnerships, Talent Hubs represent a new way of thinking about collaboration. National thought leader Dakota Pawlicki joins us to share lessons learned, practical strategies for scaling what works, and bold ideas for the future of talent development partnerships.
Voices of Excellence in Episode 58:
Dakota Pawlicki, Director of TalentHubs at CivicLab | LinkedIn
Resources for Episode 58:
- TalentHubs from Civic Labs
- Transcript and Show Notes (PDF)
- Work Ready Communities from ACT
- WorkKeys Workforce Solutions
- Episode 4 on Strategic Doing with Ed Morrison
- Episode 10 overview on Work Ready Communities
The disconnect between skilled workers and employers is wider than ever, with access to affordable housing and childcare now among the top challenges preventing new commercial investment and job creation. Collaborative workforce ecosystems, like those in Work Ready Communities, are uniquely equipped to tackle these issues, according to Chad Chancellor of the Next Move Group. Chad examines two crucial elements to succeed in the post-pandemic reality of economic development - expanding the scope of workforce ecosystem collaboration and enhancing the role of work-based learning in skills-driven pathways.
- Chad Chancellor, Next Move Group
- Chad's Presentation Slides (PDF)
- Transcript (PDF)
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
Celebrated on the first Friday in October, Manufacturing Day is a national movement showcasing modern manufacturing careers. Throughout October, companies and educational institutions open their doors to students, parents, educators, and community leaders.
Neil Reddy brought the celebration to the 2024 ACT Workforce Summit. From the stage in Atlanta, Neil shares inspiration for future generations to enter manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain automation along with tips for workforce partners to grow talent pipelines for these sectors.
- Neil Reddy, CEO
- Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC)
- Manufacturing Day Resources
- WorkKeys Skill Benchmarks for MSSC's CPT Credential
- WorkKeys Skill Benchmarks for MSSC's CLA and C PT Credentials
With the increasing demand for skills governing workplace behaviors, ACT’s new WorkKeys Essential Skills assessment is designed to measure and develop these crucial competencies for the future. In episode 55, Dr. Alex Casillas delves into the vital importance of essential skills in both education and the workforce. Join us for a deeper exploration of how essential skills can boost job performance, satisfaction, and career advancement, and learn about the tools available to enhance these abilities.
- Dr. Alex Casillas, Principle Research Psychologist at ACT
- Show Notes and Transcript (PDF)
- WorkKeys Essential Skills from ACT
- Technical Manual on ACT WorkKeys Essential Skills
- WorkKeys Curriculum
- Essential Skills Coaching Tools
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
With a panel of Work Ready Community champions, episode 54 explores innovative strategies and real-world examples of how partnerships between industries, educational institutions, and government agencies are reshaping workforce development. Accelerating Talent Development via Cross Sector Collaboration features panelists from Nebraska, Ohio, and Mississippi in the August 2024 edition of WRC-Live! Discover how these collaborations are breaking down silos, fostering skill growth, and creating a more adaptable and resilient workforce.
- Lyndsie Gibbs, Metropolitan Community College of Omaha
- Alex Lovrien, Metropolitan Community College of Omaha
- Justin Burch, Delta Compass
- Mike Longo, Ohio Means Jobs of Lorain County
- Tina Gridiron, ACT
- Fred McConnel, ACT Work Ready Communities
- Show Notes and Transcript
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
- 2024 ACT Workforce Summit Agenda and Registration
Finding your Workforce – Latino Talent for a Global Economy highlights best practices to leverage the high labor force participation rate of Latinos, projected to be one in five workers by 2031. Deborah Santiago with Excelencia in Education discusses the importance of developing stackable credentials, providing transition services, and connecting Latino talent to employers. Get ready to uncover actionable insights, debunk common myths, and discover best practices to reduce skill shortages.
- Deborah A Santiago, CEO with Excelencia in Education
- Debora on LinkedIn
- Show Notes and Transcript for Episode 53 (PDF)
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
Richard Portelance from EdGate discusses the importance of data in career planning and the need for a lifelong learning repository to support modern with better integrations of profile details. Identifying the fractured nature of current career tools and the necessity for better visualization of career pathways, Richard highlights therole of educational standards and AI’s potential with machine learning to map career pathways efficiently, empowering both learners and advisors.
- Richard Portelance, EdGate
- Richard on LinkedIn
- Show Notes and Resources (PDF)
- Show Notes and Resources (PDF)
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
- 2024 ACT Workforce Summit
- Tear the Paper Ceiling Storytelling Campaign
- Inquire on WRC Storytelling and Poster Exhibition
Erin Olson, Senior Director of Strategic Research at Real Time Talent, discusses Minnesota’s educational and workforce challenges. Despite high labor force participation, Minnesota faces significant racial disparities in education and a talent shortage. Olson highlights the misalignment between workforce needs and available skills, emphasizing the need for strategic partnerships and data-driven solutions. Real Time Talent collaborates with various stakeholders to address these issues, focusing on aligning educational programs with labor market demands and promoting equity. Olson underscores the importance of employer involvement in creating effective workforce solutions and the role of Real Time Talent in facilitating these efforts.
- Erin Olson, Senior Director of Strategic Research at Real Time Talent
- Erin Olson on LinkedIn
- Show Notes and Resources (PDF)
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
- 2024 ACT Workforce Summit
- Tear the Paper Ceiling Storytelling Campaign
- Inquire on WRC Storytelling and Poster Exhibition
Known for his innovative approach to education, Dr. Michael Torrence of Motlow State Community College in Tennessee is a champion of emerging technologies, workforce development, and community engagement. He's passionate about creating scalable opportunities for students, fostering relationships with industries, and preparing the next generation for the future. From transforming homeless students into successful professionals, to pioneering digital credentialing systems, Dr. Torrence shares his dynamic FRED Talk from the ACT Workforce Summit stage.
- Show Notes, Transcript, and Slides
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
- 2024 ACT Workforce Summit
- Tear the Paper Ceiling Campaign
- Inquire on WRC Storytelling and Poster Exhibition
In Episode 49 of Ready for Work, we continue our series of FRED Talks from the ACT Workforce Summit. Tracy Robinson from the University of Memphis shares her experience working with adult learners and the challenges they face in balancing education with other life responsibilities. The University of Memphis has made significant changes to accommodate adult learners, just in time for employer giant FedEx to seek the university’s help. It’s a successful model that the University replicated with the City of Memphis, a regional hospital chain, and Nike, among others.
- Tracy Robinson on LinkedIn
- Show Notes, Transcript, and Tracy's Summit Deck
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
- 2024 ACT Workforce Summit
- Tear the Paper Ceiling Campaign
- Inquire on WRC Storytelling and Poster Exhibition
Will Coppage is a creative community developer. From the main stage of the ACT Workforce Summit, Will helped us explore the concept of wonder in art and its power to draw us in repeatedly. Will shows us how this principle applies to community development, emphasizing the importance of fostering creativity, maintaining a positive community appearance, and promoting workforce skills. The episode concludes with exciting news of a storytelling event at the 2024 Workforce Summit in Atlanta.
- Will Coppage on LinkedIn
- Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript (PDF)
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
- Tear the Paper Ceiling Storytelling Campaign
- Inquire on WRC Storytelling and Poster Exhibition
Episode 47 features Tonia Saunders, who leads both workforce and economic development in Lucas County, Ohio. This Work Ready Community (WRC) integrated the two disciplines, emphasizing the role of collaboration with neighboring counties to enhance the region's competitiveness. Tonia shares insights on tackling workforce challenges, leveraging community partnerships and innovative strategies to serve the manufacturing and healthcare industries effectively. The episode highlights the success of Lucas County's WRC initiative, showcasing how it drives economic growth and improves employment opportunities through targeted employerengagement and comprehensive support services. This conversation underlines the importance of synergy between workforce and economic development in achieving regional prosperity.
Voices of Excellence in Episode 47:
Tonia Saunders, Director
Work Ready Lucas County and Lucas County, Ohio Planning and Development
Show Notes and Resources:
- WRC Profile of Lucas County, Ohio
- Workforce Summit Overview from ACT
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
- Transcript of Episode 47
Braided funding and alignment of partnerships are key when creating sustainable systems and programs for your community. Lyndsie Gibbs and Alex Lovrien from Metropolitan Community College in Omaha join us on Episode 46 of Ready for Work. The partnerships across this Work Ready Community grew a small, data-driven, proof of concept into a $10M venture that has eliminated financial barriers so individuals can access quality training, education, and gainful employment. Listen in for best practices on braided funding, opportunities and obstacles, tips to get started, and lessons learned.
Voices of Excellence in Episode 46:
Lyndsie Gibbs, Director of Career Skills and Workforce
Metropolitan Community College of Omaha LinkedIn
Alex Lovrein, Director of Workforce Training
Metropolitan Community College of Omaha LinkedIn
Links and Resources:
- Transcript of Episode 46
- Workforce Innovation Division at Metropolitan Community College
- Presentation Handout from Braided Funding Workshop at ACT Workforce Summit
- Workforce Summit Overview from ACT
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
Join us in Episode 45 to discover a groundbreaking partnership between ACT and Opportunity at Work. Georgia Gillette, VP of Strategic Alliances at Opportunity at Work, shares insights on STARs (Skilled Through Alternative Routes) and the Tear the Paper Ceiling campaign. Discover the challenges faced by STARs, the impact of hiring misperceptions, and the mission to bridge the gap between job opportunities and workforce skills. Explore the data-driven strategies, success stories, and a comprehensive playbook aimed at closing skill gaps with STARs.
- Guest: Georgia Gillette, VP of Strategic Alliances, Opportunity at Work
- Transcript of Episode 45
- Tear the Paper Ceiling Campaign
- STARs Hiring Playbook
- STARs Tear the Paper Ceiling PSA Video
- STARs Success Story: LaShana Lewis
- STARs Success Story: IBM
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
In episode 44 of Ready for Work, LeeSa Page, a senior advisor with the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council, discusses the importance of Manufacturing Day and Manufacturing Month in October. She highlights the role of manufacturing in the American economy and the need to inspire various groups to pursue careers in the industry. From the stage of the recent ACT Workforce Summit in Nashville, LeeSa emphasizes the need for partnerships and initiatives to tap into untapped talent pools for a diverse manufacturing workforce. The episode concludes by acknowledging successful programs that have positively impacted manufacturing employment.
- Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript for Episode 44
- Video of LeeSa's Presentation from ACT Workforce Summit
- Manufacturing Day
- Webinar Series: Driving Economic Growth with CTE and Workforce Policy Innovation
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
Change management enables working learners to acquire skills and adopt behaviors that maximize workforce and learning outcomes. On episode 43 of Ready for Work, guest Robert Feeney shares his personal journey that led him to develop Ringorang. Driven by overcoming severe mental health challenges in his family, Robert emphasizes the importance of behavior change in education and career development. The solution deploys drip advertising techniques to enhance training outcomes, change management, and participant engagement. Schools and workforce stakeholders send out information and actions to participants and collect actionable data on their responses. The conversation introduces the Future Ready program and explores intersections of work-based learning with participant engagement technology as well.
Voices of Excellence in Episode 43
Robert Feeney, Chief Vision Officer
Ringorang
Links and Resources
- Transcript of Episode 43
- Ringorang
- ACT Workforce Summit
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
Two incredible champions in the field of competency-based education and the skills-first movement: Julian Alssid and Kaitlin Lemoine, join the conversation on Episode 42 of Ready for Work. Through their pioneering work at College for America, the duo emphasizes the importance of transparently naming and communicating skills to learners, bridging the gap between academic and workplace skills. Learn more about the challenges posed by legacy systems and the importance of breaking down silos. They also share insights from their new consultancy work, giving us a preview of What’s Next for the Skills-First Movement.
Julian Alssid, President
J. Alssid Associates
Kaitlin Lemoine, Partner
J. Alssid Associates
Links and Resources
- Episode 42 Transcript and Show Notes
- J Alssid Associates
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
The current education system relies heavily on traditional degrees, limiting adult learners and disproportionately affecting people of color. Employers value 21st-century skills, but confusion persists due to the proliferation of diverse credentials. Guest Melissa Goldberg joins Episode 41 of Ready for Work to showcase Credentials As You Go. This framework provides the redesign needed for economic realities, equity, and clarification, with implications for politics and workforce preparation.
Voices of Excellence on Episode 41
Melissa Goldberg, Director of Competencies and Credentials
Credentials As You Go
Corporation for a Skilled Workforce
LinkedIn
Links and Resources
- Episode 41 of Podcast Transcript (PDF)
- Credentials As You Go
- ACT Center for Equity in Learning and Overview Video
- Credentialing Research on ACT WorkKeys
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
Credential Engine is revolutionizing workforce career learning ecosystems by providing accessible data on credentials. Learn how equity plays a crucial role in reshaping pathways and empowering individuals. Here in Episode 40 of Ready for Work, Credential Engine CEO Scott Cheney helps us uncover the key information needed for informed decision-making and how it promotes fairness. Explore the transformative power of open data and modern tech in education and career guidance to enhance your region’s career learning workforce ecosystem.
- Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript (PDF)
- Special Guest: Scott Cheney of Credential Engine
- Credential Engine Equity Advisory Report
- July 21 Equity Webinar (Credential Engine Events Page
- Credential Engine Overview Video
- ACT Center for Equity in Learning and Overview Video
- ACT Workforce Summit Agenda and Registration
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
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Discover how WorkBay®, a technology firm founded by CEO Mary Hayes and COO Alice Hayes, is making a difference in career navigation both regionally and nationally. WorkBay integrates the skills-first approach of the workforce ecosystem and their innovations in this area are revolutionizing career exploration and navigation. During a recent Work Ready Communities Live event, Mary and Alice shared insights about the latest pilots with ACT® and how WorkBay is integrating WorkKeys benchmarks into user-friendly platforms in regions and targeted initiatives across the U.S. WorkBay successfully tackled the technological challenges of serving returning citizens with pre-release activities. By combining high-tech solutions with a personal touch, WorkBay provides career navigation that truly matters.
Voices of Excellence on Episode 39
- Mary Hayes, CEO, WorkBay
- Alice Hayes, COO, WorkBay
Resources
- Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript for Episode 39
- WorkBay
- ACT Workforce Summit Agenda and Registration
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
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As vice president of Longview Economic Development Corporation in Texas, Heather Malone shared her valuable insights on the workforce challenges that her community faces in a friendly and informative manner. One key point she highlighted was the importance of reliable transportation for workers to meet the demands of their employers. Additionally, she discussed the ongoing skills gap in the Longview region and the proactive measures being taken to support both the workforce and employers.
Heather emphasized the current top workforce challenges and how employers are adapting their job descriptions to align with the specific skills required for open positions, rather than solely focusing on a bachelor's degree requirement. In the Longview region, employers are also exploring reentry programs that cater to their labor needs and finding innovative ways to provide employee support, such as offering childcare services, to help fill jobs and support their valuable workforce.
Voices of Excellence
Heather Malone, Vice President
Longview Economic Development Corporation
Show Notes and Resources
- Transcript and Show Notes
- Video Interview with Heather Malone: Part One and Part Two
- ACT Workforce Summit Agenda and Registration
- Recap Video of 2022 ACT Workforce Summit
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
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Career Pathways are a special blend of training and job progression. When the training includes post-secondary learning, the WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate from ACT can translate to college credit that jumpstarts the learning journey. Awarding credit through Prior Learning Assessment, or PLA, for short, boosts confidence and increases the pace to program completion. Colleges increase enrollment while helping build the regional talent pipeline.
The American Council of Education recently upgraded their recommendations on credit hours awarded for the NCRC. Join us on Episode 37 as we explore the benefits of PLA; make connections between WorkKeys levels and post-secondary performance; and examine how administrators and faculty can use WorkKeys Estimator to align their competencies to specific WorkKeys benchmarks.
Voices of Excellence in Episode 37:
Lynette Livingston, Executive Dean
Chippewa Valley Technical College
Dr. Cindy Hill, Principal Industrial-Organizational Psychologist
ACT WorkKeys Profiling and Research
Jenna Cohen, Senior Director
ACT Workforce Product
Links and Resources:
- Transcript and Printable Show Notes for Episode 37
- WorkKeys for College Credit – ACT Workforce Summit Presentation
- The PLA Boost Report from CAEL and WICHE
- ACT WorkKeys Estimator
- ACT WorkKeys Profiling
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
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2022 marks the 8th annual National Apprenticeship Week and celebrations November 14th through the 20th to showcase the success and value of apprenticeship to rebuild the economy, advance equity, and support under-served communities. On Episode 36 of Ready for Work, we take you to the recent ACT Workforce Summit in New Orleans for a keynote presentation featuring the Woodworks program at Roy O’Martin, a forestry-products leader in Louisiana and Texas. HR pro and Work Ready Communities ambassador, Donna Bailey presented a luncheon keynote on the three components that made Woodworks a success and some of the voices of excellence along the way. Episode 36 concludes with a quick introduction to the Apprenticeship Ambassador initiative from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Guest: Donna Bailey, Vice-President of Human Resources at Roy O'Martin
- Cutting Turnover at a Wood Products Leader (Overview of Woodworks and WorkKeys)
- Video Clips from Donna's Presentation: Leaders, Teachers, Students
- Work-Ready-U from Central Louisiana Technical Community College
- National Apprenticeship Week 2022
- Apprenticeship Ambassador Initiative (US Dept. of Labor)
- ACT's Apprenticeship Quality Toolkit
- ACT WorkKeys
- ACT Work Ready Communities
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As workforce development typically focuses on skill and availability, other economic and community development practices can make or break those workforce efforts. Examples include housing, broadband internet, childcare, and today’s focus in Episode 35, transportation. Abigail Seldin from the Seldon-Haring-Smith Foundation (SHSF) brings us insight on the importance of transit for community college students. We’ll explore the impact of mapping efforts to boost transit options, the interface of public policy, and advice on how to connect these strategies to a Work Ready Community.
Links and Resources
- Guest Abigail Seldin, CEO/Co-Founder, Seldon-Haring-Smith Foundation: LinkedIn Twitter
- Public Transit Map from SHSF
- Transcript of Episode 35 (PDF)
- ACT Workforce Summit
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Solutions
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The release of episode 34 of Ready for Work marks a milestone at ACT® in the launch of Digital Badges for the WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate® (NCRC®). Guests include Pat Leonard, the VP for Business Development at Credly®, and Neil Reddy, CEO of the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC). Listen in for benefits to working learners, employers, and the full workforce ecosystem. Episode 34 gives a quick overview on the value of badging, best practices for integrating badges for educators and employers, and tips to maximize the online presence of employers and career seekers.
Voices of Excellence on Episode 34* Pat Leonard, Vice President of Business Development at Credly®, LinkedIn * Neil Reddy, CEO, Manufacturing Skill Standards Council, LinkedIn
Links and Resources* Announcements and Resources on WorkKeys® Digital Badging * ACT WorkKeys NCRC® on Credly® * MSSC on Credly® * Credly Announcement of ACT Partnership * Transcript of Episode 34 (PDF) * ACT Workforce Summit * ACT Work Ready Communities * ACT Workforce Solutions
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Personal journeys through education and career pathways are often filled with challenges and obstacles, making progress difficult and compromise frequent. Chelsea Williams of Reimagine Talent Co helps us discover the role of occupational identify for career pathway success with tips for job counselors, educators, and employers alike.
Resources* Chelsea Williams on LinkedIn * Reimagine Talent Co. * Employability Targets from National Association of Colleges and Employers * Viable Edu * ACT's Holistic Framework * ACT Workforce Summit
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Unprecedented skill shortages in labor markets across the U.S. often intersect with a desire for Justice System reform that provides pathways for Returning Citizens to thrive. When optimized in a regional workforce ecosystem, Returning Citizens are a high-performing group of working learners to boost a regional talent pipeline. Episode 32 is the second in our two part series on Preparing Workforce Ecosystems for Returning Citizen Success. We’ll look at a five P’s framework of partnerships, planning, preparation, pathways, and performance with tips to launch or optimize regional re-entry initiatives.
Guest Contributors* Dr. Roderick Nunn, Executive Vice President of Concordance Academy in St. Louis * Neil Volz, Deputy Director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition * Curtis Campogni, Founder of Speak4MC * Michael Williams, Education Consultant, North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice * Will Coppage, Executive Director of the Washington County, Mississippi, Economic Alliance * Presiding Judge Charles Elliot, Morgan County, Alabama
Resources* Sign up for the ACT Workforce Toolkit on Preparing Workforce Ecosystems for Returning Citizen Success * Episode 31 on Life Changing Asset and Skills-Based Solutions in Alternative Sentencing * Episode 19 on Missouri Making the Most of Second Chances * Episode 7 on Empowered Re-Entry * ACT Workforce Solutions * ACT Work Ready Communities * ACT's Monthly Workforce Newsletter
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Episode 31 of Ready for Work is the first of a two-part episode on Preparing Workforce Ecosystems for Returning Citizen Success. Charles Elliot is the Presiding Circuit Judge in Morgan County, Alabama. Partnerships with the community college and economic development leaders across their Work Ready Community help with the pillars of education and career. The drug court’s alternative sentencing model thrives on integrating mental health with a record-breaking positive impact.
- Judge Charles Elliot of Morgan County, Alabama
- Episode 32: Preparing Workforce Ecosystems for Returning Citizen Success
- Sign up for the ACT Workforce Toolkit on Preparing Workforce Ecosystems for Returning Citizen Success
- ACT Workforce Solutions
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT's Monthly Workforce Newsletter
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Federally funded Adult Basic Education (ABE) helps more than a million and half adults each year earn a high school equivalency, increase basic and employability skills, or improve their English language proficiency. The National Reporting Service governs the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRSAE) inside Adult Ed. Through an accountability and performance system of Educational Functioning Levels and Measurable Skill Gains, these standards guide learning and assessment in Adult Ed.
A group of nine subject matter experts in Adult Education formed a panel to align the CCRSAE to the benchmarks of WorkKeys. The panelists represent four states across the South, Midwest, and Northeast regions of the U.S. Results of the study help demonstrate a crosswalk with the Educational Functioning Levels to help ABE programs optimize performance as working learners meet both career and education goals. The report is available now.
Enhancing the detail of the crosswalk are best practices from the Mississippi Community College Board, Hagerstown Community College in Maryland, and Metropolitan Community College of Omaha, Nebraska. Each guest contributes their perspectives on the importance of the alignment work and how it helps improve ABE programming. The panelists share what they gained in unique insights from the research that also helps demystify Strength of Link. Episode 30 concludes with tips to read and interpret the crosswalk along with a briefing on the new Move Ahead with Adult Ed campaign.
Guest Contributors* Tammy Green, Metropolitan Community College of Omaha * Bronwyn Robertson, Mississippi Community College Board * Dawn Shoenenberger, Hagerstown (Maryland) Community College
Resources* WorkKeys Crosswalk Alignment with Adult Ed Standards (CCRSAE) * TABE-WorkKeys Data Relationships in Mississippi * ACT Work Ready Communities * ACT WorkKeys Job Profiling and Research
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With increased investment in apprenticeship comes increased expectations. ACT joined forces with local apprenticeships successful in skills-based hiring and national thought leaders on what’s needed to boost quality and completions in apprenticeship. Coming out of this collaboration is a new toolkit from ACT. We packed the toolkit with resources and scalable options of good, better, and best to provide apprenticeship coordinators flexibility in how to organize their efforts. The toolkit is organized into nine elements to boost quality and apprenticeship, across the domains of learning, working, and thriving.
Download the Apprenticeship ToolkitContributors* Christy Cheek, Mountain Area (NC) Workforce Board * Ralph Emerson, Cummins, Inc. * Tammy Green, Metropolitan Community College * Trudy Haszlauer, NV Energy * Dr. Cindy Hill, ACT and WorkKeys Profiling * Mary LeFebvre, ACT State and Federal Programs * Trey Michael, Career and Technical Education - North Carolina Department of Public Instruction * Neil Reddy, Manufacturing Skill Standards Council * Christi Smiley, Northern Regional Hospital (NC) * Dr. Jeffrey Steedle, ACT Research * Marty Walsh, U.S. Labor Secretary * John Wensveen, Broward Center for Innovation at Nova Southern University
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One part humor, one part inspiration! Episode 28 kicks off our third season of Ready for Work with a fun perspective on the role of humor in workforce development. Our guest is comedian Roy Wood Junior, a correspondent on Comedy Central's hit, The Daily Show, and host of Roy's Job Fair, a podcast that explores the human condition through the prism of employment. Roy's famed humor is matched by his true empathy and curiosity for people. Roy helps us share the very serious topic of unemployment with an injection of comedy so the workforce ecosystem can be as relatable as possible to working learners.
Show Notes and Resources
- Roy's Job Fair Podcast
- ACT Workforce Solutions
- ACT Work Ready Communities
- ACT Workforce Summit
One of the nation's deadliest tornados struck Joplin, Missouri ten years ago this week. On episode 27 of Ready for Work, we take a closer look at Joplin's recovery through the lens of the workforce ecosystem and the nation's first ACT-certified Work Ready Community.
A recurring theme is the priceless value of partnership connectivity and innovation. The workforce ecosystem was fortunate to have integrated partnerships with education and economic development that helped respond directly to the needs and urgency required.
Check out interviews with a few of those partners, such as Dave Rockers from Franklin Technology Center, Julie Gibson, a former state workforce development director, and Rob O’Brian, the developer at the helm of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce during the recovery effort. This edition showcases clips from participants and leaders in Joplin's Disaster Recovery Jobs Program.
Guests and Featured Resources* Rob O’Brian, O’Brian and Associates, former President of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce * Dave Rockers, Director, Franklin Technology Center * Julie Gibson, GPS Impact, former director of Missouri Workforce Development * Citizens Advisory Recovery Team * Southwest Missouri Workforce Board * ACT Press Release on Joplin Tornado 10th Anniversary * Disaster Recovery Jobs Program Statewide Video Journal * Disaster Recovery and Resiliency Series – Ready for Work Podcast * Resiliency Toolkit and Disaster Recovery Resources from ACT * ACT Work Ready Communities
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The region's workforce ecosystem is only as strong as its leadership. Joining us on episode 25 of Ready for Work, author and consultant Dr. Anthony Edwards helps guide us from new book, Building a Winning Workforce: A Playbook for Employers, Government Entities; Colleges & Schools; Workforce Development Agencies, Economic Development Organizations ... & Chambers of Commerce; & Nonprofits. Later in the podcast, we'll listen to this leadership in action as Missouri's governor celebrates job creation and growth in Certified Work Ready Communities.
Guests and Featured Resources
Dr. Anthony Edwards, author of Building a Winning Workforce
General Manager at ETX Innovation Center
Ray McCarty, Associated Industries of Missouri
Mardy Leathers, Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development
Missouri Governor Mike Parson
Work Ready Communities at ACT
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Keeping the future in mind is a necessary function for persisting through disaster recovery. As regions continue to overcome the pandemic, there is a balance in preparing for future opportunities and obstacles at the same time. Episode 25 features Chad Chancellor, Co-Founder and CEO of the Next Move Group.
Listeners can gain insight on the ever-changing skills marketplace in economic development and how that translates to expectations for workforce development and career education leaders. Chad explains how smaller markets and rural areas could see increased viability.
Prospects and investors appreciate a simple, user-friendly approach with the buckets of recruit, screen, and train. Chad helps listeners find the right balance in wage competitiveness as well.
Rounding out episode 25 are recaps from Mark Arend of Site Selection magazine as new rankings are out for 2021. Preble County, Ohio’s economic development chief, Brenda Latanza, shares her experience in the site selection process as a Work Ready Community.
Guests and Contributors* Chad Chancellor, Next Move Group * Mark Arend, Site Selection Magazine * Brenda Latanza, Preble County (OH) Development Partnership
Resources* Next Move Group * 2021 State of the States and Regional Workforce Rankings from Site Selection Magazine * Episode 18 with Mark Arend of Site Selection Magazine * Episode 10 Work Ready Communities Overview * Episode 1 Using Work Ready Communities for Economic Development * ACT Workforce Newsletter * ACT Workforce Solutions * ACT Work Ready Communities
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In our third of three episodes dedicated to Skills-Based Recovery and Resiliency, episode 24 brings us to the Deploy and Analyze phases in the five-part ALEDA framework. Sean McCoy from Public Consulting Group shares some factors worth considering in the deployment of recovery services remotely. We’ll check out some best practice examples in remote work-based learning with Kelly Dyer in Missouri, and remote instruction with Brownwyn Robertson in Mississippi. Mike Longo and Mary LeFebvre are back with us to share tips and perspectives in analyzing recovery and resiliency efforts.
Episode 22 covers the Adapt phase while 23 explores the Lead and Engage phases.
Guests and Contributors* Sean McCoy, Public Consulting Group * Kelly Dyer, Missouri InternConnect and ApprenticeConnect * Mike Longo, Lorain County Workforce Agency and OhioMeansJobs Center * Brownwyn Robertson, Mississippi Adult Education Smart Start * Mary LeFebvre, ACT Governmental Affairs
Resources* Sign up for the ACT Toolkits on Skills-Based Hiring for Recovery and Resiliency * Public Consulting Group and VERA Solution * Missouri InternConnect and ApprenticeConnect * Episode 11: Next-Level Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning * ACT Case Study on Ohio Re-Employment Success in Lorain County/Northern Ohio * ACT Case Study on Ohio Statewide Re-Employment Success * Episode 20: Adult Education Success in Mississippi with WorkKeys Curriculum * Mississippi Adult Education Smart Start * WorkKeys Curriculum * Episode 22: Adapt Phase of ALEDA Framework (Part 1 of 3) * Episode 23: Lead and Engage Phases of ALEDA Framework (Part 2 of 3) * ACT Workforce Newsletter * ACT Workforce Solutions * ACT Work Ready Communities
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Workforce ecosystem leaders encounter plenty of challenging layers to disaster recovery and economic resiliency. ACT curated a five-part toolkit with a framework we call ALEDA. We covered the Adapt phase in Episode 22. In this installment, we explore the Lead and Engage phases.
We have an interview with Lisa Rice, a former Workforce Director turned leadership consultant. Lisa offers perspectives on three qualities of a leader in disaster recovery, and advice for those new to skills-based recovery systems.
Mike Longo, a workforce director in the certified Work Ready Community of Lorain County, Ohio. Through the OhioMeansJobs centers, Mike’s team deployed the Make Your Lay Off Pay Off initiative. Mike shares lessons learned from the last economic downturn, and how they reformed training and quality standards in their deployment.
Guests and Contributors* Lisa Rice, Every Strength Counts * Mike Longo, Lorain County Workforce Agency and OhioMeansJobs Center * Ed Morrison, Agile Strategy Lab and co-author of Strategic Doing
Resources* Sign up for the ACT Toolkits on Skills-Based Hiring for Recovery and Resiliency * Every Strength Counts Leadership Development, Consulting, Peer Engagement * Lorain County OhioMeansJobs * ACT Case Study on Ohio Re-Employment Success in Lorain County/Northern Ohio * ACT Case Study on Ohio Statewide Re-Employment Success * Episode 22: Adapt Phase of ALEDA Framework (Part 1 of 3) * Episode 24: Deploy and Analyze Phases of ALEDA Framework (Part 3 of 3) * Episode 4: Getting Strategic About Doing * Agile Strategy Lab * ACT Workforce Newsletter * ACT Workforce Solutions * ACT Work Ready Communities
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Ready for Work episode 22 is the first of three on the ALEDA Framework using Skills-Based Hiring for Disaster Recovery and Economic Resiliency. The five-part framework is Adapt, Lead, Engage, Deploy, and Analyze. We focus this episode on the Adapt phase in Data, Skills, and Systems.
The Adapt phase helps us re-position traditional disaster recovery models to meet the needs of your local economy. We must adapt our local data to be current and actionable in order to address each issue organically. Skills for the jobs that remain or return often change dramatically based on the pivots employers make to adapt to their new market realities. Disaster recovery often requires unbundling of your current services to create the flexibility needed to convert options for remote access and other safety protocols.
Guests and Contributors* Mary LeFebvre, ACT Governmental Affairs * Eric Canada, Blane-Canada Ltd. * Chris Manheim, Manheim Solutions and Certified WorkKeys Profiler * Virginia Hamiliton, WorkforceGPS * Sean McCoy, Public Consulting Group
Resources* Sign up for ACT Toolkits on Skills-Based Hiring for Recovery and Resiliency * BRE Covid Response Network from Blane Canada Ltd * ACT WorkKeys JobPro Database (for probing skill levels by job title) * Customer-Centered Design Community of Practice from WorkforceGPS * WorkforceGPS Pathway to Recovery Resources * Contact Risk Database for Return to Work Planning * Episode 23: Lead and Engage Phases of ALEDA Framework (Part 2 of 3) * Episode 24: Deploy and Analyze Phases of ALEDA Framework (Part 3 of 3) * ACT Workforce Newsletter * ACT Workforce Solutions * ACT Work Ready Communities
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As a pandemic impacts communities everywhere, regional workforce ecosystems must implement reemployment strategies to become more adaptable. Hear stories of resilience happening real-time.
Join the ConversationWill Coppage: Twitter
Washington County Economic Alliance: Twitter
Mary LeFebvre Twitter: Twitter LinkedIn
First Tennessee Development District: LinkedIn Facebook Instagram
Jasen Jones Twitter: @JasenCJones
ACT Twitter: @act
ACT Workforce Solutions: LinkedIn
ResourcesRequest the Toolkits on Disaster Recovery and Economic Resiliency or Proposal Development
Resilient Workforce Ecosystems Webinar
ACT COVID-19 Resource Page
Work Ready Communities COVID-19 Resource Page
ACT Workforce Newsletter Signup
ACT Workforce Summit
ACT Work Ready Communities
ACT Workforce Solutions
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Bronwyn Robertson shares how Mississippi Community College Board’s Smart Start adult education equips adult learners with workforce credentials (including the WorkKeys NCRC) and ultimately them for success.
What more can adult education programs be doing to prepare participants for career success? As the job market continues to evolve, more and more learners rely on these programs to educate them on financial literacy, career awareness skills, class management systems, sector strategies, and countless other workforce-related topics.
Smart Start, a program of the Office of Adult Education at the Mississippi Community College Board, is taking the initiative by equipping its participants with vital career readiness skills and credentials. Smart Start Project Specialist Bronwyn Robertson is hopeful that this program will continue to close the gap between worker supply and demand.
Founded upon ACT® WorkKeys® Curriculum, Smart Start is a 45-hour intensive course that teaches participants how to apply their specialized skills beyond high school. Students also have the opportunity to earn their ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate® (NCRC®). Robertson and her team agree that earning these credentials is critical—particularly for those 350,000 Mississippi residents who do not have their high school diploma.
“The Smart Start program through the Office of Adult Education is a career pathway,” shares Robertson. “At the end of the day, we are all trying to provide every Mississippian the opportunity to secure employment.”
With over 6,200 Smart Start credentials offered since 2016, it’s clear that Mississippi’s adult education initiative has made a lasting impact on the success of its participants. Tune in to Episode 20 and hear more about how Mississippi’s Smart Start plan is empowering current and future jobseekers.
Join the ConversationSkill UP Mississippi: Facebook and Twitter
Mississippi Community College Board: Twitter
Jasen Jones Twitter: @JasenCJones
ACT Twitter: @act
ACT Workforce Solutions: LinkedIn
ResourcesImplementation of ACT WorkKeys Curriculum in Adult Education Presentation from ACT Workforce Summit
Office of Adult Education at the Mississippi Community College Board
ACT® WorkKeys® Curriculum
ACT WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate® (NCRC®)
ACT Work Ready Communities
ACT Workforce Summit
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The Missouri Department of Corrections’ reentry program is equipping returning citizens with career credentials, barrier removal supports, and the WorkKeys NCRC. Reentry Coordinator Shelly Jacobs joins us to share the impact on their workforce.
As employers across the nation are expanding their outreach efforts in search of a dedicated workforce, the Missouri Department of Corrections (DOC) has developed new ways to prepare returning citizens for steady employment upon release. Since implementing the reentry program two years ago, Missouri’s prison population has decreased by 7,000 individuals—a shift that Shelly Jacobs, a reentry coordinator with the Missouri DOC, believes is an encouraging sign for the future.
With approximately 19,000 men and women released from prison each year in the state of Missouri, reentry programs are vital to building up credentials and reinforcing basic skills. Administering ACT® WorkKeys® Assessments and giving them the chance to earn their ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate® (NCRC®), says Jacobs, is the best way to represent the prison population as a viable workforce opportunity.
“These men and women have got the skills,” Jacobs shares. “They just need that second chance. So the NCRC is proof to these employers that these people do have basic skills that, really, can be valuable in any position, regardless of the position.”
Join us as we learn more about the exciting ways that prison reentry programs are changing today’s economic landscape, and how Missouri’s prison population may yet be the next professional development network.
Join the ConversationMissouri Department of Corrections: Twitter and Facebook
Jasen Jones Twitter: @JasenCJones
ACT Twitter: @act
ACT Workforce Solutions: LinkedIn
ResourcesMissouri Department of Corrections (DOC)
ACT® WorkKeys® Assessments
ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate® (NCRC®)
ACT Work Ready Communities
ACT Workforce Solutions
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Work Ready Communities (WRC) from ACT is a framework for community-based workforce development to drive economic growth. Regions improve their workforce and compete on quality for location consultants, investors, and other decision-makers using data powered by the WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate. Episode 18 of the Ready for Work podcast showcased Site Selection Magazine’s annual State of the States reports and the Regional Workforce Development Climate rankings. The WRC website has a helpful article on economic development as well.
Why does an organization invest millions of dollars in one area versus an another? It very well may come down to the area’s workforce.
A lot of factors go into choosing a site, and a smart, skilled workforce is right at the top of the list. That’s why Site Selection magazine delivers relevant data/information on the topic for over 44,000 readers, including corporate executives, site selection consultants, and real estate professionals.
According to Mark Arend, Editor in Chief of Site Selection, it’s one thing to say, “We have a terrific workforce.” It’s another thing to prove it—and by publishing unbiased data, that’s what Site Selection does.
On this episode, we cover:
- An overview of the site selection process
- Purpose of the publication’s popular State of the States report
- The role of the ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate® (NCRC®) as the indicator of workforce quality at a location
Economic development impacts us all—in urban and rural areas across America. Listen as Mark Arend discusses more about this topic, along with some of the challenges he sees ahead.
Join the ConversationMark Arend: LinkedIn
Site Selection Magazine: LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook
Jasen Jones Twitter: @JasenCJones
ACT Twitter: @act
ACT Workforce Solutions: LinkedIn
ResourcesSite Selection Magazine: State of the States
Site Selection Magazine: Regional Workforce Rankings
Economic Development in Work Ready Communities
ACT WorkKeys®
ACT WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate® (NCRC®)
ACT Work Ready Communities
ACT Workforce Solutions
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Career readiness is a hot topic these days. An updated report from ACT has a wealth of data on the subject that you won’t find anywhere else.
For career navigation, or for counselors, students, or folks looking for a job change, The Condition of Career Pathway Readiness in the United States 2019 report—and this podcast—will provide some great insight.
You can take a look at the report here.
The updated report looks at the progress of the ACT®-tested 2019 U.S. high school graduating class relative to college and career readiness. Specifically, the report includes data tables broken out for all 16 Career Technical Education Career Clusters. More than numbers and figures, the report offers some method behind the madness of trying to figure out what different types of career readiness could mean for different individuals and use cases.
Join the ConversationMary LeFebvre: @MaryLeFebruary
Mary LeFebvre: LinkedIn
Jeffrey Steedle: LinkedIn
Jasen Jones Twitter: @JasenCJones
ACT Twitter: @act
ACT Workforce Solutions: LinkedIn
ResourcesThe Condition of Career Pathway Readiness in the United States 2019 research report
Presentation at 2019 ACT Workforce Summit (PowerPoint)
What’s Important for Success in Future Jobs? (Press Release)
ACT Research
ACT WorkKeys
ACT Workforce Summit
ACT Work Ready Communities
ACT Workforce Solutions
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Rural America is facing some incredible challenges. When rural students graduate high school many of them move away to urban areas. The up-and-coming generation tends to overlook their opportunities in rural areas. This hurts the economy of local communities, including those in Southwest Tennessee.
The Southwest Tennessee Rural Workforce Readiness Collaborative is working to reverse this problem. By building a comprehensive approach to help bridge the skills gap, they’re beginning to show students the opportunities around them for meaningful employment in great-paying careers—like manufacturing and construction—and then providing the path.
In order to strengthen the workforce across four rural counties, the collaborative pursued—and received—a first-of-its-kind $250,000 grant from the USDA. It will likely serve as a national model for similar programs across the nation seeking to build on the success of ACT® Work Ready Communities and generate investment in the talent pipeline.
On this episode of Ready for Work, we’re joined by Joe T. Wood and Jim Tracy. They discuss the importance of workforce development in rural areas, the technology that the USDA’s grant is making possible, the implementation of ACT programs, and what’s happening next.
Join the ConversationJim Tracy Twitter: @JimTracy
Joe T. Wood LinkedIn: Joe T Wood
Jasen Jones Twitter: @JasenCJones
ACT Twitter: @act
ACT Workforce Solutions: LinkedIn
ResourcesPresentation from Joe T. Wood and Jim Tracy at ACT Workforce Summit
USDA Rural Development grant to Tennessee Board of Regents will assist workforce readiness in Chester, Decatur, Henderson & Perry counties
Tennessee School Board Association Career Cluster Dashboard
USDA Rural Community Development Initiative
ACT WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate® (NCRC®)
ACT Work Ready Communities
ACT Workforce Solutions
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Josh Davies, CEO of the Center for Work Ethic Development is passionate about helping others make a difference in their lives, jobs, and community. We were fortunate to have Josh deliver one of the FRED Talks as well as a breakout session at the recent ACT Workforce Summit. By using employer-based research, defining the seven behaviors of work ethic, and innovative teaching, participants discover how to make lasting behavior change. On episode 15 of Ready for Work, we feature Josh’s FRED Talk with trends in social-emotional learning and some insights on millennials and generational decline that may surprise you.
Join the ConversationJosh Davies Twitter: @ResultsDriver
Center for Work Ethic Development: @WorkEthicCenter
Center for Work Ethic Development: Facebook
Jasen Jones Twitter: @JasenCJones
ACT Twitter: @act
ACT LinkedIn: ACT Workforce Solutions
ResourcesFRED Talk at 2019 ACT Workforce Summit (PowerPoint)
The Center for Work Ethic Development
ACT Tessera® Workforce
ACT Workforce Summit
ACT Work Ready Communities
ACT Workforce Solutions
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Why are so many well-educated and well-supported American youths struggling to make successful transitions to adult life? It’s an important question and the first that Hans Meeder asks on Episode 14 of our Ready for Work podcast, which was recorded at our recent ACT Workforce Summit.
Hans works at the National Center for College and Career Transitions (NC3T), which he founded in 2012. His organization believes in a simple concept: every young American should have a dream and a plan. The problem? Millions of students don’t.
Hans argues that the missing piece is Career Connected Learning, which is defined as a range of activities that help students connect learning to the real world to develop the knowledge, skills, and mindset they’ll need to successfully enter the world of work, careers, and community life.
This concept isn’t only for some students. It’s for all students. The harsh reality is that so many students—regardless of location or demographic—are struggling to make the transition to adult life, even with a great high school education.
Hans also discusses elements of Career Connected Learning that are often overlooked, including hands-on learning and career navigation skills.
Listen as Hans provides his passionate insight on the successful profile of a career and life-ready graduate, how the design of a career development model engages students, families, and community members, and much more.
Join the ConversationHans Meeder Twitter: @HansMeeder
Hans Meeder LinkedIn
Jasen Jones Twitter: @JasenCJones
Jasen Jones LinkedIn
ACT Twitter: @act
ACT LinkedIn: ACT Workforce Solutions
ResourcesHow American Communities Can Embrace Career Connected Learning for All Students presentation at 2019 ACT Workforce Summit (PPTX)
National Center for College & Career Transitions
ACT Workforce Summit
ACT® Work Ready Communities
ACT® Workforce Solutions
NC3T Career-Connected Learning (PDF)
NC3T CareerSmart-Classrooms (PDF)
NC3T Pathways Services (PDF)
NC3T Seamless Work Based Learning (PDF)
More Ready for Work podcast episodes on career development:
- Manufacturing Career Pathways
- Creating Interactive Career Maps
- Apprenticeships and Work-Based Learning
- Credentialing and Competency as Currency
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A high prevalence of prescription drug abuse has created an unhealthy workforce in northeast Tennessee. As a result, the region has high instances of addiction, neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), and overdose deaths.
The region is learning how to contend with the impact that the opioid crisis has on its workforce. Rather than sweep the issues under the rug, the First Tennessee Development District (FTDD) took a lead role in bringing partners together to tackle the epidemic and is building a system of support for the lifecycle – from babies suffering with NAS to senior adults.
FTDD’s Lottie Ryans and Mark Stevans outline how they are working toward a healthier workforce for a brighter tomorrow. They share practical ways to educate, boost awareness, and build solutions the entire community can embrace. This episode features sound bites from their presentation at the 2019 ACT Workforce Summit in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Join the ConversationFirst Tennessee Development District: LinkedIn
First Tennessee Development District: Facebook
First Tennessee Development District: Instagram
Jasen Jones: @JasenCJones
ACT Twitter: @act
ACT LinkedIn: ACT Workforce Solutions
ResourcesNE Tennesse Regional Response to Opioid Crisis presentation at 2019 ACT Workforce Summit (PDF)
First Tennessee Development District
Creating a Community of Trauma Informed Community System of Care in Northeast Tennessee
ACEs Connection Nationwide Gateway on Trauma Informed Care
ACT Workforce Summit
ACT Work Ready Communities
ACT Workforce Solutions
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On Episode 12 of Ready for Work, we seek to debunk some common myths of skills-based hiring with a Top Ten List of Workforce Mythblasters. We’ll cover some common misconceptions that employers, educators, and communities might have about skills-based hiring. We’ll also hear from leading employers on how they use ACT Workforce Solutions and the ACT® WorkKeys® system to help overcome these challenges. You’ll hear several different examples of employer success stories, and we provide a link to each featured resource.
Top Ten Myths of Skills-Based Hiring* Ten: Cognitive assessments aren’t relevant to specific jobs * Nine: Skills-based hiring is not worth an employers’ expense * Eight: Skills-based hiring takes too much time * Seven: Company is too small or too large for skills-based hiring * Six: Customers really don’t care about the quality of a business’s workforce * Five: Skills-based hiring doesn’t really help students * Four: Assessments are risky as they introduce discrimination * Three: Assessments can’t measure soft skills * Two: Employers must use multiple providers to measure technical skills * One: Employers can’t do skills-based hiring in a tight labor market
Join the ConversationJasen Jones Twitter: @JasenCJones
ACT Twitter: @act
ACT Linkedin: ACT Workforce Solutions
ResourcesACT® Workforce Solutions
ACT Stack
Success Stories and Research on Workforce Solutions
ACT Workforce Summit
ACT® Work Ready Communities
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This bonus episode of Ready for Work includes information on the 2019 ACT Workforce Summit in Charlotte, NC, October 28-30. We chat with some of the presenters to give a sneak peek at the conference content. This episode wraps up with feedback from attendees of last year's summit. Visit act.org/workforcesummit for agenda and event info.
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Work-based or “on-the-job” learning through apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs benefits learners from all education and socioeconomic levels and put them on a fast track to high-wage, nationally portable careers.
In this episode of “Ready for Work," we talk to leaders in postsecondary education and business about the use of work-based learning programs at the community level and the personal and economic results that can be gained from creating such programs. Among the topics:
- How work-based learning and apprenticeship enhance other training methods
- How apprenticeships help learners who have not previously been successful in traditional education
- The effectiveness and return on investment for apprenticeship programs
- How these initiatives are typically funded
- What it takes to launch a successful initiative
- How apprenticeship programs can leverage national certifications to improve outcomes
- The future of apprenticeship models and what it will take to support them
- Why industry partner engagement is crucial to initiative success
- And more!
Join the ConversationJasen Jones Twitter: @JasenCJones
ACT Twitter: @act
ResourcesACT webinar: Leveraging National Certifications in Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship resources from ACT
Workforce GPS
Southwest Ohio Region’s CPT apprenticeship success
ACT Workforce Summit
ACT® Work Ready Communities
ACT® Workforce Solutions
Episode Guests* John Wensveen, Miami Dade College * Trudy Haszlauer, NV Energy * Tammy Green, Metropolitan Community College
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Work Ready Communities from ACT helps local areas align their resources and leadership for a competitive workforce that meets employer needs and generates regional prosperity. Today on Ready for Work, we’re covering the journey to become a Work Ready Community.
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Dr. Jeff McCord has unique insight following a decades-long career of straddling the worlds of business and education. After 20 years in the private sector working for Fortune 300 companies and then as Vice President at Northeast State Community College in Tennessee, he has seen a pressing need for educators and business leaders to communicate in order to improve workforce development at the regional and national levels. In his current role as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, McCord stresses the need for practical execution in creating partnerships for the health of the workforce. In this episode of Ready for Work, McCord talks with ACT’s Jasen Jones about the importance of understanding all voices with a stake in the workforce and sharing a common language. “Educators might not understand that business and industry have educational systems within their walls,” McCord says, “so how do we as educators integrate into those systems so we can have opportunities and cut down on misunderstandings between those two systems?” McCord also sees skilled and technical jobs as key to workforce prosperity. “For 30 years, we disparaged those jobs and disabled the infrastructure for those jobs,” he says. Communities need to work on rebuilding a skills pipeline consisting of industry veterans who know the skills needed for those jobs and who can prepare the incoming generation for success. “We have a business issue that can have positive social impact if we can solve it,” McCord says. This episode covers: The importance of aligning education and workforce Tips on rebuilding the workforce for 21st-century demands Success stories from workforce development partnerships in Northeast Tennessee Why apprenticeships can drive individual and national prosperity A preview of Dr. McCord’s presentation at the upcoming ACT Workforce Summit
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Guest Sherrell Dorsey, founder of The Plug Newsletter and BLKTECH Interactive, shares strategies to make diversity and inclusion initiatives intentional – from employment and culture in an organization to holistic and systematic change.
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Guest Tina Manus took her experience as an educator and researcher to apply experiential problem-solving and interactive community building to build work readiness skills for individuals facing reentry from corrections.
The research, now referred to as the “Empowered Reentry Project,” was a 10-day program organized as a participatory action research project for nine returning citizens. The pilot program used essential skills assessment and its detailed score report, ACT® Tessera® Workforce, and the ACT® Tessera® Workforce Playbook respectively, as a pre- and post-test to measure skills identified by employers as necessary work ready skills.
Tina was inspired to conduct the initiative because she felt there was a gap in the strategy for the skill-building process for individuals facing reentry. The research question Tina worked to answer is “How would adding experiential problem solving and interactive community building activities increase access to workforce readiness skill building activities?” To ensure successful participation, Tina built credibility around the assessment, addressed academic barriers such as stamina and language, and leveraged existing relationships to motivate the individuals. ACT Tessera Workforce, a comprehensive and reliable essential skills assessment, turned out to be the missing link between social and emotional learning and workforce development for this population.
Listen to episode 7 to find out:
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What the participants learned about themselves
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How the assessment addressed essential skills, sometimes referred to as soft skills, objectively
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Implications for how to teach individuals to become better employees
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The outcomes and what’s next for the research
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The research behind the assessment from ACT Expert Jason Way
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Guest Joe Sarubbi from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council shares why and how IREC created an interactive career map for the solar energy and climate control industries. Such tools can demonstrate career paths and the extent of opportunity within an industry. This episode builds upon the conversation about career pathways and stackable credentials from Episode 5 with Neil Reddy, CEO of the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC). [Show Notes]
The interactive solar and climate control career maps provide robust information for individuals, including job demand, training information, and training locations. Ultimately, these tools provide awareness and the ability to explore available opportunities that individuals would not necessarily find otherwise. It’s powerful to have the opportunity to see the types of career paths, determine if there is interest, and then explore which local educational institutions support the career path.
Not to mention, professionals in human resources, workforce development, and education can take advantage of the plethora of resources within the map to help individuals determine a career path that makes sense for them. The opportunities are endless for developing similar maps within other sectors such as health, power engineering, energy storage, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), and much more.
Joe’s best advice to individuals is to “explore, explore, explore –that’s the fun of it!” because you can’t be what you can’t see. Tune into episode 6 for the whole story.
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Guest Neil Reddy, CEO of the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC), shares how MSSC blazed the trail and created the gold standard for manufacturing skills. From career pathways to stackable credentials, the future of manufacturing is bright. [Show Notes]
Born out of the National Skill Standards Act of 1994, MSSC set out to create industry standards to develop certifications across multiple sectors. After working closely with over 4,000 front-line technicians from 700 different companies and 300 subject matter experts, MSSC developed a nationwide system of industry-led standards, assessments, and certifications for all sectors of manufacturing.
To this day, the MSSC Certified Production Technician (CPT) standards are considered the most authoritative set of industry-wide, core competencies in the country. This episode covers the history of developing the standards, addresses the ways in which businesses can use them as a foundation, and how workforce developers can use them to build short- and long-term talent pipelines.
Neil answers the questions you want to know:
- How can MSSC CPT standards stack with other credentials, such as the ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate® (NCRC®)?
- Do employers realize any benefit from the standards?
- What are the different career pathways that individuals can pursue after earning the CPT certification?
- What is the future of manufacturing?
Listen to Episode 5 to hear Neil’s predictions for the bright future of manufacturing and to help minimize the manufacturing skills gap at your company or in your community.
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Guest Ed Morrison applies the approach of “Strategic Doing” to workforce and economic development. Applying this newer model of strategic planning opens the door to solve complex challenges through productive collaboration. [Show Notes] [Bonus Content]
Founder of the Agile Strategy Lab at Purdue University, Ed developed a new discipline called Strategic Doing to shift from old strategy approaches that were designed for hierarchies and don’t work well in modern-day networks. To develop a strategy under this new approach, two questions must be answered: Where are we going? How will we get there?
Using Strategic Frameworks helps practitioners in workforce development take their domain knowledge further. It provides a framework for networks to make collaboration a powerful, effective process, and it shifts the conversation from answering to stakeholders to creating a network of shareholders.
Ed answers the tough questions like: For organizations who are accountable to multiple organizations and both internal and external stakeholders, how might we gain both clarity and consensus through the Strategic Doing process? Can Strategic Doing make our interactions more efficient? What research is available to demonstrate the benefits of the Strategic Doing model?
Listen to Episode 4 for a new approach to complex collaboration. Learn how to build networks of people who want to work together.
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One technical college in Wisconsin is blazing a new trail by offering college credit for core courses using prior learning assessment (PLA) – credits typically reserved for electives. Awarding PLA credit beyond electives has yielded unforeseen results for individuals and the institution. Guest Lynette Livingston, Executive Dean of Business, Arts, Sciences, and Academic Initiatives at Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, shares how her institution started with curriculum profiling. [Show Notes]
The process of curriculum profiling helped CVTC evaluate how ACT® WorkKeys® Assessments correlated to a current core math course. Although hesitant initially, educators recognized the benefit of awarding credit to students who have proof of demonstrated skills. Rather than reassessing students to prove their competency a second time, students are able to take more advanced courses. Ultimately, this incentive encourages students to finish a degree program more quickly. In fact, creating a dual-credit program alongside the PLA program has increased enrollment at CVTC.
Lynette shares the motivation behind starting with a curriculum profile, challenges CVTC overcame to successfully implement a prior learning assessment program, and what they learned along the way. Listen to Episode 3 to learn how CVTC leverages their prior learning assessment program as a recruitment tool.
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Tune in to see the impact that credentials have on education and workforce and economic development. Learn how The Competency Project is on a mission to use underlying competency as currency in education and in the labor market. The episode provides tools that can be used to level the playing field, make better use of workforce data, and make one-to-one comparisons.
Credentials are a way for individuals to communicate technical expertise. In this episode, we sit down with Katie Hall, director of The Competency Project at the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce, to talk about all things credentialing. She provides commentary around the instruments used to signify industry-validated expertise – from the current state of competencies to the challenges faced by all stakeholders in workforce and education today. Looking back at the purpose and history of these credentials helps point toward a transparent and competency-based solution for the future.
The challenges of credentialing are felt by everyone involved in workforce development. Because so many credentials exist across a wide range of industries, it’s difficult to understand what they all mean. Consider the fact that there is little or no credentialing consistency across industries, or even within industries, as well as across geographies. Using competencies as the new currency for workforce and economic development and education can help level the playing field while creating consistency across sectors and domains.
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Dig deep into the role that economic development plays in the workforce ecosystem. In this episode, Will Coppage from the Washington County Economic Alliance shares how his community continues to overcome the challenges of being a rural county by taking a regional approach.
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We all have a stake in making our country more competitive. Closing the skills gap and driving economic growth starts at the grassroots level. Episode Zero delivers what to expect from the Ready for Work podcast. Plus, meet the host, Jasen Jones from the Work Ready Communities team at ACT.
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