POSTPONED A2Y Chamber Event: Workforce Pipeline Initiative- Make It Happen Now: Connecting Current Talent Pools with Employer Needs

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*EVENT POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE*
New Date TBD

Make It Happen Now: Connecting Current Talent Pools with Employer Needs
As a follow-up to the 2019 Workforce Pipeline Summit, in 2020 the Chamber is holding a three-part Workforce Pipeline Initiative (WPI) series. Our kick-off event on March 25th will be all about recognizing and activating the talent of under-served populations, and doing so in a way that meets the needs of employers in the business community, individuals in their careers, and our community in its success. We will focus on ways to channel young people, veterans, and returning citizens into successful jobs and careers that our employers need to fill. We will also discuss an innovative pilot program that seeks to make progress on both the general quality and availability of child care, as well as the potential jobs in this important area. Throughout the program we will provide action steps for attendees to help in these efforts, and information on how our community and systems need to change if we are going to do the see the most individual and collective success. We cannot succeed in this effort without the presence and engagement of the broader business community. They can meet their needs for talent with the talented populations we already have in place but do not always consider. This event will help businesses community members better understand how we can:

Meet their needs around specific services while also providing new job opportunities;
Help their attraction and retention efforts by providing for employee childcare while also growing the workforce;
Diversify and improve talent pools through engagement with specific populations.

Issue One: Veterans, youth, and returning citizens can all play vital roles in our workforce and fill direct needs of our employers. We will start our day learning more about the resources we already have in place for employers to use, especially as it relates to helping veterans and returning citizens return to the workforce with skilled trades careers, and young people entering and developing their careers, either in the skilled trades and any number of other careers which make use of professional development through apprenticeship programs. We have these resources in hand, so now we need to find out how to grow our workforce by making the best use of them. Hear from our panel featuring:

Loren Townes, Manager of Community Engagement and Partnerships, WCC
Ryan Husse, Business Manager, IBEW Local 252
Scott Jedele, Administrative Manager, Apprenticeship Expansion MI Department of LEO
Ed Koledo, Director, Michigan Helmets to Hardhats Program

The second part of our program will feature the innovative new workforce pilot program partnership between Eastern Michigan University, the YMCA, YCS, MI Works, WCC and the Family Empowerment Program. This coordinated effort will help businesses to meet their employees’ childcare needs by training more certified early childhood education providers, and teaching “stackable” skills to participants. It will help participants find employment and educational opportunities. It will help its educational partners provided these vital training services, and it will help all community members by reducing the challenges of shifting individuals off of MI Works caseloads and into successful employment. Featuring:

Caroline Sanders, Asst. Director, Community Relations and Engagement, Engage@EMU
Teresa Gillotti, Director, Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development
Annette Sobocinski, Executive Director, Child Care Network

Our morning will close with a round table discussion on how employers can make the best use of local, state, and non-profit resources to find the talent they need from returning citizens. With the knowledge and services our presenters can provide, this talent pool can provide a wide array of skills for any number of organizations, though more needs to be done. We will also hear from a business owner who has made this work through a personal commitment to the issue, but can attest to the need to fill important gaps in our systems that keep many returning citizens from succeeding. This panel will give us a chance to hear about how we are getting it right, how we still get wrong, and where we need to change. Hear from:

Al Newman, A Brighter Way Board Chair
Ashely Blake, Regional Director for Center for Employment Opportunities
Herb Fluker, Michigan Works! Southeast
Phillis Englebert, Owner of The Lunch Room

*POSTPONED* A2Y Chamber Event: Workfo...

Date and Time

Wednesday Mar 25, 2020
9:30 AM - 12:30 PM EDT

Wednesday, March 25th
9:30am– 12:30pm:

Location

Washtenaw Community College
Morris Lawrence Building
4800 E Huron River Dr

Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Fees/Admission

Registration Information:
$40 For A2Y Regional Chamber Members
$50 For Non-Chamber Members

*Registration Fees Include Lunch & Breakfast

Contact Information

Natalie Watson
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*POSTPONED* A2Y Chamber Event: Workforce Pipeline Initiative- Make It Happen Now: Connecting Current Talent Pools with Employer Needs

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