Workforce Central

This epiosde features Clark Coco, dean of Washburn Institute of Technology in Topeka, Kansas as he discusses National CTE Letter of Intent Signing Day, a national event that recognizes students beginning career and technical education. The National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) is sponsoring the sixth annual National CTE Letter of Intent Signing Day across the country on February 21st, 2019.

Richard Lum from Vision Foresight Strategy, returns to the program to discuss emerging trends and the future of work. He discusses how to separate out "noise" from truly important data and how to sift through various information sources. He also reveals his thoughts about how automation and A.I. may impact the future economy and workforce.

Greg Biggs, CEO of Vander-Bend Manufacturing, joins the program to discuss the changes in manufacturing, what skills are required for advanced manufacturing, and the efforts that his company is making to attract and retain top talent. Greg also challenges some misconceptions about the impact of automation and robotics on the manufacturing industry. 

Pete Sepp, President of the National Taxpayers Union, joins the program to discuss the NTU's position about tariffs, job training and education funding in the U.S. Discover the potential impact that tariffs can have on U.S. jobs, and what industries could be effected most.

Ellen Davis, President of the NRF Foundation and Senior Vice President of research and strategic initiatives at the National Retail Federation, joins the program to discuss the facts and misconceptions about the retail industry in the U.S., the impact that retail has on other industries, and what workforce boards need to know about retail.

Recorded live at FORUM 2018, Roger Tadajewski, Executive Director of the National Coalition of Certification Centers, joins the program to discuss the work that the organization is doing to develop strong industry partnerships with educational institutions in order to develop, implement and sustain industry-driven and industry recognized, portable certifications that have strong validation and assessment standards in the transportation, energy and aviation sectors.

In this special episode, recorded live at FORUM 2018, Ron Painter is joined by Beth Cobert, CEO of Skillful. Discover the importance of building a skills-based labor market and the efforts that Skillful has been taking to achieve that goal.

Eric Kuster from the National Propane Gas Association joins the program to discuss the history of propane gas and the various opportunities for growth within the industry. Discover the training and job opportunities that are available in the propane industry. This episode was recorded live at The Forum 2018.

Recorded live from Forum 2018, this episode features an interview with Governor of Colorado John Hickenlooper, as he shares his thoughts on workforce development in his state and the country.

Peter Callstrom, President and CEO of the San Diego Workforce Partnership and Phil Blair, Board Chair of the San Diego Workforce Partnership, join the program to discuss the efforts they are making to expand their ability to develop comprehensive workforce solutions for San Diego. San Diego Workforce Partnership was the winner of the 2018 WIOA Trailblazer Award. 

Samuel Garcia, board member, and Mary Ross, executive director of Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas, join the program to discuss the Workforce Investment Fund, designed to help small businesses train current workers. Samuel also discusses the reasons why he joined the board as a small business owner and shares his thoughts about why local business owners should consider serving on their area workforce boards. Recorded live at Forum 2018.

Martha Ross, Fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, joins the program to discuss findings and takeaways from a recent study called "Meet The Out of Work" which looked at profiles of jobless adults in various geographic regions across the U.S. Martha reveals what she sees as the biggest challenges and opportunities for workforce boards, and the importance of relationship-based interventions.

This episode features an interview with Richard Wahlquist, President, and CEO of the American Staffing Association. Richard shares his thoughts on why staffing services are so vital to the economy and the benefits of flexible staffing for various industries. Discover current industry trends and the takeaways for workforce boards.

Ron Painter, President and CEO of NAWB, discusses trends to look out for in 2018- including policy issues that are likely to be addressed by Congress in 2018, and the potential implications for workforce boards.

Sharon Parrott, Senior Fellow and Senior Counselor at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, joins the program to discuss the budget priorities for the current administration and shares her perspective on the proposed tax bill and what it means potentially down the road for continued funding of workforce and other programs. Sharon explains why budget cuts are not inevitable and what can be done to ensure that funding is able to continue at appropriate levels.