KCSpeaks

There are two sides to the front line workforce development programs. One side is all about assisting job seekers and business customers and the tools and techniques necessary for success. The other side is about the numbers and benchmarks necessary to achieve success. In a perfect world the two would go together and create the perfect mathematical formula for workforce development success. In reality, this may not be true.   There are many times that the benchmarks for success rely on the perfect potion for success. All the best ingredients that complement each other must be entered into the pot for the best outcome. As we know in workforce development, many times this is not the case. Sometimes there are too many job seekers without the correct skills and experience for the hiring employers. Other times, the barriers of the job seekers are preventing them from achieving employment. Additionally, the success of providing services to business customers may be dependent upon ...

Election Day is quickly approaching in the United States and soon each person that is registered to vote will be choosing the next President of the United States as well as other federal, state, and local officials. This week, I am not going to discuss whom you should vote for, but rather why a workforce development professional should be a voter. Workforce development professionals are funded by many different streams. Some professionals work in programs that are federally funded, such as Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and others are working in programs that are state funded. When government money keeps the doors to a program open, it is imperative that workforce professionals vote for the people that make the decisions on how tax payer money is spent. Workforce professionals meet so many people, many of those whom cannot advocate for themselves. For example, a workforce professional may work with an impoverished single mother. The workforce professional is ...