Goodwill Industries of Kentucky’s Post

It is great to see the ongoing success of Right Track’s program over the years! I enrolled in the program back in 2016 and acquired substantial knowledge in professionalism and career development. #RightTrack #professionaldevelopment #careerdevelopment #network

At the 2023 National Association of Extension Program & Staff Development Professionals Conference, I had the opportunity to repurpose an awesome research poster Matt Benge and I created with Amy Harder back in 2008 by posing these questions: How does your institution support Extension employees pursuing graduate degrees? (outside of tuition waivers) How can/should we support our employees pursuing their graduate degrees? We had excellent conversation around that with some ideas generated, but I would love to hear from others! How would you answer those questions for your employees or for yourself? What more can be done to really support working professionals pursuing graduate degrees?

Recently, Paul Fain highlighted the need of youth apprenticeship programs in our workforce in his newsletter “The Job.” He instantly noted that employers need to take a more active role in the U.S. education system to establish career pathways for a broader range of Americans, especially those without four-year degrees. Despite bipartisan support and the pressing demands of the labor market, progress in this area has been slow at best. Noting two Brookings Institute reports (read them here and here), he commented that the best approach to solving this need is through regional, multi-sector coalitions, a goal CareerWise and our partners have been working toward for years. He quotes Annelies Goger, a The Brookings Institution fellow and co-author of the report: “The changes that we propose involve a transformative shift in how employers in the U.S. have seen themselves, from being a consumer of talent to being a co-producer of talent… Eventually, more employers will come to the conclusion that they have to play a more active role in creating the prepared workforce they need.” You can read the entire newsletter where he explores “A Unified Voice on Workforce Needs” here. https://lnkd.in/g_wEEgqn

Opportunity

At R-MA, we emphasize career planning. This helps our students feel empowered, allowing them to select their high school courses strategically. Students can prioritize subjects directly instead of a scattered approach, feeding into their future goals.🎓 Learn more in our latest blog post: https://hubs.li/Q02tHV2x0

"It’s important for public agencies, companies, community colleges, and workforce development stakeholders to come together to envision skills training and registered apprenticeship policies that will not only maximize infrastructure investments and expand benefits, but also create new pathways to good jobs for underrepresented groups including, black and brown workers, women, young people, veterans and re-entry citizens" - Victoria Johnson National Skills Coalition and Business Leaders United convened with more than 60 stakeholders who play a key role in advancing state and federal clean energy skills training policy. Aligned to our People Powered Infrastructure campaign, NSC and BLU plans to use the momentum from this event to build support for federal and state investments in pre-apprenticeships and industry sector partnerships. Read more about our efforts: https://lnkd.in/eBFijCbR

How marvelous to watch these seniors invest in their professional futures as they learned tips and tricks on how to network like a pro!

The Healey-Driscoll Administration's FY25 budget proposal builds upon existing programs to expand the state’s support for successful workforce development initiatives focused on connecting Massachusetts residents with well-paying jobs. Here's what is included in House 2. ➡ $15.7 million for Summer Jobs Program for At-Risk Youth (Youthworks) to subsidize wages and facilitate career development of at-risk youth between the ages of 14 and 25 ➡ $10.4 million for Career Technical Institutes (CTIs), which aim to close skills training gaps by expanding access to vocational education, across EOL and Education ➡ $10 million for MassHire Career Centers to provide regional workforce training and employee placement services across 29 locations ➡ $3.8 million for the Registered Apprenticeship Program to fund approximately 1,000 placements for registered apprentices in FY25    Our workforce drives economic competitiveness, and we know that talent development strategies unlock opportunities for meaningful careers and economic stability for Massachusetts families.  H2 Readout: https://lnkd.in/eK9ww6yn