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The IEDC is committed to building Indiana's skilled workforce for the future. This morning, the IEDC's Executive Vice President of Talent & Workforce Tony Denhart was part of a panel discussion on best practices in addressing the skilled worker shortage through public-private partnerships. UpSmith hosted the panel at the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA)'s Next Level conference in Indianapolis. Tony shared how state governments are partnering with employers across the state to create pathways to careers in the skilled trades. He covered how companies can partner with public entities to access funding and other resources to support their training efforts. Tony's advice: 🤝 Partner with your local WorkOne office to learn what's offered in your area. 👨🏫 Leverage training providers in your area like the ones offered by Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University. 👀 Look into apprenticeship programs. 💰 Individuals may be eligible for Workforce Ready Grant funding while employers may be able to use Employer Training Grant funds. Working together, we are focused on the future. #skilledtrades #skilledworkers #workforce #workforcedevelopment #indiana

Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to selecting an EPA organisation. In our blog, we explore why choosing a small, bespoke End Point Assessment organisation might just be the winning move for you and your apprentices. Read on here: https://lnkd.in/edCNHkvE #endpointassessment #personalisedservice #flexibility #expertise #togetherwegrow

Good to hear that the King's Speech to Parliament included several elements that support our manufacturing base including - - Stability being the cornerstone of the Government’s economic policy. Critical for decision making in industry. - Securing economic growth through a new partnership with business by establishing an Industrial Strategy Council, hopefully delivering a common voice between Government and industry. - Pursuing sustainable growth by encouraging investment in industry, skills and new technologies. - Supporting local growth plans that bring economic benefit to communities. - Raising educational standards and breaking down barriers to opportunity by establishing Skills England, which will have a new partnership with employers at its heart. It will be important that Skills England understand the future skills needed to support a word-class manufacturing sector. - Reforming the apprenticeship levy, which will hopefully encourage more businesses to look at earn and learn schemes. We look forward to working with our partners to support these initiatives

https://lnkd.in/gTQsGHHK More evidence of how vacuous the UK is becoming! As for poor transport links the Bordon and Whitehill Eco Town is supposed to be the model of sustainable development. Alton, Farnham, Petersfield, Liss and Liphook train stations are within spitting distance, so where are the busses? Where has Modal Shift gone? Future skills, upskilling and life long learning are the magic bullets to future proofing our economy. This Future Skills College should have been the net to catch all the Level 2 apprentices that were dropped by Farnborough College during the pandemic, and were left high and dry. This just one of many epic failures in planning and subsequent, coherent decision making.

Great to attend the HAE Chairman’s Dinner last night in London with leaders from some of the other hire companies. Key items on the agenda were: - Health and safety - Skills and training (including Apprenticeships) - Political challenges and lobbying - Current economic climate - Theft and fraud - AI and its potential applications A productive meeting, and one where we all believe co-operation in some key areas will help grow the industry in the right way. Thank you to Brian S., Neil Bravery, Paul Gaze, Adrian Watts, Steve Hitchen, Mark Albiston, Rob Smith, David McNicholas, Mark Bradshaw for a candid meeting and the Hire Association Europe (HAE) and Event Hire Association (EHA) for hosting the event at the Institute of Directors (IoD) in London. There were a number of companies who couldn’t make the meeting but have actively been a part of previous conversations. CITB Nationwide Platforms Speedy Services Sunbelt Rentals UK & Ireland Travis Perkins Looking forward to making progress in these areas as we go into the new year and beyond. NB. All conversation was covered by the HAE code of conduct ensuring no discussions around pricing and other sensitive data were had. #hireindustry #competitivebutcooperative

"SHRM issued a letter of support May 16 on behalf of California legislation that would promote youth apprenticeship programs in the state’s high schools, effective the 2026-27 school year. SB 480 would authorize a youth apprenticeship program at three geographically diverse pilot sites to serve as an alternative to the state requirement that students complete a course in visual or performing arts, foreign language, or career and technical education. The legislation was introduced by Democratic state Sen. Anthony Portantino, chair of the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee. Other states, such as Georgia, have apprenticeship programs for high school students. Indiana is developing a statewide program modeled on Switzerland’s apprenticeship system. “Traditional four-year degrees remain valuable, but there is a growing demand for alternative pathways,” Emily M. Dickens and Michael S. Kalt said in the letter to Portantino. Dickens is SHRM’s chief of staff, head of government affairs, and corporate secretary. Kalt is SHRM’s government affairs director for the California State Council of SHRM (CalSHRM). “Workforce development programs like the one envisioned in SB 480 are essential for fostering skills development in employees and expanding talent pools for employers,” they noted in the letter. The two-year program would equip students with essential skills directly aligned with current industry demands......." READ MORE, click below: https://lnkd.in/gkiPX2WV

Today we hosted our first-ever joint Policy Forum event for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Marek Zemanik and Lizzie Crowley took us through their recent report, 'Devolution and evolution in UK skills policy'. The report provides unique analysis of UK skills policy, comparing current labour market skills challenges across the four nations, and employer approaches to training, and offers an overview of key public policy developments. Here are some of the key takeaways from the session: - There have been significant increases in qualification levels across all four nations with Scotland having the highest concentration of adults with degree level qualifications in the UK. However, Northern Ireland also has the highest population of adults with no qualifications at all. - Skills and labour shortages continue to persist across the UK, with internal skills gaps impacting between 11% and 15% of organisations. - While investment in training and development is critical in tackling skills gaps, UK employer investment is around half of the EU average. - Apprenticeships in particular, combining on-the-job training with vocational qualifications, have the potential to make a significant difference to reducing the gap between skills demand and supply across all four nations. Thank you to everyone who joined us today. What were your key takeaways? Read the full report here: https://ow.ly/4PkC50Q9Ucg #skills #CIPDScotPolicy #CIPDNIPolicy #HR #peopleprofession

Business leaders across the North West have shared their reactions to Wednesday’s Autumn Statement. As the MD of an engineering company, I was glad to hear about the boost to apprenticeship opportunities and further investment in the green energy sector. Read more about my reaction, plus other business leaders in the region, in the article below. #autumnstatement #northwest #manufacturing | DefProc Engineering https://lnkd.in/eskAta8i

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

What an excellent opportunity to learn supply chain trends and network with SC professionals at this week's CSCMP Edge conference in Orlando, FL. I was surprised to learn that the US economy has a labor shortfall of at least 3 million workers. Even with the advent of AI, upskilling the workforce and enticing non-participants back into the workforce will not be enough to close the gap. However, yesterday’s seminar did provide some tips for how companies can staff and succeed in a market with not enough workers. Trade apprenticeships and outreach to non-traditional labor pools, such as the disabled or ex-convicts, can help fill the gap. It’s also the 60th anniversary of CSCMP. One heartwarming feature of the conference in celebrating the anniversary is the puppy play park. Conferencegoers can spend 10 minutes playing with these furry friends. #cscmpedge #supplychainmanagement #compassscs