Ready for Work Jasen Jones, ACT Work Ready Communities

Episode 47 features Tonia Saunders, who leads both workforce and economic development in Lucas County, Ohio. This Work Ready Community (WRC) integrated the two disciplines, emphasizing the role of collaboration with neighboring counties to enhance the region's competitiveness. Tonia shares insights on tackling workforce challenges, leveraging community partnerships and innovative strategies to serve the manufacturing and healthcare industries effectively. The episode highlights the success of Lucas County's WRC initiative, showcasing how it drives economic growth and improves employment opportunities through targeted employer
engagement and comprehensive support services. This conversation underlines the importance of synergy between workforce and economic development in achieving regional prosperity.



Voices of Excellence in Episode 47:

Tonia Saunders, Director

Work Ready Lucas County and Lucas County, Ohio Planning and Development

LinkedIn



Show Notes and Resources:


WRC Profile of Lucas County, Ohio
Workforce Summit Overview from ACT       
ACT Work Ready Communities
ACT Workforce Solutions
Transcript of Episode 47

Braided funding and alignment of partnerships are key when creating sustainable systems and programs for your community.  Lyndsie Gibbs and Alex Lovrien from Metropolitan Community College in Omaha join us on Episode 46 of Ready for Work. The partnerships across this Work Ready Community grew a small, data-driven, proof of concept into a $10M venture that has eliminated financial barriers so individuals can access quality training, education, and gainful employment.  Listen in for best practices on braided funding, opportunities and obstacles, tips to get started, and lessons learned.

Voices of Excellence in Episode 46:

Lyndsie Gibbs, Director of Career Skills and Workforce

Metropolitan Community College of Omaha LinkedIn



Alex Lovrein, Director of Workforce Training

Metropolitan Community College of Omaha LinkedIn



Links and Resources:


Transcript of Episode 46
Workforce Innovation Division at Metropolitan Community College
Presentation Handout from Braided Funding Workshop at ACT Workforce Summit
Workforce Summit Overview from ACT  
ACT Work Ready Communities   
ACT Workforce Solutions

Join us in Episode 45 to discover a groundbreaking partnership between ACT and Opportunity at Work. Georgia Gillette, VP of Strategic Alliances at Opportunity at Work, shares insights on STARs (Skilled Through Alternative Routes) and the Tear the Paper Ceiling campaign. Discover the challenges faced by STARs, the impact of hiring misperceptions, and the mission to bridge the gap between job opportunities and workforce skills. Explore the data-driven strategies, success stories, and a comprehensive playbook aimed at closing skill gaps with STARs.


Guest: Georgia Gillette, VP of Strategic Alliances, Opportunity at Work
Transcript of Episode 45
Tear the Paper Ceiling Campaign
STARs Hiring Playbook
STARs Tear the Paper Ceiling PSA Video
STARs Success Story:  LaShana Lewis
STARs Success Story:  IBM
ACT Work Ready Communities
ACT Workforce Solutions

In episode 44 of Ready for Work, LeeSa Page, a senior advisor with the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council, discusses the importance of Manufacturing Day and Manufacturing Month in October. She highlights the role of manufacturing in the American economy and the need to inspire various groups to pursue careers in the industry. From the stage of the recent ACT Workforce Summit in Nashville, LeeSa emphasizes the need for partnerships and initiatives to tap into untapped talent pools for a diverse manufacturing workforce. The episode concludes by acknowledging successful programs that have positively impacted manufacturing employment.


Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript for Episode 44
Video of LeeSa's Presentation from ACT Workforce Summit
Manufacturing Day
Webinar Series: Driving Economic Growth with CTE and Workforce Policy Innovation
ACT Work Ready Communities
ACT Workforce Solutions

Change management enables working learners to acquire skills and adopt behaviors that maximize workforce and learning outcomes. On episode 43 of Ready for Work, guest Robert Feeney shares his personal journey that led him to develop Ringorang. Driven by overcoming severe mental health challenges in his family, Robert emphasizes the importance of behavior change in education and career development. The solution deploys drip advertising techniques to enhance training outcomes, change management, and participant engagement. Schools and workforce stakeholders send out information and actions to participants and collect actionable data on their responses. The conversation introduces the Future Ready program and explores intersections of work-based learning with participant engagement technology as well. 



Voices of Excellence in Episode 43

Robert Feeney, Chief Vision Officer

Ringorang

LinkedIn



Links and Resources


Transcript of Episode 43
Ringorang
ACT Workforce Summit
ACT Work Ready Communities
ACT Workforce Solutions

Two incredible champions in the field of competency-based education and the skills-first movement: Julian Alssid and Kaitlin Lemoine, join the conversation on Episode 42 of Ready for Work.  Through their pioneering work at College for America, the duo emphasizes the importance of transparently naming and communicating skills to learners, bridging the gap between academic and workplace skills.  Learn more about the challenges posed by legacy systems and the importance of breaking down silos.  They also share insights from their new consultancy work, giving us a preview of What’s Next for the Skills-First Movement.
Julian Alssid, President

J. Alssid Associates

LinkedIn


Kaitlin Lemoine, Partner

J. Alssid Associates

LinkedIn



Links and Resources


Episode 42 Transcript and Show Notes
J Alssid Associates    
ACT Work Ready Communities
ACT Workforce Solutions