E60: Interview with Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper

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.

Chris Ford, Founder and CEO of NAVSO (National Association of Veteran Serving Organizations) discusses the challenges that veterans often face when transitioning from military service to civilian employment. Chris also shares why employers should consider veterans for positions within their organizations and how employers can think more broadly about the skill sets that veterans possess and how those skills translate to civilian employment.