NAWB shared its support for Advancing Research in Education Act (AREA)

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NAWB shared its support for the Advancing Research in Education Act (AREA)—legislation that would reauthorize and make important updates to the Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA). Read the full text below.

Dear Chair Sanders and Ranking Member Cassidy,

On behalf of the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB), representing more than 590 state and local workforce development boards (WDBs) across the nation, I am writing in strong support of S. 3392, the Advancing Research in Education Act (AREA)—legislation that would reauthorize and make important updates to the Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA). If enacted this bipartisan legislation would significantly improve the research and data functions carried out by federal agencies in support of the full education and workforce development continuum. LWDBs oversee, at the local level, activities and programs within the publicly funded workforce system and as such have a deep appreciation for the need for quality, timely, and actionable data to support workers’ many needs on their journey to family-sustaining employment.

We greatly appreciate the committee’s bipartisan recognition that efforts to more fully understand and improve education must necessarily include a stronger focus on the subsequent labor market and workforce outcomes of students.

Understanding what happens to students after they leave a classroom can help to align national education and workforce goals, improve the development of curriculum and delivery of instruction, and would support students as they navigate an increasingly more complex economy that is undergoing dramatic changes. NAWB was especially encouraged to note the following provisions contained in AREA that support these wider goals and objectives:

  • An explicit focus on postsecondary education and workforce development as a research topic for the National Center for Education Research’s development centers;
  • Broadening the duties and responsibilities of the Commissioner for Education Statistics to include a focus on postsecondary, workforce, and adult education, including promoting data sharing and linkages across education and training systems;
  • Promoting voluntary guidelines to standardize data and information and ensure interoperability which would greatly increase the utility and usability of this information for a variety of stakeholders;
  • Significant and much-needed reforms to the State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) grant program, including more explicit incorporation of workforce data and related labor market outcomes, especially as it relates to the generation of accurate and timely data needed to support the implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA); and
  • Directing federal agencies to provide technical assistance to state and local WDBs to support ongoing and effective implementation of education and workforce development investments.

Encouragingly there were many other aspects of S. 3392 that NAWB was pleased to note and we are incredibly grateful for the time and energy the committee has devoted reauthorizing ESRA so far. We look forward to working with you and your colleagues to advance this important proposal and look forward to its enactment.

Sincerely,

Bradford C. Turner-Little, CEO National Association of Workforce Boards

A Message of Gratitude to Our Members

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Nearly twenty years ago, our family shifted from sending Holiday season cards to sending Thanksgiving cards. Not only did this shift take some pressure off during very busy Decembers, it encouraged us to pause and appreciate all that the year had gifted us AND express our gratitude to the many people who have contributed to our annual journeys.

This year’s card was full of gratitude for transitions – our son who graduated from high school, our daughter who graduated from college, my wife who finished her PhD in Higher Education. . . and my beginning a new job as President and CEO here at the National Association of Workforce Boards.

Having reached nearly three months here at NAWB, I can truly say how grateful I am to be in this role at this time. So many of you have taken the time to send me notes of both welcome and encouragement – I deeply appreciate each one. For you to take the time to reach out speaks to who you are, and I am honored and humbled to lead an organization dedicated to supporting you.

So, this season, I am grateful for such an amazing, dedicated Board of Directors. They have supported not just my onboarding but have also provided invaluable counsel as I craft a vision for NAWB’s next chapter.

I am grateful for my NAWB colleagues, each one so deeply committed to providing high quality support for you as you seek to serve your respective communities. Their creativity, passion and thoughtfulness give me energy each and every day.

And lastly, I am grateful for you – NAWB’s members. I am thankful that you are so deeply committed to your communities, that you are constantly seeking new ways to better connect people to trajectory-changing careers and bringing about economic vitality for business and neighbor alike. Your work is critical and vastly important – you sit at the epicenter of so much transformation taking place in economies, and lead as communities navigate that transformation. I am grateful for your belief in the dignity of work and the power it has to change not just lives but also transform communities.

May this Thanksgiving for you be one filled with a deep sense of both appreciation for the gifts and blessings in your life and being appreciated for the important work you do.

-Brad

A letter to our members

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A letter to our members

Greetings NAWB members,

What a privilege for me to be drafting this note. It is truly an honor to have been asked by the National Association of Workforce Boards Board of Directors to serve as NAWB’s next President and CEO. Over my 25+ year career with both Goodwill Industries and Easterseals, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to see firsthand the power and importance of local workforce development boards and your life-changing, community-centered mission. Now, I am thrilled to engage with this work through a fresh lens, working in collaboration with you — our members — to make our vision of sustainable careers for the American workforce a reality. 

The workforce development system is graced with your passion and willingness to dive into the deep end to help local communities and economies thrive. I am eager to channel this energy with purpose and contribute to this community through NAWB and its meaningful work by both supporting and representing you. Together, we will help individuals change the narrative of who they think they are and who they believe they can become.  

A key part of facilitating change is advocacy. As we represent your voice and press for national policy initiatives on Capitol Hill, NAWB is in a unique position to advance the interests of the workforce development system. Be assured that we will continue our drumbeat in the halls of Congress seeking greater flexibility, less onerous regulation, and more resources that are so needed to support you as you journey alongside people as they navigate an ever-changing economic landscape. 

To maximize NAWB’s supportive efforts, I know we must listen to your needs first. The team has already shared with me your desire for professional development and services that are relevant and of high value. Over the next weeks and months, I look forward to spending time with you — in your communities — so I can learn firsthand your challenges and your aspirations. Then, working together, we will strive to both strengthen our relationship with you and ensure that the resources we deliver are aligned with your priorities.  

As a valued member of NAWB, you are at the heart of your community, helping provide guidance to job-seeking individuals and families struggling against barriers to employment. Creating pathways to sustainable careers with purposeful work – that is what we are here to do. I am confident that together we can achieve just that.  

 

Sincerely,

Brad Turner-Little

President & CEO

Brad Turner-Little Named New President and CEO of National Association of Workforce Boards

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Today, NAWB Board of Directors announced the appointment of Brad Turner-Little as President and CEO

Effective Sept. 5. Turner-Little will lead the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization in representing and advocating for the nation’s more than 550 workforce development boards.

“On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I am pleased to welcome Brad to the National Association of Workforce Boards and look forward to working together to grow the organization and continue to support our members —the hundreds of workforce development boards that are committed to economic prosperity and mobility for people all across the United States,”

said Lisanne McNew, chair of NAWB’s Board of Directors.

Turner-Little brings to NAWB a wealth of experience and knowledge about workforce development and national membership networks, as well as a strong desire to advance policy that enables local workforce development boards to serve their communities even more effectively.

“I am truly honored and eager to join the National Association of Workforce Boards in furthering its mission,” said Turner-Little. “Throughout my career, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of work in shaping individuals’ lives, and how workforce development drives economic growth in our communities. As we move forward, I am committed to working closely with our exceptional professional team, Board of Directors, partners and members across the country to navigate the opportunities and challenges ahead and identify innovative solutions that will empower workforce development boards, enhance business competitiveness, and create a more prosperous future for all.”

Turner-Little joins NAWB from Goodwill Industries International, where he most recently served as Vice President, Strategy and Network Experience. Over the course of his nearly 25-year career with Goodwill at both the local and association levels, he served in a variety of roles, including senior director of transformation and, before that, senior director of change management and innovation. Throughout his tenure at Goodwill, Turner-Little was at the forefront of the organization’s development and implementation of strategic and transformational efforts, most notably defining its mission, and establishing external partnerships in for-profit and not-for-profit sectors.

For more than 40 years, the National Association of Workforce Boards has acted as the steward of its members’ collective voice, advocating for resources, policy, and more flexibility in the workforce system in Washington, D.C., and beyond.

Turner-Little looks forward to leading the organization is future-focused on continuing to accelerate the impact of workforce development boards to advance prosperity for individuals, businesses, and communities.

E128: Mental Health in the Workplace: How Workforce Boards Can Support Wellness at Work

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John R. Blosnich, Assistant Professor and Director of the Center for LGBTQ+ Health Equity at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at USC, joins the program to discuss the impact of mental health in the workplace. Discover the impact of the pandemic on workers’ mental health and the life disruptions that can lead to suicidal ideation. John also reveals why workforce professionals often come in contact with individuals who may be experiencing a life crisis and how to best support job seekers who may have mental health challenges.

E127: The Employment Consequences of Robots

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Jay Dixon, an economist for Statistics Canada, joins the program to discuss the research that his organization has conducted about robots and the impact of robots on various industries. Jay reveals three major takeaways from the study and the impact of robots on middle-skill jobs. Discover the correlation between robot adoption and worker shortages in different countries.

E126: Google Career Certificates: Providing Job Training in Fast Growing Fields

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This episode features a conversation with Janice Fidalgo, Product Marketing Manager for Grow with Google, as she provides an overview of the tools and resources available to help job seekers grow their skills. Discover some of the career certificates available through Grow with Google and their partnership with NAWB. You’ll also learn about how the career certificates can help employers identify top talent.

E125: Quiet Quitting and Workplace Mental Health

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Author and consultant Oreste D’Aversa joins the program to discuss the phenomenon of “quiet quitting” and the impact that it has on the workforce. Oreste reveals the definition of quiet quitting and some of the reasons behind it. Discover the importance of communication between employees and employers, and how employers can address quiet quitting if it is occurring in their organization. You’ll also hear about the importance of mental wellness in the workplace and learn a meditation exercise that can be done in any location in only a few minutes.