Town Halls

Town Hall: Leveraging Apprenticeships in Business Engagement

WDBs are well positioned to facilitate the development and expansion of apprenticeship programs in local communities. This panel of WDBs will share their strategies in developing partnerships, engaging employers, targeting diverse populations, and creating solutions to grow apprenticeship offerings in their community. Join panelist as they discuss how they leveraged apprenticeship as an integral part of their workforce development strategy.

NAWB is gathering ideas for new Town Hall topics, developing relevant content, and reaching out to subject matter experts. We want to continue bringing Workforce Boards the best content possible for weathering the unexpected through up-to-date information and guidance. 

Please submit any ideas or questions that you want to see explored in future Town Halls or email them to nawb@nawb.org

May 20, 2020: Performance Measures and COVID-19



In this session, NAWB was joined Lydia Crockett and Ken Ryan from FutureWork Systems for a conversation on the elements of WIOA performance measures and how COVID-19 will impact your performance going forward.



August 05, 2020: Congressional Updates and COVID-19 Legislation Explained

With the flurry of legislation and news surrounding this next relief package, we will be hosting a town hall to break down the bill and the rumors and focus on what it all means for the workforce system. The town hall recording features NAWB President Ron Painter, and Associate Director of Policy Matt Bandstra, who will dive-in on all proposed COVID-19 relief legislation, including the Senate’s most recent proposal.

October 20, 2020: Understanding the Impact of Mental Health on Workforce

Join Ron Painter, NAWB CEO & President, and the expert panel from the NIMH as they provide insight on the impact of mental health on the workforce and available resources to support jobseekers and workforce development professionals.

November 12, 2020: Employing Hope as a Strategy to Career Recovery

Join NAWB and Kuder for a timely discussion on hope as a buildable skill to cope with the stress, anxiety and trauma of job loss. Discover evidence-based strategies and resources that workforce boards and career counselors can use to support people in pursuing whole-self career recovery as they prepare to re-enter the workforce. 

November 13, 2020 Expanding Apprenticeship in Workforce Development

WDBs are well positioned to facilitate the development and expansion of apprenticeship programs in local communities. This panel of WDBs will share their strategies in developing partnerships, engaging employers, targeting diverse populations, and implementing solutions to grow apprenticeship offerings in their community and make apprenticeship an integral part of their workforce development strategy.

December 3, 2020: Post Election Analysis

Join the NAWB Policy Team and Robert Knight, Director of Government Affair and Workforce Policy, Equus Workforce Solutions to discuss the impact the 2020 election will have on the workforce system. A new Congress and Administration brings new challenges, opportunities, and questions for our system. Through this Town Hall we hope to address all of these. Join us Dec. 3rd for this member only event!

 

December 10, 2020: Outcomes Financing: An Innovative Tool for Greater Impact

Explore how your workforce board can expand high quality services to meet the needs of your community and sharpen your focus on outcomes achieved. Speakers will share a case study from Massachusetts where they did just that - expanded workforce development services to almost 2,000 un- and under-employed refugees and immigrants. The Commonwealth of MA, in partnership with JVS, a service provider, and the Community Outcomes Fund, an impact investment fund, used outcomes financing as a tool to scale, increase transparency and accountability in their contracting, and fully focus on meaningful outcomes.

Speakers:
Jerry Rubin, President and CEO, JVS Boston
Shelby Kohn, Director of Public-Private Partnerships, Maycomb Capital

December 16, 2020: Dislocated Workers

Across the country, unemployment has hit our workforce incredibly hard during the pandemic. Many of you may have already sat down with some dislocated workers. This Town Hall will have some Workforce Boards interviewing dislocated workers as they walk through the challenges that they faced.

The session will focus around:

• Where each dislocated worker was working and where they are at currently
• How they found the American Job Center, what the experience was like, what was helpful, and what would have been helpful
• What the hardest part has been and what is next for them

Panel Discussion Leaders:

Jaime Cruz, Workforce Connections

Laurie Larrea, Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas

01/15/2021 - Town Hall: Policy Updates from the Hill

NAWB President and CEO, Ron Painter, alongside Associate Director of Policy, Matt Bandstra, gave an introduction to the 117th Congress. In this members-only town hall, Ron and Matt covered new committee assignments, upcoming legislation, priorities for the Department of Labor, and more.



01/28/2021: Tesla Partnering with Workforce Boards

Listen in as Tesla delves into how they have partnered with workforce boards across the country and the results that they have seen so far.

02/05/2021 - Town Hall: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

In 2020, the Chamber Foundation and its partners launched Talent Finance, an initiative focused on promoting new thinking and building new partnerships to bring about a paradigm shift in how we finance and invest in talent. 

Join this Town Hall session to learn how your organization can be part of the conversation as well as begin organizing a talent finance demonstration or pilot in your community.

02/18/2021: SNAP E&T 101: An Introduction to SNAP Employment Training and the Workforce + SNAP E&T Community of Practice

Through the National Partnership Grant awarded by the USDA and FNS, the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB), in partnership with Seattle Jobs Initiative (SJI) and Third Sector Capital Partners (TSCP), will provide multi-faceted technical assistance to increase the number of workforce boards implementing SNAP E&T programs and services across the country.
 
In this Town Hall, NAWB and SJI as we introduce what it means to be a SNAP E&T third-party provider or intermediary and how workforce boards can participate in the Workforce + SNAP E&T Community of Practice.

03/4/2021 - Town Hall: SNAP E&T 101, Pt. 2: FAQ's about SNAP E&T and the Workforce and SNAP E&T Community of Practice (2:00 - 3:00 pm ET)

NAWB, Seattle Jobs Initiative, and Worksystems, Inc. gave the second installment of our SNAP E&T 101 series, where we answered questions about what it means to be a SNAP E&T third-party provider or intermediary and how workforce boards can participate in the Workforce + SNAP E&T Community of Practice.

Speakers:

• Patrick Gihring, Chief Program Officer, Worksystems, Inc., Portland, Oregon
• David Kaz, Director of Consulting Professional Services and Policy Director, Seattle Jobs Initiative, Seattle, Washington.
• Nyzuria Conner, Program Manager, Workforce and SNAP E&T Community of Practice, NAWB

03/31/2021- Town Hall Series: Women in Workforce, Session 1: Current Data Trends

The first session in this series focuses around the current data on the impact that Covid has had on women in the workforce and how that affects workforce development efforts. We will look at the data, translate what it means for workforce development, and the implications that it has regarding the future of work

Speakers:

• Diana Boesch, Policy Analyst, Women's Economic Security, Center for American Progress

• Lauren Pasquarella Daley, Senior Director, Women and the Future of Work, Catalyst



04/08/2021 - Town Hall: Partnerships: The Path To The New Era Of Workforce Development

With nearly 10 million people unemployed we've entered a new era of Workforce Development that requires innovative thinkers and collaborative solutions. Agencies are focused on participant outcomes and key industries such as Healthcare and IT projecting a significant employee deficit.

MedCerts CEO Jason Aubrey will join us to discuss how working together is the best path forward for our industry and participants. SkillUp Coalition Executive Director Steve Lee will also join us to talk about their new nationwide post-COVID job reskilling initiative.



04/20/2021 - Town Hall Series: Women in Workforce Session 2 - Industry Representation and Advancement

This session was led by NAWB Board Chair Jennifer Harris as she engaged 3 panelists from our Business Alliance Partners and focused on how women are traditionally underrepresented in those industries. Industry leaders discussed efforts taken to increase diversity and engage more women and how workforce development boards can assist in these efforts.

Panelists:
LaShanda R. Dawkins, American Public Transportation Association Assistant General Manager, Human Resources, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority and Vice Chair, Workforce Development Committee

Janice Fidalgo, Google
Product Marketing Manager

Haley Moyers, Associated Builders & Contractors
Director Workforce Programs and Initiatives



04/22/2021- Town Hall: Financial Literacy

In this session, JPMorgan Chase and Grant Associates held a national conversation on financial empowerment and the benefits that workforce systems experience by integrating financial education.

The obstacles that low-income individuals face to earning a living wage are many, but workforce areas across the country are pioneering creative solutions to help individuals overcome these barriers. But common practices such as credit screening by hiring companies, financial misinformation spread online, and high-interest loans siphon off hard-earned income that keeps the cycle of poverty going.

In this Town Hall, JPMorgan Chase and Grant Associates shared innovative ideas and helpful resources that your workforce region can begin offering to empower job seekers and increase the impact of your workforce development programming.



05/10/2021 - Town Hall: American Rescue Plan (ARP)

While the American Rescue Package (ARP) signed by President Biden in March didn’t include direct funding for workforce development boards, similar to the CARES Act, there is an opportunity for workforce development boards to tap into the significant Federal resources flowing to their communities.

Speakers:

Walter Simmons

Prince George’s County Workforce Development Board

President & CEO

Employ Prince George’s, Inc.

Maryland

Reg Leichty

Founding Partner

Foresight Law + Policy

D.C.

Steve Voytek

Policy Advisor

Foresight Law + Policy

D.C.

05/14/2021 - Town Hall Series: Women in Workforce Session 3 - Trailblazers in Workforce Development

 
In the third and final session of our #WomenintheWorkforce series, “Trailblazers in Workforce Development,” this all-star panel of women will be speaking to the challenges and success that have defined their careers and legacies. Panelists also address their efforts to advance workforce development in their local communities, and how WDBs can help pave the way for other women in workforce.

Panelists:

Beth Cicchetti
NAWB Board of Directors
CareerSource Capital Region WDB in Tallahassee, FL
Principal, Beth Kirkland Consulting, LLC
Florida Economic Development Council, Executive Director

Jane Oates

President

WorkingNation

Virginia

Stacy Sheffield

Executive Director

Workforce Investment Board of Butler|Clermont|Warren

Ohio



09/30/2021- Town Hall: Community Transportation Association of America

Public transportation operations around the nation are being strained by a lack of drivers, which is limiting its ability to rebound from the service interruptions and ridership loss caused by the COV ID-19 pandemic. This town hall featured Community Transportation Association of America Executive Director Scott Bogren discussing national transit issues impacting workforce boards, along with Julia Castillo, Executive Director of the Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Authority (HIRTA) who detailed her agency's innovative returning citizens driver recruitment program.

10/28/2021- Webinar: EDA’s $500M Good Jobs Challenge

In this webinar, the discussion was on the EDA’s American Rescue Plan Good Jobs Challenge and how it aims to get Americans back to work by building and strengthening systems and partnerships that bring together employers who have hiring needs with other key entities to train workers with in-demand skills that lead to good-paying jobs. Through the Good Jobs Challenge, EDA is allocating $500 million to collaborative skills training systems and programs.

11/04/2021 - Town Hall: Utilizing HUD Funded Projects to Boost Economic Opportunity

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This town hall explored the vital role a workforce board can play in bringing HDA Section 3 opportunities to its customers. Section 3 directs HUD funding to recipients of housing assistance and other low-income individuals, as well as to businesses which provide economic opportunities to low- and very low-income persons: both workers and businesses can benefit from qualifying, HUD-funded projects. This Town Hall provided an in-depth look at the regulation and the potential it contains for WDBs and their communities.

11/18/21 - Town Hall: Leveraging Apprenticeships in Business Engagement

WDBs are well positioned to facilitate the development and expansion of apprenticeship programs in local communities. This panel of WDBs will share their strategies in developing partnerships, engaging employers, targeting diverse populations, and creating solutions to grow apprenticeship offerings in their community. Join panelist as they discuss how they leveraged apprenticeship as an integral part of their workforce development strategy.