News

College of the Canyons’ fourth Uniquely Abled Academy (UAA) Cohort graduated Friday, May 19^th.  This program continues to achieve amazing success in providing hands-on CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine training to high-functioning individuals on the Autistic Spectrum. Similar to our past UAAs, this Fast Track training has 100 percent completers. Thanks to an incredible partnership with our host industry, B&B Manufacturing, the collocated Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT) provides NIMS (National Institute for Metalworking Skills) industry credentials to all graduates. 

Credential Engine is revolutionizing workforce career learning ecosystems by providing accessible data on credentials. Learn how equity plays a crucial role in reshaping pathways and empowering individuals. On Episode 40 of Ready for Work, Credential Engine CEO Scott Cheney helps us uncover the key information needed for informed decision-making and how it promotes fairness. Explore the transformative power of open data and modern tech in education and career guidance to enhance your region’s career learning workforce ecosystem.

Lisa Hawk, director of corporate training and business development at Forsyth Technical Community College, joined us last fall at the ACT Workforce Summit. We asked her to share how digital badging helps individual job seekers and the workforce at large in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina, community succeed. 

“We utilize digital badging to recognize that individuals come into us already with skills that are appropriate for the workforce. And, we utilize digital badging to assist them in gaining employment immediately, while they are working on earning additional skills that will enhance their income so that they have a sustainable wage for themselves and their families.” 

Lisa goes on to say that Forsyth Technical Community College aligns their training, the ACT WorkKeys assessment, and employer needs to ensure their learners have the technology-based skills their employer partners demand. 

Learn more about what’s working in the Forsyth Technical Community College service area by watching Lisa’s interview.

Discover how WorkBay®, a technology firm founded by CEO Mary Hayes and COO Alice Hayes, is making a difference in career navigation both regionally and nationally. WorkBay integrates the skills-first approach of the workforce ecosystem and their innovations in this area are revolutionizing career exploration and navigation. During a recent Work Ready Communities Live event, Mary and Alice shared insights about the latest pilots with ACT® and how WorkBay is integrating WorkKeys benchmarks into user-friendly platforms in regions and targeted initiatives across the U.S.  WorkBay successfully tackled the technological challenges of serving returning citizens with pre-release activities. By combining high-tech solutions with a personal touch, WorkBay provides career navigation that truly matters.

The Rowan Economic Development Council (EDC) spearheaded this initiative, which has positioned Rowan County as a leading community in workforce development. The achievement will be officially recognized and celebrated at the upcoming ACT Workforce Summit, scheduled to be held in Nashville, TN from October 4 to 6, 2023.

Listen to Ready for Work, Episode 38, in your favorite podcast app. 

Josh Christianson, project director at the Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship, was at the ACT Workforce Summit last year where he discussed the importance of accessibility in today’s workplace. Employers who moved to remote work opportunities, or teleworking, during the pandemic demonstrated the capabilities and flexibility technology offers people with disabilities to work remotely on a regular basis. Christianson touches on this and on digital accessibility and why it’s important for employers to provide accessible platforms for employees, especially as our economy faces worker shortages.

He also addresses the importance of apprenticeships and how they can help more people, including people with disabilities, join the workforce.

Watch the video to hear more from him about:

• The challenges employers face today in filling their skilled labor needs.
• The equity, access, and opportunity challenges people in the disability community face and why employers should address accessibility in their workplaces.
• Registered apprenticeships and how they help people learn the skills employers need today.
• Accessibility and how important it is for companies to build accessibility into their cultures.

The Work Ready Communities throughout the First Tenneessee Development District have a solid leadership group that also joined forces to reduce opioid addiction in their region. Now the U.S. Department of Labor's WorkforceGPS plans to showcase this work in an upcoming online event planned for May 31st.  

Join us in Nashville this fall to connect with your peers across the workforce ecosystem—economic and workforce developers; educators; business and government leaders; and ACT® Work Ready Community members nationwide. The Workforce Summit is one of the largest annual gatherings of leaders in education, business, workforce and economic development, and government—all with the shared goal of building a better workforce—focusing on credentialed career pathways, hiring skills-based talent, and connecting communities to help them grow and thrive.

“Missouri's pioneering spirit is evident in Jasper County, which became the first-ever ACT Work Ready Community more than a decade ago. Since then, the program has been a transformative force, helping countless individuals gain the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in today's workforce. Through the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate and the ACT Work Ready Communities program, employers can easily match the skills and aptitudes they need with a ready and capable workforce. The program is one of the most innovative and effective ways to support our workforce and strengthen our economy.”

Subash Alias, CEO Missouri Partnership