News Videos

Missouri Governor Mike Parson made a special visit to the Schuyler County R-1 School District Tuesday morning. In this news video from KTVO, Parson was in Queen City to present a certificate to honor them for achieving Work Ready Community status, something that could get these students ready for the next chapter in their lives.

Joe T. Wood, special projects coordinator at Hardeman County Schools in Tennessee, sees opportunity amid what he calls the "fourth industrial revolution." He spoke with ACT at the 2023 Workforce Summit about how skills-based hiring addresses changing workforce demands.

As Joe explains, skills-based hiring shifts the focus to employers, offering a more deliberate and transparent approach to assessing essential skills. He also gives insight into the need for a more flexible and responsive approach to career readiness to address the reality that “every kid’s going to have a career.”

Reflecting on obstacles and opportunities, Joe underscores the importance of rethinking traditional models to prepare students for diverse career pathways.

Hear all of Joe’s valuable insights in the video.

Josh Duplantis, Ph.D., dean of workforce and economic development at Coastal Alabama Community College in Bay Minette, Alabama, joined ACT at the ACT Workforce Summit last fall to talk workforce and workforce preparation. He shared information about what groups of people need immediate workplace support — all of them! — and expanded by discussing the importance of mentorship.

Josh also speaks to how important micro-credentialing in the stackable model are in building learner confidence, especially for transitional workers who have been “on the sidelines” and not as involved in the workforce or for workers who live in rural communities. Learn more by watching Josh’s interview. 

Meet JaQuan Ross, a resident of Gary, Indiana who came to WorkOne Gary on a path to a modern apprenticeship in carpentry. WorkOne administers WorkKeys Assessments to help measure foundational skills required for success in the workplace. WorkKeys helps measure the workplace skills that can affect job performance. These assessments are required by some employers and skilled trades. Watch the video to see how JaQuan performed on his assessment.

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.

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.

Charles Brogdon, Human Resource Director at Franklin Baking Company shares the benefits of the WorkKeys work readiness system and Wayne Community College at Goldsboro, NC.

In part two of her interview, Heather talks about the top workforce challenges today, including how employers are modifying job descriptions to better fit the skills needed to fill open positions, rather than focusing on a bachelor’s degree requirement. Employers in the Longview region are also evaluating reentry programs to fit their labor needs as well as getting creative with employee supports, like childcare to fill jobs and support employees.

Watch the video to hear more from Heather about:

• The top workforce challenges in the Longview region and what the Longview Economic Development Corporation and local employers are doing to overcome those challenges.
• The workforce innovations that need to take place in the next five years for companies and employees to be successful.
• Opportunities for educators and employers to work together in the community to up-skill students for future jobs.

Heather Malone, vice president of Longview Economic Development Corporation in Texas, spoke to us while she was attending ACT’s Workforce Summit last fall, sharing her views on the workforce challenges affecting her community. She discussed the need for reliable transportation so that workers can meet employer labor demands. She also spoke to the ongoing skills gap in the Longview region and what they’re doing to help the workforce and employers alike.

Watch the video to hear more from Heather about:

• The equity, access, and opportunity barriers that the Longview community faces and what the Longview Economic Development Corporation and other local agencies are doing to overcome those challenges.
• How the Longview region is working to fill the skills gap by providing the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate.