Ready for Work – Details, episodes & analysis

ACT celebrates Workforce Development Month with a powerful keynote from LaShana Lewis—technologist, advocate, and Chair of Opportunity@Work’s Stars Advisory Council. Recorded live at ACT’s Atlanta Summit, LaShana shares her personal journey and the systemic barriers faced by STARs—those Skilled Through Alternative Routes. Her story highlights the urgent need for inclusive, skills-based hiring and the role of ACT’s Work Ready Communities in building skills-driven pathways.

• Connect with LaShana Lewis
• More STARs Stories with Opportunity@Work
• Rural STARs Joint Research Partnership with ACT and Opportunity@Work 
• Webinar from ACT’s Center for Impact in Learning featuring LaShana Lewis
• The Next ACT Summit at Nashville

• Workforce Development Month Resources from NAWDP

Episode 61 features Isaac Agbeshie-Noye from the SHRM Foundation, who discusses the Skills First Future initiative and its role in helping employers adopt skills-drivenpractices and expand nationwide opportunities through Learning and Employment Records (LERs). The conversation explores common myths surrounding skills-firsthiring, the challenges employers encounter, and strategies to overcome them.

Isaac highlights key tools available at SkillsFirstFuture.org, including the Skills Action Planner and SHRM’s new specialty credential. The episode provides practical insights for HR professionals and their collaborations with educators and workforce leaders aiming to build a high-performing talent ecosystem. Listeners will discover how small adjustments can lead to significant outcomes and why the shift toward skills-first hiring is gaining momentum across various industries.

Voices of Excellence:

Isaac Agbeshie-Noye, Program Director

SHRM Foundation

Widening Pathways to Work

Issac on Linked In

Resources from Episode 61

• Show Notes and Transcript for Episode 61
• Skills First Future Resources from SHRM
• ACT Workforce Solutions
• ACT Work Ready Communities
  

Richard Portelance from EdGate discusses the importance of data in career planning and the need for a lifelong learning repository to support modern pathways with better integrations of profile details. Identifying the fractured nature of current career tools and the necessity for better visualization of career pathways, Richard highlights the role of educational standards and AI’s potential with machine learning to map career pathways efficiently, empowering both learners and advisors.

• Richard Portelance, EdGate
• Richard on LinkedIn
• Show Notes and Resources (PDF)⁠
• ⁠ACT Work Ready Communities⁠
• ⁠ACT Workforce Solutions
• ⁠2024 ACT Workforce Summit
• ⁠Tear the Paper Ceiling Storytelling Campaign
• ⁠Inquire on WRC Storytelling and Poster Exhibition

Erin Olson, Senior Director of Strategic Research at Real Time Talent, discusses Minnesota’s educational and workforce challenges. Despite high labor force participation, Minnesota faces significant racial disparities in education and a talent shortage. Olson highlights the misalignment between workforce needs and available skills, emphasizing the need for strategic partnerships and data-driven solutions. Real Time Talent collaborates with various stakeholders to address these issues, focusing on aligning educational programs with labor market demands and promoting equity. Olson underscores the importance of employer involvement in creating effective workforce solutions and the role of Real Time Talent in facilitating these efforts.

• Erin Olson, Senior Director of Strategic Research at Real Time Talent
• Erin Olson on LinkedIn
• Show Notes and Resources (PDF)
• ACT Work Ready Communities
• ACT Workforce Solutions
• 2024 ACT Workforce Summit
• Tear the Paper Ceiling Storytelling Campaign
• Inquire on WRC Storytelling and Poster Exhibition

Known for his innovative approach to education, Dr. Michael Torrence of Motlow State Community College in Tennessee is a champion of emerging technologies, workforce development, and community engagement. He's passionate about creating scalable opportunities for students, fostering relationships with industries, and preparing the next generation for the future. From transforming homeless students into successful professionals, to pioneering digital credentialing systems, Dr. Torrence shares his dynamic FRED Talk from the ACT Workforce Summit stage.

• Show Notes, Transcript, and Slides
• ACT Work Ready Communities
• ACT Workforce Solutions
• 2024 ACT Workforce Summit
• Tear the Paper Ceiling Campaign
• Inquire on WRC Storytelling and Poster Exhibition

In Episode 49 of Ready for Work, we continue our series of FRED Talks from the ACT Workforce Summit. Tracy Robinson from the University of Memphis shares her experience working with adult learners and the challenges they face in balancing education with other life responsibilities. The University of Memphis has made significant changes to accommodate adult learners, just in time for employer giant FedEx to seek the university’s help. It’s a successful model that the University replicated with the City of Memphis, a regional hospital chain, and Nike, among others.

• Tracy Robinson on LinkedIn
• Show Notes, Transcript, and Tracy's Summit Deck
• ACT Work Ready Communities
• ACT Workforce Solutions     
• 2024 ACT Workforce Summit
• Tear the Paper Ceiling Campaign
• Inquire on WRC Storytelling and Poster Exhibition

Will Coppage is a creative community developer. From the main stage of the ACT Workforce Summit, Will helped us explore the concept of wonder in art and its power to draw us in repeatedly. Will shows us how this principle applies to community development, emphasizing the importance of fostering creativity, maintaining a positive community appearance, and promoting workforce skills. The episode concludes with exciting news of a storytelling event at the 2024 Workforce Summit in Atlanta.

• Will Coppage on LinkedIn
• Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript (PDF)
• ACT Work Ready Communities
• ACT Workforce Solutions
• Tear the Paper Ceiling Storytelling Campaign
• Inquire on WRC Storytelling and Poster Exhibition

Episode 47 features Tonia Saunders, who leads both workforce and economic development in Lucas County, Ohio. This Work Ready Community (WRC) integrated the two disciplines, emphasizing the role of collaboration with neighboring counties to enhance the region's competitiveness. Tonia shares insights on tackling workforce challenges, leveraging community partnerships and innovative strategies to serve the manufacturing and healthcare industries effectively. The episode highlights the success of Lucas County's WRC initiative, showcasing how it drives economic growth and improves employment opportunities through targeted employer engagement and comprehensive support services. This conversation underlines the importance of synergy between workforce and economic development in achieving regional prosperity.

Voices of Excellence in Episode 47:

Tonia Saunders, Director

Work Ready Lucas County and Lucas County, Ohio Planning and Development

LinkedIn

Show Notes and Resources:

• WRC Profile of Lucas County, Ohio
• Workforce Summit Overview from ACT       
• ACT Work Ready Communities
• ACT Workforce Solutions
• Transcript of Episode 47

Braided funding and alignment of partnerships are key when creating sustainable systems and programs for your community.  Lyndsie Gibbs and Alex Lovrien from Metropolitan Community College in Omaha join us on Episode 46 of Ready for Work. The partnerships across this Work Ready Community grew a small, data-driven, proof of concept into a $10M venture that has eliminated financial barriers so individuals can access quality training, education, and gainful employment.  Listen in for best practices on braided funding, opportunities and obstacles, tips to get started, and lessons learned.

Voices of Excellence in Episode 46:

Lyndsie Gibbs, Director of Career Skills and Workforce

Metropolitan Community College of Omaha LinkedIn

Alex Lovrein, Director of Workforce Training

Metropolitan Community College of Omaha LinkedIn

Links and Resources:

• Transcript of Episode 46
• Workforce Innovation Division at Metropolitan Community College
• Presentation Handout from Braided Funding Workshop at ACT Workforce Summit
• Workforce Summit Overview from ACT  
• ACT Work Ready Communities   
• ACT Workforce Solutions

Join us in Episode 45 to discover a groundbreaking partnership between ACT and Opportunity at Work. Georgia Gillette, VP of Strategic Alliances at Opportunity at Work, shares insights on STARs (Skilled Through Alternative Routes) and the Tear the Paper Ceiling campaign. Discover the challenges faced by STARs, the impact of hiring misperceptions, and the mission to bridge the gap between job opportunities and workforce skills. Explore the data-driven strategies, success stories, and a comprehensive playbook aimed at closing skill gaps with STARs.

• Guest: Georgia Gillette, VP of Strategic Alliances, Opportunity at Work
• Transcript of Episode 45
• Tear the Paper Ceiling Campaign
• STARs Hiring Playbook
• STARs Tear the Paper Ceiling PSA Video
• STARs Success Story:  LaShana Lewis
• STARs Success Story:  IBM
• ACT Work Ready Communities
• ACT Workforce Solutions