Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Free Networking and Engagement Event
Thursday, April 7th - 8:30 - 10 a.m.
"We believe that WIOA can help assure that U.S. companies will remain competitive and grow jobs, that our domestic workforce has the guidance and pathways needed to obtain required skills, and that our communities have the workforce develop,eat system to remain strong."
- National Association of Workforce Boards
America's competitiveness in the global economy has been center stage for some time now, with increasingly grim outlooks for the future:
- By 2022, the United States will fall short by 11 million the necessary number of workers with postsecondary education, including 6.8 million workers with bachelor's degrees and 4.3 million works with a postsecondary vocational certificate, some college credits or an associate's degree (Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce).
- 52% of adults (ages 16 - 65) in the United States lack the literacy skills necessary to identify, interpret, or evaluate one of more pieces of information - a critical requirement for success in postsecondary education and work (Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), 2012).
And, while there are differences in approach, there is complete agreement that America must rise to the challenge of preparing its citizens to meet the demands of the workforces of today - and the future. To do this, organizations must work more collaboratively to identify solution sets that address these challenges at multiple levels.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was created to provide state and local areas the flexibility to collaborate across systems in an effort to better address the employment and skills needs of current employees, jobseekers, and employers. WIOA accomplishes this by prescribing:
- A stronger alignment of the workforce, education, and economic development systems; and
- Improving the structure and delivery in the system to assist America's workers in achieving a family-sustaining wage while providing America's employers with the skilled workers they need to compete on a global level.
While legislation is rarely the end-all, be-all to addressing the challenges we face, it is an important step toward progress. Now, perhaps more than ever, effective education and workforce development opportunities are critical to improving America's economic standing in an increasingly global economy. Come be a part of this important conversation with an expert on the legislation and its practical implications.
Continental breakfast and networking at 8:30 a.m. followed by the presentation and Q&A.