When 2020 started, the association had its sights on mid-October for a day-long workforce development workshop.
However, just like almost everything else in 2020, the game plan is different, and this program will now be virtual on three consecutive Wednesdays from late October to early November.
“The world has changed rapidly around us, but the need for chambers to focus their efforts on workforce issues is more important today than ever before,” said W.A.C.E. Vice Chair Kami Welch, president of the Arvada (CO) Chamber, who is coordinating this effort. “Businesses need leadership that convenes key stakeholders and drives outcomes for their communities. Our Workforce Boot Camp will set the tone and opportunity that will inspire action for all chambers that participate.”
Three Sessions
Content detail and presenters are still being finalized as of this writing, but the three-part series currently is being visualized as:
Session #1 – Setting the Context
The focus of the initial session on Wednesday, October 21 will include:
• Are workforce discussions still relevant?
• What changes due to COVID-19 will impact how we think about workforce?
• An overview of the data.
• Opportunities for engagement, including displaced workers, high-demand industry support, youth pipeline development, essential skills development identifying who and where the workers are.
Session #2 – Forward Focus
The second session on October 28 will cover:
• The future of work, including such topics as: sense of place, changes in commercial space, virtual solutions, global hiring, the chamber’s role in community building in a virtual world, and challenges and opportunities linked to remote work.
• Which industries and communities will thrive?
• What challenges will we encounter in the future and how can we be prepared for them?
Session #3 – The Chamber’s Role — HOW
This third session on November 4 will focus on presenting successful ideas and programs that chambers are conducting. An important thrust of this session will be HOW to launch these programs in your communities.
Register Today
The three-part boot camp will be held on the Wednesdays listed above from 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m. (Pacific). Registration is $99 for W.A.C.E. members and $150 for nonmembers.