On Thursday, December 3rd, workforce developers convened virtually to hear from Adam Forrand, Vice President – Education, Talent, & Leadership Development for the Gwinnett Chamber and Partnership Gwinnett, and Howard Arden, Talent Acquisition Specialist with Novo Health Services, Inc. on how to build highly effective partnerships with employers.
Forrand shared how-tos for better understanding employer needs and for communicating effectively with employers (or speaking the language of business). Arden discussed how workforce developers could help employers see their organization’s value proposition and form effective employer-provider partnerships. The two shared insights for how to best network with employers during a Q&A session with Dana Inman, President & CEO with the Atlanta Center for Self Sufficiency and chair of the MAX Provider Council.
Following the workshop sessions, participants shared key takeaways and ideas for how they can proceed with employer engagement in the days ahead in breakout groups. The participants discussed the importance of listening to employers, understanding how they could help meet the needs of employers with resources at their disposal both through their departments and other departments within their organizations, the opportunity to have “application days” for a major employer, and the importance of site visits.
Said one participant: “We spent time connecting with each other which speaks to the general theme of the day: engagement, the ability to have a broad network of people, stay in touch with folks and better understand what resources we have at our disposal. It was a great opportunity to connect with people I did not know before.”
Click here for presentation slides from Forrand.
Click here for presentation slides from Arden.
Click here to view the recording.
ABOUT THE MAX ACADEMY
Launched in 2014, the mission of MAX is to advance economic competitiveness in the Atlanta region by strengthening connections, collaborations, and practices among workforce developers and organizations engaged in workforce development.
The MAX Academy offers professional development and capacity building training workshops to help workforce development professionals develop new skills, learn best practices, and engage in peer-to-peer learning.