The Metro Atlanta eXchange for Workforce Solutions (MAX) was launched in December 2014 by a team of regional leaders who recognized that increased collaboration across the Atlanta region’s workforce development arena empowers all stakeholders to positively influence each other’s efforts and realize greater collective impacts through stronger cohesiveness. MAX has since served as a convener and connector for the Atlanta region’s workforce development community, pulling together all the players across the broad workforce system together in one place and on a regular basis. Indeed, MAX has developed into a dynamic network to serve and connect workforce developers.
In January 2021, MAX became metro Atlanta’s premier professional membership association for workforce developers… We would be honored for you to join our association! Join MAX today to gain access to curated workforce resources and professional development specifically for workforce developers. Join MAX to build and strengthen connections with the broader workforce ecosystem and raise awareness about the good work you are doing to serve job seekers and employers.
MEMBER BENEFITS
Curated Resources: In addition to accessing the MAX Mondays weekly email and MAX website, members can post to the MAX Job Board and MAX RFP Board which is pushed out through MAX Mondays. MAX Mondays is delivered into the inboxes of more than 2,000 workforce developers and partners. MAX members can also lift up the work they or others do by contributing a report, study, or tool to our MAX Resource Library.
Professional Development: MAX supports our members with knowledge acquisition, skill-building, and networking opportunities through our MAX Academy, MAX Minutes, and MAX Talks professional development programs held throughout the year. And in 2024, MAX launched Leadership MAX, a cohort-based leadership development program for emerging and existing leaders in the workforce development field.
Accredited Training: MAX members can pursue their Certified Workforce Development Professional (CWDP) certification with the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) through their MAX membership. In addition, through our MAX Academy, members can earn credits toward their Certified Workforce Professional (CWP) certification with the International Association of Workforce Professionals (IAWP). MAX Academy participation also counts towards recertification credits for either the CWDP or CWP certifications. Certified Rehabilitation Counselors can earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification through teh MAX Academy. And MAX members also receive a 25 percent discount on registration for Certified Business Engagement Professional (CBEP) training program with Business U.
| Professional Development | Member Price | Non-Member Price |
| MAX Academy (3/year) | Significantly Discounted* | Full Price* |
| MAX Minutes (12/year) | Free | Free |
| MAX Talks (3/year) | Significantly Discounted | Full Price |
| MAX Annual Meeting (1/year) | Varies by year | Not open to non-members |
Connection: As a neutral convener, MAX helps strengthen connections and foster alignment across the region’s workforce ecosystem through the MAX Leadership Network, MAX Provider Council, MAX Data Council, and MAX Member Engagement Council. These groups are open to members only. In addition, the MAX Annual Meeting is a signature event that brings all of our MAX members together.
Awareness: A key goal for MAX is to increase awareness and visibility of workforce development system assets and opportunities. One of the ways we do this is through our MAX Provider Portal where workforce partners can learn who is doing what, where, and for whom. MAX members can also share their insights through our MAX Member Spotlights or by serving as a guest writer for our MAX Blog which is prominently featured on our website. More than 20,000 visitors visit our website each year. In addition, MAX members can share and receive early alerts on workforce partnership opportunities made possible through fellow MAX members.
And last but not least, becoming a MAX member opens up opportunities to more actively engage with a strong and dynamic network of workforce professionals who stand ready to provide peer-to-peer support while working jointly with you in addressing the workforce development needs of our communities.
| Membership Tier | Organizational Budget | Annual Dues |
| 1 | < $1,000,000 | $150.00 |
| 2 | $1,000,001 to $9,999,999 | $275.00 |
| 3 | > $10,000,000 | $495.00 |
THE MAX FACTOR
When I first started working at First Step in 2018, I was new to the workforce development space. I was trying to understand the current landscape of needs and services and was invited to attend my first MAX meeting. There I met other practitioners, saw the impact the collective power of the group could have, and watched silos disappear! Fellow MAX members and organizations became my go-to counsel on programs, funding, and fulfilling the needs of our First Step clients. It helped to launch my first co-created program with Construction Ready in 2018. Ultimately, MAX has been a place to work with like-minded colleagues, but also to make friends!
Amelia Nickerson, CEO, First Step Staffing, a MAX Anchor Investor
MAX has provided an extensive network of peers and mentors that I have leveraged in supporting my organization. It puts leaders from the public, private, and non-profit space a quick phone call away when we have a need or an opportunity and are looking for the right partner to achieve our goals.
Brett Lacy, Director, WorkSource Fulton, a MAX Anchor Investor + Deputy Director, Select Fulton
MAX has been a collaborative effort from the very start and that is its continuing power. With an aim to help equip the individuals that make up the workforce development ecosystem to collectively create sustainable career pathways for ALL jobseekers, to meet business needs for talent, and to foster a healthy, resilient, and equitable economy for the Atlanta metro, [it] takes us all.
Karen Leone de Nie, Vice President, Community & Economic Development, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, 2023 Wendell Dallas Excellence in Leadership Award Recipient
MAX ANCHOR INVESTORS
MAX is especially grateful to our Anchor Investors for their ongoing support. Anchor Investors can invest at the Champion, Catalyst, or Advocate levels.
| Anchor | Investment Level | # of Members |
| Champion | $25,000 per year | Unlimited |
| Catalyst | $10,000 per year | 25 |
| Advocate | $5,000 per year | 12 |
For questions regarding becoming an Anchor Investor, please contact MAX Board Chair Jenny Taylor at [email protected].
READY TO JOIN?
For questions regarding MAX membership, please contact MAX Facilitator Joy Wilkins at [email protected].
Click here to join MAX today.
NOTE: MAX is a professional society and membership resides with the individual.