News Videos

Josh Christianson, project director at the Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship, was at the ACT Workforce Summit last year where he discussed the importance of accessibility in today’s workplace. Employers who moved to remote work opportunities, or teleworking, during the pandemic demonstrated the capabilities and flexibility technology offers people with disabilities to work remotely on a regular basis. Christianson touches on this and on digital accessibility and why it’s important for employers to provide accessible platforms for employees, especially as our economy faces worker shortages.

He also addresses the importance of apprenticeships and how they can help more people, including people with disabilities, join the workforce.

Watch the video to hear more from him about:

• The challenges employers face today in filling their skilled labor needs.
• The equity, access, and opportunity challenges people in the disability community face and why employers should address accessibility in their workplaces.
• Registered apprenticeships and how they help people learn the skills employers need today.
• Accessibility and how important it is for companies to build accessibility into their cultures.

Charles Brogdon, Human Resource Director at Franklin Baking Company shares the benefits of the WorkKeys work readiness system and Wayne Community College at Goldsboro, NC.

In part two of her interview, Heather talks about the top workforce challenges today, including how employers are modifying job descriptions to better fit the skills needed to fill open positions, rather than focusing on a bachelor’s degree requirement. Employers in the Longview region are also evaluating reentry programs to fit their labor needs as well as getting creative with employee supports, like childcare to fill jobs and support employees.

Watch the video to hear more from Heather about:

• The top workforce challenges in the Longview region and what the Longview Economic Development Corporation and local employers are doing to overcome those challenges.
• The workforce innovations that need to take place in the next five years for companies and employees to be successful.
• Opportunities for educators and employers to work together in the community to up-skill students for future jobs.

Heather Malone, vice president of Longview Economic Development Corporation in Texas, spoke to us while she was attending ACT’s Workforce Summit last fall, sharing her views on the workforce challenges affecting her community. She discussed the need for reliable transportation so that workers can meet employer labor demands. She also spoke to the ongoing skills gap in the Longview region and what they’re doing to help the workforce and employers alike.

Watch the video to hear more from Heather about:

• The equity, access, and opportunity barriers that the Longview community faces and what the Longview Economic Development Corporation and other local agencies are doing to overcome those challenges.
• How the Longview region is working to fill the skills gap by providing the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate.

Jasper County (Joplin, Missouri) was first on the national map as ACT's first-ever Work Ready Community in March of 2013. Archive video courtesy of Missouri Governors Office 

Donna Bailey, vice president of human resources at RoyOMartin, joined ACT at the 2022 Workforce Summit held in New Orleans. She was the keynote speaker during the lunch awards ceremony where she highlighted the company’s WoodWorks program, which works with high school students looking to enter the wood products manufacturing field.

Watch the video to hear more from Donna about:

The Joplin, Missouri City Council presented a proclamation from Mayor Doug Lawson during their November 21st council meeting. Jasper County was first in the nation to become a Work Ready Community and recently renewed its WRC designation.

WorkReadyNH is a tuition-FREE Professional Development course designed to strengthen the skills that employers are looking for in current employees and job applicants. In as little as three weeks, you will: -- Practice and improve your soft skills in class, including communication, customer service, teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking, and conflict resolution. -- Enhance your resume and sharpen your interview skills. -- Hone your essential workplace skills at your own pace through online tutorials in reading and understanding workplace documents, applying math on the job, and interpreting graphs and charts. -- Earn two highly recognized credentials - WorkReadyNH Certificate from the Community College System of NH and the National Career Readiness Certificate from ACT.

Arkansas Ready for Life launched enhancements to their online career exploration cards that link to WorkKeys skill profiles. The new tool helps users set understand the skills they need to acquire to meet career and life goals. Available now at https://www.readyforlife.com/,   users can browse career pathways and personalize learning with a wide variety of courses. The currently employed can browse industry or other training while prospective hires can become familiar with a new field before applying to a position.