Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce issued the following announcement on Nov. 13.
Last month, the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation (the Foundation) led a delegation of nearly 25 business leaders to Washington, D.C., to explore national workforce issues, learn from employers that are making strides in talent development, and receive updates on key federal policies.
During the trip, the delegation participated in meetings with Zovio and America Achieves, and heard updates from the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions.
In addition to these meetings, the delegation attended the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s (USCCF) Talent Forward conference.
Learning from experts
The first day of the delegation trip was filled with presentations and roundtable discussions with workforce and policy experts.
As a part of this day, delegates heard from Jade Grieve, Senior Advisor of America Achieves, which is an organization dedicated to economic advancement and creation of clear talent pathways.
During her presentation, Grieve highlighted unique approaches to education and how education providers across the country are implementing different methodologies to prepare talent for the 21st century.
Specifically, she showcased how some cities are tackling the challenge of fulfilling employers’ needs through stronger business engagement with education.
One example she shared was an innovative approach to teaching and learning through a new fellowship program in Louisiana that empowers teachers to incorporate career readiness programming into their lessons.
In addition to this presentation, the delegation heard from policy experts on how policy proposals and talent development intersect at every level of government.
Understanding and implementing Talent Pipeline Management ® (TPM)
During the conference, TPM was a key focus. USCCF’s Vice President, Jason Tyszko, presented on the principles of TPM and the strides that have been made over the past five years, aligning employers as end-customers of the talent pipeline.
TPM is a strategic talent development approach that utilizes supply chain management principles to align employer needs with education opportunities. The USCCF launched the first Talent Pipeline Management Academy in 2016 and has engaged over 250 partner organizations from 29 states and Canada since its inception. Several subsequent pilot programs have transpired from the TPM Academy including the T3 Innovation Network and the Job Data Exchange.
The Foundation’s Chief Innovation Officer, Jennifer Mellor, participated in one of the initial TPM training programs and was recognized at the conference as an inaugural TPM Fellow.
To date, the Foundation has implemented TPM strategies through multiple workforce collaboratives, including the Cybersecurity Collaborative and the Hospital Collaborative.
Additionally, in April 2019, the Foundation partnered with the USCCF to launch the Talent Pipeline Management™ (TPM) Upskill Academy of Arizona, which prepared Arizona workforce development practicitioners to implement supply chain solutions with their members and stakeholders.
Delegates had opportunities to hear from other TPM implementors and employers who are utilizing this framework to improve their local talent pipelines. This provided delegates with real-life examples of how diversity in the workplace, upskilling, and financing talent are being implemented on a national scale, starting conversations about how these strategies can be better applied back home to Arizona.
An update on the JDX
During last year’s delegation trip, the Job Data Exchange was launched. Since then, the Foundation has participated as a JDX Pilot Partner.
Overall, the Foundation’s delegation was able to meet with national thought leaders, learn from on the ground employers who are implementing key talent development strategies with partners in their communities, and connect with other businesses that are working to overcome workforce challenges.
Learn more about the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation’s workforce development efforts.
Original source can be found here.