How can we foster and maximize a culture of Workforce Development, which is even more relevant? By Dr. Julie Murray-Jensen

1. Lifting up
lives through
Workforce
Development
DR. JULIE MURRAY-JENSEN

2. “What do successful cities do to encourage talent
development.? They set goals; they listen to what
employers need; they foster a sense of place; they
offer multiple pathways to success for all types of
people; and they work together, harmoniously,
driven by the idea that this place – our home –
can be restored, with people at the core to ensure
that it is even better than it was before.”
MERISOTIS, J. (2015), AMERICA NEEDS TALENT. NEW YORK:
ROSETTA BOOKS

3. Definition: Workforce Development
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workforce_development
▪Wholistic system of getting individuals into living-wage, relevant, meaningful jobs
▪Beneficial to individuals and communities
▪Requires strong ties between partners (government, industry, education) towards
unified goals
▪Requires strong investment of all partners on an on-going basis
▪Provides upward mobility/growth options for individuals and communities
▪Focused on individual skill attainment and community development based on strengths
and mechanisms to encourage adaptability

4. Workforce Development Baggage
▪Can be perceived as low-skill jobs only
▪Can be perceived as perpetuating inequities and classism
▪Can be perceived as limited growth opportunities
▪Robot-mentality of “training” vs. “education”
▪“Workforce” vs. “Talent” development – perceived differently

5. So why is getting it right
important?
▪ Migration patterns are making it very difficult
for many communities
▪ In recent decades, the disparity between rich
and poor has increased and correlates to
education and skill access, changing industries,
technology demands, and global competition
On-going investment in Workforce/Talent
Development lifts up individuals, families, and
communities and is an essential part of a
thriving person and community-centered
strategy.
(Small Town Mental Health Leader Story)

6. How can we foster & maximize a
culture of Workforce Development?
▪Strengths-based approach and
mentality for individuals and
communities
▪Active growth opportunities – an
investment in learning by all partners
(*applied learning)
▪Unified regional goals between
education, industries, and government
that benefit individuals/families and
communities

7. Why is this
even more
relevant in
2020 and
beyond?
▪Post-virus will be a time of
necessary and great
adaptation
▪Fragmentation of community
is a threat in the chaos of
recovery
▪How do we use governmental
commitment to recovery in
ways that go beyond survival
and help communities and
individuals thrive beyond
2020?

8. Thanks for your
engagement!
Dr. Julie Murray-
Jensen
juliemj724@gmail.com
https://juliemurrayjensen.com/