Workforce Readiness
“Workforce readiness” or “workforce development” differs from workforce training or most other employee-based developmental activities in that it is organized around developing the broader workforce from which future employees may be drawn.
A few challenges facing organizations and potential employees today:
- Lack of Qualified Candidates – It’s not that there aren’t enough available people for the open positions, it is finding candidates with the needed qualifications;
- Training/Education Disconnect – Employers’ and educational resources are not connected in order to resolve the #1 challenge;
- Employees want to Advance – The emerging workforce want to grow. They have more secondary education than any other generation.
SHRM members are uniquely placed to bridge this gap by bringing the lessons and needs of the workplace into the schools and providing the context of work to students and their teachers.
In Maine, there are a number of workforce readiness models in various stages of use—Maine Employers’ Initiative, Jobs for Maine Grads, Junior Achievement, Building Bridges, Ground Hog Job Shadow Day, etc.
Workforce Readiness Goals
- Be sure that every chapter has a Workforce Readiness advocate and their name is in the SHRM database as such
- Continue to hold at least one communication activity (send written information, hold conference call, or hold web cast) session per quarter with chapter WR advocates in your state. Communicate the SHRM goals and progress to your state/chapter.
- Work with chapters to promote/implement one SHRM WR initiative at the chapter/community level.
- Develop list of state workforce readiness resources for chapters and members. Add to your state website.
- Participate in at least one webcast and one teleconference for workforce readiness. Share the information with your state/chapter and discuss potential next steps for your chapter.