Impact NKY selected by U.S. Chamber to
join learning network to close skills gap


Impact NKY, a foundation of the NKY Chamber of Commerce, was selected as one of seven regional partners to participate in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Talent Pipeline Management initiative to close the skills gap in America. Launched in November 2014, the initiative seeks to transform the relationship between America’s businesses, educators and workforce providers by pilot-testing strategies and practices that have been successful in improving products and services to address challenges in the talent pipeline related to recruiting, hiring and retaining employees.

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“This initiative is focused on new approaches to ensuring employers have the skilled workforce they need to compete in the 21st century and employees have the education and credentials required to do the work,” said U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation vice president, Cheryl Oldham.

“With 5 million vacant jobs in the United States,” she continued, “the frustration level has understandably reached a new high among businesses desperate for skilled workers and with students who want to know that their education and skills training will lead to a good job and future success.”

The Talent Pipeline Management learning network will operate like a new product test team, experimenting with different strategies and innovative practices to confirm what works and what doesn’t.

Each partner within the learning network will pilot one or more of the following talent pipeline practices: organizing new collaboratives that manage employer engagement; identifying the type and amount of talent needed; determining the competency and credentialing requirements for those positions; identifying where businesses get their best talent today; designating preferred providers and measuring their performance; and incentivizing continuous improvement.

In the coming months, the work of Impact NKY which includes several regional workforce partners, along with its peer organizations in the learning network, will build on the knowledge base outlined in a recently released white paper by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, “Managing the Talent Pipeline: A New Approach to Closing the Skills Gap.” Providing support to employers in playing the role of an “end-customer” in a talent supply chain will impart critical insight into what works and what’s potentially scalable.

“Impact NKY clearly demonstrates a commitment to better aligning the workforce with the demands of the marketplace,” said USA Funds President and CEO William “Bill” Hansen. “This second phase of work is where we can really make an impact closing the skills gap not only in Northern Kentucky, but across America.”

On behalf of Rhonda Whitaker with Duke Energy and Chair for Impact NKY’s Workforce Advisory Council, “Our team of regional workforce partners is excited to work with the U.S. Chamber and other partners as we continue to rollout our collective impact efforts in Northern Kentucky to address the needs of our manufacturing sector. The support received from the U.S. Chamber Foundation aligns with much of the employer led work already underway in our region.”

“Although NKY has a very strong and vibrant manufacturing base, there remains a need for a skilled workforce which mirrors other regions of the country,” Whitaker continued. “Our local efforts are focused on developing a data-driven marketing strategy to increase awareness, while strengthening the alignment between workforce partners and education providers. We will continue to position our employers as the primary customer and develop a more robust long-term talent pipeline.”

The U.S. Chamber Foundation will invest both dollars through grants and manpower through planning and implementation, technical and expert assistance, and opportunities to participate in workshops and online webinars.

The research and input collected from the learning network will help complete the development of a talent pipeline management toolkit that will be released nationwide in the fall and available to employers to adopt. To learn more, click here.

From the NKy Chamber of Commerce


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