Podcasts by Ready for Work

44 - Celebrating Manufacturing Month with ACT and MSSC from 2023-10-11T17:46:04

In episode 44 of Ready for Work, LeeSa Page, a senior advisor with the Listen

43 - High Tech Meets High Touch to Engage Working Learners from 2023-09-28T15:00

Change management enables working learners to acquire skills and adopt behaviors that maximize workforce and learning outcomes. On episode 43 of Ready for Work, guest Robert Feeney shares his pe...

42 - What's Next for the Skills-First Movement from 2023-09-26T17:10

Two incredible champions in the field of competency-based education and the skills-first movement: Julian Alssid and Kaitlin Lemoine, join the conversation on Episode 42 of Ready for Work.  Thro...

41 - Credentials As You Go Accelerates Career Pathways from 2023-09-19T20:28:36

The current education system relies heavily on traditional degrees, limiting adult learners and disproportionately affecting people of color. Employers value 21st-century skills, but confusion p...

40 - Equity and Transparency for Education and Credentials from 2023-07-05T17:15:50

Credential Engine is revolutionizing workforce career learning ecosystems by providing accessible data on credentials. Learn how equity plays a crucial role in reshaping pathways and empowering ...

39 - Innovations in Career Navigation and Workforce Ecosystem Impact from 2023-06-09T19:38:25

Discover how WorkBay®, a technology firm founded by CEO Mary Hayes and COO Alice Hayes, is making a difference in career navigation both regionally and nationally. WorkBay integrates the skills-...

38 - Working to Solve Workforce Challenges in Longview from 2023-05-31T16:27:55

As vice president of Longview Economic Development Corporation in Texas, Heather Malone shared her valuable insights on the workforce challenges that her community faces in a friendly and inform...

37 - Boosting Career Pathways with College Credit through WorkKeys from 2023-02-15T19:15:23

Career Pathways are a special blend of training and job progression. When the training includes post-secondary learning, the WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate from ACT can translate...

36 - National Apprenticeship Week with Success at Roy O'Martin from 2022-11-12T17:13:40

2022 marks the 8th annual National Apprenticeship Week and celebrations November 14th through the 20th to showcase the success and value of apprenticeship to rebuild the economy, advance equity,...

35 - Closing Skill Gaps for Working Learners with Transit Support from 2022-08-15T14:45:48

As workforce development typically focuses on skill and availability, other economic and community development practices can make or break those workforce efforts. Examples include housing, broa...

34 - Digital Badges Expand Reach and Impact of WorkKeys from 2022-08-03T14:51:05

The release of episode 34 of Ready for Work marks a milestone at ACT® in the launch of Digital Badges for the WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate® (NCRC®). Guests include Pat Leonard...

33 - The Role of Occupational Identity for Early Career Professionals from 2022-04-16T14:39:26

Personal journeys through education and career pathways are often filled with challenges and obstacles, making progress difficult and compromise frequent. Listen

32 - Preparing Workforce Ecosystems for Returning Citizen Success from 2022-03-20T23:22:23

Unprecedented skill shortages in labor markets across the U.S. often intersect with a desire for Justice System reform that provides pathways for Returning Citizens to thrive. When optimized in ...

30 - Linking WorkKeys to Adult Education College and Career Readiness Standards from 2022-03-16T14:57:50

Federally funded Adult Basic Education (ABE) helps more than a million and half adults each year earn a high school equivalency, increase basic and employability skills, or improve their English...

29 - Nine Elements to Improve Apprenticeship Quality and Completion from 2021-11-26T19:03:01

With increased investment in apprenticeship comes increased expectations. ACT joined forces with local apprenticeships successful in skills-based hiring and national thought leaders on what’s ne...

28 - The Role of Humor in Workforce Development - How Roy's Job Fair Reaches Working Learners from 2021-11-05T17:28:15

One part humor, one part inspiration! Episode 28 kicks off our third season of Ready for Work with a fun perspective on the role of humor in workforce development. Our guest is comedian Roy...

27 - Joplin's Road to Recovery as a Work Ready Community - Ten Years After Devastating Tornado Disaster from 2021-05-21T01:35:06

One of the nation's deadliest tornados struck Joplin, Missouri ten years ago this week. On episode 27 of Ready for Work, we take a closer look at Joplin's recovery through the lens of the w...

27 - Joplin's Road to Recovery as a Work Ready Community - Ten Years After Devastating Tornado Disaster from 2021-05-21T01:35:06

One of the nation's deadliest tornados struck Joplin, Missouri ten years ago this week. On episode 27 of Ready for Work, we take a closer look at Joplin's recovery through the lens of the w...

26 - Training Workforce Ecosystem Leaders for Success from 2021-03-20T20:38:02

The region's workforce ecosystem is only as strong as its leadership. Joining us on episode 25 of Ready for Work, author and consultant Dr. Anthony Edwards helps guide us from new book, Building...

25 - Rebooting Economic and Workforce Development for 2021 from 2021-02-03T00:39:27

Keeping the future in mind is a necessary function for persisting through disaster recovery. As regions continue to overcome the pandemic, there is a balance in preparing for future opportu...

24 - Deploy and Analyze Recovery and Resiliency Initiatives from 2020-09-30T21:06:11

In our third of three episodes dedicated to Skills-Based Recovery and Resiliency, episode 24 brings us to the Deploy and Analyze phases in the five-part ALEDA framework. Sean McCoy from Public ...

23 - Leading and Engaging Recovery and Resiliency from 2020-09-29T20:10:08

Workforce ecosystem leaders encounter plenty of challenging layers to disaster recovery and economic resiliency.  ACT curated a five-part toolkit with a framework we call ALEDA.  We co...

22 Adapting for Recovery with Data, Skills, and Systems from 2020-09-28T18:31:47

Ready for Work episode 22 is the first of three on the ALEDA Framework using Skills-Based Hiring for Disaster Recovery and Economic Resiliency. The five-part framework is Adapt, Lead, Engage, De...

21 Resilient Workforce Ecosystems Leading Skills-Based Economic Recovery from 2020-04-24T21:29:49

As a pandemic impacts communities everywhere, regional workforce ecosystems must implement reemployment strategies to become more adaptable. Hear stories of resilience happening real-time.

20 Adult Education Success in Mississippi with Guest Bronwyn Robertson from 2020-02-28T02:30

Bronwyn Robertson shares how Mississippi Community College Board’s Smart Start adult education equips adult learners with workforce credentials (including the WorkKeys NCRC) and ultimately ...

19 Making the Most of Second Chances with Guest Shelly Jacobs from 2020-02-14T01:11:39

The Missouri Department of Corrections’ reentry program is equipping returning citizens with career credentials, barrier removal supports, and the WorkKeys NCRC. Reentry Coordinator Shelly Jacob...

18 Site Selection and Workforce Development with Guest Mark Arend from 2020-02-03T19:45:58

Work Ready Communities (WRC) from ACT is a framework for community-based workforce development to drive economic growth. Regions improve their workforce and compete on quality for location consu...

17 Career Pathway Readiness with ACT Researchers Mary LeFebvre and Jeff Steedle from 2020-01-14T21:58:10

Career readiness is a hot topic these days. An updated report from ACT has a wealth of data on the subject that you won’t find anywhere else.  

For career navigation, or ...

16 Connecting Rural Development Strategies and Resources with guests Joe T. Wood and Jim Tracy from 2019-12-31T18:00

Rural America is facing some incredible challenges. When rural students graduate high school many of them move away to urban areas. The up-and-coming generation tends to overlook their opportuni...

15 Work Ethic for the 21st Century Workforce with guest Josh Davies from 2019-12-07T01:47:41

Josh Davies, CEO of the Center for Work Ethic Development is passionate about helping others make a difference in their lives, jobs, and community. We were fortunate to have Josh deliver one of ...

14 Career Connected Learning with Guest Hans Meeder from 2019-11-26T18:00

Why are so many well-educated and well-supported American youths struggling to make successful transitions to adult life? It’s an important question and the first that Hans Meeder asks on Episod...

13 Workforce Response to Opioid Crisis in Tennessee from 2019-11-14T23:29

A high prevalence of prescription drug abuse has created an unhealthy workforce in northeast Tennessee. As a result, the region has high instances of addiction, neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS...

12 Workforce Mythblasters - Debunking the Myths of Skills-Based Hiring from 2019-10-12T16:46:50

On Episode 12 of Ready for Work, we seek to debunk some common myths of skills-based hiring with a Top Ten List of Workforce Mythblasters. We’ll cover some common misconceptions that employers, ...

Workforce Summit 2019 Preview (Bonus Episode) from 2019-10-03T19:51:07

This bonus episode of Ready for Work includes information on the 2019 ACT Workforce Summit in Charlotte, NC, October 28-30. We chat with some of the presenters to give a sneak peek at the conferenc...

11 Next Level Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning from 2019-09-28T16:48:33

Work-based or “on-the-job” learning through apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs benefits learners from all education and socioeconomic levels and put them on a fast track to high-wage...

10 The Work Ready Communities Journey to Regional Prosperity from 2019-09-12T05:00

Work Ready Communities from ACT helps local areas align their resources and leadership for a competitive workforce that meets employer needs and generates regional prosperity. Today on Ready for Wo...

9 Convergence of Education and Workforce Policy with Guest Dr. Jeff McCord from 2019-08-22T05:30

Dr. Jeff McCord has unique insight following a decades-long career of straddling the worlds of business and education. After 20 years in the private sector working for Fortune 300 companies and the...

8: Intentional Diversity and Inclusion with Guest Sherrell Dorsey from 2019-08-08T23:12:09

Guest Sherrell Dorsey, founder of The Plug Newsletter and BLKTECH Interactive, shares strategies to make diversity and inclusion initiatives intentional – from employment and culture in an organiza...

7: Empowered Reentry and Essential Skills with Guest Tina Manus from 2019-07-25T23:30:41

Guest Tina Manus took her experience as an educator and researcher to apply experiential problem-solving and interactive community building to build work readiness skills for individuals facing ...

6: Creating an Industry Career Map with Guest Joe Sarubbi from 2019-07-11T03:13:41

Guest Joe Sarubbi from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council shares why and how IREC created an interactive career map for the solar energy and climate control industries. Such tools can demon...

5: Manufacturing Career Pathways with Guest Neil Reddy from 2019-06-27T16:28:50

Guest Neil Reddy, CEO of the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC), shares how MSSC blazed the trail and created the gold standard for manufacturing skills. From career pathways to stacka...

4: Getting Strategic About Doing with Guest Ed Morrison from 2019-06-12T22:09:35

Guest Ed Morrison applies the approach of “Strategic Doing” to workforce and economic development. Applying this newer model of strategic planning opens the door to solve complex challenges thro...

3: Awarding Credit for Prior Learning and Curriculum Profiling with Guest Lynette Livingston from 2019-05-30T05:16:42

One technical college in Wisconsin is blazing a new trail by offering college credit for core courses using prior learning assessment (PLA) – credits typically reserved for electives. Awarding P...

2: Credentialing and Competency as Currency with Guest Katie Hall from 2019-05-10T16:28:41

Tune in to see the impact that credentials have on education and workforce and economic development. Learn how The Competency Project is on a mission to use underlying competency as currency in ...

1: Role of Economic Development in the Workforce Ecosystem with Will Coppage from 2019-04-18T22:46:17

Dig deep into the role that economic development plays in the workforce ecosystem. In this episode, Will Coppage from the Washington County Economic Alliance shares how his co...

0: Introducing Ready for Work from 2019-04-17T22:35:27

We all have a stake in making our country more competitive. Closing the skills gap and driving economic growth starts at the grassroots level. Episode Zero delivers what to expect from the Read...