Celebrating Workforce Development Month 2023: Reflecting on the 2023 NASWA Workforce Summit

As we celebrate Workforce Development Month in 2023, it's the perfect time to reflect on the ever-evolving landscape of employment and the innovative approaches shaping the workforce of tomorrow. This year, I had the privilege of attending the 2023 NASWA Workforce Summit, where workforce development leaders from state labor agencies across the nation converged to discuss how to best support workers, job seekers, and employers in today's labor market and into the future. In this article, I'll share some of the key takeaways from the event and how they are shaping the future of workforce development.

Before I get into those reflections, let's start with appreciation. Workforce development is hard and getting harder. Workforce development agencies at the local, regional, and state levels are being asked to do more with fewer resources. Now as a workforce development board member with the San Diego Workforce Partnership , I'm even more acutely aware of the challenges facing workforce development professionals, including executive leaders, frontline staff, and all levels in between. With that in mind, I want to share a big THANK YOU to workforce professionals and all the groups like National Association of State Workforce Agencies , National Association of Workforce Boards , and National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) that support them.

The Rise of AI:

The resounding mantra of the summit was "AI, AI, AI." In fact, speakers referenced AI in every plenary and breakout session (and there were dozens of them!). For the workforce development space, AI's impact is two-fold: 1) the ways in which the proliferation of AI tools, especially generative AI, will impact jobs in all industries and levels and 2) how AI tools can improve the delivery of workforce development and reemployment services. It was clear that embracing AI is no longer an option but a necessity. From streamlining job searches to enhancing skills development, AI is reshaping workforce strategies in profound ways.

Want to take a deeper look at the ways AI is effecting the world of work? Check out LinkedIn's AI at Work report.

Infrastructure, Broadband, and Climate Jobs:

Workforce development agencies need to respond to labor demand. It's clear that labor demand is high when it comes to building and maintaining infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and broadband, as well as jobs required to fight climate change. Leaders from the state agencies and the U.S. Department of Labor highlighted the ways in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act are reshaping the economy and creating job openings that require support from the workforce development system to help fill. Toward that end, job training dollars, including some funds from the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act, are being targeted toward programs and interventions that can help workers fill in-demand jobs that hold both economic promise and the ability to fight climate change.

Innovating the AJC Model:

The American Job Centers (AJC) network has been the physical front door to the U.S. workforce system. More than three years after the pandemic upended this model, AJCs are being reimagined through virtual service delivery and a focus on augmenting in-person capacity. From a workforce professional perspective, this shift has led to greater employee satisfaction and location flexibility. For job seekers, this means they can more readily access career coaches for support, encouragement, and guidance.

This made me think of the great work leaders like Josh Copus and Virginia Hamilton are doing to leverage human-centered design to improve AJCs. Learn more about their work here .

Skills-Based Hiring:

Workforce professionals have been engaged in skills-based hiring since before it became one of the dominant movements within economic mobility and HR circles. It's recent growth has reinforced the importance of skills-based approaches to workforce development and led to the development of new tools that can help bring the vision of a skills-based labor market closer to reality.

For the workforce system, skills-based approaches are important for all sides of the labor market. The system works with employers to use skills-based approaches to widen the aperture of who they might consider for a position by looking beyond education requirements and exact title match. With job seekers, career coaches use skills-based approaches to help them see the array of jobs for which they are qualified, and that list of titles is stretches across more functions and industries than those workers may have previously worked. That's particularly important since of their goals is to help job seekers get back to work as quickly as possible. Lastly, the workforce system is leveraging skills-based approaches to identify the training programs it works with and to influence how those training programs can best prepare job seekers for available jobs.

For more on all the ways that skills-based hiring can be beneficial for workers and employers, check out LinkedIn's 2023 Skills First Hiring Report .

Co-Production of Talent:

The same skills-based approach needs to stretch beyond hiring. In that way workforce agencies are increasingly viewing employers as co-producers of talent. This shift not only benefits employers but also ensures that job seekers are better prepared for the demands of the job market. The imperative for employer-based learning is strong, particularly as the skills needed for all jobs change and that change is accelerated by the proliferation of AI tools. While the workforce system includes limited funding to support incumbent worker and on-the-job training, more tools and resources to support skills attainment while workers are in jobs will essential to supporting workers and employers through the evolving economy.

Conclusion

The 2023 NASWA Workforce Summit showcased the exciting innovations and forward-thinking strategies that are driving workforce development into the future. As we celebrate Workforce Development Month, let us take inspiration from these insights and commit to reshaping our approach to workforce development. By embracing a comprehensive infrastructure agenda, AI, skills-based hiring, and a more inclusive model of talent development, we can create a workforce that is resilient, adaptable, and prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. Together, we can build a brighter future for all workers and employers alike.

P.S. It's meant to be that Scott B. Sanders , NASWA's President & CEO and one of our country's most vocal workforce development advocates, celebrates his birthday in September (during this year's NASWA Summit no less!). Thanks Scott for your leadership!