PODCAST · business
Ready for Work
by Jasen Jones, ACT Work Ready Communities
We all have a stake in making our communities more competitive. Closing the skills gap and driving economic growth starts at the grassroots level. Tune into the Ready for Work podcast for a discussion about strengthening the workforce ecosystem. Make ACT Ready for Work your go-to source for ideas to revolutionize your workforce. Provided by the experts. Curated by ACT. Learn more at act.org/readyforworkpodcast
Episodes
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62 Reaching for the STARs in Celebration of Workforce Development Month
ACT celebrates Workforce Development Month with a powerful keynote from LaShana Lewis—technologist, advocate, and Chair of Opportunity@Work’s Stars Advisory Council. Recorded live at ACT’s Atlanta Summit, LaShana shares her personal journey and the systemic barriers faced by STARs—those Skilled...
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61 - Employer Engagement for a Skills First Future
Episode 61 features Isaac Agbeshie-Noye from the SHRM Foundation, who discusses the Skills First Future initiative and its role in helping employers adopt skills-drivenpractices and expand nationwide opportunities through Learning and Employment Records (LERs). The conversation explores common...
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60 - Put It Where the Goats Can Get It - How to Simplify AI in Workforce Development
From the stage of ACT’s Workforce Summit in Atlanta, episode 60 brings humor, insight, and real-world wisdom on AI’s role in workforce development. Host Jasen Jones is joined by tech experts DJ Burrel, Joshua Cox and Davin Jackson to explore how AI is transforming cybersecurity, government, and...
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59 - From Cradle to Career: The Data-Driven Path to Community Transformation
How early should we begin career development in a child’s life? It’s earlier than you might think. Heidi shares how Strive-Together is helping communities nationwide align around seven key educational milestones—from kindergarten readiness to career entry. Discover how data becomes a flashlight,...
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58 - From Gridlock to Growth – Better Pathways to Partnership Impact
What does it take to transform education and workforce systems in a way that truly reflects local needs? In this episode, we explore the Talent Hub designation—a model-agnostic standard recognizing excellence in cross-sector partnerships at the local, regional, and state levels. Born from Lumina...
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57 - Conquering New Dimensions of Workforce Challenges for Competitive Economic Development
The disconnect between skilled workers and employers is wider than ever, with access to affordable housing and childcare now among the top challenges preventing new commercial investment and job creation. Collaborative workforce ecosystems, like those in Work Ready Communities, are uniquely...
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56 - Inspire Career Pathways with Manufacturing Month 2024
Celebrated on the first Friday in October, Manufacturing Day is a national movement showcasing modern manufacturing careers. Throughout October, companies and educational institutions open their doors to students, parents, educators, and community leaders. Neil Reddy brought the celebration to…
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55 - The Power of Essential Skills to Unlock Success_1
With the increasing demand for skills governing workplace behaviors, ACT’s new WorkKeys Essential Skills assessment is designed to measure and develop these crucial competencies for the future. In episode 55, Dr. Alex Casillas delves into the vital importance of essential skills in both education...
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54 - Accelerating Talent Development via Cross Sector Collaboration
With a panel of Work Ready Community champions, episode 54 explores innovative strategies and real-world examples of how partnerships between industries, educational institutions, and government agencies are reshaping workforce development. Accelerating Talent Development via Cross Sector...
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53 - Finding Your Workforce - Latino Talent for a Global Economy
Finding your Workforce – Latino Talent for a Global Economy highlights best practices to leverage the high labor force participation rate of Latinos, projected to be one in five workers by 2031. Deborah Santiago with Excelencia in Education discusses the importance of developing stackable...
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52 - Transforming Data to Destiny for Life-Changing Career Guidance
Richard Portelance from EdGate discusses the importance of data in career planning and the need for a lifelong learning repository to support modern pathways with better integrations of profile details. Identifying the fractured nature of current career tools and the necessity for better...
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51 - From Disparity to Prosperity - Transforming Minnesota’s Workforce
Erin Olson, Senior Director of Strategic Research at Real Time Talent, discusses Minnesota’s educational and workforce challenges. Despite high labor force participation, Minnesota faces significant racial disparities in education and a talent shortage. Olson highlights the misalignment between...
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50 - Work Readiness at the Speed of Motlow
Known for his innovative approach to education, Dr. Michael Torrence of Motlow State Community College in Tennessee is a champion of emerging technologies, workforce development, and community engagement. He's passionate about creating scalable opportunities for students, fostering relationships...
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49 Employer-Driven Universities with Innovative Solutions for Adult Learners
In Episode 49 of Ready for Work, we continue our series of FRED Talks from the ACT Workforce Summit. Tracy Robinson from the University of Memphis shares her experience working with adult learners and the challenges they face in balancing education with other life responsibilities. The University...
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48 Storytelling Accelerates Workforce and Economic Development
Will Coppage is a creative community developer. From the main stage of the ACT Workforce Summit, Will helped us explore the concept of wonder in art and its power to draw us in repeatedly. Will shows us how this principle applies to community development, emphasizing the importance of fostering...
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47 - Excellence in the Fusion of Economic and Workforce Development
Episode 47 features Tonia Saunders, who leads both workforce and economic development in Lucas County, Ohio. This Work Ready Community (WRC) integrated the two disciplines, emphasizing the role of collaboration with neighboring counties to enhance the region's competitiveness. Tonia shares…
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46 - Braided Funding and Alignment for Program Sustainability
Braided funding and alignment of partnerships are key when creating sustainable systems and programs for your community. Lyndsie Gibbs and Alex Lovrien from Metropolitan Community College in Omaha join us on Episode 46 of Ready for Work. The partnerships across this Work Ready Community grew a...
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45 - Skilled Through Alternative Routes - Why STARs Matter to the Workforce
Join us in Episode 45 to discover a groundbreaking partnership between ACT and Opportunity at Work. Georgia Gillette, VP of Strategic Alliances at Opportunity at Work, shares insights on STARs (Skilled Through Alternative Routes) and the Tear the Paper Ceiling campaign. Discover the challenges...
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44 - Celebrating Manufacturing Month with ACT and MSSC
In episode 44 of Ready for Work, LeeSa Page, a senior advisor with the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council, discusses the importance of Manufacturing Day and Manufacturing Month in October. She highlights the role of manufacturing in the American economy and the need to inspire various groups…
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43 - High Tech Meets High Touch to Engage Working Learners
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 personal journey that led him to develop Ringorang. Driven by overcoming severe mental health challenges…
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42 - What's Next for the Skills-First Movement
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. Through their pioneering work at College for America, the duo emphasizes the importance of transparently...
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41 - Credentials As You Go Accelerates Career Pathways
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 persists due to the proliferation of diverse credentials. Guest Melissa Goldberg joins Episode 41 of…
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40 - Equity and Transparency for Education and Credentials
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 individuals. Here in Episode 40 of Ready for Work, Credential Engine CEO Scott Cheney helps us uncover...
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39 - Innovations in Career Navigation and Workforce Ecosystem Impact
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-first approach of the workforce ecosystem and their innovations in this area are revolutionizing career...
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38 - Working to Solve Workforce Challenges in Longview
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 informative manner. One key point she highlighted was the importance of reliable transportation for workers…
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37 - Boosting Career Pathways with College Credit through WorkKeys
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 to college credit that jumpstarts the learning journey. Awarding credit through Prior Learning...
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36 - National Apprenticeship Week with Success at Roy O'Martin
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, and support under-served communities. On Episode 36 of Ready for Work, we take you to the recent ACT...
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35 - Closing Skill Gaps for Working Learners with Transit Support
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, broadband internet, childcare, and today’s focus in Episode 35, transportation. Abigail Seldin from the...
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34 - Digital Badges Expand Reach and Impact of WorkKeys
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, the VP for Business Development at Credly®, and Neil Reddy, CEO of the Manufacturing Skill Standards...
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33 - The Role of Occupational Identity for Early Career Professionals
Personal journeys through education and career pathways are often filled with challenges and obstacles, making progress difficult and compromise frequent. Chelsea Williams of Reimagine Talent Co helps us discover the role of occupational identify for career pathway success with tips for job...
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32 - Preparing Workforce Ecosystems for Returning Citizen Success
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 a regional workforce ecosystem, Returning Citizens are a high-performing group of working learners to...
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31 - Life-Changing Asset and Skill-Based Solutions in Alternative Sentencing
Episode 31 of Ready for Work is the first of a two-part episode on Preparing Workforce Ecosystems for Returning Citizen Success. Charles Elliot is the Presiding Circuit Judge in Morgan County, Alabama. Partnerships with the community college and economic development leaders across their Work…
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30 - Linking WorkKeys to Adult Education College and Career Readiness Standards
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 language proficiency. The National Reporting Service governs the College and Career Readiness…
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29 - Nine Elements to Improve Apprenticeship Quality and Completion
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 needed to boost quality and completions in apprenticeship. Coming out of this collaboration is a new...
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28 - The Role of Humor in Workforce Development - How Roy's Job Fair Reaches Working Learners
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 Wood Junior, a correspondent on Comedy Central's hit, The Daily Show, and host of Roy's Job Fair, a podcast...
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27 - Joplin's Road to Recovery as a Work Ready Community - Ten Years After Devastating Tornado Disaster
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 workforce ecosystem and the nation's first ACT-certified Work Ready Community. A recurring theme is the...
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26 - Training Workforce Ecosystem Leaders for Success
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 a Winning Workforce: A Playbook for Employers, Government Entities; Colleges & Schools; Workforce...
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25 - Rebooting Economic and Workforce Development for 2021
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 opportunities and obstacles at the same time. Episode 25 features Chad Chancellor, Co-Founder and CEO of the Next...
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24 - Deploy and Analyze Recovery and Resiliency Initiatives
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 Consulting Group shares some factors worth considering in the deployment of recovery services remotely....
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23 - Leading and Engaging Recovery and Resiliency
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 covered the Adapt phase in Episode 22. In this installment, we explore the Lead and Engage phases. We have an…
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22 Adapting for Recovery with Data, Skills, and Systems
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, Deploy, and Analyze. We focus this episode on the Adapt phase in Data, Skills, and Systems. The Adapt…
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21 Resilient Workforce Ecosystems Leading Skills-Based Economic Recovery
As a pandemic impacts communities everywhere, regional workforce ecosystems must implement reemployment strategies to become more adaptable. Hear stories of resilience happening real-time. Join the Conversation Will Coppage: Twitter Washington County Economic Alliance: Twitter Mary LeFebvre...
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20 Adult Education Success in Mississippi with Guest Bronwyn Robertson
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 them for success. What more can adult education programs be doing to prepare participants for career…
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19 Making the Most of Second Chances with Guest Shelly Jacobs
The Missouri Department of Corrections’ reentry program is equipping returning citizens with career credentials, barrier removal supports, and the WorkKeys NCRC. Reentry Coordinator Shelly Jacobs joins us to share the impact on their workforce. As employers across the nation are expanding their...
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18 Site Selection and Workforce Development with Guest Mark Arend
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 consultants, investors, and other decision-makers using data powered by the WorkKeys® National Career...
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17 Career Pathway Readiness with ACT Researchers Mary LeFebvre and Jeff Steedle
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 for counselors, students, or folks looking for a job change, The Condition of Career Pathway Readiness in the United States 2019...
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16 Connecting Rural Development Strategies and Resources with guests Joe T. Wood and Jim Tracy
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 opportunities in rural areas. This hurts the economy of local communities, including those in Southwest…
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15 Work Ethic for the 21st Century Workforce with guest Josh Davies
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 the FRED Talks as well as a breakout session at the recent ACT Workforce Summit. By using…
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14 Career Connected Learning with Guest Hans Meeder
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 Episode 14 of our Ready for Work podcast, which was recorded at our recent ACT Workforce Summit. Hans works…
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13 Workforce Response to Opioid Crisis in Tennessee
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), and overdose deaths. The region is learning how to contend with the impact that the opioid crisis…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
We all have a stake in making our communities more competitive. Closing the skills gap and driving economic growth starts at the grassroots level. Tune into the Ready for Work podcast for a discussion about strengthening the workforce ecosystem. Make ACT Ready for Work your go-to source for ideas to revolutionize your workforce. Provided by the experts. Curated by ACT. Learn more at act.org/readyforworkpodcast
HOSTED BY
Jasen Jones, ACT Work Ready Communities
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How many episodes does Ready for Work have?
Ready for Work currently has 64 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Ready for Work about?
We all have a stake in making our communities more competitive. Closing the skills gap and driving economic growth starts at the grassroots level. Tune into the Ready for Work podcast for a discussion about strengthening the workforce ecosystem. Make ACT Ready for Work your go-to source for ideas...
How often does Ready for Work release new episodes?
Ready for Work has 64 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Ready for Work?
You can listen to Ready for Work on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Ready for Work?
Ready for Work is created and hosted by Jasen Jones, ACT Work Ready Communities.
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