UpSkill America is an employer-led movement to expand opportunity for America’s workers and allow our economy and communities to thrive. As part of our mission to advance the upskilling movement, we are pleased to share the following interview from one of our partners.
As a result of the federal UpSkill Initiative, organizations across the US are developing programs to train their existing workers and looking at new ways to train future employees. Many large corporations have taken the lead and made progress training workers who oftentimes have been overlooked as a candidate for improving their skill sets, and thus helping them progress professionally. With the help of the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA), small, medium, and start-up companies are connecting and forming partnerships that are helping potential workers overcome barriers and find new and even better employment opportunities.
One of these new partnerships that is showing tremendous results is between Alexandria City Public Schools and Dominion Services – Virginia Power. By working together high school and adult education students are gaining awareness of and knowledge about the skills needed to work in the electrical and utility industry.
In this podcast, Teri Barnett, adult education program coordinator at Alexandria Public Schools, and Drexel Harris, recruiting partnership and sourcing program director at Dominion Services – Virginia Power, talk about how their partnership formed, what they are doing to attract potential workers, and how this partnership can be replicated by many other types of organizations. They have a compelling story about how business, education, and the community are working together to find solutions to help prospective employees overcome barriers to higher paying jobs.
This piece was excerpted from “UpSkilling America Through Adult Education Programs” by Pearson’s Caroline Miller. Click here to read more.
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