Robert Schaefer and Roy Vanderford represented the region, on behalf of the Northwest Indiana Workforce Board (NWIWB) and the Center of Workforce Innovations (CWI), at the National Association of Workforce Board’s Annual Forum in Washington, DC on March 30th, where they presented Northwest Indiana’s Employer Driven System Alignment model.
Their session addressed how the new Workforce Innovations and Opportunity Act (WIOA) allows workforce boards an opportunity to redefine their relationship with businesses, resulting in new levels of visibility and customer service. Schaefer and Vanderford shared examples of strategies NWIWB has used to engage employers in promoting job opportunities and education credentials in new and creative ways.
Schaefer is a resident of Long Beach in La Porte County and is a former chair of the NWIWB and Vanderford serves as the director of the Workforce Strategies Team at CWI.
The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) represents approximately 600 Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) and their 12,000 business members that coordinate and leverage workforce strategies with education and economic development stakeholders within their local communities, to ensure that state and local workforce development and job training programs meet the needs of employers. This year’s Forum drew close to 10,000 attendees from around the country.
For further information about the Northwest Indiana Workforce Board or the Center of Workforce Innovations visit www.gotoworkonenw.com/nwi-workforce-board/ or www.innovativeworkforce.com.