A common struggle we often hear from employers is the pain points of unfilled job openings, upskilling current employees, and retention of existing workers. We gathered a few manufacturers a year ago to perform a demand planning survey to identify the most demanding and hardest-to-fill positions. The results of the small initiative shed light on how we can develop sector partnerships to meet the needs of our region’s employers with industry sector partnerships. Sector partnerships are perhaps the most effective way to align public and private resources to address the talent needs of employers, as defined by employers. Now we have the opportunity to do this on a grander scale.
Greater Peoria EDC and the Regional Workforce Alliance has been offered a unique opportunity by Illinois’ Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). They are providing us with U.S. Chamber of Commerce Talent Pipeline Management Fellow Kim Kuchenbrod to launch a pilot program focusing on sector partnership strategies for the healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation/distribution industries. These proven strategies have a strong Return on Investment for participating companies. Kim and her team will facilitate the following:
- strategies in creating a job projection survey
- apprenticeships for onboarding and upskilling employees
- aligning competencies and credentials with training providers
- aligning community and education training programs creates a positive talent flow into Peoria area industries.
There are two upcoming events you should consider joining. First, the US Chamber of Commerce is offering a free 2½ hour workshop on May 10 from 2:30-5:00 pm at the Embassy Suites in East Peoria. The workshop introduces Talent Pipeline Management (TPM), the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s employer-led, performance-driven approach to building talent supply chains that meet the needs of learners, training providers, and employers. Participants will walk away with the following:
- A deeper understanding of the TPM approach
• How TPM has been used in Apprenticeship Illinois
• Communities Benefits
• Next steps to further engage in sector partnership development
You can register for this free workshop here.
Second, on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, from 9 am – 10:30 am, we are hosting a kickoff meeting for executives from the healthcare, distribution, and manufacturing industries to understand better the TPM process and what it means to participants. The meeting location is still being determined, but if you are interested in attending this meeting, please email Chris at csetti@greaterpeoriaedc.org.