Changing conventional wisdom about workforce training and education — that college is the best and or the only path — will require changing culture. Parents, teachers, and young learners themselves can be leaders in this revolution.
But so can business leaders.
A new initiative from the Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) will help leaders at mid-size companies transform their thinking about workforce development. The program aims to be a win-win for both employees and employers. For workers, it will enhance companies’ commitment to providing ongoing learning and skills acquisition programs. For businesses, it will enhance their ability to attract, grow, and retain talent.
Workforce Innovators, a team-based training program, is taking applications now. Up to 15 companies will be selected to participate, each committing three to five leaders to engage in the program.
The Charles Koch Foundation (CKF) supports the initiative.
“Workforce Innovators is a leadership development program specially designed to develop the skills necessary to drive change in a company, create an organizational culture for innovation, and create and leverage a more effective and energized workforce,” said KLC President and CEO Kaye Monk-Morgan.
One of Workforce Innovators’ chief goals is to encourage companies to adopt best practices for organizational and business success and to change their culture so that they are better able to:
- Empower employees to innovate and drive success;
- Enable the adoption of new employee development models;
- Encourage individual advancement and support individualized development pathways;
- Support employees so they are able to contribute more to the long-term success of a company; and
- Help companies better leverage individual talent for improved performance.
“This cohort of mid-sized companies will clarify talent gaps and their root causes, explore innovative solutions, and share insights to accelerate training pathways,” CKF Executive Director Ryan Stowers said. “By fostering an open culture where everyone has access to opportunity and can expand their impact over time, they’ll better align workers and employers to create lasting value. … Change doesn’t happen without commitments from local leaders, and we are excited to see how KLC will facilitate these commitments.”
Read more about Workforce Innovators at this link.