The Education and Innovation Committee Meeting on June 4 sought to highlight three organizations and their efforts to improve education.
For the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation this effort manifests in its Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) Program.
Jaimie Francis, a representative from this organization, spoke of this program and its efforts to improve the transition from student to employee.
The issue, she explained, is often a lack of proper communication.
Miscommunication can leave employers struggling to find the talent they need to fill the positions they have.
For example, despite two companies having openings for a software programmer, each business could require a different skill set and competency than the other. If businesses fail to communicate this to educational institutions, then the graduates of these institutions will not be properly prepared for the workforce.
There is not a shared language between educators and employers around an employer’s needs and there should be, Francis explained.
As an example, she spoke about an organization that recently found positive results in the implementation of this program.
The Michigan Energy Workforce Development Consortium had encountered a huge problem — they were experiencing high retirement numbers.
“At the same time, they really did not see a lot of interest in the schools and an understanding of what career opportunities existed in the sector so students were never saying, ‘I want to be an electric line worker,’” Francis continued.
There was no flow of new workers into this career field so companies were encountering a shortage of employees. However, this improved with the implementation of TPM. Of the 100 critical positions needing to be filled in the energy sector, all were filled in less than two years.
While the model for this program is employer-lead, the benefits are seen by all parties involved.
As Francis explained, “At the end of the day that’s, again, what we’re all trying to do right? Is to create these solutions together that will be most meaningful for students, most meaningful for provider partners and most meaningful for employers.”
For more information on talent pipeline management you can visit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s website.
This article was written by Staff Writer Patricia Keitz.
