Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.
In Arizona, a unique partnership between Pima Community College and the Center for the Future of Arizona is investing in leaders of the workforce development system as a key leverage point for change in the system. The Southern Arizona Workforce Leadership Academy brings together workforce practitioners in order to strengthen the leadership pipeline, deepen collaborative relationships locally, and invest in developing professionals who lead our workforce organizations. This conversation with Amanda Abens of Pima Community College and Holly Kurtz and Tennille Penaloza-Hagen of the Center for the Future of Arizona will explore the role of leadership development in the workforce development ecosystem, the challenges of talent development in such an interdisciplinary field, and what this partnership between a community college and a statewide “do-tank” has the potential to accomplish.
To optimize local workforce systems, practitioners must dismantle silos and create coherent systems and services that balance the needs of both workers and businesses. In our Workforce Leadership Café discussion series, we explore how the workforce development field can be more reflective of the change it seeks to cultivate, hosting conversations with leaders who are contributing their talents and insights to this rich field of practice. Guests include sponsors of localWorkforce Leadership Academiesand others who are exploring talent development and job quality in workforce development. Learn more atas.pn/WLAcafe
About the Workforce Leadership Academies
The Aspen Institute’s Workforce Leadership Academies, part of the Economic Opportunities Program, bring together leaders across the many siloed fields of practice, organization types, and government policies that make up the field. The Academies strengthen Fellows’ capacity to develop and sustain effective workforce strategies, collaborate more deeply with employers, and expand the number and quality of leaders who advance opportunities for low-wage workers and job seekers as they meet employers’ talent development needs.
About the Economic Opportunities Program
The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.
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“My passion has always been leadership development. My experience tells me that changes in a system start with leadership, and the workforce development ecosystem is ripe for innovative changes at all levels.”
“By leveraging the principles of the Academy, we’re actively building a landscape that aims to shift the paradigm for low-income individuals and their families.”
– Academy Fellow
