Jacksonville region selected to pioneer new workforce development approach

By Gary Scott on July 26, 2017 at 6:54am

The Jacksonville area is one of 65 employment centers across the country chosen to pioneer a new demand-driven approach to workforce development.

Two Jacksonville area economic agencies, the Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Center and the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce, are joining forces to implement the so-called “talent pipeline management,” or TPM approach to workforce development.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, or USCCF, has selected the Jacksonville region to test the TPM approach, a method which commercial leaders feel addresses the demands of today’s ever-changing business environment.

As members of the TPM Academy, the USCCF is sending JREDC President Paul Ellis and local Chamber President Lisa Musch to Washington, D.C., where they will attend a pair of three-day TPM training sessions. During their training sessions, Ellis and Musch will hear from experts and peers from other communities. The two local economic leaders will then apply the information acquired through the Academy for the purpose of implementing the TPM approach into Jacksonville’s local economy.

According to Jason Tyszko of the USCCF, there are three areas in which the TPM method offers sizeable opportunities for employers. The first is that it encourages employers to share competency and credentialing requirements with fellow employers. It also helps them apply lessons learned in supply chain management to the talent pipeline allowing participating companies to work together in identifying critical skill gaps, choose talent focus areas and forecast demand for such positions. And finally, the approach assists employers in building creative partnerships with universities, community colleges, K-12 schools and other employers.