WWP Selected for Jobs For the Future Workforce Communities of Action

Willamette Workforce Partnership (WWP) applied for and was accepted to participate in Jobs For the Future’s (JFF’s) Workforce Communities of Action (WCA). WWP will participate in this innovative and intensive professional development experience with representatives of 19 other workforce development boards from around the country to identify and address urgent issues within our community. JFF, with support from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, selected 20 workforce boards across the county. It is indeed an honor for WWP to be chosen as one of the Workforce Communities of Action.

According to Ami Maceira, WWP’s Program Director, “We appplied for this opportunity in late April and found out on May 26 th that WWP was accepted. Through this opportunity, we will learn unique approaches to make meaningful, lasting change in our community by devising innovative solutions to challenges that impact our regional economy.”

The Workforce Communities of Action model aims to strengthen workforce professionals’ ability to identify and solve complex urgent issues. WWP, along with CivicMakers, JFF and a team of nationally recognized workforce advisors, will thoroughly explore and communicate its problems in a structured environment. Together they will identify viable action plans tied to measurable impacts defined with WWP’s community partners.

The onboarding session will take place on Wednesday, June 14 , 2023, followed by the Ideation Phase and then the Activation Phase. The work will end on December 31, 2023.

At the completion of this engagement, JFF will select four communities to receive $10,000 in seed funding that will continue to work closely with JFF and its team of advisors to develop compelling proposals for innovative, place-based solutions to present to potential funders. Leveraging its national network, JFF will support efforts to identify and connect community members to potential funders and grant opportunities with the goal of raising funds to support concept implementation by the summer of 2024.

WWP will keep you informed of its progress as a member of the Workforce Communities of Action!

In April of this year, Kim Parker-Llerenas, WWP’s Executive Director participated in the Workforce GPS/NAWB webinar, Promising Practices in Engaging Local Elected Officials, attended by more than 300 people. Kim shared her insights about building and sustaining relationships with local elected officials. Specifically, building trust, communicating consistently, and navigating the politics. Kim’s presentation was exceptionally well received and led to an invitation to present at a recent round table webinar facilitated by NAWB for the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration Next Level Now Collaborative Technical Assistant Program. Kim and Craig Pope, Polk County Commissioner, Chief Local Elected Official, and Chair of the Mid-Willamette Valley Jobs Council shared examples of how workforce boards effectively engage local elected officials.

Commissioner Pope stated, “I have dedicated a considerable portion of my adult working life to furthering the efforts of my local workforce board, as an employer and as an elected official in my county. It was an honor to stand alongside my amazing Executive Director, and share our thoughts about the value of relationships and project delivery in the workforce world.”

Their participation in this webinar was recognized in NAWB’s May 26, 2023 Weekly Postcard with the following shout-out “Huge thanks to Kim Parker-Llerenas & Craig Pope of Willamette Workforce Partnership….for providing attendees with high quality working examples!”

Congratulations to Kim and Commissioner Pope for expanding WWP’s national exposure!