Thursday, September 25, 2008 – 7:30 to 9:30 am
St. Charles Medical Center – Bend
“The Power of Partnerships in Workforce Development:
Education, Labor, Economic Development, and the Private Sector”
by Barbara Hins-Turner, Executive Director,
Centralia College Center of Excellence for Energy Technology
Many Central Oregon businesses have stated that attracting and retaining qualified, job-ready workers is a significant challenge. While a high-quality education and workforce development system which produces a steady flow of job applicants exists in Central Oregon, there is an opportunity to better connect schools and workforce development organizations with the business community to meet the region’s evolving workforce need.
A primary function of the Central Oregon Workforce Investment Board (COWIB) is to improve this connection for the benefit of workers, employers and the regional economy. COWIB is a public-private board that oversees the WorkSource system in Central Oregon, and identifies strategies to improve the region’s workforce development system.
“COWIB has consistently heard that businesses struggle to find work-ready employees, and we are working to address that challenge,” said COWIB Chair Robin Popp of Goodwill Industries. “More importantly, we understand that we need to prepare for a changing economy – we need to match the supply of workers with the demand for employees in high growth and high wage industries. This is critical to our region’s economic future. But we cannot do this without a stronger partnership between the business community and the workforce system,” said Popp.
COWIB's third annual Workforce Forecast Breakfast event will explore the challenge of developing partnerships between the private sector demand for workers and the public workforce organizations that supply workforce. Keynote speaker Barbara Hins-Turner of the Centralia College Center of Excellence for Energy Technology will discuss the power of partnerships for meeting the workforce needs of industries, and will highlight models for developing these partnerships.
Barbara Hins-Turner has 20 years of experience providing collaborative leadership for energy industry workforce training and development initiatives. She currently serves as Executive Director for the Centralia College Center of Excellence for Energy Technology, Project Manager for the Pacific Northwest Power Generation Skill Panel and is a member of the national Center for Energy Workforce Development Educational Council. Prior service includes Director of Portland General Electric’s (PGE) Corporate University, Chair of the Utility Education and Training Alliance Pacific Northwest Chapter, and Chair of the Western Energy Institute Innovative Strategies for Workforce Development.
Registrations for the Workforce Forecast Breakfast are currently being accepted. The event will be held on Thursday, September 25, from 7:30 to 9:30 AM at the St. Charles Medical Center in Bend. Sponsors include the Central Oregon Workforce Investment Board, Economic Development for Central Oregon, High Desert Education Service District, and the Partnership to End Poverty.
Breakfast is provided - Corporate Table of (8) $150; Individual Reservation(s) $25. To register, contact Dayna at EDCO, 541-388-3236 or email, dayna@edcoinfo.com by September 23, 2008. Reservations will be held at the door.
