Behind Every Employer

In this episode, leaders from Old Dominion Group (ODG), a specialty services construction contractor, and Chesterfield County Public Schools team up to share how they built a powerful partnership to support ODG’s growing workforce. From financial literacy to English language and digital skills development, they break down what it takes to create programs that truly make an impact. The conversation highlights the importance of starting small, prioritizing the right instructor fit, and building a deeply collaborative relationship, one that amplifies ODG’s true superpower: its culture and unwavering commitment to its people.

In this episode, Anson and Jeff sit down with Chelle Travis, executive director of SkillsUSA—the nation’s premier workforce development organization for students. Celebrating its 60th anniversary, SkillsUSA continues to bridge the gap between education and industry, empowering over 440,000 student and instructor members nationwide. Chelle shares insights on the organization’s record-setting growth, its role in shaping future-ready professionals, and how SkillsUSA remains the number one catalyst in student workforce development for high school and postsecondary learners alike.

In this episode of Behind Every Employer, Anson Green and Jeffrey Abramowitz spotlight innovative approaches to building and sustaining the nursing workforce. Hear how Texas employers and educators are collaborating to train, support, and advance nurses to meet today’s critical healthcare demands through a partnership with the Trellis Foundation and UpSkill America.

Anson and Jeff sit down with Dr. Kiesha King, a passionate advocate for digital equity and ethical technology practices in education. As T-Mobile’s Senior National Education Administrator, Dr. King leads Project 10Million, a groundbreaking $10.7 billion initiative aimed at closing the digital divide for students across the country. With more than two decades of experience engaging and transforming the education landscape, Dr. King shares her powerful perspective on digital transformation. Her work spans nonprofits, juvenile justice, public schools, colleges, and the business community—bringing access, relevance, and dignity to the communities and individuals she serves. She’s also a five-time Forbes contributor with a global readership of over 3 million, known for addressing the big questions at the intersection of education, technology, and workforce readiness.

If you really want to understand how to be a “Fair Chance” employer, then listen to this episode of the Behind Every Employer Podcast with our guest Jacqueline Cooley. Passionate about empowering individuals, Jacqueline champions personal and professional growth through mentorship and innovative coaching. At JBM Packaging, a leader in sustainable packaging, Jacqueline plays a pivotal role in enhancing employee satisfaction and career development while fostering a culture of inclusivity and accountability. Her commitment to second chance hiring stems from personal experiences, inspiring her to create opportunities for individuals overcoming barriers to employment. This is a must watch episode as Jeff & Anson show you what should be happening “behind every employer”.

In this episode Anson and Jeff sit down with Kelly Aiken, director of workforce development and planning at UMass Memorial Health (UMMH), and Mandy Townsend, senior vice president of employer engagement at Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) in Boston, to discuss how UMMH built its workforce development function from the ground up. Leveraging their multi-employer Healthcare Training Institute and utilizing support from JVS Boston has allowed UMMH to upskill workers, strengthen career pathways, and support internationally trained professionals through credential validation, digital literacy, ESOL, citizenship interview preparation. Kelly and Mandy explore the challenges and successes of creating an accessible talent pipeline that benefits both employers and workers. Tune in for insights into innovative workforce strategies that are reshaping healthcare employment.

In this episode, Diane Temme Stinton, CEO of TMCO, shares insights into her leadership journey of following in her father’s footsteps at the helm of the company. Under her guidance, TMCO was named Nebraska’s Manufacturer of the Year in 2023. Diane discusses her passion for workforce development and manufacturing advocacy, as well as TMCO’s impressive growth. The company not only creates high-quality components for industries like agriculture, aerospace, and energy but also prioritizes its employees' well-being by offering ESL classes, early childhood programs for workers’ families, and language volunteers to support non-native English speakers. Tune in to hear her inspiring story of innovation, leadership, and community impact.

In this episode, Adam Leonard, a self-described data evangelist and chief analytics officer at the Texas Workforce Commission, sits down with us to discuss generative AI’s potential to transform the career prospects of job seekers and students. As AI dramatically changes jobs in unpredictable ways, it is critical to have a mechanism to track and respond to these changes. But while AI is a catalyst for change, it is also a key piece of developing that model. AI can deliver near-time feedback on the skills employers are seeking, thus providing immediate direction to students and job seekers on what they need to study. Additionally, generative AI can automate common tasks on the job that are typically learned through experience or trapped in tribal knowledge, thus closing the knowledge gap for new workers more quickly. Because generative AI can automate mundane work, workers' capacity can be freed up for more rewarding and creative tasks.

Rachel Riggs is leading the field of adult education using Generative AI in the classroom. Check out her review of the state of play for instruction and learning. In addition to a powerful review of high quality tools that instructors can use, Rachel shares her ideas on how instructors are overcoming creative hurdles, developing materials, and finding new ways to integrate the goals of adult learners into instruction.

In this episode, Vi Hawes, from Pima Community College, describes her journey becoming an AI instructional trendsetter in adult learning. She explains how she simplifies complex concepts for beginners and shares how ChatGPT enhances her daily classroom activities with its efficiency and value.