Smart Workforce Solutions

The 2007 Workforce Summit of Southwest Missouri was held in Joplin on April 4th.  Surveys of the event indicate that the Summit was well-received.  Participants found the content timely and engaging with strategies that are relevant and useful.

A panel on Workforce Competitiveness kicked off the Summit event.  The panel featured Rob O’Brian of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, Rod Nunn from the Missouri Division of Workforce Development, and Roger Wagner from Crowder College.

Jasen Jones, Executive Director of the Workforce Investment Board, showcased new innovations for Workforce Competitivess.  The presentation included a demo of the interactive Alchemy Training SISTEM, occupational planning and work readiness assessments from WorkKeys, web-based applicant screening through the Virtual Video Interview system, new talent development strategies with industry sector consortiums and cross-state partnerships underway with neighboring workforce regions in Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma.  

Pictured above is Ray Uhalde, the keynote speaker for the Summit.  Ray’s keynote provided a thought-provoking blueprint to rethink education’s role to prepare students to thrive in a global economy.  Ray is the Director of the Workforce Strategies Group at the National Center on Education and the Economy.

Copies of the presentation slides are available for download as a PDF.  Click here to download the presentation by Jasen Jones on New Tools for Workforce Competitiveness.  Click here to download Ray Uhalde’s keynote presentation, Tough Chocies or Tough Times on the New Commission for American Skills in the Workplace.  Both documents contain slides from the presentations converted to PDF files.  Podcasts of audio presentations from the Summit will be posted soon in our Podcast section of WorkforceZone.com. 

The increasingly-popular Alchemy Training SISTEM, a powerful workforce training solution available to businesses through the Missouri Career Center, underwent an upgrade recently to add new training modules by popular demand.   Modules on Customer Service, Business Etiquette, Attitude/Motivation, and Goal-Setting are among many new highlights in the soft skill training offerings through SISTEM.

The new Basics of Customer Service module helps trainees understand the importance of good customer service through six key elements needed to improve a customer’s experience.  Learners identify specific methods to provide exceptional customer service and processes to effectively handle a customer complaint.

An entry-level Business Etiquette module covers the importance of making a good impression through appropriate professional dress standards and good hygeine for men and women in work environments.  The training helps participants understand the impact of body language when meeting new people as well.  Building on the first module, a Professional-Level Business Etiquette module addresses customary behavior when meeting new people and expected protocol for conducting meetings and making calls for work.  The module also covers appropriate behavior for dining with business associates. 

Defining attitude and the benefits of a good attitude at work lead off the Positive Attitude and Motivation module.  By understanding the different ways people are motivated, trainees can identify factors to influence their ability to motivate and modify behaviors to create an atmosphere of positive change in the workplace. 

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10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 4th
Continental Catering Center
2728 N. Rangeline Road [Map]
Joplin, MO 

The future of Southwest Missouri’s economic prosperity is in its workforce. The Workforce Summit of Southwest Missouri, is a half-day conference officially set for April 4th, to debut trends and workforce improvement solutions for business executives and community leaders.

The theme for this year’s event centers on Workforce Innovation as a Competitive Asset. The event is sponsored by the Workforce Investment Board (WIB) of Southwest Missouri and showcases the potential for the region to thrive economically as businesses and communities team up to enhance the skill and productivity of the workforce.

The WIB has tapped Ray Uhalde to provide a thought-provoking keynote address on a blueprint to rethink education’s role to prepare students to thrive in a global economy.  As Director of the Workforce Strategies Group at the National Center on Education and the Economy, Mr. Uhalde brings employment and training insights from his 15 years as a senior executive with the U.S. Department of Labor and his role in developing the current framework for the one-stop career center system. 

The event is planned for 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4th at the Continental Catering Center (located behind Granny Shaffer’s Restaurant), 2728 N. Rangeline Road, between Joplin and Webb City. More information will be released here at www.workforcezone.com.