SkillUp is pleased to announce the selection of 24 workforce development leaders as fellows in the Greater Seattle Sector Skills Academy. The Academy, facilitated by the Aspen Institute's Workforce Strategies Initiative, provides emerging leaders in the sectoral workforce development field with a unique professional development opportunity. This group of fellows represents public agencies, community-based nonprofits, organized labor, workforce development councils, and community colleges and is helping to prepare unemployed and underemployed individuals for jobs in a wide range of sectors including health care, construction, information technology, business services and more.
Over a 10-month period, this group of 24 fellows will participate in peer and classroom learning and workshops, during which they will be encouraged to acquire new skills, engage in experiential learning, connect with peers, and build relationships with mentors and leaders. Academy faculty and mentors are drawn from experienced leaders in the field of sectoral employment development from around the country. Participants are expected to apply the lessons of the Academy to enhance their work in their chosen sector.
Participants
Adriana Gamboa Apprenticeship Program Supervisor - Construction Industry Training Council of Washington
Amanda Sahli Program Manager - Multi-Service Center
Amy Kickliter Senior Manager, Employment and Adult Education - Neighborhood House
Cheryl Sabin Economic Opportunity Coordinator - Seattle Housing Authority
Chris Pierson Program Coordinator - SkillUp Washington
Corinne Malpocher Assistant Director; Manager of Workforce Development - SEIU Healthcare 1199NW Multi-Employer Training and Education Fund
Dan Bernard Business Services Lead - Pacific Associates
Darlene Molsen Associate Dean, Workforce Education - Bellevue Community College
Dawn Karber Chief Operating Officer - Spokane Area Workforce Development Council
Duncan Burgess Interim Associate Dean Business Information Technology, Computing, WorkSource - South Seattle Community College
Ira SenGupta Executive Director - Cross Cultural Health Care Program
Jeff Wendland Director of Employment and Citizenship Services - Asian Counseling and Referral Service
Jody Laflen Dean of Business, Information Technologies & Creative Art - Seattle Central Community College
Judith Morel Program Manager - Bellevue Community College
Krista Diaz Contract and Support Services Manager - Seattle Jobs Initiative
Lars Nowack Executive Director - Cares of Washington
Megan Whalen Program Analyst - Goodwill of Seattle
Mike Schwartz Associate Director of Employment Services - YWCA of Seattle, King and Snohomish County
Paul Garcia Program Manager - Workforce Development Council of Snohomish County
Samantha Kealoha Outreach and Recruitment Specialist - ANEW
Sarah Laslett Director - Washington State Labor Education and Research Center, South Seattle Community College
Stephanie Kellner Researcher/Program Developer - Port Jobs
Tani Biale Apprenticeship Consultant - Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
Trena Cloyd Airport Jobs Program Manager - Port Jobs
Group Photo: November 7, 2012
Q&A
What is the Greater Seattle Sector Skills Academy?
The Greater Seattle Sector Skills Academy is a new initiative to support the professional development of workforce leaders in the Central Puget Sound Region meeting the needs of the region’s low-income adults. The Academy, sponsored by SkillUp Washington, will be facilitated by the Aspen Institute, a national leader in research, technical assistance and training related to sector strategies. The Greater Seattle Sector Skills Academy is modeled after the National Sector Skills Academy. For more information, please visit Aspen Institute.
How does the process work?
The Academy offers an experiential learning approach to building the skills and expertise of leaders involved in sector strategies. Participants will work with peers from a variety of organizations from across the region, engaging in facilitated discussions and exploring new strategic approaches in issue areas such as employer engagement, sustainability, strategic communications, strengthening influence networks, and other topics. Specific themes will be finalized and refined in response to the composition and interests of the group. Through a collaborative learning process, the Academy hopes to not only build the skills of attendees and strengthen the work of their organizations, but also to provide a forum for workforce leaders to build new relationships and gain a fuller appreciation of the scope of the workforce system in the region. The Academy also hopes to provide opportunities to gain insight into ways to strengthen this system, further improving outcomes for low-income workers.
