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2009 UCEA Workforce
Development Forum

Speaker Bios

UCEA.edu: Professional Development: Special Seminars: 2009 Workforce Development Forum

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2009 Workforce Development Forum

Forum Program and Schedule

Download the Forum Program (PDF)

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Preconference Workshop: The Importance of Workforce Development in Advancing Sustainability

Sustainable development — the interdependence of economic, environmental, and social development – has gained in importance as regions seek to balance economic development with cleaner living standards. Rising energy prices, growing metropolitan populations, and declining job opportunities in fossil fuel industries are contributing to the need for government and business to invest in “green” technologies. This workshop will examine how economic development, workforce development, and sustainable development interrelate.

Debra Rowe, President of the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development, will discuss job growth in sustainable industries; government, business, and venture capital investment in green technology; and the role of higher education institutions in establishing certification requirements and delivering programs for employees in sustainable industries.

Anthony Joseph, Director of the Office of Workforce Policy, Innovation and Improvement for the New York State Department of Labor, will talk about New York’s statewide Clean Energy Initiative, including green jobs training and regional economic transformation strategies. He will also provide a brief overview of other states that have undertaken similar initiatives.

David Schejbal, Dean of the Division of Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning in the University of Wisconsin–Extension, will discuss a multidisciplinary bachelor’s degree in sustainable management offered by the University of Wisconsin–Extension.

Sharon Hanna-West, the Exide Distinguished Lecturer at the University of South Florida College of Business Administration, will talk about the Sustainability Strategic Initiative at USF, one of four key initiatives designated by the USF Provost; which includes partnerships with local business to promote green business practices and conduct research projects for students enrolled in the Building Sustainable Enterprise track for the MBA program.

Wendy Evers, Senior Director of New Program Development for San Diego State University, College of Extended Studies, will elaborate on two green industry certificate programs created by SDSU, in collaboration with the City of San Diego, to develop a green workforce and attract cleantech industries to the region. Discussion will focus on the type of courses offered, new job development, and the comprehensive demand of offering focused skill-based courses to adult learners around the world.

Separate registration fee required—see Registration form

Thursday, January 8, 2009

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 10:00 a.m. Opening General Session

Green Deal: Creating Sustainable Jobs
Michael Renner, Senior Researcher, Worldwatch Institute

Environmental policies can expand the economy and stimulate job creation in key sectors, including renewable energy, buildings and construction, transportation, and agriculture, along with the industries that supply these sectors. A transition to a green economy will increase the demand for skilled workers. Filling these positions will require access to relevant training programs and higher education institutions will be counted upon to develop needed certificate and degree programs.

10:00 – 10:15 a.m. Break

10:15 – 11:15 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

Building a State-wide Higher Education Program in Disaster Management and Homeland Security
Dennis “Skip” Parks, California Polytechnic State University

In partnership with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Continuing Education at California Polytechnic has developed an undergraduate certificate program in disaster management and homeland security. This program enables both those already in the profession and those seeking to enter the field the ability to earn state and national certifications and also apply the coursework toward an undergraduate degree at Cal Poly.

Leveraging Government and Industry Partnerships for Youth-in-Transition Training
Susan Chappell, Penn State Lehigh Valley
Diane Lewis, Penn State Lehigh Valley

The Academic and Employment Program for Youth-in-Transition is a Penn State program funded through a yearly grant from the local Workforce Investment Board. The program leverages industry and community partnerships to offer training to youth in targeted industry clusters within the Lehigh Valley and to provide resources to aid their entry into the local workforce.

Human Capital Management: Moving Organizations from Resistance to Return on Investment
Stephanie Medlock, The University of Chicago
Gordon Medlock, Senior Human Capital Consultant, Success Factors

The University of Chicago Graham School’s Certificate in Human Capital Management consists of seven courses. Each deals with a specific aspect of creating a strategic human capital plan, from assessment of the key processes and related managerial competencies of effective talent management to how to create a business case and ROI analysis to justify investments in human capital programs.

11:15 – 11:30 a.m. Break

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions Repeat

12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Lunch and Networking Session

2009 World Education Café

Join us for a session of conversation in a unique format. If you have not participated in a Café before, you will enjoy learning in this simple, yet provocative process. Facilitated table discussions will focus on topics related to the Forum theme. These conversations with other Forum participants will help shape our thinking and actions for the future.

2:00 – 2:15 p.m. Break

2:15 – 3:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

Building Career Pathways from Non-credit to Credit in Key Industrial
Vicki M. Simek, Cumberland County College

This presentation will describe how one community college worked with multiple stakeholders to identify high-growth industry clusters in its region and then set about developing career pathways with training programs to enable an individual to move from entry-level training through multiple degree program options.

The Leadership Deficit: Workforce Education Needs of the U.S. Nonprofit Sector
David Garvey, University of Connecticut
Nancy Winemiller Basinger, University of Utah
Anne E. O’Brien, University of Utah

This two-part session examines the workforce needs of the U.S. nonprofit sector. The first segment (2:15 – 3:15 p.m.) addresses the causes of the leadership crisis and how institutions can identify the workforce needs of the nonprofit sector. The second segment (3:30 – 4:30 p.m.) moves from cause to action, discussing the CE models at two public universities that address the workforce issues of the U.S. nonprofit sector.

A Mission and Target Sector Driven Model for Delivering Workforce Training Solutions
Timothy M. Sullivan, Community College of Philadelphia
Waverly Coleman, Community College of Philadelphia

The Corporate Solutions program identifies knowledge gaps and workforce training needs in the regional economy and associated industry clusters. In response, Corporate Solutions develops and implements consultative training, degree related learning, professional continuing education and other workforce services. One recent partnership in the health care industry linked a large employer’s workforce pipeline, tuition reimbursement plan, and training needs with Corporate Solutions.

3:15 – 3:30 p.m. Break

3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions Repeat

5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Reception

Friday, January 9, 2009

7:30 – 8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast

8:00 – 9:30 a.m. General Session

Investing in Infrastructure to Compete in a Global Economy
Catherine Ross, Director and Harry West Chair, Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development, Georgia Institute of Technology

The current state of American infrastructure is inadequate to meet the demands of the 21st-century global economy. Federal, state, and local governments are recognizing the need to invest in infrastructure improvement and promote sustainable regional growth. Improvements to physical infrastructure, in turn, advance regional economic development, job growth, and global competitiveness. Higher education can play a pivotal role in developing the skilled human capital that will be needed to fill newly-created jobs in infrastructure and sustainable industries.

9:30 – 9:45 a.m. Break

9:45 – 10:45 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

Career Pathways: Aligning Public Resources to Support Growth in the Knowledge Economy
Melissa Goldberg, Workforce Strategy Center

Career pathways align education, workforce development, and economic development policies and programs to meet the needs of the local economy. A successful career pathways framework is data driven, shaped by employers, based on partnerships, linked to community colleges, and serves the full spectrum of students and workers. This presentation will discuss the development of the career pathways movement in recent years, including exemplary innovations.

The Research University’s Role in Cultivating a Talent Pipeline for Green Collar Jobs
Patricia Malone, State University of New York-Stony Brook

Demographics, globalization, and technology place public universities in a critical role in regional economic transformation. The Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center is a true partnership of academic and research institutions, energy providers, and industries that will develop cutting edge technologies for production of clean energy, enhance production from renewable sources, and identify efficient methods for energy distribution and storage.

Providing Continuing Higher Education Programs in the MENA Region
Michel Majdalani, Lebanese American University

Selected countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are now investing substantially in higher education and workforce development. This session will discuss the demand for professional continuing education in the MENA region and the opportunities that exist for U.S. institutions to meet this demand. Four pillars are emphasized: the strategic dimension, effective models, e-learning as a strategic arm for CE programs, and cultural relevance.

10:45 – 11:00 a.m. Break

11:00 a.m. – Noon Concurrent Sessions Repeat

Noon – 12:15 p.m. Break

12:15 – 1:30 p.m. General Session: Technologies Transforming Workforce Development: Preparing for the Future

Ray Schroeder, Professor Emeritus of Communication and Director of the Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning (OTEL) at the University of Illinois at Springfield

New and emerging technologies are transforming the way we prepare the professional workforce. These technologies are extending our reach globally and enabling us to deliver learning opportunities at times, locations and in ways that meld into the lives of 21st century professionals. We will examine how we can best take advantage of these technologies and implement programs that assure we remain current and competitive in our learning delivery infrastructure.

1:30 p.m. Adjourn

For more information on forum logistics: contact Natalia Kats, UCEA Director of Conferences, at nkats@ucea.edu or 202.659.3130.