The West Michigan Works! Workforce Development Board was presented with the 2019 WIOA Trailblazer Award in a ceremony at the NAWB Forum in Washington D.C. The award, which is an initiative of the NAWB, recognizes innovation and leadership in developing and delivering workforce solutions in the community. In this episode, Jacob Maas, CEO of West Michigan Works! joins the program to discuss some of innovative practices happening in his region, the importance of developing partnerships, and shares advice and tips for success.

Steve Wooderson, CEO of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR), Rita Martin, Deputy Director of CSAVR, and Kathy West-Evans, Director of Business Relations for CSAVR, ,join the program to discuss the impact that technology has had on vocational rehabilitation, the changing demographics of who is served, as well as industry trends.

Tamar Jacoby, President of Opportunity America, and Anne Kim, Vice President of Domestic Policy at The Progressive Policy Institute, join the program to discuss the report Work, Skills, Community: Restoring Opportunity for the Working Class – a slate of bipartisan proposals to create jobs, train and retrain workers and revitalize blue-collar communities.