Reluctantly, he took a chance on PowerUp!, enrolling in hands-on training at Chattahoochee Technical College’s Aviation Institute. That decision changed everything. With support from WorkSource Cobb BOSS Young Professionals Program, he navigated the application and training process and soon passed all his exams.

Today, William Jr. is thriving in a full-time role at Lockheed Martin—a dream he never thought possible. “I still can’t believe I got in,” he says. “With my background, I never expected this. The work is great, the pay’s solid, and I get to save while doing something I enjoy. Plus, my dad’s proud, and that means everything.”

PowerUp! is more than a program—it’s a pathway to stability, skilled work, and renewed confidence. Thanks to the partnership between CobbWorks, Lockheed Martin, and Chattahoochee Technical College, young adults like William Jr. are finding purpose and redefining what’s possible.

___________________

About CobbWorks

Operating one WIOA-funded America’s Job Center One Stop, CobbWorks provides workforce development resources and services to seven cities and more than 771,000 residents. Along with its slate of free resources and services, CobbWorks provides a comprehensive range of workforce development programs, and more. www.worksourcecobb.org

The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals invites you to join us for a dynamic Day of Learning dedicated to Career Growth in Workforce Development.

Led by NAWDP's Kim Meadows, Director of Training, and Alexis Franks, Director of Membership, this interactive training event will give you the tools, strategies, and inspiration to take your career to the next level—while helping strengthen retention and impact across our field.

Whether you’re new to the profession or a seasoned leader, you’ll walk away with a renewed sense of purpose, fresh perspectives, and actionable skills to help you thrive in your role and shape the future of workforce development.

Agenda

11:00 AM – 11:45 AM | The Impact of Workforce Systems and Professionals
Understand how workforce systems drive economic growth and strengthen communities, and see the essential role you play in connecting people to opportunity and supporting business success.

11:45 AM – 12:30 PM | Workforce Development Career Assessment
Engage with a custom NAWDP career assessment to identify your strengths, interests, and values—and learn how to apply these insights to build a meaningful, purpose-driven career path.

12:30 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch Break

1:00 PM – 1:45 PM | Career Paths in Workforce Development
Discover the many roles and advancement opportunities within the workforce development sector. Learn the competencies, training, networking, and mentorship strategies that can help you excel.

1:45 PM – 2:30 PM | Developing Essential Skills for Career Elevation
Sharpen the skills that set workforce development professionals apart—communication, leadership, adaptability, and problem-solving—so you can make an even greater impact.

Are you ready to invest in yourself and the future of workforce development? Register now

Are you frustrated by people who have low employment motivation? Have you been surprised by people who can get jobs, but quit or get fired soon after they start? Does it make your job more difficult when people have needs like drug or mental health counseling, but you can't get them to go and get help? If you are looking for new and more effective ways to help people overcome these all too common barriers to employment, don't miss the upcoming new series written by long time NAWDP contributor, Larry Robbin. 

These tools were created in connection with NAWDP’s June 2025 webinar, Navigating Program Transitions: A Listening Session for Workforce Professionals and Youth Advocates, which brought together practitioners and thought leaders from across the workforce development landscape. The session offered valuable insight into how organizations are helping youth and customers move forward with stability, confidence, and community support during program shifts or closures.

The featured speakers included:

• Lindsay Cale, Center Director at Ottumwa Job Corps, who shared how her team quickly mobilized local partners to host a resource job fair for transitioning participants.

• Jessica Issoufou, Deputy Director at WorkSource Montgomery, who discussed the launch of the Federal Workforce Career Center—an initiative supporting displaced federal employees with tailored career transition services.

Whether you’re a youth advocate, educator, case manager, or system leader, these tools can help you strengthen your response to program changes in your community. The Program Transition Community Guide offers a roadmap for preparing and coordinating transitions, while the Transition Matrix provides an at-a-glance framework for evaluating available services and identifying potential gaps.

We encourage all workforce professionals to:

• Watch the webinar recording to hear real-world transition strategies from the field.

• Download and explore the tools to spark local collaboration and proactive planning.

• Use the Community Guide and Matrix as conversation starters with partners, funders, and leadership to improve responsiveness and equity in program transitions.

Together, we can co-create a more inclusive, youth-centered workforce system that adapts with agility—and compassion.

Whether you're just starting your career or transitioning into the field, this cohort offers an inclusive, engaging space to grow your knowledge, build confidence, and make lasting connections. Participants will explore best practices, learn from experienced mentors, and engage in professional development opportunities designed to support early-career success in workforce development.

Through peer learning, mentorship, and targeted programming, the cohort helps new professionals:

• Strengthen their foundational knowledge of the field

• Build meaningful relationships with peers and mentors

• Gain insight into career pathways and advancement opportunities

• Contribute to the future of workforce development

This is more than professional development, it’s a vibrant community built to help new professionals thrive.

Applications are due by August 30, 2025
Learn more and apply: www.nawdp.org/NewProfessionalsCohort

Help us shape the next generation of workforce leaders and share this opportunity with new professionals in your network!

Her keynote, Build Boldly. Lead Bravely. Create the Future., will inspire business-facing professionals to reimagine how we serve employers and industry—shifting from routine service delivery to bold, outcome-driven impact.

Registration closes August 13—don’t miss your chance to be part of this powerful event. Check out the full event details and register today!

NAWDP will award the following: 

• Youth Workforce Professional of the Year: recognizes exceptional behind-the-scenes customer service that pushes past internal silos to link different teams and accomplish workforce development project goals within an organization.
• Youth Program of the Year: recognizes significant contributions in developing youth workforce development programs.
• Youth Employer of the Year: recognizes exemplary contributions to the workforce development system in assisting youth to gain meaningful employment. It is bestowed upon an employer who partners with workforce programs to provide employment opportunities. 

Nominations are due by 5:00 pm CT on August 14, 2025. Nominators and Youth Workforce Professional of the Year nominees must be a NAWDP member.

Submit your nomination today!

Do you know someone who exemplifies dedication, innovation, or impact in workforce development? Nominate them as a Workforce Hero! Selected heroes will be spotlighted on NAWDP’s social media channels throughout September.

👉 Submit your nomination today!

Let’s celebrate the champions of our field — one hero at a time.

Through Job Development and Placement, Job Coaching, Career Pathway Services, and Internship Programs, Ability First is transforming lives and building stronger communities. One shining example of this impact is their collaboration with the City of Hope through the Project Search initiative.

Project Search at City of Hope provided a 9-month immersive internship for individuals with disabilities, placing them in various hospital departments to gain real-world experience and develop the skills needed for competitive employment. This hands-on opportunity not only helped interns build confidence and competence, but also helped employers see the strength of inclusive hiring practices.

With every job placement and internship completed, Ability First is advancing equitable access to employment — and proving that with the right support, ability always comes first.

Do you have a story to share? Submit to NAWDP at www.nawdp.org/ShareYourStory

Join Aaron Leson, Director of Training and Development at TAD Grants, for How to Turn Big Ideas Into Action: Sector Strategies and OJT Made Practical. In this energizing, two-hour session, Aaron will guide attendees through building effective sector strategies and designing On-the-Job Training (OJT) plans that meet employer needs and support participant success.

📅 Monday, August 25
🕘 9:00 – 11:00 AM MT
📍 Denver, CO – Onsite at the Academy

This session is free for all registered attendees—no separate sign-up required. Simply check in at the registration desk before the session to receive your badge.

Don’t miss this opportunity to arrive early, connect with peers, and gain actionable tools to elevate your impact.

🔗 Learn more about the Business Services Academy »

NAWDP is now accepting session proposals for the 26th Annual Youth Symposium, taking place November 17–19, 2025, in vibrant New Orleans. This year’s agenda will be built around six dynamic learning tracks designed to spark insight, elevate practice, and inspire action:

Rethinking Program Design and Innovation
Highlight bold, emerging models that challenge the status quo and create replicable impact.

Elevating Visionary Leadership
Share tools and strategies to help leaders at every level shape inclusive cultures and drive change.

Transformative Career Coaching
Explore career coaching techniques that build confidence, empowerment, and clear career direction.

Serving Priority Populations
Present inclusive approaches that remove barriers and increase access for marginalized youth.

Bridging Education, Careers, and Industry
Demonstrate how to build strong pathways and meaningful partnerships that connect learning to opportunity.

Preparing Gen Z and Gen Alpha for the Future of Work
Offer insights on engaging emerging generations with the skills and mindset needed for tomorrow's workforce.

If you're driving real results in these areas, we want to hear from you!

Submit your proposal today and help shape one of the nation’s most impactful events for youth workforce professionals: https://www.nawdp.org/page/YouthSymposiumAgenda

Deadline to submit: July 20, 2025

On June 3^rd the Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability at Cornell University hosted an event for workforce professionals and community partners, Working Together: Advancing Disability Inclusion in NYS Workplaces.

Victor Edwards, a student advocate for the NYC Public Schools and a youth fellow with the Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth), gave the keynote at this event and shared his perspectives on how professionals can shape access to employment opportunities for youth and young adults with disabilities. Victor highlighted multiple instances of low expectations held by professionals impacting access to high quality programming throughout his education journey. He emphasized work-based learning opportunities as helping him explore his potential and attributed his innate advocacy skills as getting him to the place he is today: headed to New York University on a nearly full ride.

Victor had a message for leaders and other policymakers: “When you make decisions and have direct impact to change a person's life with your voice, you're shaping their future. You are opening—or closing—doors of opportunity. You're setting expectations that can either lift someone up or hold them back. When you fail to see any person for who they are and provide them the support they need, you then create barriers in that person's life…I urge you to join me in creating the support systems all individuals deserve.”

Each 90-minute session in this series offers practical, results-driven strategies to help you lead with clarity, manage teams effectively, and confidently handle the challenges of supervision. Whether you attend one session or all four, you’ll gain tools that immediately enhance your effectiveness as a manager. Each session is $50/NAWDP members and $75/non-NAWDP members

What You’ll Learn:

• How to define your management style and communicate your leadership vision
• Methods for supervising with purpose and empowering your team
• Techniques for improving team dynamics and driving performance
• Approaches to managing conflict and handling difficult workplace situations

Join us on the 4^th Tuesday of each month, from June through September at 1:00-2:30 PM Central Time.

Session 1: Leading with Style & Vision
1:00-2:30 pm CT | Tuesday, June 24

Great leadership is not about overseeing tasks – it’s about inspiring, guiding, and developing teams for long-term success. This session will empower leaders to adopt a leadership framework, identify a leadership style, and develop a vision for aligning their teams and strategic priorities. Participants will be introduced to the Systemic Executive Coach Roadmap, the Four P’s of Leadership and the Five Practice of Exemplary Leadership.

Learning Outcomes:

• Review and apply the Systemic Executive Coach Roadmap to craft a personalized leadership development plan.

• Explore the Four P’s of Leadership—Principles, Presence, Power, and Patterns—to strengthen leadership identity and influence.

• Leverage The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership to effectively motivate teams.

• Develop a clear and concise leadership vision that aligns with personal values, reflects organizational goals and sets a strategic direction for their organization.

CWDP Competency 4

Session 2: Empowered Supervision: A Leader's Guide to Strategic On-boarding & Employee Development
1:00-2:30 pm CT | Tuesday, July 22

Effective on-boarding and professional development are key to employee engagement, retention, and long-term success. This session will empower supervisors to design and implement structured on-boarding programs that will set new employees up for success. Using a 90-day framework, participants will explore strategies for evaluating employee progress and fostering continuous growth.

Additionally, this session will help supervisors identify essential competencies for guiding employee development and performance management. Participants will gain hands-on experience in designing collaborative, action-oriented development plans tied to key performance indicators, as well as tracking and reporting on performance goals to align individual success with organizational outcomes.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand how to design and implement well-structured on-boarding programs that drive employee engagement, retention, and productivity.

• Utilize a 90-day framework for on-boarding and evaluating new employees.

• Identify key competencies to guide employee professional development and performance management.

• Design collaborative and action-oriented employee development plans that are based on key performance indicators.

• Discover methods for tracking performance goals and reporting on employee and organizational outcomes.

CWDP Competency 4

Session 3: Mastering Team Dynamics and Performance Management
1:00-2:30 pm | Tuesday, August 26

Effective leadership requires a deep understanding of group dynamics, team roles, and performance management. This interactive workshop will empower leaders with the tools to build cohesive teams, enhance collaboration, and drive employee development. Participants will explore fundamental principles of group dynamics while leveraging Belbin’s Team Roles theory to improve team performance and foster a collaborative work environment.

In addition, leaders will learn how to create an annual performance management plan and practice based on continuous feedback and cascading alignment throughout their organization.

Learning Outcomes:

• Define and explain fundamental principles of group dynamics, including roles, norms, cohesion, and team development stages.

• Utilize Belbin team roles theory to improve team performance, increase team member self-awareness, and foster a collaborative work environment.

• Create an annual performance management plan to monitor team performance and document team member accomplishments, outcomes, and areas for improvement.

• Identify and apply different strategies for delivering feedback using the COIN model to impact employee development, engagement, and organizational success.

• Formulate and communicate strategic priorities and key performance indicators to create Cascading Alignment throughout their organization.

CWDP Competency 4

Part 4: Mastering Workplace Conflict and Team Dynamics
1:00-2:30 pm | Tuesday, September 23  

This session will equip participants with the skills needed to navigate and resolve workplace conflicts. Leaders will be empowered to utilize the 4A’s Conflict and personality theory to identify group dynamics and resolve tensions. Participants will examine best practices for facilitating difficult conversations and manage challenging employees. In addition, leaders will assess their own conflict style and identify opportunities for improvement.

Learning Outcomes:

• Recognize and address workplace conflict using proven strategies to bring about resolution.

• Apply the 4A’s model of conflict to devise plans to address various types of team conflict.

• Facilitate difficult conversations with clarity, confidence, and care.

• Utilize personality theory to improve team dynamics and manage difficult behaviors.

• Understand and practice shifting team patterns.

Meet the Facilitator: Dr. Lakeisha Mathews

Lakeisha Mathews, Ed.D, is Director of the Career and Internship Center at the University of Baltimore and is also the owner of Right Resumes & Career Coaching, career development business focused on providing professional documents, career coaching and training for mid-level and mid-management professionals in a variety of industries.

Dr. Mathews holds several industry certifications including Certified Career Coach, Certified Resume Writer, Global and Career Development Facilitator, and Executive Career Coach among other designations. She holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership & Innovation from Wilmington University, a M.S. in Human Resource Development.

“The Board of Directors for NAWDP plays a crucial role as we work to connect, advance, and support our nation’s workforce development professionals,” said Melissa Robbins, NAWDP Chief Executive Officer. “These changes are designed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of NAWDP’s Board of Directors, reflecting our commitment to adapting and improving in response to the evolving needs of our members.” 

The newly approved revisions will take effect during upcoming national Board of Directors elections, in 2025 and 2026. The regional elections, taking place in 2025, will now have six positions available, and the state elections, occurring in 2026, will feature 15 state positions. 

All current regional and at-large directors will serve through June 30, 2025, and may run for reelection in their new regions. Current state directors will serve through June 30, 2026.

NAWDP’s Board of Directors represents an extensive community of more than 4,500 workforce development professionals from across the nation. For more information about NAWDP’s programs, Certified Workforce Development Professional (CWDP), and membership, visit www.nawdp.org. 

About NAWDP
NAWDP provides the education, resources, and certification credibility to individuals seeking to thrive in the workforce development industry as thought leaders and innovators. As the leading advocate for workforce development professionals, NAWDP builds relationships and connections with other industry-leading organizations to challenge and collaborate for the advancement of the industry. 

According to Executive Director Leanne Kehres, the program uses the National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards created by the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP). The standards are a model for developing local apprenticeship programs registered with the Office of Apprenticeship (OA) or a State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) for the occupation of Workforce Development Specialist.

Southeast KANSASWORKS’ first round of training was completed with Career Advisors and is structured as a blended model based on the organization’s needs with on-the-job training, in-person training, and online coursework. Additional Kansas-specific training was added on topics relevant to the state and area.

Kehres said they expect to have the second round of training include a business services module and the third round include a supervisory component. If additional funds are still available, another round of Career Advisors will complete the apprenticeship program.

The program utilizes a Registered Apprenticeship Program Manager specific to the organization. This program manager works with the apprentices to follow up on questions or concerns about the program and keeps close contact with Kansas’ state Registered Apprenticeship personnel. In addition, each participant is assigned a mentor, who is part of the management team. Mentors hold regular scheduled check-ins with apprentices.

Once the program is completed, each apprentice will have attained NAWDP’s Certified Workforce Development Professional (CWDP) credential and receive a $1/hour raise.

Kehres says building a registered apprenticeship program internally does present a challenge as there are a lot of things you have to think about differently than you would if you were doing a registered apprenticeship, for example, in a manufacturing organization. Kehres brought in an external trainer to complete the training portion.

“It helps to have an outside entity with the knowledge and experience to help you figure it out,” she said. “We do this for a living but when it’s yours internally sometimes you need that outside influence to help you move things along or process things differently.”

The structure of the apprenticeship program has also been a great value-add for employees.

“You’re learning a lot as you come in but when you have time to go through class and process it, it compliments what you are learning on the job,” said Kehres. “They have time in between to do other parts and pieces but have time to come back and ask questions.”

Arra Whittley, a Youth Career Advisor who was part of the first round of apprentices, agreed.

“I appreciate that we had the opportunity to do the training,” she said. “I feel more confident in my ability to do this job. I was able to grasp and capture so much more having dedicated time to slow down and get more in-depth with the information.”

Whittley, who had previously worked with the foster care system, said although she had transferrable skills to being a Youth Career Advisor there were many things that she had to learn to do differently such as more in-depth case management which the registered apprenticeship helped her with.

“Overall the biggest help was having an in-person trainer who was a living testament,” she said. “Listening to her life experiences and how she handled different situations made it real and gave me some ideas about how to solve different issues.”

Whittley said the online component was also beneficial, allowing her to reference printed materials for later use.

“If you haven’t come across something, you have that information to fall back on to look up and retrieve,” she said.

Overall, Kehres said this has been a great opportunity to invest in her employees with professional development.

“It’s about making sure that we are practicing what we preach as far as providing customers with these types of opportunities,” she said. “We need to do the same for our staff.”

According to Donna Brake, Manager, Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning, Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development, the Office of Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning regularly convened quarterly meetings with other state agencies to talk about growth and plans on how to increase or expand registered apprenticeships throughout the state.

“We were engaging employer partners and apprenticeship stakeholders throughout the state but only in discussion,” she said. “For those interested in participating in registered apprenticeship, we could give them technical assistance, connect them to the Department of Labor to register their apprenticeship, and walk them through it, but we were really missing what it was to operate a registered apprenticeship program ourselves.”

Discussions started about how they could lead from the front by putting their own registered apprenticeship program into action. They reapproached an idea that never came to fruition – a registered apprenticeship training model for Job Center staff.

“We worked with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship in Missouri to create a workforce development apprenticeship program for two occupations, one that is specific to veteran staff working under the Jobs for Veteran Services Grant (JVSG), and another for non-JVSG front-line job center staff,” said Brake.

Missouri’s program was registered on September 29, 2023, and its first cohort began in November of 2023. The first group of workforce professionals is expected to begin completing the program this spring as early as April.

A majority of the first group of participants are incumbent staff, but all new job center staff will automatically be enrolled in the program. The program is a mixture of technical instruction, on-the-job learning alongside a mentor or “journeyman-level” workforce development specialist, and completion of the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals’ Certified Workforce Development Professional (CWDP) credential.

Brake said the great thing about the Registered Apprenticeship program is that it introduces specific learning that is associated with what staff are doing in the Job Center.

“It’s teaching them how to work with customers within the workforce development world, how to coach them, how to talk to them about setting goals,” said Brake. “You add in the CWDP credential and they are getting more information about career services and the larger Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) world. Both combined are just helping fine tune that learning for staff while they are working every day in the job center and serving customers.”

Jerri Bowles, Job Center Services Manager, Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, said the apprenticeship training creates an opportunity to streamline new hire training.

“New staff weren’t the best prepared and had a lot thrown at them at once,” she said. “The apprenticeship is one and a half to two years of constant training. It’s giving that wrap-around support that we weren’t giving before.”

Bowles said the program is giving new hires more confidence in serving customers and a feeling of support from the entire team.

“The peer-to-peer is important,” she said. “The retention specialists and supervisors can watch them do a particular task and give feedback. If they are struggling, they can brush up on skills and master the competencies.”

National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards for the profession of Workforce Development Specialist were approved in June 2020. NAWDP’s Board of Directors was instrumental in the development of these standards which are a model for developing local apprenticeship programs registered with OA or a State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) for the profession of Workforce Development Professional (Specialist).

More information and resources on the National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards can be found on NAWDP’s website at https://www.nawdp.org/ApprenticeshipStandards