Blog Post: HR Perspective: Defining Workforce Readiness

Partnerships and alliances between educational institutions, governmental entities and employers can assist in ensuring that these new workforce entrants are sufficiently prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities they will face in the workplace. 

In recent months the Society for Human Resource Management has categorized Workforce Readiness target audiences to serve all entrants into the future workforce.  The following bulleted outline identifies those target audiences:

Target Audiences for Workforce Readiness

• New entrants to the workforce (preparedness)
• Incumbent members of the workforce (up-skilling / re-skilling)
• •  Re-entrants to the workforce (up-skilling / re-skilling)
• Mature workers (retaining, accommodating, transitioning)

HR professionals are uniquely suited to address many of the challenges raised by workforce readiness issues. HR professionals can play a strategic role in helping employers formulate exacting standards for workforce skills, capabilities and attributes that the employer community needs.

Additionally, the HR community can take the lead in coalition building to articulate the need for developing rigorous standards, which can be shared throughout the business community and serve as a basis for advocacy of workforce readiness efforts. HR professionals can bring their quantitative skills to help develop programs to improve workforce readiness and to evaluate models and pilot programs to ensure their effectiveness and adaptability in meeting current needs and their ability to anticipate future needs. 

In 2009, the Arizona SHRM State Council has encouraged 9 local chapters throughout the state to promote and participate in three opportunities that support the first target audience “New Entrants to the Workforce (preparedness)”. 

In addition to promoting the events in their organizations many HR Professionals will volunteer to assist in these local community efforts:

February 2009 – Job Shadow Day/Bring Your Child to Work

April 29, 2009 – Junior Achievement “You’re Hired” – Helped develop idea, design program and       support event, Tempe Center for the Arts (6 Phoenix area school districts, 200+ High School students, 60+Volunteers)

April 30, 2009 – Jobing Foundation “Experience Your Future Day” University of Phoenix/AZ Cardinals Stadium (6 Phoenix Area School Districts, 5,000+ 8 th grade students, 180+ Exibitors, 20+Community Sponsor/Partners)