2002 ICW Webcasts

Opinions expressed in these programs do not necessarily represent the policy or views of funders, partners, or participants.

Each webcast program can be viewed using RealOne Player [free download].

 

 

 

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Finding and keeping good workers are among the greatest challenges facing businesses in the 21st century. Disabled people are a source of qualified workers that are often overlooked. This pool of workers represents the single largest minority group seeking employment in today's market -- some 9 million unemployed Americans with significant disabilities want to work. Hear about how to hire people with disabilities and access resources to better meet the growing need of business for a skilled workforce.

 

Panelists include Fred Kramer, director, community employment and training, Marriott International, Inc.; Robert Pasternack, Assistant Secretary of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education; and Barbara Perkins, library director, Zwingle Resource Center, Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. The event is moderated by Paul Wehman, director, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University. Troy Justesen, associate director for domestic policy at the White House, provides the opening remarks.

 

 

 

 

In the new high-tech, highly competitive 21st century workplace, literacy is the ability to read, write, compute and solve problems, communicate, listen, and perform basic tasks. By this comprehensive definition, almost half of all American adults have low literacy skills, and the consequences for U.S. businesses -- and society -- are devastating. Hear about research and successful strategies that address the impact of illiteracy in the workplace, and learn how to access resources to help employees improve literacy skills.

 

Panelists include Daniel Berry, vice president, corporate planning and strategic alliances, Greater Cleveland Growth Association; John Schneider, director, New Skills for a New Economy Campaign, MassINC; Janet Stevens, group vice president, public affairs, Verizon Information Services; and Michael Bloom, The Conference Board of Canada.  The event is moderated by John Comings, director, National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, Harvard Graduate School of Education.  Carol D'Amico, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education, provides the closing remarks.

 

 

Disability: Dispelling the Myths
March 13, 2002
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Ten years after Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an alarming 70% of individuals with disabilities are unemployed. Find out more about this potential pool of able workers for small and medium-sized business, and hear about winning strategies to employ these individuals, including: developing a pipeline of qualified workers, using the workforce system to support accommodation, and meeting the challenges of employee training and promotion.

 

Panelists are Katherine McCary, vice president in human resources and manager of Accessing Community Talent (ACT), SunTrust Bank Mid-Atlantic; Marion Vessels, director, ADA Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region; and Jennifer Sheehy, policy advisor, Domestic Policy Council, The White House.  The featured chamber is Salisbury (Md.) Chamber of Commerce.

 

Welfare to Work: An Economic Boost
April 17, 2002
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Many employers have been highly successful in employing former welfare recipients using programs that focus on job retention and advancement strategies. Hear from employers who have first-hand experience in developing a proven source of dedicated and reliable workers; connecting businesses with service providers, and accessing government programs and community partnerships.

 

Panelists are Chris Mangum, chair, National Jobs Partnership; Fred Kramer, director of community employment and training programs for Marriott Corporation; and Steven M. Wing, director of government programs for CVS Corporation. The featured chamber is the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce.

 

Dislocated Workers: Adjusting to Economic Change
May 15, 2002
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Despite the recent flurry of layoff notices and the higher unemployment rates, today's outstanding workforce issue is still a shortage of skilled workers.  Find out how three WINs chambers have taken the initiative in their own communities to address the skills shortage by retraining dislocated workers. Hear how they create a market-driven, accountable workforce development system; better align training with the skill needs of employers; and work to increase the number of employers using the public system.

 

The panelist is Bernadette Kenny, executive vice president, Global Sales and Marketing Office, Lee Hecht Harrison. Featured chambers are the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, and Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce.