Hawaiʻi Worker Equity Lab Webinar Series
An initiative of HWFC's Hawaiʻi Worker Equity Lab, the Workforce Webinar Series brings together community and partner organizations to share insights, initiatives, and best practices in a safe, inclusive, and collaborative environment.
This series offers monthly webinar presentations and panel discussions, each focusing on a specific topic or issue related to workforce development. Featuring guest speakers who are experts in their respective fields, the webinars engage participants in robust discussions and offers a safe space to co-share and provide valuable insights.
The Lab's Workforce Webinar Series aims to ignite discovery, celebrate diversity, and empower worker voices from communities across Hawaiʻi. It serves as a platform to engage stakeholders across the various sectors, foster collaboration, and provide resources and tools for job seekers and employers alike. Community members and partners are invited to discuss a wide range of topics impacting workforce development in Hawaiʻi.
Aligned with our mission to strengthen systems, communities, and pathways, this forum helps explore and develop new ideas, challenge and navigate existing workforce systems, expand partnership reach and networks, contribute to community initiatives, and deepen our understanding of what it takes to create and maintain good jobs in Hawaiʻi. The series is free and open to everyone.
Upcoming Events + Past Recordings
Extra Popsicle Sticks: Unveiling Bias in Workforce Development (Leinaʻala Nakamura - WorkHawaiʻi)
In the realm of workforce development, additional layers of processes, forms, and records often inadvertently create hurdles for program enrollment. These “extra” barriers are sometimes rooted in unintentional yet personal biases, impeding equitable access and participation from the vulnerable communities for which these programs were intended to serve.
Explore how these obstacles arise, their impact on program enrollment, and strategies to counter and diminish biases within workforce development processes. Don't miss this chance to glean insights and tools for forging more inclusive and accessible pathways in workforce development.
Webinar Resources
Strategies for Skills-Based Hiring (Vanessa Rogers - Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi)
Our first session, held on Thursday, March 28th, brought to the forefront an invaluable discussion on "Strategies for Skills-Based Hiring," featuring Vanessa Rogers, Associate Vice President of Workforce Development at the Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi.
This enlightening webinar provided attendees with a deep dive into the transformative approach of skills-based hiring. Vanessa Rogers led us through the intricacies of identifying, assessing, and selecting candidates not just based on traditional qualifications but their specific skills and competencies. This method opens new doors for employers and job seekers alike, fostering a more inclusive and dynamic workforce.
Highlights of the session included:
Identifying Key Skills: Understanding what competencies are essential for success in your organization and how to pinpoint them.
Overcoming Barriers: Discussing common obstacles to skills-based recruitment and strategies to navigate these challenges.
Integrating Skills Assessments: Recognizing the value of incorporating skills assessments into the hiring process to identify the best candidates.
Embracing Alternative Credentials: How to broaden your candidate pool by valuing diverse forms of qualification.
Fostering Talent Development: Providing training and development opportunities to not only attract but retain top talent.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Vanessa Rogers for sharing her expertise and insights, paving the way for a more skill-focused hiring landscape in Hawaiʻi.
Webinar Resources
What Workers Look for in a Good Job in Hawaiʻi (Matt Stevens - Hawaiʻi Workforce Funders Collaborative)
On 12/7/23, HWFC had an opportunity to present the findings of our "A Good Job in Hawaiʻi" framework in a webinar hosted by Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi. We had the chance to share our learnings with employers, industry representatives, and training providers -- and we had the opportunity to engage these stakeholders directly on how we might all best support workers in finding and retaining the types of jobs they are asking for.
Watch the recording of the webinar to learn about our work — if you are a stakeholder who is already adopting some of these ideas, an employer that has questions about the things you can do to create the types of jobs described in the report, or if you just have comments or ideas about where this work can go next, please reach out to us.