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Blog: Center for Education and Workforce

The Childcare Equation

Julia Barfield, MPH, MSW
Kerri Briggs, Ph.D.
Early Childhood Education
Economic Empowerment
Education
Women
July 10, 2020
Center for Education and Workforce
chilcare equation
Childcare is important for children, and it is essential for working parents. Parents rely on childcare to help them enter, re-enter, or remain in the workforce. But access to affordable, quality childcare is hard to come by, and now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, families are experiencing additional challenges in finding childcare that meets their needs. It is no secret that parents dedicate significant energy and resources balancing their roles at home, in the community, and in the workplace. Parents must consider various factors in determining the level and type of childcare solutions that best meet their needs. These factors make up what we’re referring to as the ‘Childcare Equation.’

The Ad Council's She Can STEM Campaign Helps #LightASpark in Girl's STEM Interests

Rowena Patrick, The Ad Council
Education
K-12 Education
STEM
Women
June 24, 2020
Center for Education and Workforce
#LightASpark She Can STEM

Research shows that young girls like STEM subjects, but as they get older, something changes. They start feeling like STEM isn’t for them based on outdated stereotypes about the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

'I Seek to Be Part of the Solution.' Inspiring early enthusiasm for science.

Camille Schrier, Miss America 2020
Education
K-12 Education
Postsecondary Education
STEM
Women
Workforce Training
February 11, 2020
Center for Education and Workforce
Miss America 2020, Camille Schrier
© Miss America Foundation
In my earliest of memories, my interests always revolved around science in one way or another, even if I was too young to understand the science that was behind them. 

Taking Action on Childcare

Jen Bump, Senior Advisor, Child Care Aware of America
Mindy Bennett, Child Care Aware of America
Early Childhood Education
Education
K-12 Education
Women
January 30, 2020
Center for Education and Workforce
Taking Action on Childcare
© Child Care Aware of America
As a business leader, you’ve noticed it is becoming more and more difficult to hire and retain qualified workers. You’ve likely even considered the longer-term scenarios – will it be even more challenging to secure a reliable and productive workforce 5 or 10 or even 20 years from now?  

Beyond School Walls: Combining Mentorship with On-the-Job Learning

Roger Turner, Fleet Operations, Cox Enterprises
Education
Postsecondary Education
Workforce Training
Youth Employment
January 8, 2020
Center for Education and Workforce
Beyond School Walls
© 2019 Beyond School Walls
Last year, Cox and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta (BBBSMA) joined forces to launch a new approach to mentoring with a program called Beyond School Walls. Though other BBBS affiliates had tried the program, this was the first of its kind for Atlanta. This program combines traditional mentorship with an immersive educational experience. The one simple, but very important element that makes this program different than traditional mentoring programs is location. 

A Snapshot of Employer Interest in Early Education in Iowa

Nicole Crain, Executive Vice President, Iowa Association of Business and Industry
Early Childhood Education
Economic Growth
Education
K-12 Education
Women
December 17, 2019
Center for Education and Workforce
Iowa Survey on Early Education Needs
© 2019 Getty Images
The current unemployment rate in Iowa is 2.5%, and there are currently 40,000 people on unemployment and 60,000 job openings. As historically low unemployment continues, employers are always looking for opportunities to recruit more workers and also to retain their existing workforce. To solve this challenge, Iowa business leaders have increased wages, offered flexible work environments where possible, and expanded benefits. More recently, one of those benefits is childcare.  

Workforce Challenges? NAEP Scores Show U.S. Must Start Solving Them with a Focus on Early Reading

Cheryl Oldham
Competitiveness
Early Childhood Education
Education
K-12 Education
November 7, 2019
Center for Education and Workforce
Workforce Challenges Solved with Early Reading as a Priority
© 2019 Getty Images
The 2019 Nation’s Report Card, released last week, showed alarming drops in reading and disappointingly middling results in math. This has huge implications for our nation’s future workforce and heartbreaking consequences for families across the country who are trusting our public education system for the most basic of learning goals. 

From John Legend to Apprenticeship's John Lennon: A Wrap-up of Talent Forward 2019

Jaimie Francis
Competitiveness
Data
Economic Growth
Education
Innovation
K-12 Education
Postsecondary Education
STEM
Talent Pipeline Management
Workforce Training
Youth Employment
October 25, 2019
Center for Education and Workforce
Talent Forward 2019 Wrap-Up
© Photo by Ian Wagreich / © U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Each year, as the Chamber Foundation hosts the Talent Forward national workforce conference, we focus on talent—educating and training, talent tech and data, recruiting, hiring, and upskilling. With no shortage of talent challenges, the opportunities for informative discussion are endless. While a day devoted to dissecting talent-related topics could focus solely on the problems, Talent Forward is all about the solutions.

New Findings in the Development of a Cybersecurity Talent Pipeline

Kimberly Vegliante, Workforce Development Manager, Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation
Competitiveness
Education
Postsecondary Education
Talent Pipeline Management
Workforce Training
October 17, 2019
Center for Education and Workforce
Cybersecurity Talent Pipeline in Arizona
© Shutterstock 2019
With nearly 8,000 open positions, Arizona faces a growing shortage of cybersecurity professionals. In order to address this growing shortage, businesses must accept a stronger role engaging with education and training providers to build the region’s talent pipeline. Three years ago, the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation launched a Cybersecurity Workforce Collaborative comprised of employers who have cybersecurity as a key function of their business.

Let's Break it Down: Finding a Childcare Provider

Julia Barfield, MPH, MSW
Early Childhood Education
Education
Women
October 11, 2019
Center for Education and Workforce
Finding a Childcare Provider, Child Care Aware of America
© 2019 Getty Images
Finding the right childcare provider for your family is a personal choice, and not one that can be outsourced very easily. Child Care Aware® of America Executive Director Lynette Fraga, PhD, spoke with Scott MacFarlane of NBC Washington about some specific questions parents can ask, ways to assess your unique family needs, and how to understand and develop an ongoing relationship with your childcare provider.

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