When:
October 26-27, 2022

Where:
The Lodge at Ironwoods
147001 Mission Rd. 
Leawood, KS 66224

Hotel Info:
Click here for room block: 
Kansas Recreation and Parks Department booking link- Holiday Inn Express Overland Park

9:00 am  – 10:30 am
SETTING THE STAGE … SHARING THE DATA
Understand the current state of the U.S., state and local labor markets in general and with respect to specific hard-to-fill occupations in Parks and Recreation. Debunk common labor market myths, and shift into a new way of thinking about attracting and maintaining a workforce.

10:30 am – 10:45 am
Email/Restroom Break

10:45 am – 11:15 am
WHAT IS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT?
Understand the difference between hiring people to fill a “job” and actual development of your workforce. Review the various players and organizations that are typically involved in the public workforce development system.

11:15 am – Noon
DIVERSIFY YOUR TALENT POOL
Speaker: Andy Traub- SHRM-CSP, SPHR, President and Founder of Traub & Associates Consulting LLC
Using our labor market data, explore the need for “net new” workers in the labor market and where you might find those workers. Understand the need to build relationships with community partners to create a referral network and the importance of setting up your organization to receive and nurture a diverse talent pool.

Noon – 1:00 pm
LUNCH

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
ANTIQUE RECRUITING VS NEW WORLD TECHNIQUES
Learn which recruitment strategies are no longer effective in today’s market and those that garner better results. Understand recruitment as a process to be customized for your varied candidate audience.

2:00 pm – 2:15 pm
Email/Restroom Break

2:15 pm – 3:15 pm
RETENTION PITFALLS AND BEST PRACTICES
Speaker: Melissa Bennett, Sr. Director of Workforce Strategy at Netsmart
“Walk outs and check outs” … Learn how poor retention impacts your diversity goals and the importance of creating internal career pathways and “total compensation” packages within your organization.

3:15 pm – 4:00 pm
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TOOLBOX
Learn about available workforce development tools, situations for optimal use and how partnerships can ease some of the challenges in implementing them.

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
SOCIAL

Thursday, October 27th

9:00 am – 9:30 am
BUILDING THE TALENT PIPELINE THROUGH YOUTH
Understand how your organization can use existing programming to develop a pipeline of potential candidates. Expand your existing connections with schools to include work-based learning opportunities for youth, which could lead to career path options within your organization.

9:30 am - 10:15 am
FUNDING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Explore cost-saving and funding options for your workforce development strategies, including superb “no-cost” options. Understand the cost of replacement vs development.

10:15 – 10:30Email/Restroom Break

10:30 am – Noon
WORKSHOP #1: NEW ATTRACTION STRATEGIES
Brainstorm new attraction strategies in small groups to generate realistic options for your organization both short- and long- term. Each group will include a facilitator to help prompt discussion and guide conversation and will report ideas back to the larger group.

NOON – 1:00 pm
LUNCH

1:00 pm – 2:25 pm
WORKSHOP #2: NEW RETENTION & PIPELINE STRATEGIES
Brainstorm new retention and pipeline strategies in small groups to generate realistic options for your organization both short- and long-term. Each group will include a facilitator to help prompt discussion and guide conversation and will report ideas back to the larger group.

2:25 pm – 2:30 pm
Mini-Break

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Close Out – Final Thoughts/Questions

Featured Speakers

Keely J. Schneider

Keely J. Schneider is the Executive Director for Workforce Partnership, the local workforce development board for Johnson, Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties in Kansas.  She directs federal and state funds for workforce development programs for adults and youth including classroom training, on the job training and other work-based learning experiences.  In addition, she assists the Workforce Partnership Board in its strategic and fiscal oversight of the comprehensive workforce system under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act which, in addition to the adult and youth programs, includes programs for adult basic education/ESL, employment services under Wagner-Peyser Act and vocational rehabilitation services.  

Andy Traub

Andy Traub is the President and Founder of Traub & Associates Consulting and co-host of the Winning Workplaces podcast. He is an internationally recognized leader in both disability and diversity employment with over 25 years of human resource management experience. Over the past two decades, Andy has developed and implemented talent acquisition/ management strategies for entities ranging from local and national government to domestic and international employers, including Google, Best Buy, Walgreens, Office Depot, Amazon, Starbucks, Sodexo, Kroger and several European based companies as well as consulting with government entities in Russia, Scotland and Germany. He was also lead consultant on the Workplace Initiative Team for the Poses Family Foundation to develop disability inclusion strategies for national employers receiving funding from the foundation.

Roberta Rowland

As the Business Services Manager at Workforce Partnership, Ms. Rowland works with a wide variety of community partners and employers in the KC Metro area. She worked in Corporate American HR for 9 years, but her passion for Workforce Development started while working in a High School Guidance office running its School-to-Career Program.  For Ms. Rowland, workforce development is more than helping a person land a job.  It is about helping individuals discover where they comfortably contribute to the world. 

Sloane Gage

As the Director of Program and Resource Development, Ms. Gage works closely with hiring managers of key industry sectors within the regional economy including: healthcare, technology, skilled trades, transportation and logistics, and manufacturing to determine skill gaps, hiring trends, and demand occupations. She uses this information, combined with labor market data to educate local school districts and training providers on the current and emerging needs of regional employers to prepare the workforce for skilled positions vital to the Kansas City economy.