Workforce Readiness Updates: April 2024

Submitted by Tiffani Ewing, SHRM-CP, HR Indiana SHRM Workforce Readiness Director

SHRM Foundation National Skills-First Center of Excellence

SHRM and the SHRM Foundation proudly announced the establishment of a cutting-edge Skills-First Center of Excellence (SFCOE). Continuing to build on the SHRM Foundation’s Skills-First at Work initiatives, this marks another step forward towards modernizing the traditional hiring and advancement landscape. The SFCOE will make it possible for employers to unlock the full potential of candidates by prioritizing their skills, talents, aptitudes, and competencies over the sole use of proxies like degrees. SHRM and the SHRM Foundation anticipate the center to launch in early 2025. The four main components of the SFCOE are:

An AI-based skills advisor: will help employers see where they stand in their skills journey and to provide them with specific tools, trainings, and actions to accelerate their progress.
A library of skills-first resources: will help employers select tools by compiling and tagging resources from different providers and offering a collection of relevant case studies.
A skills-tech clearinghouse and solutions lab: will help HR professionals assess the quality of different HR systems and establish a community for talent champions.
A skills-first credential: will formally certify HR professionals, hiring managers, and C-suite executives in skills-first practices.

Read the full release from SHRM here.

Work and Learn Resource Hub

The new Work and Learn Resource Hub from the Institute for Workforce Excellence is designed to help employers and other stakeholders navigate the work-based learning experience. Users will be able to learn how the state defines work-based learning experiences, gain knowledge on the process and procedures necessary to design and continue to develop work and learn programs and connect to others that are offering high-quality opportunities. Some additional features include: