Breakout 4: People of Color
Towards Employment champions the potential of every person to succeed in a rewarding career through skill development, comprehensive support, and strong employer partnerships, while working to create a more equitable and inclusive workforce system. As one of 4 agencies to participate in the original national Work Advance demonstration project, its programs are guided by industry-informed career pathways, with robust career coaching. The session will be supported by Towards Employment’s CEO, Jill Rizika; Connexions Consulting principal, Charmaine Brown, and workforce consultant Debbi Perkul. Manufacturing leaders will share initiatives designed to attract people of color, revealing both success stories and learning curves. Participants will learn about the effectiveness of DEI strategies, industry trends, and future planning. Through case studies highlighting practice changes, community partnerships, and actionable metrics, attendees will gain an understanding of what it takes to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in manufacturing.