Dr. LaShanda Jordan, executive director of the Career Services Center has been accepted to the Class of 2020-21 Jackson Workforce Leadership Academy. The Jackson Workforce Leadership Academy is a leadership fellowship for workforce development professionals. The Academy is a partnership between the City of Jackson and the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program with support from the Kellogg Foundation.
“I feel so honored and humbled to have been selected to be a part of such a prestigious program,” says Jordan. “I am also elated to have the opportunity to represent Jackson State University in this capacity.”
The Academy will take place beginning March 25, 2020 until January 2021, and is designed to strengthen the leadership pipeline and deepen collaborative relationships within the city of Jackson. It allows these fellows and the organizations they represent are better able to advance the economic well-being of the people they serve.
“This fellowship program will provide training and networking opportunities with other workforce development professionals to help me learn new tools and approaches, collaboratively address challenges in the area of workforce, and build a network of leaders in the workforce sector,” says Jordan. “I am looking forward to growing professionally as we work through the nine themes of the program.”
The themes of the program are:
- Organizational Capacity: An opportunity for reflective practice
- Partnership and Collaboration: Working across boundaries
- Systems Thinking: Effecting change in organizations, workforce eco-system, and industry
- Race Equity, and Inclusion: Advancing equity in the labor market
- Metrics and Meaning: Data-Informed decision-making
- Program Strategies: Evidence-informed practices
- Employer Practices: Industry engagement to raise the floor and build ladders
- Funding and Policy: Influencing the local landscape
The 18-24 Academy Fellows will have the opportunity to work with leading practitioners from around the country, engage in leadership development activities, and use practical planning tools to develop effective workforce strategies and programs that build their local workforce system. For more information regarding the Jackson Workforce Leadership Academy, click here.