Overview

May 11

Skills-based hiring is on the rise, especially for digital skills. In fact, 81% of employers now think they should look at skills rather than degrees when hiring. This is a major development as more than 60% of Americans ages 25 and up do not hold a bachelor’s degree.

Recent studies show that skills-first hiring criteria is a better predictor of job performance than educational background or work experience, which is leading to both private industry and public sector agencies to rethink their hiring approach as they work to attract and retain talent. Restructuring hiring requirements is also helping state and local agencies better compete for digital talent in a still hot labor market. By attracting and retaining digitally-skilled workers, your organization can make better use of data to serve your constituents.

We're partnering with Coursera, one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, for an hour long webinar on May 11th at 11 AM PT to discuss how agencies should design a successful skills-based learning program. You'll learn:

How to identify which skills you need in your organization and develop a plan to secure them
What methods are best for assessing proficiency levels for specific skills across individuals and teams
How to develop and deploy training content in a job-relevant, engaging, and measurable way

Speakers

William (Bill) Rials, Ph.D. — Moderator

Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

William (Bill) Rials, Ph.D., is a professor and associate director (department chair) of the Tulane University School of Professional Advancement IT and Cybersecurity Program. He focuses on continually delivering and updating the program curriculum based on innovative and emerging technologies. Before transitioning to academia and higher education, he had a diverse gov tech career delivering value to state agencies, local governments, and law enforcement agencies throughout the state of Mississippi.

Jonathan Hasak

U.S. Public Sector Partnerships, Coursera

Jonathan Hasak is a workforce development and education policy expert and helps lead U.S. Public Sector Partnerships at Coursera, one of the world’s largest online learning platforms. He develops partnerships with state and local governments, community college systems, nonprofit organizations, and workforce development boards by connecting individuals to career pathways that lead to good-paying jobs. Prior to joining Coursera, Jonathan worked for some of the largest public education systems including, Los Angeles Unified School District, Oakland Unified School District, and Boston Public Schools. His career has also included roles at non-profit organizations such as Teach for America and Year Up, as well as with local workforce organizations including the Metro North Regional Employment Board where he oversaw youth programs in 20 cities and towns in Massachusetts. Jonathan earned his M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, his M.A. in Education Policy & Management at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, and his B.A. from Bard College in Literature and Creative Writing. He frequently writes about education and workforce development initiatives and his work has appeared in media outlets such as The Washington Post, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Forbes, Salon, Education Week, and The Huffington Post.

Bret Walker

Assistant Director of Workforce Services for Denver Economic Development & Opportunity

Bret Walker is the Assistant Director of Workforce Services for Denver Economic Development & Opportunity, where he has been for six years. Bret has a passion for helping people find their way in the world and is dedicated to making Denver a vibrant and successful home for businesses and citizens alike and is committed to making Denver a more diverse and inclusive city.. With over a decade experience in business development and workforce, Bret has a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities for job seekers, employers, and entrepreneurs in the Denver area. He is eager to create innovative solutions to the ever-evolving economic landscape, utilizing his skills in problem solving, sales, and creative thinking. Bret is a dynamic leader and believes that with hard work, the right resources, and a lot of passion, anything is possible.

Jon Rogers

Director of Strategic Workforce Planning for the Indiana Office of Technology

Jon Rogers is the Director of Strategic Workforce Planning for the Indiana Office of Technology (IOT) – the state’s enterprise provider of IT services and resources. Jon has served in a number of roles at the local, state, and federal levels, including over ten years split between the United States Senate and Intelligence Community. In his current role, he has the privilege of augmenting IOT’s organization through his passion for hiring, recruiting, and developing public-service talent. Of note, he launched the first agency-based State Earn and Learn (SEAL) IT program in coordination with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. Since March 2020, the award-winning SEAL IT program has hired fifty individuals, and SEAL IT graduates continue to fill meaningful information technology/security staff roles with the State. Jon enjoys finding solutions through coaching and mentoring; he was honored by the Indiana Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship as a Work-Based Learning Ambassador, and he was twice nominated for the Director/Central Intelligence Agency Mentor of the Year award.

Webinar

Close Talent Gaps with Skills-Based Hiring and Training