WC Podcast

Dr. Jesus Jara, Superintendent of Clark County School district and member of the Workforce Connections Board, talks about his experience representing the K-12 on the local workforce development board and convening the system to provide talent solutions for local businesses; how higher education is aligning with K-12 to strengthen the workforce pipeline; the importance of building bridges to employ...

Mark Sherry,  Vice Chair, and David Parks, Secretary Treasure of Workforce Solutions, Capital Area, Austin, Texas, share their take-aways from the best practices exchange visit with Workforce Connections in Las Vegas, NV; growing regional industry sector partnerships; how upscaling has exposed their workforce to new opportunities;  the concept of customer-centric hiring and its benefits; how to gr...

Tamara Atkinson, Chief Executive Officer, and Melanie Flowers, Chair of the Workforce Solutions Capital Area in Austin, Texas,  discuss what it means to be a high impact workforce development board; the importance of board members having a high level of engagement; earning the trust of the board members and the Local Elected Officials; how industry subject matter expertise can be applied to workfo...

Ericka Aviles founder of Ericka Aviles Consulting LLC talks about the leap of faith she took to become a business owner; the challenges Hispanic small businesses face in Las Vegas; how her business provides guidance and access to resources; her experience at MGM Resorts, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and with former mayor Oscar Goodman. Ericka Aviles Consulting:   https://erickaa...

Marcie Smedley, Executive Director for the Henderson Libraries, discusses the renovation project at Green Valley Library including the Employ NV Career & Business Hubs; new and improved amenities at the library; youth and adult services provided by the library and the hubs; new resources available to businesses at the library; the future of work and its impact on public libraries.   Green Vall...

Special Guest Host, Tina Quigley, President & CEO for the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA) and Workforce Connections Board Member, and her guest, Michael Brown, Executive Director of the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development talk about sustainable economic development, diversifying the workforce, climate change, and water; the relationship between workforce development and...

Special Guest Host, Jack Martin, Workforce Connections Board Member, and his guest, Jaime Cruz, Executive Director at Workforce Connections, discuss Jaime’s roots in Lima, Peru; attending the Merchant Marine Academy, sailing to 27 countries; immigrating to America; his journey from dishwasher to banquet server, facilities engineer, the first energy manager at MGM Resorts, corporate director of Ene...

John Ponder, Founder & CEO of Hope for Prisoners, discusses the mission and vision of the organization; the efficiency and success of the program with over 4,700 people assisted since their doors opened; the effectiveness of identifying and addressing barriers to employment; the brand new Hope for Prisoners Facility and the partnerships with the community that are being created there; the secr...

Jamie Schwartz, Director, Industry and Business Engagement for the UNLV Office of Economic Development discuss how her department is designed to diversify and improve the economy by assisting students to grow their own business or develop technologies, assisting the private sector like small business, entrepreneurs, inventors to help expand business or take their invention to another level; the Ne...

Guy Martin, President of Martin Harris Construction interviews Frank Martin, Founder of the company. They discuss their roots in Southern Nevada, the family business and workforce development as an economic development imperative.

Episode 6: Guest host Malik M. L. Williams, welcomes Carolyn Willis, Program Manager at Hope for Prisoners, and Michael D. Hollis, Program Manager at Foundation for an Independent Tomorrow. They share their passion and commitment for their work with re-entry populations, special events happening in April (“Second Chance” month), and the importance of connecting returning citizens to their communit...

Wanda Smith-Gispert, Vice President, Talent & Workforce Development at MGM Resorts, and Aaron Smith, Chief Operating Officer at C2 Global, discuss the new Employ NV Youth Hub and all of the free services and resources available for youth; understanding the needs of employers and working with the local workforce development board helps to develop future talent pipeline; developing strong employ...

Special Guest Host, Jack Martin, Workforce Connections Board Member interviews Dr. Ricardo Villalobos, Chief Program Officer of Workforce Connections. They discuss his roots in Las Vegas; how an unexpected trip to California changed the trajectory of his professional career and moved him to San Diego to pursue ministry, expand his collegiate career, and start a family;  his return to Las Vegas, an...

Mark Douglass,  President of Equus, Title I service provider, and One-Stop Operator in our One-Stop System discusses the expanded functions of Equus across the country; the innovation of workforce development through a hybrid model of delivery; and expanding the footprint for One-Stop Center Services to new locations in and beyond Clark County.

Tina Quigley, President & CEO of Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA) talks about 11 facts regarding Workforce Development; the growth of Las Vegas in the next five years; the impact of land and water in Southern Nevada; regional partnerships involved in the creation of the Blueprint 3.0; the launch of the seven industry sector partnerships; the importance of engaging businesses to align...

Special Guest Host, Cecil Felder, Workforce Connections Board Vice-Chair and his guest, MJ Maynard, CEO of Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) discuss the “Secret Sauce” of Workforce Connections and the effective efforts of strategic partnerships and collaborations; upward mobility through the One-Stop System; the impact of COVID-19 on public transportation; and how Workforce Connections and...

Commissioner De Winsor from Esmeralda County and a member of the Workforce Connections Local Elected Officials Consortium discusses the make-up Esmeralda County, the mines that made Esmeralda County the richest in the world at one point, and the how COVID impacted the residents. For more information about Esmeralda County and Goldfield:   Esmeralda County - Home | Facebook Goldfield Chamber of Com...

Commissioner William McCurdy II from District D, Clark County, and a member of the Workforce Connections Local Elected Officials Consortium discusses the recovery of the hardest hit communities in Clark County, the new Employ NV Career Hub at the Historic Westside School and its forecasted impact on the community, serving the diverse population in Clark County, and the premise behind his Mental He...

Commissioner Varlin Higbee from Lincoln County and a member of the Workforce Connections Local Elected Officials Consortium shares his experience with Workforce Connections, all the natural resource-based jobs and beautiful demographics of Lincoln County, surviving the pandemic, and the current workforce shortage.  For more information about Lincoln County:   County of Lincoln, NC - Official Websi...

Boulder City Councilman Matthew Fox, a member of the Workforce Connections Local Elected Officials Consortium talks about the uniqueness of Boulder City, how smart planning helped his business survive during the pandemic, and how the labor market changed due to COVID 19. For more information about Boulder City:   Boulder City, NV - Official Website | Official Website (bcnv.org)  

Commissioner Leo Blundo from Nye County and a member of the Workforce Connections Local Elected Officials Consortium talks about the impact of the pandemic/post as a small business owner, how government plays a strong role in the Nye County and Pahrump small business community, and how the last four years being on the Workforce Connections Local Elected Official Consortium has positively impacted...

Councilwoman Michelle Romero of Ward 1, City of Henderson and a member of the Workforce Connections Local Elected Officials Consortium speaks about the economic growth and all things happening in Henderson, the renovation of Water Street, the impact of COVID to the residents, and the new Pre-K program being funded. For more information about the new and exciting thing happening in Henderson:   Hen...

Councilwoman Olivia Diaz of Ward 3, City of Las Vegas and a member of the Workforce Connections Local Elected Officials Consortium discusses her journey to elected office, the workforce of the future, and the benefits of utilizing the One-Stop Career Center and all of the resources it offers to the community. For more information about Ward 3:   City of Las Vegas > Government > Mayor & C...

Councilman Scott Black of Ward 3, City of North Las Vegas and a member of the Workforce Connections Local Elected Officials Consortium discusses the new North Las Vegas Small Business Connector located in the North Las Vegas City Hall, swinging the pendulum from the past economic state of North Las Vegas to a robust and diverse economy, and his experience the past four years with Workforce Connect...

Valerie Murzl from People Culture Consulting, LLC discusses the journey and growth of Workforce Connections, the creative ways how the One-Stops have spread in the community, how business partnerships have produced successful results with workforce development.