Shared infrastructure, shared impact:
Partnering with Talent Solutions Connector
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Key Takeaways
- Chicagoland CareerPathways is partnering with Talent Solutions Connector to better serve our overlapping communities.
- This partnership will open up new opportunities for program providers, employers, program seekers, and guides.
- To facilitate this partnership, Becca Senatore (CareerPathways Directory Administrator) will transition to a role as Directory Manager at the Origami Works Foundation. They will continue to work on Chicagoland CareerPathways while working on Talent Solutions Connector.
- Becca will remain reachable on CareerPathways-related matters through her CareerPathways email address, [email protected].
What is Talent Solutions Connector?
Talent Solutions Connector is one of the earliest projects of the Network for Employer-led Workforce Solutions (NEWS). Many employer tables throughout the Chicagoland area have informal methods for employers to share talent solution resources and services with their peers. However, there has been no consistent method for capturing, maintaining, and sharing this information.
Talent Solutions Connector was created to allow employers to share their positive experiences with talent solutions providers and make new connections to services already available in the region. Built for employers, by employers, Talent Solutions Connector helps employers find, train, and retain the talent that will propel their business to success.
Services listed in Talent Solutions Connector include Recruiting & Hiring, Training & Development, Employee Retention, Employer Peer Networks, and Solution Navigators. Each of these categories seeks to address the variety of workforce challenges that employers may face, including staffing, training, and retaining diverse talent, as well as networking with peers to learn about and collaborate on shared workforce challenges. All of these workforce services help build a strong and resilient talent base in our region.
The creation of Talent Solutions Connector was made possible by the collaborative work of the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance, Cook County’s Bureau of Economic Development, Origami Works Foundation, and an engaged group of employers.
Why this partnership?
Chicagoland CareerPathways believes in tackling challenges in our workforce development and education ecosystem through a systems-level approach. We know that nothing happens in isolation. In as interconnected a system as ours, it is crucial that solutions are multi-faceted and collaborative.
While Chicagoland CareerPathways has always served program seekers, program providers, and guides, we know that these are not the only members of our community. Talent Solutions Connector does the same critical work that we do – building and supporting connections, sharing information, and bringing the ecosystem closer together to better support the entire community – but with a focus on the connections between program providers and employers.
By building a close collaboration between these two systems, we can facilitate connections between our program providers and nearby employers, thus improving employment outcomes for these programs’ participants. In so doing, we create a stronger system for the program seekers and guides served by CareerPathways and the employers served by Talent Solutions Connector. Together, we will find new ways to build a robust, equitable, accessible, and transparent ecosystem.
What does this mean for CareerPathways?
You’ll hear more from us about this partnership and its impacts in the coming months. Without giving away too many of the exciting developments in the works, we hope to:
- create a more seamless experience between the two sites for our program providers,
- offer new and exciting resources to our program providers and our program seekers,
- and learn new ways to engage our entire community in building our future together.
The most immediate impact of this partnership is a transition of a team member at CareerPathways. Becca Senatore, who currently serves as the site’s Directory Administrator, will facilitate this new partnership in a new position. She will be hosted at the Origami Works Foundation and work jointly on Chicagoland CareerPathways and Talent Solutions Connector as Directory Manager. This shared position allows Becca to know both platforms in depth and hone the sites’ synergies from up close.
Becca can be contacted on CareerPathways-related matters at their CareerPathways email address, [email protected]. Please continue to reach out to them with any questions, feedback, or thoughts you would like to share.
Thank you for joining us in this exciting new chapter. We can’t wait to see what this next step brings. Have a joyful, restful holiday season, and we’ll see you in the new year!