National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) Business Services Academy

The Center of Excellence's Senior Subject Matter Expert, Melissa Aguilar-Southard, and Dun and Bradstreet's Senior Account Director, Bill Greene, will be presenting an engaging and informative workshop designed specifically for business service team members. This session is tailored to provide an understanding of how Registered Apprenticeship programs can and should align with your business services strategy. Through interactive discussions and the presentation of data participants will learn how to effectively embed subject matter expertise into their workflow empowering attendees to make informed business decisions and enhance customer service delivery. By the end of the workshop, business service representatives will be equipped with practical strategies and actionable insights to seamlessly incorporate apprenticeship programs into their work to support businesses and meet their unique needs.

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Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives Conference 2025

Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives Conference 2025

The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) serves more than 9,000 leaders from 1,300 chambers of commerce. Hundreds of other businesses and organizations are also ACCE members. The combined membership of ACCE chambers in the U.S. exceeds 1.2 million businesses. Members look to ACCE for best practices, industry trends, corporate partners, networking, resources, and new ideas to advance the interests of their communities.

The ACCE Conference was held in Philadelphia focusing on industry’s efforts to create stronger economies and communities by:

• - Looking beyond the present to identify early signals that could evolve into trends that impact businesses and communities,

• - Gaining inspiration and insights about industry trends and best practices, and

• - Harnessing your chamber's enduring role and leveraging its influence to take risks and forge and bolder future.

The Center of Excellence had an exhibit booth where we spoke directly with our Registered Apprenticeship subject matter experts about how your Chamber of Commerce can help create a talent pipeline through apprenticeship.

Building Stronger American Workforce and Education System Support for Apprenticeship: National Town Hall

Building Stronger American Workforce and Education System Support for Apprenticeship: National Town Hall

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Center of Excellence on Strategic Partnerships and System Alignment hosted “Building Stronger American Workforce and Education System Support for Apprenticeship,” a national virtual Town Hall on advancing alignment of America’s apprenticeship, education, and workforce systems. This special event featured U.S. DOL leaders, Megan Baird, the Acting Administrator from the Office of Apprenticeship (OA), and Robin Fernkas, the Deputy Administrator from the Employment and Training Administration Office of Workforce Investment (OWI). 

OA and OWI leadership was joined by the Center lead, Safal Partners, and its five partners - the National Association of Workforce Professionals, Coalition on Adult Basic Education, National Disability Institute, Wireless Infrastructure Association, and FASTPORT – in sharing insights from the field, lessons learned from the Center’s work over the past four years, and recommendations for future work.

Link to Webinar

Link to PPT

Promoting Registered Apprenticeships: Strategies for Business Service Representatives in the Transportation Industry

Promoting Registered Apprenticeships:  Strategies for Business Service Representatives in the Transportation Industry

The Transportation, Distribution & Logistics industry employs 1 in 14 working Americans offering a wide range of career opportunities and making it challenging for employers to fill open positions. This webinar provided Business Services Representatives (BSRs) with effective strategies to promote Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs to employers in this industry. The session highlighted how RA programs offer tailored solutions to meet specific workforce needs, can be seamlessly integrated into existing training and HR development plans, and deliver clear benefits such as a skilled talent pipeline, improved retention, and reduced recruitment costs.

This webinar, presented by the Center of Excellence in partnership with FASTPORT, was presented by Dave Harrison and Scott Ellsworth. Scott Ellsworth, the Principal and Owner of Scott Ellsworth Consulting and Sherpa Management Solutions, works as a contractor with numerous workforce organization assisting employers in developing and implementing effective RA programs. Dave Harrison, Executive Director of Workforce Development and Government Relations for FASTPORT, is a highly accomplished subject matter expert in RA, workforce development, government relations, and veteran employment initiatives. Dave brings extensive expertise in transportation, logistics, financial services, information security, and artificial intelligence sectors, where he has assisted employers and workforce development professionals in meeting evolving industry needs with innovative workforce development solutions. 

Link to Webinar

Link to Presentation