Florida Workforce Professional Development Summit

Florida Workforce Professional Development Summit

The Florida Workforce Development Association sponsored the Workforce Professional Development Summit. This year's theme was "Building Brighter Futures: Florida's Workforce Revolution." The conference offered a comprehensive range of workshops specifically designed to support workforce staff at all levels within their organizations. The focus was on providing resources to advance the workforce system in alignment with WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act). The Center presented our Key Component Workforce System Alignment tool during the CareerSource Suncoast's Registered Apprenticeship workshop. 

Link to Presentation

CWA Meeting of the Minds

California Workforce Association Meeting of the Minds

CWA's Meeting of the Minds is where national and local leaders, workforce boards, policymakers, and business partners come together for a convening dedicated to advancing workforce development as a key driver of economic progress. At this event, Local Workforce Development Boards share how they are helping businesses expand by connecting them with talent and training solutions that address real-time skill gaps. Experts also discuss current Congressional and Administration proposals to increase federal funding for worker training initiatives.

At this year's event, Center of Excellence Subject Matter Expert Melissa Aguilar-Southard and Safal Partners Chief Delivery Officer Katie Adams presented a workshop entitled "From Insight to Impact: Peer-Informed Tools to Expand Registered Apprenticeship." It showcased the RA alignment work the Center has partnered with CWA on over the past few years, and also unpacked challenges that workforce entities and partners have experienced in their mission to expand RA across the nation.

Link to Presentation

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, presented an engaging and informative workshop designed specifically for business service team members. This session was 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 learned 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 were equipped with practical strategies and actionable insights to seamlessly incorporate apprenticeship programs into their work to support businesses and meet their unique needs.

Link to Presentation

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.