16th annual UCEA Workforce Development Forum ~ Scottsdale, AZ ~ January 13-15, 2010

The 16th annual UCEA Workforce Development Forum will take place in Scottsdale, AZ at the Chaparral Suites Resort Scottsdale on January 13-15, 2010. The theme of the 2010 Forum is “Workforce Development in Changing Times – Addressing Shifting Career, Labor, and Industry Needs.”

We encourage you to be part of this 2010 event. The complete “Call for Presentations” for the Forum can be found on the UCEA website at http://www.ucea.edu/profdev/seminars/2010forum/index.html

Deadline for proposals is August 31, 2009. Please pass the link to the RFP along to anyone who may be interested in presenting at the Forum. An abridged version of the RFP is below.


Workforce development has traditionally been defined as training that takes place outside the university and in vocational or technical education, adult basic education, or basic skills training. The changing nature of the U.S. workforce, combined with the federal stimulus plan and policy objectives of the Obama administration, make this view obsolete and impractical. The shift to a knowledge economy has expanded the role of colleges and universities from not only educational providers, but also suppliers of professional workforce training and lifelong learning. Government funded programs are providing incentives for higher education, business, government, and community organizations to develop innovative and comprehensive app roaches to workforce and economic development, especially in health care, energy, sustainability, and the “green” economy.

UCEA’s 16th Annual Workforce Development Forum will bring together leaders from the business, government, non-profit, and academic sectors to discuss workforce trends, public policy directions, partnership models, and education programs. The Program Planning Committee is soliciting concurrent session presentations related to four general themes: Stimulus Monies, Collaborations, Technology, and Populations.

Stimulus Monies – Building a New Economy Workforce
What is the new role of continuing higher education – community colleges to research universities – to lead financially troubled states to train and educate workers following the economic downturn, and in aligning workforce training to meet emerging population shifts and job trends into the future? Is your institution providing workforce training in critical and/or emerging fields, such as health care, science and engineering, energy, homeland security, international skills, green and sustainability?

Collaborations – Maximizing Resources, Minimizing Risk
Do you collaborate with local government agencies and/or two-year colleges in providing an integrated continuum of employment and education programs from clue-collar jobs to knowledge sector jobs, including 2+2 pathways? Does your institution have training programs (e.g., research, customized) with employers, especially those that offer employee education assistance benefits? How do state and federal workforce training initiatives forge collaborations that can lead to additional training opportunities?

Technology – Driving Innovation, Expanding Access
How do you develop and design e-learning courses for employees, employers, local Workforce Investment Boards, or businesses worldwide? How is online learning used to increase access to education and training in rural areas, or other underserved populations? Has your institution used technology to develop any global partnership models?

Populations – Addressing Diverse Learner Needs
What kinds of training programs respond to specific demographic groups – such as displaced or incumbent workers, military, minorities or underserved populations, and entrepreneurs? How does your institution work with local industry clusters and government agencies to identify knowledge gaps and create responses to your region’s economic development needs?