Regional leadership including WESTMARC, AZ@Work-Maricopa County, PipelineAZ and Brightworks Consulting have partnered to launch a West Valley Industry Spotlight and Virtual Job Matching series in collaboration with the fifteen (15) communities of the West Valley.
The series, sponsored by Arizona State University (ASU), will focus on the six (6) industries targeted by the West Valley of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan area for attraction and growth. These target sectors intersect with Arizona Commerce Authority, Greater Phoenix Economic Council and Maricopa County’s target industry sectors.
“ASU is delighted to sponsor WESTMARC’S Industry Spotlight Series, as it aligns with our work across ASU and particularly at ASU’s West campus here in the West Valley. We partner and work to create the requisite workforce pipeline to produce dynamic 21st century problem-solvers and change-agents, capable of catalyzing economic growth in the West Valley, particularly in areas of high need and opportunity, including healthcare, cybersecurity, STEM, and logistics to name just a few” said Dr. Todd Sandrin, Professor and Dean at ASU New College and Vice Provost at ASU’s West Campus.
In 2018, the West Valley, with the collaboration of government, education, and business partners, finalized and began implementation of the region’s workforce implementation strategy, West Valley Pipeline. Data collected in the development of the regional strategy quantified and qualified the diverse, highly skilled workforce that exists today in the West Valley.
“The intent of the strategy is to use the data on current workforce and commute patterns to illustrate the workforce we have today and guide the development of the robust workforce we will need into the future to support targeted growth, business attraction and economic development.” said Sintra Hoffman, WESTMARC President and CEO.
The six (6) target industries identified in the strategy include: Advanced Business Services, Manufacturing, Aerospace & Aviation, Healthcare, IT/Cybersecurity, and Transportation & Logistics/Supply Chain Management. The webinar series will bring together subject matter experts in industry, workforce, training & education to highlight needs, opportunities, pathways, and resources for careers in the target industries. The job matching component will connect employers and job seekers based on skills via the PipelineAZ platform. Both employers and job seekers will receive assistance with onboarding and career navigation free of charge.
October 27, 2020 marked the launch of the first event of the series and focused on IT/Cybersecurity. https://www.westmarc.org/west-valley-pipeline-industry-spotlight/
CALENDAR OF FUTURE INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT WEBINARS:
- February 2 – Advanced Business Services
- April 6 – Healthcare
- June 1 – Manufacturing
- August 3 – Transportation/Logistics-Supply Chain Management
- October 5 – Aerospace & Aviation
Who should attend the February event? West Valley employers’ and job seekers seeking opportunities in Advanced Business Services, more guidance and connections can follow the two-step registration process.
WESTMARC—the Western Maricopa Coalition—is a public-private partnership of the 15 communities, the business community, and the educational sector in the West Valley. WESTMARC is committed to our members’ success and to our mission of enhancing economic development and promoting quality of life in the West Valley.
