Last month, over 1,400 workforce board members and staff attended The Forum 2017, the annual conference of the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB).
The WDBSCW’s CEO, Pat Schramm, Deputy Director, Seth Lentz, Board Chair, Pam Christensen of Madison Gas & Electric, and Board Secretary, Laura Cataldo, of Maxim Consulting, joined the gathering in Washington D.C.
The Forum 2017 is the premier event for workforce development professionals. They meet with leaders in business, government, and education to gain insights into the current state of the workforce system and generate ideas of how to respond to the challenges in workforce development.
![WDBSCW Board Chair, Pam Christensen of Madison Gas and Electric, and Laura Cataldo of Maxim Consulting, Hit-the-Hill on their last day in D.C.](https://i0.wp.com/wdbscw.org/wp-content/uploads/IMG_4379.edit_-225x300.jpg?resize=225%2C300)
Many of the challenges workforce system partners are currently facing center around the implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA), the integration of programs, and refining the role of boards as they continue to grow. The Forum 2017 served as a catalyst for representatives to share solutions and best practices to address these workforce challenges.
Our WDBSCW team also “Hit-the-Hill” on their last day in D.C. This was an opportunity for them to meet with legislators to advocate for workforce efforts in Wisconsin and our local communities. They were able to meet with many people, including Tammy Baldwin and Paul Ryan.