Charlotte is stepping up its game in the talent acquisition arena with a new initiative called Future Forward Charlotte, aimed at forging stronger connections between local talent and the region's burgeoning industries. This effort, according to an announcement by the city's Economic Development Department, pairs with experts from CAEL and the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance to zero in on industry-specific talent requirements and establish career pathways.
The first phase of Future Forward Charlotte kicked off with a series of outreaches to human resource leaders throughout the region, a tactical move for identifying precise workforce demands. Assistant City Manager Alyson Craig highlighted the importance of the initiative, “Charlotte’s continued growth depends on our ability to connect our residents to opportunity — and to meet the evolving needs of businesses,” Charlotte’s official news website reported. The program's objective doesn't stop there. Come July, it will host a series of industry-specific roundtables to further dissect employer needs and uncover potential talent gaps.
In a partnership that's already yielded results, Future Forward Charlotte stands on the shoulders of the successful Build Better Careers initiative, which paved pathways within the financial sector for Charlotte residents. An outcome of this initiative was the BankWork$ training program, which, according to the city's press release, has seen 134 graduates with 72% landing jobs in finance, boasting an average hourly wage of $20.15. CAEL President Earl Buford underscored the organization’s commitment to the Charlotte area, “We’re excited to help build extended pathways that support both occupational entry and rewarding career growth in the Charlotte area,” he told the city’s news outlet.
The forthcoming discussions with industry insiders will inform CAEL's industry career pathway mapping project which seeks to align education and training programs with industry requirements. "Building healthy talent pipelines is essential to supporting robust regional economies, but it can be a heavy lift," noted CAEL Vice President Ashley Wilhelm, "By including the voices of employers from the start, we can ensure education and training are better aligned to meet learner and business needs now and as they evolve in the future."
