Statement from Earl Buford, incoming CEO, Partner4Work
Dear friends and colleagues,
After four years as the leader of Employ
I want to thank Mayor Tom Barrett for the support and trust he's shown me throughout my career and especially at Employ Milwaukee.
I'm proud of the success we've had and the progress we've made on workforce development efforts in the Milwaukee area. Together, we have laid the groundwork for years to come.
Throughout my career, I've strived to champion a philosophy of collaboration to connect workforce supply and demand.
The success of the organizations and teams I've had the opportunity to lead has consistently been tied to our ability to leverage workforce investment, coordinate education and training partners, and deliver targeted business services.
One of the successes I'm most proud of during my time at Employ Milwaukee has been our efforts to increase participation from employers and industry which led to the creation of our industry advisory board.
I'm also proud of:
- Launching the now nationally recognized consortium of urban workforce boards - Midwest Urban Strategies.
- Helping develop Compete Milwaukee - a partnership between the Mayor, Common Council, workforce development agencies, and private employers to connect unemployed and underemployed Milwaukeeans with employment opportunities.
- Diversifying the funding base for Employ Milwaukee through a blended funding model that has enabled us to leverage additional public, private, and philanthropic dollars.
This could not have happened without the help and involvement of our partners and supporters. Thank you for the opportunity to serve.
Sincerely,
Earl Buford
Nationally recognized for innovation, Partner4Work delivers workforce solutions for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County to ensure the current and future needs of businesses and job seekers are met. As stewards of more than $25 million in public and private workforce funds, Partner4Work oversees and funds workforce programs for adults, dislocated workers, and youth; educates the community through robust labor market analytics; and implements innovative solutions to the region's systemic workforce challenges. Partner4Work bridges the gap between people looking for work and companies in need of talent. More information is available at www.partner4work.org.