2025 Fahe Workforce Development Conference
In June, we attended a workforce development conference hosted by Fahe. It took place in the historic Bristol Hotel in Bristol, VA, from where the Tennessee state line was just a quick five minute walk. Gathering with 12 other organizations including folks from Mountain T.O.P., we tackled topics ranging from what is workforce development to strategies to how to implement workforce development programs.
We have been focusing on the workforce development part of our mission by listening, learning, and thinking through what type of programs will meet the needs of our community and help us stay focused on building homes that working families can afford. Articulated in our strategic plan, we originally thought that we might want to be an entry level employer for folks in the construction industry. This makes sense for us since we build houses, but what we’ve learned is that this isn’t really workforce development. Our thinking around Housing Hub’s mission is becoming clearer: we want to be an organization that helps people break through barriers to employment. Just how to do that remains a question.
Workforce development refers to a range of strategies, initiatives, and educational activities aimed at improving the skills and knowledge of individuals to meet the demands of the current and future job market. It focuses on enhancing employability and career advancement opportunities through various programs and services.
At the conference, we heard from a small but varied group of organizations who are making an impressive impact in Appalachian communities: Coalfield Development, West Virginia Women Work, and Randolph County Housing Authority. Each had a different workforce development program that integrated into larger organizational missions focused on helping participants build economic power and generate lasting prosperity. These wider missions of financial stability connected with programs of worker training and employment strategies helped to broaden our understanding of what might be possible for us.
One of our big takeaways from the conference is that we are already engaged in workforce development activities. We currently host a few employment support services such as financial literacy workshops and one-on-one coaching for goal setting. We do this for folks interested in home buying, but the same services can be useful for people who are focused on increasing their income or finding employment. These services can help to identify and remove barriers to employment.
We are currently formulating new ideas for possible programs we could deploy this year. Our next step is to meet with our board of directors and present our big ideas. Being able to marry the tools of housing and workforce development as a means to economic prosperity could become a powerful asset for our community, and we are excited to see how this unfolds! Stay tuned!
Housing Hub’s next free workshop, Creating a Budget That Works, will take place on Thursday, July 27th from 6-6:45pm at our office in Tracy City, 14399 US 41 Suite 230 (Littell Partin Center/Old Grundy County High School). Come brush up on your budgeting skills and learn about BetterFi’s tools for savings and budgeting. Learn more here.