Workforce development is not something that happens in isolation. At its core, it is led by Workforce Development Boards (WDBs), who convene employers, job seekers, training and education providers, and community organizations, around a shared goal of creating opportunity. When these strengths are combined, the result is stronger systems, stronger communities, and better outcomes. As a membership organization, we see every day how collaboration transforms possibility into reality. Partnerships are the foundation that makes workforce development work.
Workforce Development Boards Serve Both Employers and Job Seekers
Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) are unique in their dual focus. They serve both job seekers and employers, ensuring that businesses can find the skilled talent they need and that individuals have access to training, career pathways, and meaningful employment. This balance between supply and demand is what makes the public workforce system so effective. It is also what makes partnerships indispensable. When WDBs collaborate regionally with employers, training vendors and community organizations, solutions are better aligned with industry needs and individuals are better prepared for success.
Local Solutions with National Impact
Strong workforce strategies are always rooted locally. Every region has its own mix of industries, employers, and challenges, and WDBs respond with services tailored to those realities. By convening employers, education/training providers, and community partners, WDBs serve as the anchor of economic development in their regions. Employers of every size strengthen this system when they engage, but it is the WDBs who braid funding streams, align training with industry demand, and coordinate resources in ways that reduce duplication and expand opportunity. When these local solutions are resourced and connected across our network, they generate momentum that reaches far beyond city or state boundaries. Together, we build national impact from the ground up.
Coordinated Resources Deliver Results
At Midwest Urban Strategies, we see our members successfully braiding resources every day. When funding streams, employer partnerships, and community supports are intentionally aligned, the results tell the success story of workforce development. No single program or WDB can meet the full scope of need on its own, but when systems work together, outcomes multiply.
This is why September’s Workforce Development Month campaign focused on lifting up member stories. The Center of Workforce Innovations launched the Work B.I.G. initiative in Gary, bringing city leaders, educators, and employers together to deliver paid training that strengthens entire neighborhoods. EmployIndy connected employers and educators through integrated systems that streamline service delivery. The Stark Tuscarawas Workforce Development Board helped young people earn credentials and secure housing through coordinated supports. Employ Milwaukee expanded reentry and workforce opportunities by aligning efforts with local agencies to create seamless support for justice-involved and at-risk youth. Detroit at Work partnered with LM Manufacturing to hire nearly 1,000 Detroit residents, showing employer engagement results at scale.
When Workforce Development Boards align efforts across workforce, education, employers, and community partners, the system works better for everyone. It proves that Workforce Works and coordinated resources are how we achieve lasting outcomes.
Moving Forward, Together
The power of collaboration is clear: workforce development succeeds when we work together. As a network, MUS and our members are committed to showing the nation that Workforce Works!! Workforce Development Boards build the bridges that expand opportunity, strengthen systems, and deliver outcomes that matter for people and businesses alike.
