In a December episode of Association Chat, host KiKi L’Italien interviewed WorkingNation President Jane Oates about the “role associations play in facing workforce challenges and some of the great examples of associations collaborating with other institutions to lead the way in overcoming those challenges for their industries.”
“I think associations play a critical role in both getting the message out and, also, defining the needs,” says Jane, who gave a shout-out to the Manufacturing Institute and National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) for being “out there very early, very clearly, describing the need — that was then impending, but now upon us — of workers in critical areas.”
Jane also highlights how trade associations, like the two mentioned above and CompTia in the tech industry, are helping workers and businesses navigate the credentialing landscape; changes in associations’ visibility problem; how associations can be key to helping people get a job, and more.