It’s time to address America’s skill gap and how to overcome it.

and you are the force that multiplies. We're gonna be talking today about workforce development and the face of unemployment in America. You know, we have still a challenge of employment in this country and the people bearing the brunt of it are low wage workers and marginalized communities who have been walloped by the pandemic, both in an epidemiological

sense as well as in an economic sense. And we have this mismatch because there are millions of jobs listed that aren't filled and there are millions of people looking for work. But we have this growing skills gap, this mismatch between the skills that workers have and those that employers want, and the pandemic accentuated and accelerated this. We've seen a growth of remote work in our economy, a growth of automation, and a continuation of the effects of globalization.

All this can be managed can be mitigated when folks have access to education and certification and workforce development options. Economies are always changing, that's what they do. We as humans change. We have to make sure our institutions, and especially those that provide dignity and livelihood, keep pace with those changes. That technology plays an interesting role in this right because technology has contributed to some of this unemployment.

It has contributed certainly to some of this skills gap. As the marketplace, the what is required of people who work is different from what many of us are capable of. But technology can also be a part of the solution, and we have seen the growth of certain job sectors because of technology helping us solve a need, whether it's a climate need through green collar jobs, or a COVID need through more healthcare jobs, or a technology need through more tech jobs, and the way we deliver on how

we grow and adapt. Our workforce can benefit from technology itself, through innovative training, through up skilling, through education programs, whether they come from educators, employers, nonprofit civic leaders, or somebody else just trying to do a solid to society. So why do I care? I want to take you back to ninet. I um seventeen, going on eighteen years old. I'm a first year student at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts,

and I am a techno file. I mean I showed up with not a real good television or stereo, but my computer was dope. I have always been the person that friends turned to to help them figure out something with their computer. In fact, as partly how I paid for college is fixing people's computers. So I found this community service opportunity to teach computer skills to folks who

had a whole different level of technology literacy. And we worked out in a Section eight housing project on the outskirts of Cambridge neighborhood is Ale Wife for anybody who knows the region, and in the basement of this high rise building, I would teach classes too, folks who were definitely low income and often first generation. They had moved to this country for better opportunity, and we school them on on Microsoft Word and how file systems worked, and

Windows and even DOSS. Because I'm old, and it was a very satisfying feeling for me because I like teaching, and I like when people get ideas, and I like feeling like I could use my skills for something other than binging internet content, that I could use it to help folks. But then I saw the lightbulb go off, and I saw people able to get jobs and able to upgrade not just their skills but their ability to provide for their families, which for so many of them

is why they came here in the first place. So I have a taste of what this can feel like when it works. I have a taste of the hunger so many people have to work, but sometimes the frustration when the skills you have don't match what an employer want. So we're gonna talk to two people in this episode who do what I was trying to do as a college first year student, but in the current context, which is way more complicated and more fascinating in many ways

more challenging. First, I sit with Annie Crawley, chief marketing officer of Goodwill. I'm trying to understand with Annie how one of the most recognizable community organizations is leading efforts to close the community gap through things I didn't even know they were up to, like up scaling millions of Americans and helping them get back into the workforce. We

also hear from Dr Sue else Perman. She's the president of ivy Tech Community College, which is the largest contributor to the Indiana workforce in the entire state and with so many jobs coming from local economic needs. Sue shares how ivy Tech builds programs to train students of any age to meet those demands. First, I hope you enjoy

and I'll see you on the other side. So let's say I'm looking for a job and somebody else is also looking for a job, but they have other things that they have to take into account, like the fact that maybe they don't have a car, or the fact that they don't have consistent broadband. But I have all those things, So for me, it's not our problem. I just gotta find the employee a like and try to

get a name, view and go. So how do we solve for the things that put them behind the starting lines, so to speak, so that way they can equitably competitively compete for a job. Annie Crawley has been the chief Marketing officer of Goodwill for just over six months, which is a departure from the traditional marketing roles she has

built a successful career around for so many years. Before this, she's pivoted like so many organizations I've had too, and she's facing a new challenge now, one that she is excited about to help reshape one of the country's largest nonprofit organizations. Hi, how are you. I'm doing really really well. Thank you so much for having me on today. You are so welcome, and thank you for spending some time with me. Well, I think you know why we're here,

but we're doing this podcast Force multiplier. I want to talk about good Will, want to talk about collaboration, want to talk about you, and I want to start with Goodwill, which many people know for many different reasons. I know it as a thrift store, mostly in a place of donations. What is Goodwill? Who does good Will serve? And how does good Will do that? Good Will serves so many people, And it's all of those things that you mentioned. It is a nonprofit, it's a retail chain, it's a skills

training center, it's all of those things. We serve thrifters, people who love to thrift and buy a second hand. We serve those who are looking for new jobs that are looking to advance themselves in their careers, those who want to donate and just unload stuff that they don't want their homes anymore. People who want to help and do good and who want to fund. So we have

so many different audiences. And you know what's interesting is that most people know us only for our stores and our donation centers, and because of that, people think, oh, yeah, Goodwill. It's like this big for profit company, But we're not. When you step back, We're really in the business of helping people and helping the planet. For people, it's all about self empowerment and living life on your terms. And for the planet, it's about doing our part to keep

usable goods out of landfills. Yeah. I think that's a good way to unify what it is, you know, helping the planet, helping people. So much of what your work is I see as interacting with American workers. And the organization has been around for so long. What has the organization learned about America's workers and what they need? Wow? You know, I it's so we're in certainly in a time and I know we'll talk about that, but I think there's just an ongoing evolution, right. Nothing is ever static.

And so that's why when we talk about what we offer to people, it's not just about getting people into jobs. It's also people who already have jobs but want to go further, or do more, or go in a different directions. So it's almost like goodwill they sort of enabled this journey. It's this rand that's an ongoing support of individual growth and evolution. Maybe you're moving or redesigning your home, and we give you a place to shed all the things

you don't want anymore. You shop our stores and that's kind of a part of enabling your personal self expression. You utilize our skills, training and job support services to advance a career, find a new career. So I think what we've learned is that people are always evolving, and we want to be able to be that support to enable the evolution that they're looking for. I have this image of complex organization. How is good will able to

be so many things to so many people. I would imagine that the organization, which is by the way, almost twenty years old, never set out to say I want to be all these different things to all these people. In this way, I think the fundamental thing that Edgar Helms, who started the company. Wanted to do when he started out of Boston was he wanted to just give everybody

an equitable chance. And he saw an opportunity to take things that those who were more privileged no longer needed and use that to create resources to give to people who needed more and enable them to sort of step up. One thing I really love about good Will is that the philosophy really is about teaching a man how to fish so that he can eat for a lifetime rather

than sort of fish for a day. And so I think just over time and as we've built out the Federation, which is made up of a hundred and fifty six different memberships, these members have looked at their local communities and said, what do they need here? So something that a good Will might need in Michigan might be different from what a good Will needs in Texas. And so what's unique about this organization is we work to really understand the specific needs in the town where you live

and address those needs. And I think through that that's how you've seen sort of this expansion of services that we offer throughout the company. I respect that a ton and I think we have a lot of blanket band aids we try to apply with no knowledge on the ground. So having grounded local knowledge seems like a huge differentiator for an organization like Goodwill use the word equity, and it makes me think of the opportunity gap, especially in

terms of employment. What is involved in creating that gap in this country? More to the point, how are you working to help close it? I think a lot of it stems from the fact that just fundamentally, we are in a digital world today. There was a report last year, I think by the Aspen Institute, and according to that report, I think thirty two million Americans don't know how to use a computer, and half of Americans are not comfortable

learning online. So there's definitely a need to build more digital competent so that tomorrow people are not getting locked out of even the most basic jobs. People have this idea that it's things like you know, automation and AI and all this disruption that's going to take away jobs. The reality is that rather than jobs disappearing, the jobs are really changing and a lot of workers are going to need digital upskilling to keep up with those and

be prepared for those opportunities. Jobs that previously needed unskilled workers over fined with unskilled workers. Twenty percent of those jobs are now going to need skilled workers. So it's showing the need for even some of the most basic roles to require some sort of digital proficiency. So with that understanding that we have this sort of workforce development challenge around digital and technological skills, where does goodwill come in? How do you work in all of these communities across

your federation to help provide people those skills. I would say it's twofold. One is that we are trying to set up a learning management platform that will enable people to come in and get the digital skills and any kind of upskilling really that they need to get into the jobs what they want. We're also galvanizing other organizations to join us and provide services that will allow people to get the free skilling that they need so that they can get into different jobs. So it's really kind

of this whole one plus one equals three. I want that math. I want that one plus one three put my stocks in that. I want to talk about the

Rising Together coalition. There are many players, many different types of players coming together, some of the largest employers in the country, some of them with some very progressive policies internally or externally, working with Goodwill to help boost this economic recovery and make sure it works for everybody, not just having that k shape we hear so much about in the news. So talk to me about rising together.

What is it? Who's involved? Yes, they surrising together. At the most fundamental level, it's a commitment by the good Will brand to help America get back on its way to economic recovery. That's what it is. And we know we can't do it alone, which is why we formed a coalition to do that. The brain child that was because we looked at what was happening with the pandemic.

You know, nationwide pandemic related job laws has disproportionately affected people of color, women, and those without pihor degrees, and we knew that to recover with an inclusive economic infrastructure that gives everyone equitable opportunity, we needed something that was going to provide the right support in the right place

at the right time. And so you came together with other Fortune fifty companies specifically for the purpose of providing those who are not unemployed right now with the support and researchers they need. We started with five companies, but the ideas that we start with those five and as we continue to sort of message what we're doing with this and get more communication out there about Rising Together, is that companies, we get more companies to get on

the train and join us in this journey. So, in a basketball metaphor, who's your starting five? My my starting team. So we kicked off the launch in May with Google, of Courserra, Indeed, Lift and the Anthem Foundation all are bringing very unique supports to the Rising Together structure. All right, so I want like ESPN Graphics, Right, I'm gonna hit you with a player, and then you're gonna tell me what they're bringing to the team, all right. Indeed, what

do they have for the coalition? Indeed, Oh, they're they're all about it. They're elevating all of their jobs services to ensure people have the right skills for the changing labor markets. So they're actually tweaking the way they're offering services so that addresses exactly needs people have today when looking for a job. Alright, Google, big company, big player, bringing a lot to the court. What's Google offering to this coalition? Huge? Huge, So they're delivering all of our

digital skills and more than just the digital skills. They're giving us the opportunity to provide certification. So they're offering digital skill certification for specific jobs that actually are a pipeline into roles within their organization. And that certification, I can imagine is a very valuable It also doesn't require like four years of a bachelor's degree. That is the beauty of it. And I think Google is one employer that really understands that there is a dire need to

hire for skills and not just for degrees. Our Lift is on the court. Now. Lift we know them as kind of this agile player. They move around a lot. What is Lift bringing. They have a program called the Jobs Access Program that allows people to get free rides to interviews or two jobs, and they're expanding that program now so that more people can take advantage of the free services that they offer. And finally, let's do as a quick pair, Anthem and coursera very different players. What

are each of them bringing? Yes, So Anthem Foundations, so you know they're all about healthcare obviously, so they're launching a healthcare training path that becomes a direct pipeline leading to credentials, job placement, higher wages, more benefits, so we

love them for that corsera. They're providing free online courses specifically targeted at youth, veterans, military families, and people who have been impacted by the criminal justice system, all to help them identify again what their ideal career paths are and help them secure jobs. So, the way you've described the nature of the program, everyone who signed up here

is committed to America's economic recovery. But from the perspective of the human who is trying to take advantage of this service, what's their experience with the Rising Together coalition and how might it be a bit different than say, two years ago. I think the biggest difference is really just sort of the amplification of the different programs. Now.

Keep in mind Rising Together we're talking about it in the media, but it's much more targeted towards funders and corporations, and so just everyday person walking down the street may not hear about Writing Together specifically. What they should notice is that now there's hams to be more availability of services, more availability of free services, and more availability of holistic services that address all the different needs that people have when it comes to searching for a job. What's been

the most surprising outcome of this partnership so far. I think the thing that's been the most surprising and really pleasantly surprising is how quickly some people have been wanting to come on board. We've been talking to companies and everyone loves the idea. Yeah, people are like, hey, sign me up. People see what's going on right now with our economy, even to some of the social issues we're dealing with right now, and people are like, I want

to be a part of the solution. It feels like it's been a lower hanging fruit situation in terms of getting people to come on board with this or at least support it in some way. So that's been great easy sales. Pitch you rise together or fall alone. Nobody wants to sign up for falling alone? Can you join the team? I like that. I haven't writing that one down. It is my gifts to the I'm good, I'll sign up.

That's my asset words. Why do you think it's so important to have this kind of cross sector partnership to take on the opportunity gap in the workforce development challenge? First of all, I don't think anyone can do it alone. I think It requires different types of expertise and engagement from different company sector to address all the different needs. Every partner has something that you would consider to be like a creative and impactful to bring to this challenge.

And you know, as more companies join in, that impact just becomes exponential. We call this show for a small supplier, right We're looking for that leverage, that that extra umph in the Rising Together efforts. So far, what's been the force multiplier? You know, I would like to think that goodwill has been the force multiplier. And now I mean I say good will, but the reason I say good will is just because one, we're trying to bring it

more to the forefront. Everyone knows what's going on. We're all watching the news, we're seeing you know, all the headlines. But we're trying to create action more than just discussion. And that's what I think we're trying to do with this Right Together coalition. And I think it also puts more of a spotlight on the work. And it also keeps everyone accountable. We're basically declaring what we will do and we're all holding each other accountable to make he

that we get it done. So there you have it, Yes, good will I said it good. It was the force multiplying. I want to know a bit more about you, Annie, because we've been talking about career changes and pivots and upscaling, and Uh, when I look at your background, you've made some changes. You have a lot of experience in consumer goods and food, and now you're at this massive, very

well established nonprofit. How did your path emerge for you? Yeah, and I probably have a story that many people can relate to in terms of just how things change in your life and how you make pivots and how at the time of the pivot you're not sure, but when you look back, like, wow, that was the right pivot. Before business school, I was actually a microbiologist and then pivoted into business because I didn't want to get a pH d and kind of get into science leadership but

I wasn't that interested. But became a marketer and then started working for CpG companies and then had my first durable goods assignment working for Years Holdings working on the Craftsman brand, and then went from there to work in betting before coming to this role so very much you know, for profit marketing, which I've loved. I had a lot of rules that involved brand revitalization or sort of brand trying to re energize brands that maybe it started to

lag or having some challenges. So that started to become a thing that I really really enjoyed as a part of my career, and I would never have seen myself a nonprofit. But the one thing that really stood out for me when I started having conversations was the fact that they were looking to transform the brand. Given its role and workforce development, this is the one brand that should be very relevant across today's cultural zeitgeist. And I don't think we're in as many conversations as we should

be right now. I don't think the brand is as elevated as it should be right now, especially given where we are with our economy, and so there's a great opportunity to really elevate that message and really move that mission forward in a much more powerful and impactful way. What advice would you offer someone who's looking at their own career path, they want to have even more of an impact, and they're wondering what else they can be doing. First,

I would just say, don't overwhelm yourself. I think people see what's going on. We're all a little bit like are we living in the twilight zone right now? People want to do something and people just have this how do I save the world? How do I save the world? I would say, don't ever want yourself with the thoughts of how to say the world. You can start as small as you want. Take stock with the skills that you bring to your job first, like what do you

do for a living? When you look at that skill set, look around you for where else that skills that can apply or else it can be a value and a lot of times it's right in your backyard. There's many opportunities right now for people to be helping out right from their home. You have sites like do Something dot org, there's catch a Fire, so many sites where you can go in and sign up to volunteer for something that's

going to help somewhere. There will always be need, and so just open your eyes to what's right around you. The show is so focused on cross sector partnership, usually referring to organizations and businesses. But I'm wondering, in your own career path, in your own life, have others supported you in your career? Have there have been people who have been mentors or sources of inspiration you want to

share a bit about. So I've had a lot of mentors over the years, and what's so fun about that is I think probably didn't even know they were mentoring me. You're just sneaking wisdom from people. Oh it's the best way, let me tell you. Because I've never formally asked someone to be my mentor. I've been formally assigned mentors, which has been great too, but I have never personally asked because I feel like when you do that it puts a formal burden that just can create some anxiety for

you for the mentor all of that. But I think it's very easy to just say, hey, do you have time I'd love to go to lunch with you this week if you have time, or hey, I'm gonna chat with you. Do you after it, even next week, and then just you know, whatever it is you want to learn about or ask about that you ask, you know. I think a lot of times with mentor menty relationships, there's sort of the structured Okay, we meet every tw

week and do this and that. Well, there might be a time where there's not really a lot on your mind. For me, the most value is when I've got something going on and I have a question or a dilemma or a challenge that I need an answer to, then I just reached right out someone, Hey, can I chat with you? And in that time for him, they don't even realize they've mentored me. The didn't even know it, and a mentor, so I think I think that's been helpful.

As far as other support, I just have to say that my husband has been such a rock star and incredibly supportive about all the things that I want to do in my career. I've really benefited from his ability to really manage our family, you know, his career helping support me and everything with our kids and all of that. So that's been great. I can't even thank him enough for that. That's what I call a cross sector partner. Sorry,

I count couldn't help it. Annie Crawley, thank you so much for assessing the skills you have and offering them to this very just cause of making an economic recovery that can work for all. Great to meet you, great to spend time with you. Thank you all right today, Thank you so much. It was great to meet you, and thank you again for having me on today. You're listening to a podcast called Force Multiplier, Action meets Impact.

Now you've probably grown to expect ads inside your podcast, but we're gonna do something a little bit different to walk the walk. We're gonna take a quick break and hear from one of the organizations featured in this episode. Be right Back. Good Will makes back to school shopping as easy as a b c art. Supplies and accessories, backpacks and books, clothing and calculators. Your local Goodwill store has unique, one of a kind items at the right price.

When the bell rings be dressed to impress with styl of selections and fashionable fines. And when you shop at Goodwill, you help create job placement and training programs in your own community. Teachers head back to class and style. Your local Goodwill store has casual, comfortable clothing and shoes for those long days on your feet. Find everything you need for science projects and arts and crafts activities. Keep your classroom organized with baskets and bins for storage, all at

the right price to fit your budget. It's never too late to go back to school. Your local Goodwill has you covered. Earn your g e d. High school diploma or professional certificate. Train for careers in technology, health care, hospitality, manufacturing, and other in demand jobs, all at no cost to you. Goodwill uses the revenue generated from our stores to create job placement into any programs in your own community. Find out more at Goodwill dot org. Hey you, it's Baritone Day,

host of the podcast you're listening to right now. When I was a kid, my mom told me to come up with a system we could live under after democracy had failed. Yeah, my mom was intense. I haven't finished that assignment, but I did make a podcast. It's called how does Citizen? With Baritone Day. It reimagines citizen as a verb and reminds us how to wield our collective power. Find seasons one and two and whatever podcasts app using right now? And season three all about Tech, drops in October.

Learn more at how does Citizen dot com. Community colleges are the most inclusive of all of higher education right we are that great open door that is inclusive, low barriers to entry. Can come full time or part time, and we're going to meet you where you are. As president of Ivy Tech Community College. Who else? Berman considers

herself privilege to serve the Indiana community. She's unwavering in her pursuit of a fair and equitable education system for all, meeting students where they are and providing them with the services and support needed to achieve their higher education goals. So at IVY Tech we serve such a wide range of students. Let me talk about who some of those students are in high school. We will see those students

as early as fourteen or fifteen years old. We serve over sixty thousand students a year in dual credit in these early college programs, as well as students who think they're going to want to go into the workplace after high school, and they will go in our career and technical education programs here on our campuses nineteen campus says across Indiana, we will have thousands of traditional age students who will come full time or part time, making a

four year degree affordable and will transfer to a four year program. And of those traditional age students, some of our programs include things like an accelerated associate degree, so we call that asap. They will receive an associate degree in one year. I remember the story of two twins. One got into ball State in education. The other twin came to IVY Tech because she wasn't accepted into their

school of education. She went through the accelerated program in one year for about half the dollars, and then return to Ball State to be a year ahead of her sister. So those are some of the hidden gems that you

find at a community college. But the majority of our students, almost se are part time, working adults, many or low income students of color, first generation, and they come to us with the hope that they can succeed, and so closing the opportunity gap and ensuring equitable access to education is top priority. I can say for all community colleges, but certainly for IVY Tech. Community colleges are the most affordable higher education institution in the country, less than a

hundred fifty dollars of credit hours. So think about that, four hundred fifty dollars for a course, four thousand dollars a year to be a full time student. That's hard to fathom when you compare the cost of traditional higher education public or private. In community colleges, our students are strapped. Most of them are on some kind of federal financial aid, but they're also independent students trying to take our families

and by the time they pay their tuition. Even at a hundred fifty dollars of credit hour, there's nothing left to pay for their books. I remember in my first year here traveling to Gary, Indiana one of our Accelerated Associate Degree ASAP classes, which means the students were taking

twice the credit hours. They aren't supposed to work when they're in a SAP because it's more than forty hours a week in the classroom, and yet these students were working thirty hours a week, and because they couldn't afford their books, they were sharing them. So can you imagine going to school taking twice the credit hours of full time student working thirty hours and now sharing a book.

So from that day on, I had to figure out how could we include the cost of books and course materials into tuition And this year we accomplished it, and so being able to meet our students where they are, eliminate evermore barriers and allowed them to do the part they need to do, which is learning, but take all those other barriers out of their way, things like emergency funds. We had an agreement with Uber to help ensure that

students could get here and back. We're working with our state to provide childcare vouchers for students because they need that dropping care. They don't need all day, but they need that ability to come in and our single parents

clearly have the most challenge of being here. So about three years ago, pre pandemic, we started working with the Education Design Lab on a program for single moms and we began conceptualizing if we could create a modality that allowed some freedom for that parent on the night when their child is sick, or if their work schedule changed, what could we do, And so we began to conceptualize

this model we called Learn Anywhere. The parent could come in person if they could, they could be remote like Zoom, or they could take the class asynchronous lee. Now, interestingly, we conceptualize that all right before the pandemic. We were

getting ready to pilot. The pandemic hit and then we realized, oh, everyone could benefit by Learn Anywhere, and so as a college, we stood up hundreds of sections of Learn Anywhere last fall, and now as we go into this year, more than ten of our offerings are in a learn Anywhere modality, and it is truly to the credit of our innovative faculty who understand how important it is to meet students where they are. We really want every student to know

that they can come to IVY Tech. So that can be that high school dropout who got their g e d And now wants to come back, that single parent, that student of color, first generation, that low income student, it could be the person who was incarcerated. Community colleges have learned to adapt to that broad range of human needs. So IVY Tech has a really important mission to the state of Indiana as we are Indiana's workforce engine. We

are the community college system for the entire state. And so our big vision is fifty thousand associate degrees, certificates and high quality certifications. And we define those high quality certifications as those that a graduate will earn above median

wage upon graduation. In order to reach that big goal, by we can't do it alone, so we lean into technology g We are using the best technology tools we can to offer online training, to provide the best lab settings to enable our students to get the best experience. But in addition to all of that, we have to

have partnerships with every sector of industry. So, for instance, we stood up something we call Achieve Your Degree, which began with one of our banks in Southern Indiana Old National Bank who said, we want to help our workers, our employees continue to skill up, but we knew that tuition reimbursement doesn't work. If you're an entry level employee. You don't have a thousand dollars to pay out a

front of tuition. So they understood that we needed to flip the model where the employer pays the tuition at the end of the term. We work together to decide what degrees and credentials that company may want to offer that they know they need additional I. T. Professionals or accounting professionals or whatever those areas that they want filled, so that it is truly wrap around within the company for the employee and the employee never pays out of pocket.

So that turned into a statewide program that is co marketed with our Indiana Chamber of Commerce. We have over two hundred fifty companies statewide who use that Achieve your Degree model. So what a beautiful partnership that has been again meeting that adult worker where they are. But we also have partnerships with our Indiana Department of Corrections. Think about the thousands of incarcerated individuals who are going to come out and without a meaningful credential, will be forced

into a minimum age job. So we've come alongside the Department of Corrections and we are offering certificates and certifications of high value which will allow those graduates of ours, those who are ex offenders to come out and truly have a second chance at a good career, one that will be able to provide for their families and give them something to really hold their head up in their community. We want to put more community in community college. We

want to be integral to every community in which we serve. Clearly, when we think about force multipliers, it is in our partnering. It is in being open to partnering with anyone and everyone, from our industry partners, to our four year partners, to our K twelve partners, to our Department of correction as partners, to our nonprofit partners. It is in those partnerships that we discover ways we can work so much better in

benefit of the student. It's not harder, it makes it easier, it's often cheaper, it's better and their longer term results because we don't depend on just one. If one of us has difficulties, there are seven other partners who can step in and help fill that void. And I think in times of challenges we learn that it is in those friends, those relationships we create together, we innovate together, and as we do that together, we discover ever better

ways of serving one another. I would always encourage people who want to be involved to get out there and just offer yourself. That may be in your elementary school or high school, it may be offering that in a nonprofit, be it a Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, through your church. To offer your gifts and talents. For me, that was my problem, solving skills and bringing groups together and coming up with creative solutions. But I think each of us have those gifts and talents that we we know we

have them and we enjoy using them. So putting them out there into the public square. And if there's anything we need more in the world, it's good people who will put themselves in public service for the right reasons to help their community, state, and nation. I admit I'm impressed that these institutions, which have been around for so long, have modeled how to adapt to the changing environment, to the changing economy, and they're working hard to help the

people they serve do the same for goodwill. This is meant leaning on is one fifty six local operations and the knowledge that they have of their community needs, then building on that with others in efforts like the Rising Together coalition. As Annie Crawley said, the goal isn't to give away fish, but teach people how now community is

where all this happens or doesn't. So, of course, the president of Ivy Tech Community College, Sue else Perman, is in a perfect position to help that already inclusive institution do even more. Offering flexible learn anywhere courses first to moms, then to all students is the sort of evolution we should all embrace, and creatively partnering with everyone from the Chamber of Commerce to the Department of Corrections is a

sort of broad based coalition we all need. Collaboration is the only way to take on challenges as big as workforce development, and doing it together can work a lot better than going it alone, especially like what Sue said about partners being able to help each other out pick up the slack if one slips or struggles in a certain area. Collaboration is an asset, not a liability. As for what you and I can do to help our communities.

Both Annie and Sue share the same advice independently, figure out what we're good at and offer those skills right where we live and work. I'll see you out there helping out, and I'll see you next time on Force Multiplier. Do you want to dig in more on today's guests and the work they're doing, or maybe you want to understand what action you can take in your community. Either way, go to salesforce dot org slash force multiplier. That's one word,

force multiplier. Force Multiplier is a production of I Heart Radio and Salesforce dot Org. Hosted by me Barritton day Thurston. It's executive produced by Elizabeth Stewart, produced by Ivan Chien, and engineered, edited and mixed by James Foster. Join us next time for more stories of how we can change the world, one relationship at a time. Listen to Force Multiplier on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast