Chamber’s Darlene Blanco Graduates from Workforce Fellowship Program
Earlier this year, Darlene Blanco, Head of Workforce and Talent Development at the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, completed and graduated from the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Education and Workforce Fellowship Program.
The six-month Business Leads Fellowship Program develops business leaders to be education and workforce champions in their communities and better connects education systems and students to opportunity. It equips chambers of commerce and associations with the resources necessary to implement change in the education and workforce pipeline.
The program consisted of virtual and in-person workshops, and topics include early education, K-12, college and career readiness, postsecondary education, and workforce development. Each workshop was taught by leaders who have put these policies into practice to bring opportunity to their communities.
The program kicked-off in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Headquarters with introductions and an immediate deep-dive into the program materials. The cohort focused on understanding the urgency of addressing the most pressing education and workforce challenges across the United States and within in their specific communities. During the next six months, the cohort met virtually and engaged in guided homeroom sessions, learned from high-quality guest speakers, industry experts, and received a plethora of information and data including the history of education reform, a review of current policies, and information about programming available covering the entire talent pipeline, including early childhood education, K-12, postsecondary education, and workforce development in making the case for education as a top priority for businesses as a critical stakeholder.
“The information, connections, and access to programming and best practices will prove to be useful as the Chamber facilitates more intentional career paths to prepare students for postsecondary pathways in a variety of professions including career and technical (CTE) areas,” said Blanco. “Having employers as a part of building future talent pipelines helps students better understand options for career mobility and ensures the skills being taught in classrooms are relevant.”
The program ended in Miami, FL with a full agenda and call for our commitment to ensure that students across the United States, especially those residing in our underserved areas, can access career opportunities and family-sustaining wages.
“It was an honor to be chosen along with 34 other state and local chamber executives, economic development professionals, and association leaders to participate in the seventh class of this program following a competitive application and selection process.”
For more information on the Business Leads Fellowship Program, visit the program’s website.
