Challenges: One of the biggest challenges has been aligning multiple partners—schools, employers, and community organizations—around a shared vision and consistent processes. It can also be difficult to ensure learners have the support they need to stay engaged when barriers such as transportation, childcare, or limited career awareness arise.

Successes: The most rewarding successes include building stronger collaborations that make services more seamless, helping youth clearly understand their career options, and seeing participants gain confidence as they progress along pathways that truly fit their strengths and goals.

With nearly 17 years in workforce development, my leadership style is centered on mentorship, strategic connections, and collaboration. I support Navigators through coaching and training, while also recruiting youth and matching them with the Navigator and community resources best suited to their needs. I’m intentional about these matches — whether it’s connecting a young person without a GED to a Navigator at a GED site, or pairing someone experiencing homelessness with an agency that can provide housing supports.

I also cultivate employer partnerships, helping expand our paid internship program where youth earn $17/hour for up to 40 hours a week. By aligning internship sites with youth career goals, I ensure they not only gain work experience but also take meaningful steps toward long-term success. My goal is to keep strengthening these systems — empowering staff, supporting youth in a personalized way, and building strong community and employer relationships that create lasting opportunities.

 Job analysis can be most effectively applied in Rochester/Monroe County in areas where workforce skills, employer needs, and career development intersect. Local employers—particularly in healthcare, manufacturing, tech, and retail—can use job analysis to define competencies, reduce bias in hiring, and guide employee development. Workforce initiatives, including YEP (Youth Employment Program), OJT (On-the-Job Training), SYEP (Summer Youth Employment Program), and Roc Your Job, can leverage job analysis to help participants identify career paths that match their skills and target training for high-demand roles. Additionally, education and training providers can use job analysis to align curricula with employer-defined competencies, ensuring graduates are workforce-ready. 

Reflecting on past projects, job analysis reports could have significantly enhanced our strategic approach and outcomes. For instance, in initiatives where we aimed to align training programs with labor market demands, having access to detailed job analysis reports would have allowed us to:
Identify Skill Gaps: Pinpoint specific competencies lacking in the workforce, enabling targeted training interventions.
Align Training with Market Needs: Ensure that our programs addressed the most in-demand skills, increasing employability for participants.
Optimize Resource Allocation: Direct resources towards areas with the highest impact, improving program efficiency.

Enhance Stakeholder Communication: Provide data-driven insights to partners and funders, fostering stronger collaborations.
Incorporating job analysis into our planning process would have led to more informed decisions, better-prepared participants, and stronger community partnerships.

To investigate talent needs in my region, I would review labor market data such as job postings, workforce reports, and employment projections to identify which industries are growing and what skills employers are seeking. I would compare this with the skills jobseekers currently have to spot gaps and opportunities for training or reskilling. Talking with local employers, schools, and workforce boards would help confirm the data and provide a real-world perspective. This approach ensures that career guidance and training programs are aligned with actual employer needs while supporting jobseekers in gaining relevant, marketable skills.