The Westchester-Putnam Development Board (WPWDB) on June 24 celebrated a successful year of collaboration between state and county agencies, nonprofits, public education and the private sector to engage and unleash the potential of the current and upcoming workforce. A meeting was held at The Gateway Center at Westchester Community College, Valhalla, New York, and was attended by over 200 local business, education, nonprofit and government leaders, as well as workforce staff.
The meeting kicked off with breakfast and networking before transitioning to the keynote theme — “Igniting the Spark: Unleashing Passion, Purpose and Performance in a Multigenerational Workforce.” Author and internationally known speaker Mark C. Perna spoke for 90 minutes identifying and unlocking the secrets of the Why Generation: how they think, what makes them tick, and how they make decisions. He spoke on how the landscape of education, workforce and economic development has shifted and led to disengaged, demotivated youth. The solution is through ‘education with a purpose’ which leads to ’employment with passion.’
Perna said, “I believe this generation is the smartest, most innovative generation in 50 years. They can achieve beyond all expectations if we bridge the generational divide and answer their why. As the skills gap widens, employers must tap into the creativity, intelligence and potential of the next generation.”
Westchester County Department of Social Services Commissioner Leonard Townes said, “Mark is a compelling and passionate speaker, who is dedicated to helping young people reach their potential no matter their career path and education level. I wish every educator and parent could have attended the meeting as it is evident that our current system and method of motivating students and preparing them for a career is not working. I walked away inspired to have Mark back and I look forward to reading his book ‘Answering WhY.'”
Katrina Alexander, Westchester County deputy commissioner, Department of Social Services, said, “Changing embedded systemic paradigms can be overwhelming. I appreciated how Mark clearly articulated the challenges and offered practical tools stakeholders can use to create real change. I left the meeting feeling hopeful for our shared future.”
WPWDB Executive Director Thom Kleiner said, “Mark Perna so clearly demonstrated the importance of building a Competitive Advantage through three crucial components 1) academic knowledge 2) technical abilities and most importantly 3) professional skills, which many people call soft skills. Mark speaks to thousands of middle school and high school students and he has found that is crucial to make education relevant to their lifestyle and career goals no matter how grand, modest or laid back. This mindset is crucial for our employment counselors when advising customers.”
WPWDB Board member and business owner of Madison Approach Inc. Allison Madison said, “I found Mark’s ‘Career Tree’ visual perfectly demonstrated the vast depth and breadth of professions like culinary, biomedical, electrician, which all have many entry level, technical and professional career tracks that require varying types of credentials, certificates and degrees. Every school should have career tree murals on their walls so students can see all of their options. The career tree is designed to keep students engaged and motivated, no matter how many times they change direction. What a transformational tool.”
Perna is the founder and CEO of TFS Results, a strategic consulting firm at the forefront of the North American paradigm shift in education and workforce development. As an international generational expert, he has devoted his career to empowering parents, educators, employers and economic developers to unleash the tremendous potential of today’s young people. Perna serves on the Advisory Council for the Coalition for Career Development and is a member of the International Economic Development Council, both in Washington, D.C. As a weekly contributor at Forbes.com since 2019, Perna has published over 300 articles, reaching an audience of over 4 million. He interviews frequently on radio shows, television and podcasts, and his library of episodes on The Perna Syndicate podcast reaches listeners in more than 70 countries.
The Westchester-Putnam Workforce Development Board is comprised of leaders and staff of state and county government agencies, non-profits, public education, and the private sector who work together to strengthen the partnerships between business, education, and service providers within the “Career Center Network” to meet the needs for a skilled workforce. The WPWDB pursues funding opportunities and develops model programs and leading-edge practices. The “Network” is made up of four Career Centers (White Plains, Mount Vernon, Peekskill, and Carmel) as well as partner agencies that provide state-of-the-art technology, training, resources, and services to youth, adults and employers.
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