A live-to-tape, business town-hall production focusing on the challenges and solutions to developing a high-demand, skilled workforce talent pipeline.
St. Louis, MO — July 15, 2019 — An event and television production sponsored by Bank of America at Nine Network on August 22 will capture the challenges and solutions to recruiting a skilled workforce for the region’s in-demand jobs for later rebroadcast on Nine PBS.
The broadcast and networking event for public media’s American Graduate: Getting to Work initiative will focus on innovative solutions to the unique challenges St. Louis faces in developing a skilled workforce to fill the high-demand talent pipeline.
The St. Louis business community has been experiencing difficulty attracting talent into high-demand, skilled careers—jobs that require some education or training beyond high school, but not necessarily a four-year degree. This event will confront those pain points and engage local leaders in action-oriented conversations around innovative ways our community is working to create a robust talent pipeline into high-demand, skilled careers across the St. Louis region.
Moderated by the Nine Network’s senior director of content, Jim Kirchherr, the program will include perspectives from industry leaders, economists, educators, as well as workforce success stories and pathways to careers.
After the studio taping, Nine will host a networking event where our trusted partners who train St. Louis’ skilled workforce can meet with business leaders to initiate relationships that drive innovative solutions to our region’s workforce needs. The speed-dating-like event will connect the business community to the community organizations who can fill the high-demand, skilled talent pipeline.
About American Graduate
The American Graduate Initiative began in 2011, bringing the community together to improve high school graduation rates for our most vulnerable youth. In partnership with a network of trusted community organizations, Nine Network of Public Media created a consistent drumbeat of stories about young people and educators – stories that enabled partners to serve more students, teachers, and parents and helped activate community members to improve youth outcomes.
In 2017, American Graduate evolved to focus on what happens after young people graduate high school, specifically pathways to gainful employment in high-demand skilled careers. Our trusted partners inform our work, helping us understand opportunities young people have and challenges they face. The outcomes of our initiative were shaped by our partners’ two greatest challenges: awareness and perceptions of high-demand skilled work.
Local support for American Graduate: Getting to Work provided by James S. McDonnell Foundation, Emerson, Maritz, Spire, Bank of America, and Iron Workers #396.
About Nine Network of Public Media
Nine Network of Public Media is a multifaceted organization creating a network of individuals and organizations empowered by public media to strengthen civic life. One of the nation’s most watched public television stations, Nine Network offers the people of the St. Louis region multiple ways to explore the world and become engaged in civic life. Nine’s platforms include four distinct broadcast channels (Nine PBS, Nine World, Nine Create and Nine PBS KIDS®), the Nine Center for Public Engagement, the Public Media Commons, social media, and multiple websites accessible at nineNet.org. Nine Network’s rich legacy of serving the community was launched in 1954 and continues through our vision of a strong and healthy community working together through public media and our mission of igniting the spirit of possibility.