Steve Bent

You may have noticed construction projects are taking longer to complete these days and the timeline for home repairs is getting stretched out even further. The primary reason? Skyrocketing demand and a worsening shortage of workers in the skilled trades where the need was already far outpacing the number of tradespeople available before the pandemic, […]

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, soft skills are becoming more valuable to employers, according to a new Harris Poll survey commissioned by Express Employment Professionals. According to the new survey, more than half of businesses (59%) say finding qualified applicants for open positions is one of their greatest difficulties, and one-third say one

iHire today published its 2021 State of Online Recruiting Report, an inside look at the most prevalent challenges, opportunities, and trends in the talent acquisition space. The third annual report, which showcases the results of iHire’s survey of 6,370 U.S. employers and job seekers from 57 industries, illustrates job market recovery and an ongoing talent

A letter from over 100 Members of the House of Representatives was sent to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Leader Chuck Schumer requesting that at least $100 billion in new spending for workforce development be included in the upcoming reconciliation package. The letter requests that any legislative package that focuses on American jobs and families include

Meeting The World’s Midcareer Challenge, shows that people age 45+ face persistent and rising pressure in the global job market, and their age is one of the greatest barriers to their finding a job, with 71% of current seekers seeing their age as a major obstacle. Those from underrepresented communities face even greater hurdles:  they engage

Bipartisan legislation has been reintroduced to provide in-demand skills training and employment assistance to members of National Guard and Reserve who are within 180 days of transitioning into civilian life. Currently, the U.S. Department of Defense offers access to the SkillBridge program to active duty servicemembers transitioning out of their military service. SkillBridge connects departing

The Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) will implement a series of programs, collectively called Investing in America’s Communities, to invest the $3 billion it received from the American Rescue Plan Act. The EDA investment is the largest economic development initiative from the Department of Commerce in decades. EDA’s American Rescue Plan includes the

I have had the privilege of being the 95th President of IAWP and the 7th from the great state of Illinois in our 107-year history, but few have experienced a year like we had this year. I am proud to have been your president and of the accomplishments we were able to achieve during these

During the pandemic, workforce professionals have made tremendous sacrifices to help those in need, working longer hours, changing jobs, learning new skills and much more. Clearly, millions upon millions are better off because of the services provided by workforce development professionals, and we at IAWP recognize and thank each of you for the tireless yet