Merit Blog

Workforce Development

Optimizing Transitions: The Importance of Warm Handoffs for Education and Workforce Agencies

Connecting learners and job seekers to meaningful pathways requires steady collaboration between education, workforce, and training agencies. When...

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What are LERs? Digital Wallets? Key skills-based workforce economy terms explained

There’s been a recent shift to a new skills-based workforce economy and with it comes new terminology. While it can feel a bit overwhelming to keep...

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ASPIRE Coalition, Which Advocates for Military Spouse Professional License Reciprocity, Reaches Seven Members, Readies for Expansion

Need for Licensing Portability Further Validated by New Study that Shows 80% of Voters Support the Initiative

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New Study Shows 80% of State Voters Want Military Spouse License Portability [Infographic]

After Laura Schmiegel's husband was transferred by the military for the fourth time in six years, she gave up trying (again) to transfer her legal...

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Horizons Annual Summit: Session Recap

The workforce and education advancement organization Jobs for the Future (JFF,) held its Horizons Annual Summit on June 14th and 15th in New Orleans,...

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Merit + Credential Engine: An Ecosystem of Nationwide Credentialing

In order to give states the digital credentialing tools to build a system for standards-based workforce reciprocity between states, Merit and ...

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A History-Making Weekend for Military Families, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, ASPIRE, and Merit

Military families have long struggled with the challenges posed by regular reassignments to new states. These PCS (Permanent Change of Station) moves...

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ASPIRE coalition to solve military spouse professional license reciprocity

"I couldn't transfer my license and had to abandon my career."

Laura Schmiegel was attending the University of Michigan Law School when she met her...

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Solve Your 2 Worst Labor Problems With Fair Chance Hiring

Equitable and successful businesses that hire Fair Chance Employees promote family and community resilience by solving the root cause of recidivism -...

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Maximizing Workforce Data Accuracy

System maintenance remains a difficult task as many agencies rely on disconnected, legacy solutions, requiring teams to stay knowledgeable about and...

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Measuring Workforce Program Success Comprehensively

Data powers workforce systems forward and provides agencies with metrics to measure their performance and ROI, and to obtain actionable insights. But...

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Connecting Systems in Workforce Development Programs

On the federal, state, and local levels there are an overwhelming number of workforce systems and tools with numerous requirements and access levels....

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Finding Opportunities for Workforce Innovation in the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed many ways for government agencies to transform how they connect people with jobs, services, and training...

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Rebuilding America's Workforce Post-COVID

Challenges in workforce development aren't new, but the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the struggle to close the gap between workers’ capabilities...

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Hiring America’s Veterans: Why it’s Good for Business and How to Recruit Top Talent

Today’s veterans leave the military service with a wide variety of expertise and technical skills, but often there is a significant gap between these...

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Why America’s Road to Economic Recovery Relies Heavily on Workforce Development

Workforce development professionals play a crucial role in helping American workers find jobs and employers find skilled and qualified workers....

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