Welcome to issue number 78 of the free newsletter from Robbin and Associates edited by Larry Robbin, Executive Director of Robbin and Associates. This newsletter is read by more than 25,000 people in workforce development, social services, education and other fields. People can subscribe to the newsletter by going to http://www.larryrobbin.com.

Click here to see information about me, my clients and my webinars.

On my website at http://www.larryrobbin.com you will find over 500 articles from back issues of the newsletter filled with helpful resources, best practices, websites, and tools to help you exceed your program goals. Feel free to share this newsletter with your coworkers, boss and program partners. To give us feedback about the newsletter, please send an email to larry@larryrobbin.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

2025!

Where did 2024 go?

I want to wish you the best for the coming year.

May it be filled with joy, fulfillment, learning

and positive growth.

Take a minute and think about all the lives you have touched with your work in 2024. This goes far beyond the numbers of people counted by our funding sources. Every person we serve that makes progress in their life becomes a powerful role model force for change for family members, neighbors, friends and other people. Your work is touching the lives of many more people than you may realize!

In addition, many of the people we serve will tell others about what they have learned from us and our programs, so the impact of our work goes even further. Employers are also touched by your work, and this contributes to the economic vitality of the community.

Not only do we have an impact on the lives of the people we serve, but they also have a tremendous impact on us. Think of the lessons you have learned from the people you serve. Think about the life changing impact of your work and say, “I am proud to be a workforce development professional!” See you in 2025!

WORKFORCE HUMOR!

HOW MANY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS DOES IT

TAKE TO SCREW IN A LIGHT BULB?

By Larry Robbin

When I am stressed out, I often turn to humor as a way to reduce stress. This article is an example of what I write in those situations. Click here to find out why it takes 2500 workforce development professionals to screw in

a light bulb

Do you have an example of workforce humor? Did a job seeker do something that was funny? Did something funny happen in the course of a job search? Please send me your workforce humor at larry@larryrobbin.com so I can share it with other folks. We need much more humor in workforce development! 

BURNOUT SELF-ASSESSMENT

This easy to use tool will help you measure the degree of burnout you are experiencing. https://www.mindtools.com/auhx7b3/burnout-self-test

For a description of my webinar Are You Working to Burnout or Working to Wellness? How to Reduce Stress, Anxiety and Burnout in Workforce Development Organizations! click here.

LISTS OF LARRY ROBBIN WEBINARS

Lists of my webinars on the topics below are available at https://larryrobbin.com/v2/about/. Just go to that link and click on the topics that interest you and a list of webinars about that topic will come up. If you want to see a description of any of the specific webinar topics, email me at larry@larryrobbin.com and I will send it to you. Make sure and share this list with your boss.

AMERICA'S JOB CENTERS

JUSTICE INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS

YOUTH

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

EMPLOYERS

SOCIAL ENTERPRISES

These are just a few of the webinars I offer. I have over 100 webinar topics available. If you need a training topic and don’t see it in this information, please email me at larry@larryrobbin.com and I will send it to you. 

WILL AI STEAL JOBS OR JUST MAKE WORKERS MORE EFFICIENT?

Read this article for some important insights into the debate around how AI will impact the labor market.

https://apnews.com/article/ai-jobs-artificial-intelligence-hiring-employers-unemployment-e57eb040009d77ddcce1574d1c1915fc?ref=upstract.com

PRISON TO PROPRIETOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP

AS AN EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY FOR

JUSTICE INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS

The entrepreneur potential in people who are justice involved is often overlooked as an employment strategy. Learn more about how to incorporate this option in your employment counseling.

https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/prison-proprietor-entrepreneurship-re-entry-strategy/

For a list of the webinars that I provide for organizations working with people who are justice involved,

please click here.

HOW TO RESPOND IN INTERVIEWS TO BEING FIRED FROM A JOB

This article will give you some good ideas about how people can respond to the challenging situation of explaining why they were fired from their jobs.

https://www.job-hunt.org/answering-explaining-why-you-were-fired/ 

EMPLOYMENT RESOURCES FOR VETERANS,

ACTIVE DUTY PERSONNEL AND THEIR FAMILIES

This is an introduction to a lot of helpful resources for these populations

https://www.workforcegps.org/resources/2022/10/26/14/28/Military_Families_Month

HOW TO ADVANCE EQUITY IN

APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS

Unfortunately, too many apprenticeship programs still look like the old boys’ network. This tool kit will give you ideas for making your apprenticeship work

more equitable.

https://www.aecf.org/blog/tool-kit-shows-apprenticeship-programs-how-to-advance-equity

PROMISING PRACTICES FOR INTEGRATING POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

IN THE WORKPLACE

Historically, youth employment and youth development have not been well integrated. This article will show you how to weave them together.

https://www.childtrends.org/publications/promising-practices-for-integrating-positive-youth-development-in-the-workplace.

To see information about the webinars I provide for youth employment programs, click here.

FROM CRISIS TO RESILENCE –

ADDRESSING TRAUMA

AND TOXIC STRESS IN

WORKFORCE AND EDUCATION

For this excellent report from the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce click here.

For information about the webinar I provide on trauma, click here.

HELPING JOB SEEKERS MASTER THE

"TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF" ANSWER

Many job seekers ramble on in interviews when the employer asks them to tell them about themselves. This article will help people focus and make the most out of answering this question.

https://iawponline.org/helping-job-seekers-master-the-tell-me-about-yourself-question/

Did you see something in this newsletter that would be helpful to your boss, a coworker or partner? Forward the newsletter to them and encourage them to go to http://www.larryrobbin.com to subscribe.

This newsletter is published by Robbin and Associates as a free information resource for the workforce development community and our partners. Feel free to share it with other people. All of the back issues of the newsletter with more than 500 articles are available on the website http://www.larryrobbin.com. The website also has free employment counseling handouts you can download and other resources. The newsletter is read by more than 25,000 people. Larry Robbin, Executive Director of Robbin and Associates, is the editor of the newsletter. To send me feedback about the newsletter or to get information about the more than 100 webinars I present, Please email me at larry@larryrobbin.com 

ROBBIN AND ASSOCIATES

Turning Workforce Development Program Challenges

Into Success Stories For Over 45 Years!

http://WWW.LARRYROBBIN.COM

I WISH YOU THE BEST WITH THE VERY IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU DO!