October 2023

Workforce innovation is the ability of managers and leaders to generate new ideas and approaches to not only workforce development, but workforce strategies. In previous blogs, I have written about the math problem we have in workforce. There are not enough people, yet we continue to want to staff in the same way.

Embracing creativity is critical to keeping up with the ever-changing demands of the market and allowing our teams to help address the workforce constraints is important. While most of us want to foster innovation in our teams, leaders need to be deliberate to make this happen. Here are a few ideas to help innovate some new approaches in workforce...

Misty Bruckner

Director, Public Policy & Management Center

Wichita State University

Upcoming Events

Join us at our

Annual Evening Event!

Get ready for an exciting celebration! We're honoring outstanding public servants and revealing some

exciting new things for Women in Public Service.

The Kansas Water Office

Governor's Water Conference

Register for the Governor’s Conference on the Future of Water in Kansas! This is the 12th year for this exciting conference, which will highlight the latest policies and research developments on water issues in Kansas, as well as the updated Kansas Water Plan.

LGN Legislative Preview

Join us to hear from two people who serve cities and counties in Kansas by advocating for local government interests before the Kansas Legislature. This preview of the next legislative session is sure to get you prepared to discuss issues with your senators and representatives, as well as help you better understand the diverse issues before the legislature that can affect local communities. Expect a lively Question/Answer component!

Team PPMC in Action

Shocktober

#TeamPPMC won the Shocktober door decorating contest! Take a look at our eye-catching door

Urban League

We had an incredible time celebrating Corinthian Kelly as he received the Emerging Leader Award from the Urban League Of Kansas Inc.

Homelessness Panel

Dawn Shepler organized a full day of events, creating spaces for people in the community to have hard conversations about mental health, substance abuse, & homelessness.

Sedgwick County Department of Corrections

Our PPMC team - Kate, Corinthian, and Misty - have been hard at work supporting the Sedgwick County Department of Corrections Executive Team in their strategic planning process. This involved gathering insights from external stakeholders, focus groups, and the department's own staff, all of which were crucial in shaping the plan.

A public event this summer, brought together around 35 partners and community members, allowing us to gather feedback and refine the strategic blueprint.

We're excited to announce that the final plan will soon be available to the public. We want to express our gratitude to the dedicated Sedgwick County team for their unwavering commitment to this process.

Thanks for Joining Us!

To the Stars Kansas Business Awards

The PPMC was on site in Manhattan, Kansas to deliver the Workforce Innovation Conference, October 2 - 3. This was an innovative conference for those who engage in workforce solutions.

The conference had 275 attendees. It included government employees, business and industry, education providers, economic development professionals, workforce development professionals, partners, stakeholders, and elected officials. We got to hear from Dr. Sarabeth Berk, a leading expert on hybrid professional identity and career belonging. We also heard from Ed O'Malley, the President and CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation.

The PPMC is grateful for the opportunity to work with the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Kansas Board of Regents to plan and deliver this event!

Workforce Innovation Conference

The PPMC was on site at the B-29 Doc Hangar Education and Visitors Center in Wichita for the Tp the Stars Business Award Ceremony on October 12. The event celebrated all the accomplishments of our great Kansas businesses and what they do for our state each and every day.

We had 450 attendees supporting Kansas Businesses from across the state. Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce David Toland, provided the welcome and shared business and development occurring across the state and the key role that businesses play in the success of Kansas.

The PPMC is grateful for the opportunity to work with the Kansas Department of Commerce to plan and deliver this event!

From the PPMC Blog

Empowering the Workforce Through Innovation

By Misty Bruckner

Workforce innovation is the ability of managers and leaders to generate new ideas and approaches to not only workforce development, but workforce strategies...