Talent Development
Workforce capabilities are the single greatest input to more inclusive outcomes and competitiveness in the modern economy. The economic success of individuals, firms, and regions correlates closely to higher levels of educational attainment and density of the talent pool. Talent availability factors rank first among business location decisions in general, and particularly in sectors that concentrate higher quality jobs. This includes the existing labor pool and the ability of the pipeline to generate more local workers with relevant knowledge, skills, and expertise needed over time, especially because retention is higher when hiring from within.
Collaborative Partners
Beaudette Consulting Inc. (BCI) is located in the Central Valley and offers lean business consulting, on-site training, and tailored curriculum development. Gary Beaudette, founder and CEO, has worked as a Training Director in a Fortune 100 Manufacturing company for over 10 years before starting his own consulting firm in Modesto California. Beaudette Consulting Inc has been helping solve the skills gap by converting the industry training course he has developed and converting them into educational curriculum for organizations such as Stanislaus County Office of Education (Come Back Kids), Patterson High School (Logistics) as well as for higher education.
Rick Coffey is working with and assisting Gary. Rick’s professional background spans four decades and includes significant experience in operations, human resources, workforce development, change management, and strategic planning. Rick served in several leadership roles with The Boeing Company, progressing to the role of enterprise director. In this capacity, Rick provided oversight for manufacturing-related workforce development practices throughout the company. In 2014, Rick was given a great opportunity to join E. & J. Gallo Winery where he initially led a company-wide initiative to drive positive changes in the company’s training practices specific to Operations and Supply Chain. Rick gradually assumed additional responsibilities within the company, including leading the Learning and Development organization. Rick left Gallo in 2023 to enjoy “semi-retirement” and now provides consulting services specific to leadership and professional development, workforce planning and development, vocational education, and program management.
Manufacturing Talent-to-Industry Exchange
Talent-to-Industry Exchanges gather real-time information used to inform strategies for growing the region’s talent pool, strengthening the talent pipeline, and aligning employer and educational stakeholder interests. Talent-to-Industry Exchanges intentionally organize around one business-centered sector and within the process, employers play a critical leadership role as end customers in closing the skills gap for jobs most critical to their competitiveness. Talent-to-Industry Exchanges also help organize and manage flexible and responsive talent pipelines in partnership with other employers and their preferred education and training providers. Employers also work collaboratively with one another to develop measures and incentives designed to reinforce and improve performance across all partners.
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Based on the Stanislaus 2030 Market Assessment and other local data, the manufacturing sector will be prioritized for initial focus with intention to replicate the Talent-to-Industry Exchange with other opportunity sectors in the future. Manufacturing was identified as part of the Opportunity Industry analysis with traded sector themes from the Market Assessment. The intention of the Talent-to-Industry Exchange will be to more effectively identify and meet employer needs at scale, while also enabling workforce and educational institutions to access more comprehensive, realtime input that accurately informs activities across occupations and skill levels. If successful, current and future workers, representing the region’s diversity, will be better positioned to access quality jobs.
