Organization Name: Workforce Partnership
Executive Leader / Title: Keely Schneider, Executive Director
Website:
www.workforcepartnership.com
Tell us about your organization’s mission and the communities you serve.
Workforce Partnership serves as the Workforce Development Board for Johnson, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte counties in the Kansas City metro area. The organization connects employers with talent and supports individuals in accessing pathways to sustainable employment. Its work spans urban, suburban, and rural communities, with a focus on building aligned workforce systems that advance economic mobility and meet local employer needs.
What are the key services and programs you offer?Workforce Partnership provides workforce development services that include career and educational navigation, employer engagement, job search readiness and assistance and regional labor market analysis. Its work spans traditional workforce services as well as innovative system-level initiatives, including reentry workforce pathways, customized employer talent attraction and development services, including registered apprenticeship, specialized services for mature workers and those with disabilities, and the use of real-time labor market intelligence to support regional decision-making.
Can you share a success story or impactful moment from your work?Workforce Partnership currently leads a 13-member consortium called the Returning Citizen Consortium (RCC) that has been working over the past year within a collective impact model to transform how the State of Kansas supports justice-involved individuals returning to Kansas communities. The RCC brings together local workforce development boards, the Kansas Department of Corrections, business leaders, community organizations, and educational institutions in a coordinated effort that leverages collective expertise and resources. Included in RCC's members are individual community leaders with the lived experience of incarceration, to ensure our work was grounded in the realities facing justice-involved individuals both pre- and post-release.
This groundbreaking public-private partnership addresses two urgent challenges simultaneously: critical workforce shortages across multiple industries and the release of approximately 3,500 individuals from state correctional facilities each year without adequate support to succeed. Funded by a Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation planning grant, the RCC has developed new innovations to drive increases in employment, retention and wage rates among those with criminal backgrounds, along with substantial decreases in recidivism. Recently, the RCC applied for a $20 million follow-on implementation grant from the Kauffman Foundation to help make these innovations a reality across the State of Kansas over the next 5 years.
The RCC's planning efforts resulted in the creation of three transformative innovations:
1 - The Mind-Life-Work Ready Credential - a comprehensive credentialing system that establishes clear, measurable standards across three essential dimensions: Mind Ready focuses on emotional resilience and trauma recovery; life Ready ensures stability in housing, transportation, financial management, and family reconnection; and Work Ready prepares individuals for employment success through skill development, technical training, and industry-recognized certifications.
2 - The Employer Certification - recognizes and supports Kansas businesses with trauma-informed workplaces where credentialed justice-involved individuals can thrive. Certified employers demonstrate commitment through fair-chance hiring policies, structured onboarding and mentorship programs, flexible scheduling for reentry requirements, and clear advancement pathways
3 - The Transition Support System - a coordinated network to ensure credentialed individuals have access to housing, healthcare, and transportation resources needed for successful community reintegration, including immediate practical needs before employment begins and during the early weeks of a new job before receiving the first paycheck.By establishing clear standards, certification processes, and support systems, the RCC strives to create pathways to economic self-sufficiency and community belonging for returning citizens while providing Kansas employers with access to trained, motivated talent. Workforce Partnership is incredibly proud of the planning work that has been accomplished thus far - we know that we can make a significant impact on the lives of formerly incarcerated individuals, as well as an impact on employers' talent pipeline.
Why did you join MUS?
Workforce Partnership joined MUS to create access to meaningful, affordable professional development opportunities for staff beyond what is available locally. MUS provides exposure to diverse workforce strategies and perspectives across the Midwest without the cost of national conference travel. They also valued MUS as a space for collaboration, shared learning, and connection with other Workforce Development Boards and workforce entities across the region.
How has being a part of MUS benefited your organization so far?
As a new member, Workforce Partnership is still learning the full landscape of MUS, but JobsEQ has already emerged as a significant and immediate benefit. The platform has strengthened their ability to respond quickly and credibly to employer needs by providing real-time labor market analysis and scenario modeling. The organization is also looking forward to deeper collaboration and learning opportunities through MUS.
Are there any partnerships or collaborations that have grown from your MUS membership?While still early in their MUS membership, Workforce Partnership values MUS as a platform for building regional relationships and exploring future collaboration. Keely has expressed interest in engaging other states through MUS Learning Labs as their reentry work progresses and sees strong potential for cross-state learning and shared implementation strategies.
Fun Fact - Share something unique about your organization, team, or history that people may not know.One unique aspect of Workforce Partnership’s current work is its leadership of a 13-member reentry consortium that includes partners with lived experience of incarceration, including one individual formerly incarcerated in the federal system and another who was born while their mother was incarcerated. Their leadership has directly shaped the design of Kansas’s reentry workforce innovations.