15 May Press Release: Addressing Labor Concerns at Workforce Wednesday
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2023
Emily Bowers
913/338-1300
ebowers@bema.org
Addressing Labor Concerns at Workforce Wednesday
Overland Park, KS: Labor shortages and skill gaps remain pressing issues the baking industry cannot afford to ignore. With this in mind, BEMA is proud to partner with Arizona State University (ASU), Phoenix, to address these important issues.
Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the country’s most innovative school, ASU is actively addressing the workforce need though its AZNext Program. The multi-prong approach of AZNext amplifies curriculum for industry-bound students, leads efforts to upskill and reskill the workforce, and assists companies in training their own new labor pools.
Workforce Sessions
This year’s Workforce Wednesday edition will tap into the ingenuity of ASU’s innovative leadership to offer three workforce-focused sessions.
- Key Sustainability Issues for Bakery Products and Equipment – This course will discuss the environmental and social hotspots associated with bakery products and equipment and highlight indicators used by CPG companies and retailers to measure sustainability performance.
- Digital Twin & Industrial Internet of Things (IoT): A Technical & Business Discussion – This course will focus on themes of IoT and how project workstreams are relevant to these projects.
- AZNext & Workforce Development Opportunities – This course will focus on how to directly address talent gaps, reduce training costs and how to enhance and add value for employees.
Online Convenience
The Workforce Wednesday edition of BEMA Convention 2023 will take place virtually on Wednesday, June 21. The unique, interactive professional development format is offered for the baking industry audience members unable to attend Convention in-person, and is designed specifically for bakery industry professionals.
The interactive, 50-minute sessions hosted by BEMA staff are accessible anywhere in the world and will provide participants with actionable skills they can apply immediately. Attendees of Workforce Wednesday can also join their peers virtually at Convention 2023 through BEMA Live on Thursday, June 22, and Friday, June 23.
“Partnering with ASU allows Workforce Wednesday participants the ability to tap into the insights of strong workforce development initiatives delivered by faculty from a top-tier institution,” said Emily Bowers, Vice President, Education and Operations, BEMA. “Such a collaboration will offer participants new methods of addressing the need for an active and sustainable workforce today and in the future.”
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About BEMA
Founded in 1918, BEMA (Bakery Equipment Manufacturers and Allieds), is an international, not-for-profit trade association representing leading bakery and food suppliers. BEMA creates authentic connections that improve its members’ businesses and the industries they serve. Its members utilize the value they gain through BEMA networking and educational events to provide their customers with the most effective, innovative solutions in the baking industry.
About ASU’s AZNext Program
The AZNext Program is a collaboration between ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, and New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University, Phoenix. The partnership brings together employers, workforce development networks, economic development organizations and industry partnerships to create a sustaining workforce development ecosystem that addresses the need for skilled workers.
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