Closing Out the Year: Headwinds and Opportunities
November 5, 2024

November marks the midway point of the fourth quarter of the year, and as such, means that another year of workforce headwinds and opportunities is almost at a close. It is still too early to do a look at the…
How We Are Able To Stay Innovative
October 22, 2024

Most of Able’s funding comes from the federal government in programs such as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) or the Senior Community Service and Employment Program (SCSEP). Because these programs were created by acts of Congress, they often…
Digital Equity: The Next Frontier
August 13, 2024

If you are reading this article, the odds are you’re reading it on the computer. To do that, you either need to own a computer or go to a shared computer space, like a library. And those computers need to…
American Manufacturing is Stronger Than Ever. But What About Workers?
July 23, 2024

When you think of American manufacturing, what do you picture? Most people probably visualize a Rust Belt city on the shores of Lake Erie, smokestacks and the smell of slag filling the air, and a hollowed-out town in the distance. …
WIOA Still Helps People Get Jobs. Here’s How.
July 10, 2024

A recent article in The Atlantic takes aim at the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and makes the case that WIOA training is ineffective and places workers into dead-end jobs. In “The Problem with In-Demand Jobs,” author Kevin Carey…
How Skills-Based Hiring is Reshaping the Economy
June 18, 2024

Across the last two decades or so, employers have emphasized credential-based hiring practices. The refrain has become familiar: most – if not every – position within a company requires a college degree or some other credential as a prerequisite for…
You just got promoted at work – or did you? Explaining dry promotions
March 19, 2024

Now that performance review season is over for most companies, news about promotions and salary increases should start making the rounds soon. Traditionally, a promotion is expected to come with a raise. But recently, some companies are beginning to offer…
National Able Network Shines Bright During Career Changer’s First Job Search in 32 Years
December 5, 2023

George Drain worked at a metal engineering organization for 32 years. He was an absolute expert in shaping and forming metal! Unfortunately, the organization went out of business in early 2023 and George found himself unemployed. The very first thing…
As Holidays Approach, Seasonal Hiring Highlights Economic Uncertainty
November 14, 2023

The period between Halloween and the December holidays is usually when shoppers are out in force and retail businesses bulk up their staffing to meet the rush. This year is no different in those regards, but with one key change…
Q&A with Chief Program Officer, Alejandra Sinecio : Workforce development, an inclusive future, and advice for first-time job seekers in the US
November 7, 2023

Q: Why is important to celebrate and highlight the workforce development industry? A. It’s important that we showcase the careers in our communities! Monthly and weekly celebrations like National Apprenticeship week, and especially Workforce Development Month which just occurred in…
Curious How Much That Job Pays? Salary Transparency is Coming to Illinois
October 3, 2023

Outside of “will I get the job?” the most burning question jobseekers ask is “how much will it pay?” It’s an important question, too, because it’s crucial to know whether your career move or new job comes with a pay…
Hybrid Work is the New Normal
September 19, 2023

The Covid-19 pandemic prompted massive societal changes, from a volatile economy, to lower income inequality, to wider acceptance of hybrid work. Hybrid work is an arrangement where employees split their work between the office and their homes. Common schedules might…