Calendar
Untapped Talent: Solving Your Labor Challenges
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Webinar | 2:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. ET
Join PMA on Tuesday, April 22 at 2:00 p.m. ET for an insightful panel discussion designed to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing PMA members today—attracting and retaining skilled employees.
This webinar brings together experts from organizations supporting re-entry programs (formerly incarcerated individuals), vetted immigrants, and veterans—three often-overlooked talent pools ready to fill your workforce gaps.
In this webinar, you’ll hear real-world success stories and practical strategies from panelists who specialize in connecting employers with motivated, capable workers. Learn how these groups can bring dedication, diverse skills, high retention and fresh perspectives to your shop floor, helping you address labor shortages while strengthening your team. We’ll explore how PMA members can tap into these resources, overcome hiring hurdles, and build a resilient workforce for the future.
Don’t miss this chance to discover untapped talent solutions tailored to the metalforming industry’s unique needs. Register now and take the first step toward solving your labor challenges!
SPEAKERS
Jill Rizika, President & CEO, Towards Employment
Jill Rizika is president and CEO of Towards Employment, a community-based nonprofit which champions the potential of every person to succeed in a rewarding career, while working to strengthen workforce policies that provide pathways to opportunity for all workers. Towards Employment does this by providing skill development for in-demand jobs, comprehensive supports, extended career coaching, direct connections to employers, and advocating for investments that promote quality skills training, strengthened career navigation and second chance hiring practices. Towards Employment serves 2,000 Greater Clevelanders annually, and partners with more than 300 businesses to fill their staffing needs.
Jill transformed an innovative job retention program into a revenue-generating stream for the agency and strengthened programming to meet the employment needs of individuals with a criminal background, doubling the number of people placed in jobs on an annual basis. She oversaw implementation of a national demonstration grant, WorkAdvance, that resulted in higher earnings for low-income participants relative to a control group. Jill was recognized as a White House “Champion of Change” for her work on second chance hiring; received the Pillar Award for nonprofit Executive Director of the year (2014); named a NEO “Smart 50” executive by Smart Business magazine (2016) and a Crain’s Business Magazine Woman of Note (2019); and is on the Board of In Counsel with Women. She has a BA from Dartmouth College and an MPA from Princeton University.
Bart Richert, Co-Founder, Ready2Work
Staffing industry veteran Bart Richert brings more than 22 years of successful business ownership and 30 years of industry experience to Ready2Work. His entrepreneurial spirit of constantly challenging the status quo and searching for more innovative methods that bring inherent value to his clients is evident in his success over the past 30 years.
Bart’s most recent success from late 2020 to the end of 2022 was with SnapNurse, now SnapCare. He was front and center on SnapNurse’s unprecedented unicorn growth in helping them succeed and grow from merely a few million in revenue in 2020 to over 1 billion in 2021 and 2022.
The lessons learned and experience gained in the past 30 years put Bart in a prime position to develop and implement innovative solutions that will eliminate the labor shortage in multiple sectors.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
PMA Members: Free
Nonmembers: $49
Questions? Contact Connie King, workforce development director, PMA.
Professional Development Credits
The use of this official seal confirms that this webinar has met HR Certification Institute’s® (HRCI®) criteria for recertification credit pre-approval. This Program has been approved for?one?webinar recertification credit hours toward aPHR™, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®).