Meeting Workforce Needs
About this Event
Workforce challenges continue to shape business strategy, economic competitiveness, and opportunity across our region. Join employers, policymakers, and workforce leaders from across the Portland-SW Washington metro region for a candid conversation about where talent gaps exist today, what's working to address them, and what more is needed to meet industry demand.
Moderated by Gresham Mayor Travis Stovall, the event will feature employer leaders from the construction, manufacturing, and healthcare sectors sharing real-world perspectives on workforce needs, business impacts, and promising solutions. The panel will focus on practical strategies being used to attract, develop, and retain talent, as well as the barriers that limit progress.
Following the panel, policy and system leaders will respond in real time to the successes and challenges presented by the employers, with the goal of identifying policy and system responses that can be put into action.
To help frame the conversations, Liza Morehead, Worksystems' Research & Data Analyst, will provide a brief update on key workforce trends and labor market data across the region.
Whether you are an employer navigating hiring challenges, a policymaker shaping workforce investments, or a community leader interested in regional economic vitality, you'll leave with a better understanding of today's workforce landscape and opportunities to support solutions that work for businesses and workers alike.
Agenda
🕑: 11:30 AM - 11:50 AM
Lunch + Networking
🕑: 11:50 AM - 12:20 PM
State of the Workforce
Host: Liza Morehead, PhD.: Research and Data Analyst
Info: A presentation about what’s changed since the release of the 2025 State of the Workforce Report, focusing on unemployment trends, population changes, cost-of-living pressures, and employment trends in key sectors. Following the presentation, there will be time for additional networking and discussion about the data.
🕑: 12:20 PM - 12:50 PM
Employer Panel
Host: Travis Stovall: City of Gresham Mayor
Info: A candid, solutions-focused discussion about talent gaps, innovative ways to address them, and barriers that remain.
🕑: 12:50 PM - 01:20 PM
Policymaker Response + Discussion
Host: Travis Stovall, City of Gresham Mayor
Info: A facilitated conversation with policymakers, informed by themes emerging from the employer panel and focused on action the workforce system can take now to scale solutions.
🕑: 01:20 PM - 01:30 PM
Call to Action + Closing Remarks
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 44.52
