Contents

Welcome 6

About the Tempe Chamber 8

Tempe Chamber Foundation 10

The ASU Helios Decision Center
for Educational Excellence 12

Career Connectors:
Navigating Today’s Job Market 16

Development Counselors International:
Attracting Talent to Attract Employees 20

Closing the Skills Gap:
Tempe Workforce Skills Accelerator 24

Tempe Style 27

East Valley Business

Volume 1 | Issue 3 | 2024

1438 W Broadway Road, #213

Tempe, AZ 85283

480-967-7891 | tempechamber.org

This is a Town Square Publications
publication created and produced for the
Tempe Chamber of Commerce

Copyright © 2024 Town Square Publications

P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006

(847) 427-4905 | tbusby@tspubsdigital.com

www.TownSquarePublications.com

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication. The Chamber and Town Square assume no responsibility for misinformation. Please contact the Chamber with any additions or corrections. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of the Chamber and Town Square is prohibited.

Chairman, CEO and Publisher | Douglas K. Ray

President and Chief Operating Officer | Scott Stone

Vice President / Director | Scott Ray

Managing Director | David Small

Director of Production | Ryan Moore

Director of Operations | Joseph Nugara

Sales | Wayne Metcalfe

Editor | Lisa White

Project Manager | Sandy King

Welcome

A bustling economy is like a well-oiled machine, and the workforce? They’re the gears that keep it running smoothly. In this issue of the East Valley Business Magazine, we take a look at the Valley’s workforce. Think about it: Skilled and motivated workers are the lifeblood of businesses, cranking out products and services efficiently, which in turn boosts productivity and keeps the economic engine humming. That’s when things are running smoothly.

But it’s not just about getting the job done. A diverse workforce brings fresh perspectives and ideas to the table, sparking innovation and problem-solving. A 2022 Gallup poll showed that companies boasting a diverse workforce were 74% more efficient than ones that didn’t. And let’s not forget about education and training — those are like the tools in our workers’ belts, helping them stay sharp and adaptable in an ever-changing market.

Education plays a major role in raising a strong employee pool. Investing in early education throughout the state ensures that individuals have a solid educational foundation, laying the groundwork for lifelong learning and career success. Universities play a crucial role in shaping a capable workforce. By partnering with industries, providing internships and offering career-oriented programs, they bridge the gap between academia and the job market. Additionally, programs such as the Tempe Jobs Accelerator through Rio Salado College offers adults the opportunity to upskill, while adaptability prepares them for the ever-changing demands of the workforce, ensuring their continued relevance and success.

By investing in upskilling initiatives, businesses can adapt to technological advancements and industry shifts, ensuring the continued growth and success of their workforce.

We take a look at what jobs we will need in the future with the ASU Helios Education Foundation and Career Connectors and what part AI will play in the workforce and how the hiring process is changing.

The goal of a strong economy is to have a top-notch workforce at the heart of it all. Read on to see what is in the works to do just that.

Onward & upward,

Colin Diaz, ACE, IOM
President & CEO |
Tempe Chamber of Commerce

About the
Tempe Chamber

Since 1908, the Tempe Chamber of Commerce has built an environment that enhances the economic vitality of our membership and the business community. We provide the tools, resources and education needed for businesses to achieve success at every level of their enterprises. We foster a strong local economy that positively impacts the community, including job creation, increased business opportunities, and improved quality of life for residents.

Our strength is derived from our members. Membership in the Tempe Chamber is an investment in the future of our business community. Those who invest in the community through membership support initiatives in education and workforce development, public policy, and business development. Together, we provide a unified voice for business and support a stronger economy and an improved quality of life. We are dedicated to helping businesses achieve their goals through many avenues including advocacy, connection, and development.

ADVOCACY AND LEGISLATIVE LOBBYING

The Tempe Chamber is the city’s recognized voice of business. We make a bottom-line impact for the community by advocating for a favorable business climate through interactive public policy engagement and providing ongoing representation in government at local, state and federal levels. It is important that we take positions on legislation affecting the business environment so that policy can encourage economic growth, not hinder it.

CONNECTION

Through more than 65 annual events and programs attended by more than 8,000 business professionals, the Tempe Chamber provides a place for you to connect with other business leaders and the community. We facilitate network development among our members through business education, mentorship, committees, mixers and conferences. Our programs and events build relationships and develop leadership skills, for many while also serving the greater community. By creating active and engaged leaders, we ensure that Tempe has a bright future.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The chamber offers business education and development programs to enhance the skills and knowledge of our members. These programs cover a wide range of topics relevant to business success, including marketing, leadership, human resources and business operations.

By providing these services and resources, the Tempe Chamber of Commerce plays a vital role in promoting economic growth, entrepreneurship, and the overall health of the business community. As we continue to represent and promote our membership and the community, the Tempe Chamber invites you to share our excitement in celebrating our long business heritage and promising future.

Tempe Chamber
Foundation

The Tempe Chamber Foundation carries out the charitable and education objectives of the Tempe Chamber that positively impact Tempe’s quality of life. Tempe Leadership is a program of the Tempe Chamber Foundation, and more than 850 dedicated individuals have participated since its inception in 1985. Tempe Leadership also offers the Tempe Youth Leadership program and Tempe Cares.

In addition, the Career Ready Tempe youth workforce initiative in partnership with the City of Tempe aims to help prepare and develop Tempe youth to participate in the future workforce by connecting youth to college and career readiness support and partnering with Tempe employers to provide paid internship opportunities in fields that are in-demand.

The Tempe Chamber Foundation supports the workforce development and D.E.I. initiatives of the Chamber and raises funding to address timely needs of our business and collective community.  Among those focal areas are our recently established BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) Micro-Manufacturing Grant – in partnership with the City of Tempe and Congressman Greg Stanton’s Office, our Minority Women in Business Supportive Grant – in partnership with Wells Fargo, the Tempe Workforce Skills Accelerator - in partnership with Rio Salado College and Amazon, and Career Ready Tempe - in partnership with the City of Tempe, Tempe Union, and Kyrene School Districts.

Support of the Tempe Chamber Foundation is aligning with our commitment to ensure economic vitality, a strong workforce pipeline, and installing and sustaining the elements to keep Tempe a great place to live, play, and do business.

We are excited by the work that lies ahead and the huge impact that our foundation will play in it and invite you to join us in these efforts.

Onward & Upward,

Colin Diaz, ACE, IOM
President & CEO | Tempe Chamber of Commerce & Tempe Chamber Foundation

The ASU Helios Decision Center for
Educational Excellence

The last line of Arizona State University’s charter states ASU assumes “fundamental responsibility of the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.” That makes the university’s partnership with Helios Education Foundation on an exciting educational initiative a particularly appropriate undertaking.

Established six years ago, the ASU Helios Decision Center for Educational Excellence is a partnership between Arizona State University and Helios Education Foundation. The mission of that partnership is to bring together all the two entities know about the education system, the resources of ASU, Helios and education stakeholders to propel positive change and improved student outcomes in the state.Teaming with ASU researchers and thought leaders, the center convenes key stakeholders to model and visualize the impact of possible new policies and innovative solutions in Arizona’s education system.

“Our charge is to bring together all the data in the state, from pre-K through employment and use it to foster better outcomes for students and community,” says Joseph O’Reilly, the center’s program director. “We’re tracking students from middle school to high school to college and beyond, on how they perform, how they succeed and what the barriers to success are.

“We have a module with visualization for our communities, allowing them to set goals for the improvement to be realized in the graduation rate and college-going rate. We discuss factors that affect those rates and the dollar results of improving the rates.”

Another tool tracks students from high school through to community college and state universities, he says. The high schools can gain feedback about whether the students were properly prepared for college. “That way, the high schools can work with the colleges to determine how they can better prepare students for college,” O’Reilly says.

Acceptance letters

Another initiative administered through the ASU Helios Decision Center for Educational Excellence is the Personalized Admissions Project. Tempe Union High School District is among the nearly 30 school districts that are currently participating.

Through the Personalized Admissions Project, letters are sent to high school seniors across Arizona letting them know they’ve been accepted to one or all three of the state’s public universities – before they even apply.

“This allows students to hear from the university that the university wants them, and thinks they’re qualified,” O’Reilly said. “It knocks down the barrier of the student having to fill out a lot of applications. It reverses the typical process of students applying to university.”

The program started as a pilot with just ASU and Phoenix Union High School District participating during the 2021-2022 school year and more than 1,450 students receiving the letters. The program has since expanded to include many more students and Arizona’s two other public universities, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.

This year, 10,942 students attending high schools in more than two dozen districts received letters. That is a 653% increase from two years ago. Of the nearly 11,000 students who received letters this year, about 43% are white, 43% are Latino, 5% are Asian, 4% are Black and 2% are Indigenous. In addition, 41% qualified for free or reduced lunch while in high school.

The center’s most recent visualization, introduced only this spring, focuses on the workforce needs of the state as a whole and workforce needs county by county. O’Reilly says the effort is to determine what are the jobs in each of those industries and are we preparing students well for all those jobs.

Jessica Pierce helps people in career transition connect with resources and employers to find new jobs. And right now, she says, many workers require a great deal of help.

“Inflation is destroying people,” says Pierce, the founder and CEO of an organization called Career Connectors in Chandler. “In my adult life, I’ve never seen inflation like this.

“People are having to work two or three jobs. If you pull up the data on how much money you have to make to be considered middle-income in the East Valley, it’s about $150,000 . . . A single mom in the Valley has to work at least two jobs and keep a side gig simply to feed her family. And a lot of people trying to build stability need a full-time job to get benefits. Health care debt is the number one reason for bankruptcy.”

National job reports tend to be misleading, Pierce says. A recent report pegged unemployment rates at 3.6%, with 303,000 new jobs added in March 2024. But what wasn’t reported was what kinds of jobs these newly-created positions are.

“The market is worse than a year ago, because a lot of these are poorer-paying part-time jobs,” she says. “A year ago, people were landing jobs three months after being laid off, now it’s much longer. For candidates, it’s really important to network, through Linkedin and your personal network. It’s most important to make connections.”

Pierce encourages job seekers to tighten their resumes and Linkedin profiles, which are the two most important pieces of “job search collateral” employers review. In addition, she urges people in career transition to attend her organization’s many events, which they can learn about at www.CareerConnectors.org. The events range from presentations by veteran career coaches to major industry career expos.

Pierce launched Career Connectors in 2009, during the midst of what many called the “Great Recession.” Her small recruitment business had lost all its clients and shut down, and her husband, also in recruitment, had been laid off three times in half a year.

“I went to bed one night and woke up the next morning with an overwhelming urge to help people,” Pierce recalls. “I went to my church and asked for a room in the back, and they said ‘Yes, we’re being inundated with calls and people asking for help.’ And that’s how it started, helping people write resumes and work on their interviewing skills. We started bringing in employers, and it exploded with interest. When we started, we helped 25 people a week. And then one day we had an event and more than 300 showed up. We even had coverage from local radio and TV stations.”

In addition to advising job candidates, Pierce also has advice for employers. “It’s time to not dismiss Generation Z and develop them and focus on them because they’re the future of their organization,” she says. “And be flexible. People have been through the pandemic, and they require flexibility in returning to the workforce.”

DEVELOPMENT COUNSELORS INTERNATIONAL
Attracting Talent
to Attract Employers

In recent years, U.S. gateway, secondary and tertiary markets have placed increasing emphasis on attracting talent. The presence of abundant educated and trained talent stands among major lures in attracting new employers to any market.

“Every location needs to attract talent,” says Patience Fairbrother, vice president, talent attraction, with New York City-based specialized marketing agency Development Counselors International (DCI). “It’s become more and more important for communities. They can’t attract companies without attracting talent.”

Since 2017, DCI has conducted a national research initiative called Talent Wars, focused on how people make decisions about relocation. “When it comes to what triggers relocation, in our most recent study the top trigger was the desire to have a better quality of life,” Fairbrother says. “That’s a trend we’ve seen since the pandemic. The other two top reasons are to be closer to family and closer to a job.”

DCI asked its survey audience the open-ended question “What does quality of life mean to you?” The number one response was that quality of life equated with public safety. That meant not only physical safety for the job candidate and his/her family, but also in the psychological sense a place safe and stable for the person’s chosen career.

Must haves

When it comes to top priorities, the leading concern of respondents since Talent Wars’ debut in 2017 has been cost of living, she adds. That issue is followed in order by housing availability, housing cost, and public safety. “These are the must-haves people indicate are important to them before they relocate,” she says.

But these triggers and concerns alone aren’t the only factors that enter into the relocation decision of many people, Fairbrother says. “Another tidbit I’ll give you is that tourism plays a role in talent attraction, with 14% in our survey audience indicating travel – actually visiting a place – was the primary trigger in relocation,” she explains. “We also know that when it comes to how people form impressions of a location, the two most important factors are the internet and first-hand experience.”

When asked about their current work arrangement and preferred work arrangement, members of the survey audience indicated a preference for some form of hybrid or remote work, Fairbrother says. “Now that that’s on the table, that’s attractive,” she says. “If you currently work fully remote, you want to continue that fully remote work. And if you currently work hybrid, you want to continue hybrid work.”

Of those currently working on site, such as in an office, 35% want to continue with that arrangement, 36% want to go to a hybrid arrangement and 29% want remote work.

“It’s still important to all types of workers that you have jobs available in your community,” Fairbrother says. “So showcasing you have jobs in the community is important to attract workers, even if you’re appealing to those working remotely.

“Our advice to communities is always start with the research and be specific about who you target when it comes to talent attraction.”