Mary Beth Ferrante, PCC

This is an important point. After years of working inside workforce development systems, I’ve come to a similar conclusion: most workforce challenges are not about effort - they are about alignment. Programs can have great instructors. Workforce boards can have funding. Employers can have open roles. But when those pieces operate in separate lanes instead of a coordinated system, outcomes suffer. One thing we’ve learned through our work at Persevere is that alignment has to start earlier than most people realize. For many of the individuals we serve, the workforce pipeline doesn’t begin when someone walks into a training program. It often begins while they are still incarcerated, long before traditional workforce systems engage. That means workforce development must coordinate across: • corrections systems • training providers • employers • community supervision • wraparound support services When those systems are intentionally connected, something powerful happens: • individuals complete training • employers gain access to talent they didn’t know existed • public safety improves • and workforce shortages begin to close Workforce development isn’t just a training model. It’s an ecosystem design challenge. Appreciate the perspective here and the continued conversation about how we build stronger talent pipelines. #WorkforceDevelopment #TalentPipelines #SecondChanceHiring #PublicPrivatePartnerships #WorkforceInnovation

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#TheMorningInclusive What Belonging Sounds Like: Lessons from Marlee Matlin In 1990, Deaf actress and activist Marlee Matlin went before Congress and demanded change. Her voice—unheard by ears yet deeply felt—led to a law requiring closed captioning on all televisions. Just two years earlier, she had urged the Senate to establish the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, advocating for research and support for individuals with hearing and communication challenges. These were not just policy wins. They were declarations: Everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and understood. #ProvocativeTruth Accessibility is not a sentiment. It is a system. We often celebrate diversity in theory, yet we fail to build the infrastructure that makes inclusion a reality. Closed captioning is not a courtesy—it is a necessity. It is a bridge between worlds. And it took a Deaf woman testifying before Congress to make that bridge permanent. So, ask yourself: What barriers still exist in your workplace, community, content, and leadership? Who is being left out, not because they lack talent or drive, though because the system was never built with them in mind? Inclusion is not optional. Equity is not a favor. Belonging is not a buzzword. It is the foundation of real, positive change. #CallToAction Today, let us honor Marlee Matlin’s legacy by creating systems that are accessible to everyone. ~ Audit your digital content for accessibility—are your videos captioned? ~ Invite feedback from disabled colleagues—what do they need to thrive? ~ Advocate for inclusive design in your products, services, and spaces. ~ Share this post with someone who needs to hear it. Let us move from performative inclusion to transformative belonging. What is one barrier you have helped remove—or want to? Share your story in the comments. Let us learn from each other. #DisabilityRights #MarleeMatlin #RepresentationMatters #InclusiveSystems #DeafAwareness #BelongingFormula #TheBigIDEA #Belonging #Inclusion #Diversity #Equity #Accessibility #AlwaysChristopher #BoldVoices #AuthenticImpact #CuriousStories #InnovationUnbiased #LinkedInVoices #AltText A person with long, wavy blonde hair stands in front of a modern, geometric-patterned background composed of intersecting lines and frosted glass panels. They are dressed in a brown puff-sleeved dress cinched at the waist with a black belt. One hand is extended forward, forming a gesture with the thumb, index finger, and pinky finger raised while the middle and ring fingers are folded down. At the bottom of the image on an off-white background, there is purple text that reads "Innovation Unbiased" in the middle, and a green icon representing a spark cradled in a curved base.

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🙅‍♀️ “I’m not interested in that just now.” That’s a response I hear often when I tell people I help businesses build diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) cultures. And I get it, DEI is still misunderstood. Many see it as a standalone event or a ‘tick-the-box’ initiative for International Women’s Day or panel talk or unconscious bias session once a year But DEI isn’t something that is done 'on' the business, it is something that is done 'in' the business. At its heart, DEI is about the everyday behaviours, mindsets, and systems that shape how people experience work. Here’s what that looks like in practice: 🔹 Recruitment: Writing inclusive job ads to attract diverse talent, using diverse hiring panels, challenging bias in decision-making 🔹 Onboarding: Helping new joiners feel seen, respected, and set up to thrive from day one 🔹 Team Culture: Creating psychological safety so people feel safe to speak up and contribute ideas 🔹 Career Development: Offering fair access to stretch assignments, mentorship, and leadership pathways 🔹 Performance Reviews: Ensuring feedback is balanced, objective, and free from bias 🔹 Leadership: Modelling inclusive behaviours that others feel safe to follow 🔹 Innovation: Welcoming different perspectives to avoid groupthink and build better solutions 🔹 Exit: Listening and learning from those who leave, especially from underrepresented groups The truth is, if you care about performance, retention, reputation, or innovation… you are interested in DEI. You just might not have called it that yet. So, to be clear, DEI isn’t a moment, it’s a mindset. What's your thoughts? #DEI #Inclusivecultures #Inclusiveleaders #Behaviours #Mindset

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