NAWB: The Forum 2025 (Together. Forward. Change.) and Celebrating Workforce Advocacy Day

The National Association of Workforce Boards represents and advocates for the more than 570 workforce development boards across the nation. By collaborating with business leaders, educational institutions, and economic developers, workforce boards create tailored programs that address the evolving needs of local businesses, job seekers, and communities.

This year’s National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) Forum brought together workforce professionals from across the country to share strategies, strengthen partnerships, and embrace change. This year’s conference centered on the theme Together. Forward. Change., emphasizing a shared commitment to embracing disruption and uncertainty as opportunities to innovate and grow.

NAWB continues to champion sharing the public workforce system’s impact and spearheaded “Workforce Advocacy Day” on April 2^nd with workforce system stakeholders sharing the impact of their local systems with congressional representatives.  A standout statistic: For every WIOA dollar spent in Ohio, there’s a $17 return on investment—a powerful example of the system’s value.

STWDB Executive Director, JoAnn Breedlove, along with other Ohio workforce development board stakeholders, participated in Workforce Advocacy Day, with opportunity to meet with Ohio’s federal legislative representatives to speak to the impact of the local public workforce system and its investment in strengthening communities, along with the importance of supporting federal legislation and funding for a system that supports local economies and communities.