Workforce Vibe is centered around real life topics related to workforce development including career training, talent retention and the latest trends. Join host Sally Payne as she discusses the role civic engagement plays in attracting talent.

Workforce Vibe is centered around real life topics related to workforce development including career training, talent retention and the latest trends. Join host Sally Payne, Workforce Development Director for the City of Springfield Missouri, as she discussed the importance of quality of place and a living wage to mid-sized metros in attracting talent.

This episode of Workforce Vibe focuses on the role equity, diversity and inclusion play in creating a more vibrant workplace. Authentic diversity and inclusion builds morale and gives a sense of belonging, enhancing the work environment.

As Gen Z enters the working world what do we really know about this emerging generation of workers? Take a listen and find out what motives them and get a glimpse of how they will make their mark on the labor market of the future. Part 1 of 4 in a series focusing on the different generations and their attitudes towards work.

In this second of a four part series we're talking about Millennials and how they continue to shape the workforce. From flexible schedules to remote work and establishing a career path, we'll look at how the Millennial generation has changed how companies attract and keep talent.

Host Sally Payne sits down with two high school students to learn how they view their place in the emerging workforce. The students discuss if they plan to continue their education and what career and/or life goals they have. Plus, how they view social media and its impact on their lives.

In this special bonus episode of Workforce Vibe we take a break from our Generations series to sit down with Dr. Mardy Leathers, the Director of Workforce Development for the State of Missouri. Dr. Leathers shares great insight on current trends and the state of the workforce in the Show-Me State.

Now more than ever, seasoned workers are prioritizing life and rearranging work schedules and places to accommodate a work life balance while mentoring leaders for the next generation.

In this episode we talk with Greg Burris, President and CEO of United Way of the Ozarks, on how his organization is helping businesses create a company culture of giving back as a strategy for retaining workers.

Sally Payne sits down with Dr. Curtis Mattson from CoxHealth to discuss the role mental health plays in the workplace and how to have conversations around overall well being in stressful times.

This second in a three part series on mental health focuses on how colleges and universities are emphasizing mental wellness for students as they prepare to graduate and enter their chosen career field. Sally visits with two administrators from Ozarks Technical Community College.

Mental illness doesn't just affect the person diagnosed, it has an impact on those around them. In this episode a mother shares her experience as caregiver to her 20-something son who suffers from mental illness. Take a listen to this powerful testimony of love and support in helping a young person find their way and working through a diagnosis.

The lack of childcare providers is keeping parents out of the workforce in Missouri and nationwide. Robin Phillips, CEO of Childcare Aware of Missouri, sits down with Sally Payne and gives some sobering statistics on the state of childcare and how we might tackle this issue to get parents re-engaged in the workforce.

According to a Missouri Chamber study, Missouri's economy took a $1.4 billion hit last year due to the lack of childcare, preventing parents of young children from participating in the workforce. In this episode, host Sally Payne talks with Brian Fogle, CEO of Community Foundation of the Ozarks, on what's being done at the grassroots level to address this issue.

In this third installment of our childcare series, we talk to Cedric Smith who, along with his wife, are starting a daycare facility. Hear the challenges associated with starting this type of business and what motivates them to take on this project.

The challenges of finding safe, affordable childcare are intensified as a foster parent. In most cases foster parents have little notice when receiving infants and toddlers and finding a daycare provider for working foster parents is next to impossible . Listen in as we talk to one foster parent of an infant and how her family deals with childcare obstacles.

Piggybacking on our childcare series, we are focusing on the role early childhood education plays in training the next generation of workforce. In this episode we talk to two educators from Developmental Center of the Ozarks on a range of challenges from keeping the classrooms open to overcoming developmental delays brought on by the pandemic.