Developing strategic collaborative partnerships within a workforce development program

Workforce development programs provide training and education to welfare recipients to prepare them to obtain and retain employment in their communities. Federal, state, and local investments are made to develop and implement programs. But, do these programs have relationships with local employers to obtain their input to provide the education and training in the skills required for employment? Are they meeting the needs of the local employers?;Through this action research project, I explored the development of my leadership through the implementation of team building efforts within my workforce development program and through the design and implementation of a change initiative, the employer outreach protocol.;Team building was supported by incorporating the team building principles of Patrick Lencioni (2002) in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results. Team building exercises were incorporated throughout the program to continue to strengthen and solidify the program team, and to incorporate learning as a team experience. I used John Kotter's eight stage process for change as a template to initiate and sustain change (Kotter, 1996).;Throughout the program my leadership was assessed using reflective practice, self-assessment, and a 360 Leadership Assessment.