What if your region's biggest workforce challenge was actually a hidden talent opportunity and the data to unlock it already existed?

Join us for a dynamic one-hour session where regional and economic development leaders will discover how to harness real labor market data to build the skills-first hiring ecosystems their communities need and their employers are ready for.

Drawing from on-the-ground work in Detroit, this session goes beyond theory. You'll see how regional stewards, like Detroit Regional Partnership, are actively using data to dismantle hiring barriers, drive economic mobility for STARs (workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes), and build the case for change with employers, policymakers, and community partners alike.

Whether you're navigating workforce planning, employer engagement, or policy advocacy, this session delivers the tools, frameworks, and confidence to move from insight to action.

You'll also get a live, hands-on demonstration of Lightcast's STARs-Relevant job posting filter and learn exactly how to use it to identify where skills-first hiring is already happening in your region, where the gaps are, and how to build a compelling, data-backed story that connects employer opportunity to community impact.

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YOU'LL LEAVE WITH:

• A proven regional playbook: real tactics from Detroit for how to use labor market data to advance skills-first hiring and support local talent pipelines
• Practical data tools: a live walkthrough of how to use the STARs-Relevant filter in Lightcast to assess employer hiring trends and identify skills-first opportunities in your market
• Storytelling that moves stakeholders: frameworks for translating data into narratives that drive action with employers, funders, and policymakers
• Policy and practice levers: concrete strategies for using data to influence hiring practices and shape workforce policy at the regional level‍
• A clearer path to impact: confidence in connecting your workforce data strategy to measurable outcomes in economic mobility and employer performance

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SPEAKERS: