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Westergaard, through longtime clients ACT, Inc. and the Manufacturing Institute, is honored to partner with the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness to market the Right Skills Now initiative, a rapid-ready job skills training program for the manufacturing sector.

This new initiative was announced on October 27th at Productivity, Inc. in Plymouth, Minnesota at an event featuring SBA Administrator Karen Mills, US Senator Amy Klobuchar, NAM President Jay Timmons, and Darlene Miller and Christopher Che, members of the President’s Jobs Council. Right Skills Now kicks off with a pilot in the Minneapolis area through the state’s community and technical college network.

Westergaard’s work on the initiative started with establishing the brand’s identity. Extensive naming exercises for this ‘fast-tracked/accelerated’ program kept returning to the core benefit of getting the right people with the right skills in the right jobs — right now. This insight led to collapsing this concept into the quick and informative name — Right Skills Now.

As with all national movements, the central brand touchpoint for Right Skills Now is the program website which features an informative ‘Skills Blog’ and newsfeed, as well as actionable next steps for interested employers and job-seekers.

As a new initiative, Right Skills Now needs to clearly and quickly communicate what this program is and how it works. Westergaard developed a process video including background, overview, and testimonials from Minnesota manufacturers on the value of stacked, industry-driven certifications.

On-site promotional materials were developed for the launch event including banners and collateral (below).

Co-branded materials were also developed for the supporting community and technical colleges serving as pilot sites as well as state workforce development.

Westergaard also worked to build outposts for engagement on social media platforms Facebook and Twitter.

“This is such an important national issue and an exciting project,” said Nick Westergaard, Vice President and the firm’s lead brand strategist on the Right Skills Now initiative. “Everyday we hear about high unemployment and yet 80% of manufacturers report a talent shortage. I’m honored that Westergaard can be on the front lines as part of a common sense partnership to help ensure that employers find the skilled talent they need. The results not only impact unemployment but our economy as a whole.”

For more information on the movement, please visit RightSkillsNow.org.