If Kinexus Group CEO Todd Gustafson starts talking with a bit of a lilt in his voice and a seemingly Irish brogue, it could stem from his agency’s new relationship with the Irish company, Upskill Enterprise.
Recognizing fully that manufacturing and the world of work are changing, Kinexus Group personnel are crafting the new relationship with Upskill Enterprise of Ireland to help power Michigan manufacturing.
TalentSensus, one of Upskill Enterprise’s many tech tools, will be launching in Benton Harbor at Kinexus Group before being rolled out in six US states later in the year. The tool gives small and medium sized businesses a never-before-seen overview of their workforce and will be utilized by Kinexus Group and its subsidiary organizations to help both local and statewide manufacturing employers manage their talent pipelines.
Gustafson, who serves as President & CEO at Kinexus Group, says, “Kinexus Group is committed to championing, serving and advocating for manufacturing to be the most competitive and prosperous in the nation.”
Michigan Works!, a member of Kinexus Group’s family of organizations, will be working with manufacturers, according to Gustafson, “To educate and establish career pathways in manufacturing.” He points out, “A key piece of talent development is an understanding of what skills individuals currently have and what skills they still need to learn. The TalentSensus is a great platform for talent pipeline management. Kinexus Group will continue, through all subsidiaries, to find solutions that support manufacturing and we are excited to have Upskill Enterprise as a valuable resource.”
Stephen Rice is CEO of Upskill Enterprise. He says, “The implementation of technology is changing the nature of jobs and work faster than most of us anticipated. Business, economic, and community growth depends, in large part, on the talent and agility of the people residing in regional areas.” Rice adds, “For these reasons alone, it is increasingly important for businesses to play a leadership role in supporting their employees through up-skilling, for employees to embrace lifelong learning, and for governments to create an environment to enable business and employees to sustain such efforts.”
The platform provides small- to medium-size employers an affordable way to analyze their workforce, while leveling the playing field with larger companies.
Rice tells us, “TalentSensus helps businesses take control of the most challenging aspects of talent management. We provide an intuitive affordable visualization of current and future skills needs to help businesses effectively plan recruitment, retention and up-skilling strategies as well as optimizing the integration of automation within the workforce.”
The relationship between Kinexus Group and Upskill Enterprise will launch on October 1, 2019.
Upskill Enterprise Ltd and Upskill Enterprise Inc. develop evidence-based, innovative and practical PeopleTech solutions to advance industries, businesses and their workforces to perform. With International experience across various sectors, they specialize in new ways to use PeopleTech to inspire innovation and manage talent, getting and keeping the best teams for the future of work.
Kinexus Group is an organization that invests its time and resources into inspiring positive economic change one individual, one business, and one community at a time. For more information, visit www.Kinexus.org, follow along on Twitter @KinexusGroup or “like” them on Facebook @KinexusGroup.
In the photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market, provided by Kinexus Group, are: President and CEO of Kinexus Group, Todd Gustafson, and Stephen Rice, CEO of Upskill Enterprise, shaking hands after a day of strategic planning.
