Request for Workshop Proposals
Meeting of the Minds 2025
Fearless Forward: Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity
Introduction
The landscape of workforce development continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, presenting both challenges and opportunities for workforce professionals, community leaders, educators, and businesses. At Meeting of the Minds 2025, we invite presentations and discussion representing bold ideas, innovative strategies, and practical solutions that empower stakeholders to move fearlessly forward and to embrace uncertainty, not as a roadblock, but as a catalyst for improvement, growth, and transformation.
CWA is seeking dynamic, engaging workshop proposals that speak to this year’s theme Fearless Forward: Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity. Whether you're piloting new approaches, rethinking systems, leading through disruption, planning for change, or creating strategies for future success, we want to hear from you. Meeting of the Minds 2025 workshops will provide a platform for you to share your expertise, spark conversation, and inspire action, as we navigate a constantly changing world together.
Understanding the Audience
Meeting of the Minds brings together California’s workforce development leaders, decision-makers, and innovators who are shaping the future of work in our state. As a presenter, you’ll be engaging primarily with executives, managers, and system-level thinkers who influence policy, allocate resources, and lead collaborative initiatives. While frontline staff also attend the conference, much of our audience is comprised of those responsible for strategic planning, program development, and cross-sector partnerships. Tailoring your workshop to support this level of leadership will help ensure meaningful engagement and real-world application.
Among the more than 600 individuals expected to participate in this year’s conference are:
Members and staff of local workforce development boards
Representatives of various state agencies
Career center staff and partners
Educators from community colleges, adult schools, K-12 education, the CSU campuses, and other educational agencies involved with career technical education, contract education, and other specialized certificate programs that prepare students for careers in key industries
Community-based organizations that provide their customers with basic skills, bridge programs, and other skill enhancements
Organizations involved with apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs and other initiatives leading to industry-recognized credentials
Professionals involved in economic development, small business development, and programs that support entrepreneurship
Foundations supporting workforce development solutions
Businesses interested in learning more about education and workforce development resources and support
Stakeholders involved in building strong regional economies
Workshop Tracks
Proposed workshops should focus on topics related to one or more of the following five tracks, which represent the major themes and focus of this year’s conference.
Please note the examples listed under each track, below, are intended to be illustrative and do not represent an exhaustive list of topics that potential presenters may propose.
Track 1: Workforce Leadership and Policy Direction
Sessions that focus of workforce legislation, federal and state policies and proposed changes to such policies, advocacy protocols, and approaches to communicating with policymakers are of significant interest to many within the conference audience.
Examples of topics within this track, include:
Analysis of current and proposed legislation and policies
Navigating changes in state and federal policy
Strategies for proposed advocacy
Effective communication and “storytelling” strategies
Strategic planning for local boards and workforce system partners
Models for community leadership
Effectively engagement with key stakeholders and the community on workforce issues
Collaboration and partnerships
Track 2: Business-Led and Business-Focused Initiatives
Of keen interest to workforce development system leaders and stakeholders are strategies to increase their effectiveness in meeting the current and future workforce needs of businesses, particularly those within growth industries and emerging sectors.
Examples of topics within this track, include:
Developing and/or supporting industry partnerships
Moving from sector focus to sector strategies
Models for developing partnerships with businesses
Customized training for businesses
Effective business engagement strategies
Creating business-focused, demand-driven local workforce systems and programs
Developing a cross-organizational business engagement strategy
Strategies to effectively serve small businesses
Track 3: Management and Efficiency Track
Workforce systems and programs must remain agile, efficient, and ready for change. Organizational leaders and staff continue to work to identify approaches to more effectively manage resources and to make adjustments required by changes in workforce system and business priorities.
Examples of topics within this track, include:
Leading through uncertainty: change management for workforce leaders
Building and sustaining effective partnerships across organizations and disciplines
Data-driven decision-making and performance management
Performance dashboards and other tools
Developing inclusive, future-ready organizational cultures
Funding diversification and sustainability strategies
Planning for and development of contingency strategies
Track 5: Other Workforce Innovations and Strategies
A variety of other topics may also be appropriate for and of interest to conference participants.
Examples of topics within this track, include:
Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Solutions
Powerful AI applications and uses
Innovative applications and supportive technology software
Virtual reality training programs
AJCC and job center virtual service strategies
Innovative online training
Work-Based Learning
Apprenticeships and Pre-Apprenticeships: developing and continuing programs
Expanding work-based learning, including on-the-job training, internships, and other work-based experiences
Non-linear approaches to career pathways
Developing customized training programs for a business or group of businesses
Regional Approaches
Effective regional strategies and best practices
Using regional economic data to inform program design
Measuring regional impacts of the workforce eco-system
Connecting regional strategies to local program design and delivery
Community-Based Strategies: Becoming Better Partners and Collaborators
Group process skills
Designing and leading effective meetings
Models for leading large-scale change
Creating a common vision
Track 4: Effective Workforce Services Strategies
Creative programming, innovative service strategies, and evidence-based models are topics of interest to the full range of organizations and individuals who will participate in the conference.
Examples of topics within this track, include:
Developing trauma-informed programs and strategies
Customer-centered design: Co-creating services with customers
Connecting job seekers to high-growth, high-road careers
Innovative outreach and recruitment models
Leveraging multiple funding streams to support programs
Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship models
Access to Career Technical Education programs
Preparing Your Workshop Proposal
Workshops should incorporate active learning through discussion and interaction.
Workshops should be designed to fit within a 60 minute timeframe
Presentations should demonstrate how their success is linked to factors that reveal the underlying promising practice. This approach makes the presentation relevant to others and helps to move the discussion beyond mere "show and tell" sessions.
Panels should include no more than six (6) individuals.
CWA reserves the right to modify the titles and descriptions of workshops or merge similar proposals into a single session. Due to space limitations, not all proposals can be accepted.
While we appreciate the value of commercially available products and services within our industry, we request that sales presentations not be included in workshops. Presentations of this type will not be considered. However, we do offer sponsorships and exhibit space for those who are interested in connecting with our attendees in a way that promotes their sales and services.
Proposal Submission Procedures
Please send your proposal(s) via email to presenter@calworkforce.org.
Subject Line: MMM2025 - Title of Your Workshop
Please include the following information in your proposal:
Proposed Session Title
Name, title, organization, and email address for each presenters or panelist.
Session Description - In now more than 100 words, describe what will be covered in the session. This description will be used for the program.
How does this session align with the conference theme Fearless Forward: Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity or with topics related to one or more of the five workshop tracks?
What are the top 3 takeaways attendees will gain from this session?
Who is your target audience for this session?
Timeline for Workshop Presentation Proposal Submission and Review
Please note the following key dates and deadlines for workshop presentation proposals.
June 17, 2025: Request for Workshop Presentation Proposals is posted.
July 9, 2025: Workshop presentation proposals are due by 5:00 p.m.
July 18, 2025: Proposers will be informed if their workshop presentation proposals have been accepted.
Information for Presenters and Panelists
If your workshop proposal is accepted you will need to be aware of and agree to the following:
Audio and visual support: All rooms are supplied with an LCD projector, screen, and flipcharts. There may not be a microphone available in your room for amplified sound. High Speed Wi-Fi will be provided to presenters for use during their sessions.
Presenters must bring their own Laptops. MacBook users must also bring the correct adapter to connect to the LCD projector. HDMI, USB, and the older/ standard VGA connections will be available
We understand that I/we will need to register as a presenter(s) attending the full conference at the special presenter rate, attending as a one-day presenter, or the free presenter rate, if you are only attending your workshop.