Meet our Community Engagement team
Tamar Jackson
Senior Director of Community Engagement
(253) 254-7348
Kelly Brickhouse
Community Engagement & Outreach Coordinator
(253) 533-1662
WorkForce Central’s Community Engagement team is essential in creating and nurturing the relationships with our system partners to ensure our community has access to the resources, training, education, and employment they seek. Building a collaborative network requires trust and alignment among participants. It is important for us to foster an environment where all stakeholders feel valued and their contributions are acknowledged. In today’s interconnected world, the need for efficient and collaborative service provision is more vital than ever.
The Community Engagement team brings these partners together quarterly for networking opportunities and to engage in exercises like scenario mapping to help identify gaps in services. They are working with partners to implement a system where relationships navigate the person rather than the person trying to navigate a system. Building these relationships can have numerous benefits for our community, including:
- Improved Accessibility: Making it easier for people to access resources and services in the community.
- Increased Efficiency: Organizations can improve service delivery efficiency and reduce individual wait times with a well-designed system.
- Enhanced Collaboration: Working together to build and maintain a system that benefits the community can foster collaboration among organizations and stakeholders. It can encourage sharing resources, expertise, and best practices to help organizations better serve the community.
- Improved Workforce Development: By providing access to resources and services, people can improve their skills, knowledge, and opportunities, leading to a more skilled and engaged workforce. This can help organizations meet the community’s needs better and improve economic outcomes.
- Holistic Community Support: A system that incorporates DEAI principles can help ensure that all community members are included and have equal access to resources and services. This can help to address systemic inequalities and promote social and economic equity.
Sign up for the Community Engagement Newsletter
Stay up-to-date with happenings from our system and community partners.
If you’re interested in joining our network of providers, reach out today!
Pierce County Community Engagement Task Force
The Pierce County Community Engagement Task Force is WorkForce Central’s core community engagement initiative. Formed in May 2019 by the Pierce County Workforce Development Board and WorkForce Central, it is a collaboration of partner organizations and agencies who are committed to recognizing and addressing disparities in services and employment outcomes for the community.
Through the Task Force, we focus on four core areas: Leadership, Organizational Structures, Outreach & Engagement, and People & Providers.
With events like Collaboration for a Cause and Lens of Equity, we bring our system and community partners together to bring services to the people as well as spark important conversations with community stakeholders around Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion and the impacts it has on serving our community.
Anyone who shares our commitment to recognizing and addressing disparities in services and outcomes can join the Task Force; we currently have nearly 150 members from multiple sectors throughout Pierce County.
