The Forum 2024: Forging Tomorrow's Workforce Today, was held in Washington, DC, March 23-26 and featured more than 200 speakers in more than 60 breakout sessions and six general sessions, along with five NAWB Awards presentations. This year's event saw the debut of our new abbreviated logo, and our new President and CEO, who served as our MC during all of our general sessions. 

As in 2023, NAWBTown was the main focal point for gathering and networking and featured our Sponsor Zones and the Member Zone as well as the official kick off, our Welcome Reception, Jazz in the Park, featuring one of DC's most beloved jazz bands, Secret Society, in our Town Square. 

On day one of programming, NAWB Board Chair, Lisanne McNew, danced her way on stage thanks to our live DJ, to welcome all 1300 attendees to The Forum, and to officially introduce President and CEO, Brad Turner-Little. Brad reminded us all that our work matters. After discussing his vision and goals for NAWB, he gave the stage to Eric Termuende,  best-selling author and leader in workforce trends, who talked about the importance of trust not just within teams, but within communities, and left the audience laughing and wanting more words of wisdom.

During our second annual Local Business Sunday, attendees had the opportunity to leave the venue to support restaurants and retailers in the Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle Business Improvement Districts with $25 vouchers courtesy of NAWB.

On day two, we were honored to be joined by Acting Secretary of Labor, Julie Su and Maryland Governor Wes Moore who both delivered inspiring remarks on the state of America's workforce and its future, and by Kristen Christy, America's Resilience Trainer, who shared a message of hope and the importance of living more and fearing less. We were also joined by Small Business Administration Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, who, along with NAWB Board Chair, Lisanne McNew, announced an exciting new partnership between the SBA and NAWB.

Always a packed house, Federal Policy Updates from Capitol Hill, addressed the ongoing FY24/25 budget and appropriations process, WIOA reauthorization, and the potential for other workforce legislation this Congress such as short-term Pell reform, and National Apprenticeship Act (NAA) reauthorization. 

On the last day of Forum, affectionately referred to as Department of Labor Day, Regional Administrators, along with NAWB's Regional Liaisons, hosted separate conversations to address the issues and opportunities faced in each of the six US DOL regions. The conversations were followed by a general session featuring remarks from Deputy Assistant Secretary, Lenita Jacobs-Simmons, and Senior Advisor to the President and Director, White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Tom Perez. 

DOL Day also hosted sessions led by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), focused on advancing job quality, NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships, and workforce development in rural communities.

Breakout session topics during Forum ranged from utilizing virtual reality in apprenticeships to workforce development's role in decreasing recidivism for justice-involved individuals, and from clean technology to DEIAB strategy. Other sessions addressed harnessing behavioral science, trauma, the critical role childcare plays in workforce development, apprenticeships, and the demystification of AI. 

For more highlights, find #NAWBForum24 on X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

We look forward to seeing you back in D.C. March 29 – April 2, 2025 for the next Forum!