Creating Cultures of Resiliency in Workforce Development Organizations

By Tanvi Shah, Director of Capacity Building

Trauma is a workplace issue, particularly in workforce development organizations. The pandemic has been traumatizing for many workforce development staff. We need to recognize this and mitigate it by creating cultures of resiliency within our organizations. While workforce organizations have invested in training staff on trauma-informed approaches, that alone is not enough. We need to prioritize embedding trauma-informed, resiliency-building practices at all levels and facets of our organizations.

There is much work that needs to be done within our field to address the trauma workforce development staff encounter. To begin, we must recognize that the very systems in which we are embedded—the systems of employment, education and training—are themselves saturated with trauma and toxic stress that impact the staff trying to navigate them on their participant’s behalf. Our workplaces are filled with triggers, unexpected situations, and other stressors that impact both participants and staff. How can we expect staff to fully support their participants if they themselves do not feel supported by their organizations?

In the past few years, trauma-informed best practices have permeated the sector. However, for workforce organizations to truly create cultures of resilience internally, they need to go beyond just training staff on trauma-informed approaches. While these strategies are important for improving programming and outcomes for clients, they aren’t enough. Trauma-informed and resiliency-building approaches are often not integrated into the organization’s culture. Without this integration, it will be an ongoing challenge for staff to continue to uphold these best practices.

Organizations need to prioritize creating a culture of resiliency that permeates their practices and policies, recognizing that these approaches need to be embedded within daily routines, processes, and structures. This means that organizational leadership and staff must work together to build their culture of resiliency and safety. A culture of resiliency is one that recognizes the impact of trauma on communities, participants, and staff. It values the importance of resiliency for communities, participants, and staff.

What does a culture of resiliency look like in workforce development organizations? How can we promote resilience for ourselves, those we serve, and those we work alongside? In the coming months, Chicago Jobs Council will be delving into these questions internally and exploring how we can support the workforce development field in doing the same.