Missouri Honored for 2022 Midwest EO Summit
WASHINGTON – The National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) honored the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development (MDHEW) with the prestigious William J. Harris Equal Opportunity Award at the 2023 Winter Policy Forum in Washington, D.C., presented by the Equal Opportunity (EO) Committee. This award recognizes a state demonstrating excellence and innovation in the area of equal opportunity.
MDHEW received the award for holding its second annual Midwest EO Summit in 2022. The Summit was coordinated to bring together state and local EO Officers, One Stop Operators, state and local boards, directors, and other leadership staff in workforce development to create awareness of the requirements in the nondiscrimination section (section 188) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
The summit delivered three days of training on diversity, inclusion, equity, accessibility, and the nondiscrimination requirements of WIOA to over 120 attendees.
“Missouri’s successful EO Summit serves as an excellent innovation for other states to copy,” said NASWA President & CEO Scott B. Sanders. “This initiative helped educate attendees on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion while helping develop new partnerships and resources.”
“The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development is humbled and excited to receive the William J. Harris Equal Opportunity Award for the 2022 Midwest Equal Opportunity Summit. It is through a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility that the SUMMIT was able to provide training and information to 120 attendees from 20 different states. The department would especially like to recognize State Equal Opportunity Officer Danielle Smith and her fellow NASWA EO committee members for their hard work in making the SUMMIT a success,” said interim commissioner of MDHEWD Leroy Wade.
For more information, visit NASWA’s Winter Policy Forum and Equal Opportunity Committee webpages.
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About the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development: The department works to empower Missourians with the skills and education needed for success. More information about MDHEWD can be found at https://dhewd.mo.gov or on Facebook and Twitter @MoDHEWD.
