The first day of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Workforce Development Summit set the tone for the next several days. The summit is designed to connect forward-thinking industry partners with work-ready talent from historically Black community colleges (HBCCs).
Students attended the Ensuring Our Democracy session, hosted by the Birmingham chapter of The Links. They also had the opportunity to meet with their talent coach and review the summit guidebook and mobile app.
In the afternoon, groups of students were introduced to LifeJourney and onboarded with the credentialing system.
In the evening, students attended the opening ceremony, titled Workforce Unplugged: Showing Up is the Strategy – Building Presence, Credibility and Influence in Your Career.
Dr. N. Joyce Payne, founder of TMCF, reflected on the legacy of TMCF’s namesake, Justice Thurgood Marshall. She also encouraged the students to make the most of the summit and their postsecondary experiences.
“Your degree is going to make a difference, whether it’s a two year degree or four year degree, it’s going to make a difference in your lifetime income,” she said.
Dr. Shauntell Pinckney, researcher at the Dr. N. Joyce Payne Research Center, shared her experience of going after a job at the Payne Center that didn’t exist because she believed in the vision of the center.
“If I hadn’t had the courage to present myself for an opportunity that didn’t exist, I wouldn’t be standing in front of you all today,” she said.
Pinckney also provided encouragement and a challenge to the attendees.
“Here’s my message to you: connections matter. Courage matters. Your voice matters,” she said. “Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you, create them. Introduce yourself and share your story, but most importantly, tell people what you want, because the right connection can change everything.’
Randall L. Woodfin, mayor of Birmingham, also shared his postsecondary experiences that led to his service as an elected official.
As the opening ceremony concluded, students prepared for day two of the summit and a full slate of activities.
