In the world of workforce development, it's easy to get lost in the metrics — job placements, retention rates, skills gaps. But behind every number is a story. A family touched. A life changed. For the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Talent Pipeline Management® (TPM) initiative, which marks its tenth anniversary this year, these stories represent the true measure of success in matching job seeker opportunity with employer and community demand.
Whether it's solving a critical shortage of clinical medical assistants in Florida or revitalizing a community through an early childhood education center in Michigan, each skill earned, or role matched represents a story of transformation to tell.
We reflected on chapter 10 of TPM® with U.S. Chamber Foundation Vice President Jaimie Francis and Senior Director Niki DaSilva, on how it feels to be a decade in, lessons learned, and stories of community impact and empowerment. On a given week, you can find Jaimie and Niki on the road as our TPM ambassadors, powering the tenacity behind this award-winning movement.
From Skepticism to Success
What started as a white paper in 2014 has evolved into a movement spanning 44 states and three countries, with more than 3,000 employers across 30 industries implementing the framework. The premise was bold but simple: apply supply chain management principles to workforce development to help employers better source, hire, and retain talent.
The approach wasn't initially embraced by everyone. "We got a lot of pushback," Jaimie recalls of TPM's early days. "There was discomfort with the way we were talking about supply chains. Can you really take that same approach with people as you would with machinery or products?" But the founding TPM team, specifically Jason Tyszko and Bob Sheets, held firm in their belief that using business language would engage employers in new and meaningful ways through urging them to simply look at workforce differently.
In this Collaborative, We are Family
That decision proved transformative. As the network grows, each new TPM practitioner is welcomed affectionately to the "TPM family" — an invaluable community united on a common goal of building stronger communities.
As workforce and community needs evolved, so have TPM's delivery methods. During the pandemic, TPM pivoted to virtual and hybrid training models, though plans for online expansion were already underway before the great digital shift of 2020. The strength of TPM's network became especially apparent during this time. Niki reflects, "those communities that had taken the time to build those trusted relationships were able to respond with more creative solutions and in a quicker time frame."
She notes this was evident in places like Tallahassee and Louisville, where employers who traditionally might have seen each other as competitors instead collaborated — from connecting hospitality workers with long-term care facilities that needed housekeepers to creating temporary staff-sharing arrangements to keep workers employed. For many communities, TPM provides not just a framework but a support system. "Our goal is to ensure everyone has equal access to career development, training, and advancement opportunities," Niki explains. "We're keeping people connected to work and focusing on the additional supports that they need." The launch of TPM Co/Lab™, an online learning platform, in 2023 expands access to the curriculum while maintaining the community-driven approach that has proven so successful.
Transforming Lives, Building Futures
No story better illustrates TPM's lasting impact than the partnership between Kentucky's Department of Corrections and equine employers. The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce worked to address fundamental barriers facing individuals transitioning out of the correctional system — from securing state IDs upon release to providing transportation and housing support. The success of this program caught the governor's attention, leading to millions in state investment and measurably lower recidivism rates statewide.
"I think of not just the individual who's been directly impacted, but the transformative generational change for that person and their family," Jaimie says. "Anytime I hear our partner, Laurie Mays from the Kentucky Chamber, speak about the Blackburn program you can't help but think of the number of lives their team of TPM managers have changed because they were willing to go the extra mile ... that, to me, is just so incredible."
Innovation for the Future
As workforce challenges evolve, TPM continues to adapt and expand while maintaining its core focus on relationship-building and trust. These challenges, including how companies are reacting to the rapid evolution of skills and determining where and how AI fits into their workplace, gives the TPM team new opportunities to learn from other U.S. Chamber Foundation initiatives and extend those learnings to TPM practitioners. In partnership with the T3 Innovation Network, TPM is testing opportunities for digital tools to improve TPM implementation efforts.
The U.S. Chamber Foundation recently hosted a workshop with close to 50 TPM and T3 Network partners to determine where and how tools like JobSIDE and LinkedClaims could support TPM practitioners to adopt skills-based hiring practices and connect curriculum and credentials to employer needs. In addition, the team is strategically identifying opportunities for global expansion. This year marked a significant milestone as Niki brought the TPM movement to the Philippines.
It's this combination of strategic framework and human impact that drives both of their continued passion for the work. For the TPM team, every metric represents a person, every partnership represents potential, and every success story represents a transformed future. In workforce development, that's the kind of impact that truly matters.
Learn more about the TPM movement.
About the authors
Sydney Lewis
Sydney Lewis is associate communications manager at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
