Regional workforce boards often have access to labor market data but lack tools to make it usable for the communities they serve.

In this episode, Jess Carter talks with Executive Director Phedra Redifer and Workforce Research Analyst Jacob Jimenez from Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas about how their team created interactive dashboards tailored to local needs across 14 counties.

Phedra outlines the vision behind the project and what it means to equip employers, educators, and job seekers with actionable data. Jacob shares how they gathered input from stakeholders throughout the build, why usability mattered more than flash, and how this approach is already changing conversations with partners.

They also explore how public sector teams can reimagine their role in workforce development by rethinking how data is shared and decisions are made. To check out the dashboards referenced in this episode, use this link.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How a small team built three dashboards in three months

• Why flexible design improves usability across different stakeholder groups

• What it looks like to lead data projects with empathy and intent

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction to the episode with Phedra Redifer and Jacob Jimenez

(03:20) Phedra and Jacob explain their roles and regional focus

(07:46) Why stakeholder requests revealed the need for better data tools

(09:20) Common data questions from EDCs and how patterns emerged

(13:40) Overview of the three dashboards and how each one is used

(17:53) Stakeholder feedback leads to rethinking the career lattice design

(21:52) Phedra explains the broader value of real-time, interactive tools

(25:02) Advice for boards starting data projects with limited resources

(28:44) Why workforce development is more essential than ever