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5/20/2025
8:00 AM - 10:30 AM CST

Join us at Lodge Geneva National for WCEDA's third annual Workforce Symposium!

Workforce challenges are growing—disengagement, retention struggles, and talent shortages are reshaping the way we work. Join us for an eye-opening session where we’ll present key workforce trends and gather insights from attendees on the most pressing issues. Your input will help shape future programs designed to address these challenges and drive real solutions. Don't miss this opportunity to connect, collaborate, and influence the future of work!

Agenda

Speakers

 

Steve Torosian
Thought Leaders Initiative, Participants Report

Steve Torosian is the owner of Forest Recruiting Group and an administrator with the Affiliated Recruiters Network (ARN). With over 28 years in executive recruiting, Steve specializes in professional and technical roles across manufacturing—especially in wood and metal processes like fabrication, welding, machining, and industrial assembly.

Steve is known for his deep network, proprietary database, and ability to identify high-impact talent in operations, engineering, finance, HR, and EHS. His hands-on, insight-driven approach has made him a go-to partner for companies seeking to grow with integrity, efficiency, and a people-first mindset.

Thought Leadership Initiative
In Q4 of 2024, to help make sense of a highly complex and fast-changing manufacturing landscape, I launched a Thought Leadership Initiative. Drawing from 28 years in recruiting and my network of deeply respected operations leaders, I conducted a series of personal phone calls with executives, directors, and managers across the country.

These were not surveys or email blasts. They were thoughtful, one-on-one conversations. The goal was to understand not just what companies were doing, but why—and how they were thinking about hiring, investment, risk, and opportunity heading into 2025.

Each conversation was guided by a consistent framework of questions, but the results were anything but formulaic. Leaders spoke candidly about their people, strategy, technology investments, evolving challenges, and market dynamics. Some were optimistic. Others were bracing for disruption. Many were still evaluating what normal would look like in the year ahead.

From those discussions came patterns—and from those patterns, insights. I’ve compiled the results into an anonymized, digestible report designed to give decision-makers across manufacturing a strategic advantage.  The TLI validated some concerns and challenged participants to learn from the experiences and solutions of others.

Whether you’re navigating headcount decisions, capital projects, automation, or workforce development, this report reflects real-world thinking from leaders who are in the thick of it every day. It’s not theory. It’s what’s actually happening on the ground.

Elizabeth Oplatka
Leadership & Supervision, Business and Workforce Solutions, Gateway Technical College

Liz is an experienced consultant, coach, manager, educator, and business/government journalist with a unique combination of proven competencies in organizational psychology, organizational development, communication, strategic leadership, and change management. Liz coaches and teaches current and future leaders; supports and influences businesses; uses proven tools to assess current behaviors, need and program effectiveness; builds lasting teams and coalitions; improves employee engagement; revitalizes struggling enterprises and helps developing organizations through growing pains.

She has been coaching, consulting, and training in organizations and teaching at the undergraduate and graduate programs for more than 15 years. Prior to that, she practiced what she preaches as a business and government journalist known for turning around floundering enterprises and offering leadership expertise to the industries she covered. She also worked as an employee assistance professional, coaching and counseling in the Loyola University Health System Employee Assistance Program.

Liz earned a dual master’s degree in organizational psychology and counseling from the Adler School of Professional Psychology; a master’s degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism of Northwestern University; and a liberal arts BA from Illinois Wesleyan University.

Cost

WCEDA Members: FREE
Non-Members: $15