Sep 4, 2026 · 17 min · 8 segments
In celebration of Workforce Development Month, VOScast sits down with Geographic Solutions Founder and President Paul Toomey to reflect on the evolution of workforce development and what lies ahead…
Paul ToomeyGuest
Evan BrennerHost
Since inception of Geographic Solutions in 1992 to present day, how have you seen the workforce development industry evolve?
So that was obviously a huge change in workforce development, allowing services to be provided.
Then I would say another big, big change obviously was the pandemic and the effect that it had on workforce, the introduction of more remote working and so on.
So I would say those are probably the two biggest changes that I've seen since 92.
Yes, and then also, probably I would also say WIOA, the different bills as they've come out and the legislation has been huge parts of that as well.
I mean, of course, they're all building on each other with kind of a little bit of a different emphasis, but all looking for the same goal.
I would say undoubtedly the biggest challenge facing the workforce The public sector workforce development industry today is lack of resources, less money to do more stuff.
I mean, that's the biggest challenge, right? Being asked to do more with less, basically.
With thinking about that and thinking about resources, what role do you think does technology have, and particularly AI, within the future of workforce development?
Well, obviously, if you have less people, less resources, less money, you've got to do more with less, then technology is one way to achieve that.
Obviously, as you see already, workforce development boards and states looking to replace physical vertical mortar facilities with online capability.
Clearly, AI has enormous potential to be able to make things more efficient Again, to do more with less and so on.
And I think I would be remiss in saying that, you know, doing this interview without mentioning Voss Sapphire AI and the impact that that's had, especially with some of the states that have adopted it first, you know, being Georgia, Texas, you know, there's definitely seeing impacts to their daily work, you know, how they're doing work, how the workflows are going.
Since inception of Geographic Solutions in 1992 to present day, how have you seen the workforce development industry evolve?
So that was obviously a huge change in workforce development, allowing services to be provided.
Then I would say another big, big change obviously was the pandemic and the effect that it had on workforce, the introduction of more remote working and so on.
So I would say those are probably the two biggest changes that I've seen since 92.
Yes, and then also, probably I would also say WIOA, the different bills as they've come out and the legislation has been huge parts of that as well.
I mean, of course, they're all building on each other with kind of a little bit of a different emphasis, but all looking for the same goal.
I would say undoubtedly the biggest challenge facing the workforce The public sector workforce development industry today is lack of resources, less money to do more stuff.
I mean, that's the biggest challenge, right? Being asked to do more with less, basically.
With thinking about that and thinking about resources, what role do you think does technology have, and particularly AI, within the future of workforce development?
Well, obviously, if you have less people, less resources, less money, you've got to do more with less, then technology is one way to achieve that.
Obviously, as you see already, workforce development boards and states looking to replace physical vertical mortar facilities with online capability.
Clearly, AI has enormous potential to be able to make things more efficient Again, to do more with less and so on.
And I think I would be remiss in saying that, you know, doing this interview without mentioning Voss Sapphire AI and the impact that that's had, especially with some of the states that have adopted it first, you know, being Georgia, Texas, you know, there's definitely seeing impacts to their daily work, you know, how they're doing work, how the workflows are going.
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