New Americans already represent 9% of the state’s labor force, but what role could those foreign-born nationals who choose to move their families here play in solving Nebaska’s workforce challenges?

Time is running out to register for OpenSky’s Fall Policy Symposium, where panelists will discuss policy solutions that can enable new Americans to participate more fully in Nebraska’s workforce and help to grow the state’s economy. The last day to register is Oct. 16, so get your ticket now.

Join us Tuesday, Oct. 24, at Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln for a morning filled with  discussions of major policy issues ahead of the next legislative session. Check-in starts at 8 a.m., with the program beginning at 8:30.

In the last of the day’s discussions, panelists (highlighted below) will provide a data-based overview of demographic and economic trends driving Nebraska’s workforce challenges and analyze policy innovations in other states in considering how new Americans and their advocates can partner with policymakers to grow Nebraska’s economy together.

  • Dr. Lina Traslaviña Stover, Executive Director of the Heartland Workers Center

  • Dr. Josie Gatti Schafer, Director of the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha

  • Victoria Francis, Deputy Director of State and Local Initiatives with the American Immigration Council

  • Heath Mello, President of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, will serve as moderator

Keynote speaker Professor Timothy J. Nelson of Princeton University will open the Symposium with groundbreaking research on why the Upper Midwest has less poverty, longer life expectancies and greater chances for children than other regions of the country, and how Nebraska can continue to offer “the good life” to everyone.

The Symposium’s other panel discussions will focus on property valuation practices in Nebraska and the role fines and fees play as a state and local revenue source.

Monday, Oct. 16 is your registration deadline. Tickets are $25 (free for senators, legislative staff and the media), and scholarships are available. Contact Luke Sutton at lsutton@openskypolicy.org or 402-438-0382 for more information.

As a special offer, the first 100 people who register will receive a free copy of Nelson’s new book, The Injustice of Place: Uncovering the Legacy of Poverty in America. Reserve your seat today.