The Kansas State Council of SHRM's HR-Registered Apprenticeship Program (HR-RAP) was awarded the third annual SHRM Workplace Impact Award during the Nov. 17 Volunteer Leaders' Business Meeting in Washington, D.C.
The award provides an extra level of recognition to a chapter or state council that created an initiative around untapped talent management. Winners receive $2,500 and a crystal trophy.
HR-RAP is an initiative the SHRM Foundation launched in 2021, with support from the U.S. Department of Labor, to help emerging HR professionals. The Kansas State Council applied for and was awarded a state grant to fund its project. 
The council hired Cassie Gilmore, SHRM-SCP, as its Apprenticeship Navigator. Her role was to promote the initiative across the state with Kansas SHRM chapters, the Chamber of Commerce and other business entities about how organizations might sponsor individuals interested in pursuing an HR career. She also was involved in supporting state legislation—which the governor later signed—to establish financial aid to companies interested in pursuing apprenticeships.
Within a few months of initiating HR-RAP, the Kanas State Council had four people enrolled in the program; others are in the process of joining. The council is reapplying for grant resources to continue funding the program.
The Impact Award finalist was Birmingham SHRM (Alabama) for its "Second Chance Hiring Fair."
The chapter worked with the city's district attorney to support the area's Second Chance Hiring Fair by helping develop and review resumes of job seekers who had been incarcerated or face other employment barriers. Birmingham SHRM also won a 2023 Pinnacle Award for "Operation World Games," an international sporting event that the chapter supported by interviewing and placing 1,500 volunteers to staff the event.
Honorable Mentions
The following six chapters received honorable mentions for their initiatives:
Baldwin County SHRM (Alabama)
"She Shines: A Woman's Dignity Project"
The chapter partnered with Baldwin Family Village, a transitional living program for women, to help address homelessness among that population. It provided dinner for the women and their children; taught life skills classes on dressing for success, interviewing, writing a resume and filling out job applications; arranged for self-paced computer courses; and donated gifts and decorated a Christmas tree with ornaments they made with the children.
CenTex SHRM (Texas)
"The Heroes MAKE America"
The chapter partnered with the Manufacturing Institute's Heroes MAKE America program to provide certification and career-readiness training to prepare participants for careers in manufacturing. Central Texas, where the chapter is located, is near Fort Cavazos, one of the largest military bases in the U.S.
Participants included transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard members, reservists and military spouses.
Chesapeake HR Association (Maryland)
"Neurodiversity at Work"
Individuals with conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit, dyslexia and other related issues have a high unemployment rate. The chapter provided its members and their organizations with the knowledge, tools and support to bring more neurodivergent people into the workforce and help them be successful in their roles.
Livingston Area Human Resources Association (Michigan)
"Training and Developing Top Talent"
Students within the Livingston County area make up an untapped talent pool. The chapter created a program that partnered with school districts to create programs that helped prepare the students for future careers.
OakMac SHRM (Michigan)
"Veteran's Day Panel: Are You Ready to Fuel Your Talent Pipeline?"
In conjunction with state and local agencies, the chapter represented a discussion to more than 250 members on the staffing crisis in southeast Michigan with a special focus on veterans. The chapter connected with the Michigan Department of Labor, Macomb and Oakland County governments, local community colleges, and others.
Salt Lake SHRM (Utah)
"Multiple Pathways Webinar Series"
This focused on strategies that touched a multitude of talent pools and focused on the changing landscape of strategies to attract talent from underutilized talent channels.
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