Axalta Coating Systems played a significant role at the recent Labor and Workforce Optimization for the Chemical, Petrochemical, and Refining Industries conference.

Virginia Gronley, Axalta Operations Learning and Development Advisor at the company’s Mount Clemens, Michigan research and manufacturing facility, served as both a featured speaker and a panelist at the two-day event in Houston, Texas. During her presentation titled, “Understanding Demographic Shifts and Incorporating Diversity into Workforce Planning,” Gronley spoke about Axalta’s continued focus on diversity, equality, and inclusion.

“We know our employees want to feel empowered, respected and valued for the work that they do,” Gronley said. “From a workforce development perspective, we focus on talent retention just as much as we focus on attracting new talent. In addition to competitive compensation and benefits, we offer mentorship opportunities, committees that focus on engagement, and varied internal communication tools to help foster a sense of community.”

Gronley also discussed Axalta’s veteran initiatives as a Michigan Values Veterans (MV2) certified employer. MV2 is an economic investment initiative that offers an opportunity to recapitalize Michigan’s workforce while reducing veteran unemployment. “Our veterans are an invaluable part of Axalta’s workforce, and I was glad to share some of our outreach efforts. I was also pleased to see that many attendees were interested in establishing their own veteran outreach programs,” Gronley shared.

“We were excited to have Virginia participate in this conference, and her discussion on incorporating diversity into workforce planning was right on the mark,” said Nick Comerford, Senior Director of Production for Energy Conferences for the event organizer, Marcus Evans Group.