UpHouse rolls out six-stage workforce development framework

UpHouse, a creative and marketing agency with operations in Canada and the U.S., has launched a six-stage framework aimed at helping industries attract, prepare and retain workers beyond traditional recruitment. The model is designed to address barriers from career perception through workforce entry as employers face aging talent pools, skill gaps and tougher competition for specialized workers.

Why it matters: - The framework is built for industries that need more than job ads to fill roles and grow talent pipelines. - UpHouse says the model is meant to help employers and partners reach people with transferable skills, not just active job seekers. - The approach targets barriers that can appear long before an application is submitted, including perception, awareness and access to training.

What happened: - UpHouse introduced a six-stage workforce development framework for industries in Canada and the United States. - The framework is designed to help organizations attract new workers, expand career pathways and address gaps that traditional recruitment campaigns may miss. - CEO and co-founder Alex Varricchio said recruitment alone does not necessarily increase the number of people available to enter an industry.

The details: - The six stages are perception, awareness, interest, experience, application and entry. - Perception focuses on beliefs, stereotypes and barriers that shape whether someone can imagine a future in an industry. - Awareness covers making career opportunities visible and explaining roles, qualifications and pathways. - Interest centers on employer branding, employee value propositions, career development opportunities and access to training such as free programs, apprenticeships and on-the-job learning. - Experience includes workplace tours, hands-on demonstrations, career events and job shadowing. - Application aims to reduce friction with clearer processes, accessible information, training pathways and candidate communications. - Entry focuses on onboarding, training, orientation, mentorship and ongoing communications. - UpHouse says the framework can help employers, industry associations, educational institutions, workforce organizations and community partners identify where barriers exist and align their work across the career journey. - UpHouse says the model can be applied in construction, tourism, manufacturing, energy, healthcare, agriculture and transportation. - The agency points to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, which says employers expect 39% of workers' core skills to change by 2030 and 63% identified skill gaps as a major barrier to business transformation.

Between the lines: - The framework reflects a shift from one-time recruiting toward a longer talent pipeline strategy. - The model also treats workforce development as a shared responsibility across employers, schools, training groups and community partners. - That matters because many workers who could fit open roles may never apply if they do not see a clear path into the sector.

What's next: - UpHouse says organizations can use the framework to connect efforts, find gaps and measure progress across the full workforce journey. - The agency outlines the model in a new article, From Perception to Entry: A Better Workforce Development Funnel. - UpHouse says its broader services include strategy, branding, creative campaigns, public relations, creator marketing, experiential marketing, media and digital services. - The agency says it works with employers, industry associations, government organizations and other partners on workforce perception, recruitment, career awareness, employer branding, experiential recruitment, application conversion and workforce communications.

The bottom line: - UpHouse is betting industries can solve labor shortages more effectively by widening the funnel before recruitment begins and strengthening the path from interest to entry.