{"id":8252,"date":"2025-09-18T11:04:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T16:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mhisolutionsmag.com\/?p=8252"},"modified":"2025-09-18T09:52:58","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T14:52:58","slug":"bridging-the-gap-pahola-capellan-joins-mhi-to-lead-workforce-development-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mhisolutionsmag.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/18\/bridging-the-gap-pahola-capellan-joins-mhi-to-lead-workforce-development-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Bridging the Gap: Pahola Capell\u00e1n Joins MHI to Lead Workforce Development Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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WERC Matters<\/h3>\n

Filling a new role, Capell\u00e1n leads MHI\u2019s workforce initiatives.\"michael<\/h3>\n
BY MICHAEL MIKITKA<\/span>, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MHI\u2019S KNOWLEDGE VALUE CENTER AND WERC<\/div>\n

A<\/span>s the material handling and supply chain industry continues to evolve rapidly, the pressure to build a skilled, diverse workforce has never been greater. Enter Pahola Capell\u00e1n, MHI\u2019s new Workforce Development Manager. She\u2019s filling a new role within MHI created specifically to both inspire and recruit the workforce of the future, as well as to support professional development and retention opportunities with the MHI\/Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) Knowledge Center Team.<\/p>\n

\"werc\"<\/p>\n

Capell\u00e1n brings a decade of experience connecting education to workforce opportunities, particularly for underrepresented communities. A social worker by training with a background in nonprofit management, she cut her teeth in New York City public schools and the City University of New York (CUNY) system. There, she helped scale a post\u2011secondary support program that ballooned in reach during the COVID\u201119 pandemic\u2014from 14,000 to 55,000 students.<\/p>\n

Capell\u00e1n\u2019s mission evolved beyond helping disadvantaged students gain access to college. “In that role, I realized that college isn\u2019t the right path for every student,” she said. “Instead, we needed to redefine what success looked like. That meant opening doors to trades, certifications and other career pathways.”<\/p>\n

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Pahola Capell\u00e1n<\/p><\/div><\/figure>\n

New Role Unifies MHI and WERC\u2019s Existing Workforce Initiatives<\/h4>\n

That philosophy\u2014centered on access and practical outcomes\u2014now underpins her role at MHI. Hired to unify a sprawling network of existing workforce initiatives, Capell\u00e1n is tasked with connecting the dots between MHI\u2019s various outreach and educational programs. These include:<\/p>\n