Mobile Technology Fills Big Communication Gaps in Times of Funding and Staffing Uncertainty

Engage by Cell was honored to present at the recent SkillUp America Summit, hosted by Workforce180 and Metrix Learning. In a session led by Barry McGrorty, our Founder and CEO Dave Asheim joined Senior Workforce Solutions Consultant Max Schelkopf to discuss how mobile technology can help workforce development organizations address today’s communication and accessibility challenges.

In a time when workforce development organizations are being asked to do more with fewer resources, communication has never been more critical—or more challenging. “We’re no longer living in a 9-to-5 world,” said Max Schelkopf. “Job seekers engage with services when they can—on nights, weekends, whenever it fits into their lives. If your outreach stops at 5 p.m., you’re missing your audience.”

Why Mobile Matters

Text messages have a 95% open rate—compared to the 20% average for email. That’s a staggering gap that can make or break engagement with job seekers and program participants. In the session, Asheim emphasized the importance of meeting people where they are: on their phones.

“We’ve moved from desktop-first thinking to mobile-first thinking,” said Asheim. “With smartphones in nearly every hand, mobile communication tools aren’t just convenient—they’re essential.”

Tools That Work: Texting, Web Apps, and More

The session walked attendees through several solutions that workforce boards and career centers are using successfully:

Two-way texting platforms for real-time outreach and conversation

Mobile web apps that don’t require downloads but offer app-like functionality

QR codes for effortless access to job boards, events, and document uploads

Auto-dialers for personalized voice messages to those who prefer calls

These tools not only increase engagement, but also reduce administrative burden, speed up follow-ups, and provide the data needed to support performance reporting and funding.

Results You Can Measure

With millions of texts sent and dozens of successful implementations across the country, Engage by Cell’s team shared that their clients often see a measurable increase in response rates within just a week or two of launching mobile communications.