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New York, NY - Markle Foundation CEO and President Zoë Baird announced the appointment of Jana Mila Juginovic as Markle’s Chief Communications Officer and Senior Advisor. Juginovic will be responsible for Markle’s strategic communications and media relations. Markle’s objective is to help activate a labor market that enables workers to hold good jobs in the digital economy. This requires the development of federal and state policy actions that create more good jobs, and Markle’s Rework America Alliance partnering to grow the number of workers without bachelor’s degrees who hold these jobs. “Jana is a proven leader, and a creative and strategic thinker,” said Markle CEO and President Zoë Baird. “Her skills as a journalist and her experience within the technical policy arena, will help advance Markle’s work and its engagement with our partners.” Juginovic joins Markle from the Internet Corporation for Assignment Names and Numbers (ICANN), a global organization that helps coordinate the Internet’s domain name system and unique identifiers. It also supports and implements policies concerning those technical functions. At ICANN, Juginovic was Senior Director, where she led the global content and social media engagement strategy, and led the content strategy, user experience, and information architecture development of ICANN’s digital properties. Juginovic began her career as a journalist with CTV News, Canada’s largest private sector news network. While there, she covered a wide array of national and international news events including the 9/11 terror attacks from New York, the Iraq War from Doha, and the 2006 Lebanon War from Beirut and Cyprus. She was promoted to Director of News and Programming at Canada’s 24-hour news channel, CTV News Channel, and Executive Producer of CTV News Network specials. She led the branding, editorial, and programming transformation of CTV News Channel and oversaw all news specials on CTV’s main network. During her journalism career, Juginovic was awarded the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) Gord Sinclair Award for Best Special News Event, the RTNDA Gord Sinclair Award for Best Live Special, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Gold Ribbon Finalist for News and Current Events, and an Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Gemini Award Nomination for Best News Information Series. Juginovic received a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a master’s degree from the University of Southern California (USC). In 2009, she was awarded the Nieman Journalism Fellowship at Harvard University and in 2013, she was a Cowan Scholar recipient at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Markle Foundation Media Contact For more information about the Markle Foundation, contact Carrie Gonzalez at:[email protected]@markle.org. About the Markle Foundation The Markle Foundation challenges itself and diverse partners to deploy their varied expertise to identify solutions to critical public problems and achieve systemic change. As advanced technology and automation changes the very nature of work, Markle’s priority is advancing solutions toward a labor market that will enable workers in America to move into good jobs in the digital economy. Markle’s Rework America Alliance follows Markle’s success in creating the policy and technology architecture that has enabled improvements in healthcare, national security, and access to the Internet. For more information, visitmarkle.org, [email protected]@ReworkAmericaon Twitter, and read our book,America's Moment.
Jana Mila Juginovic is the Chief Communications Officer and Senior Advisor at the Markle Foundation. Prior to her current role, Juginovic was Senior Director of Global Communications and Content at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). At ICANN, she led its global, multilingual content and social media strategy, and the user experience, taxonomy, and information architecture development for its web properties. Juginovic began her career as a journalist with CTV News, Canada’s largest private sector news network. While there, she covered a wide array of national and international news events including the 9/11 terror attacks from New York, the Iraq War from Doha, and the 2006 Lebanon War from Beirut and Cyprus. She was promoted to Director of News and Programming at Canada’s 24-hour news channel, CTV News Channel, and Executive Producer of CTV News Network specials. She led the branding, editorial, and programming transformation of CTV News Channel and oversaw all news specials on CTV’s main network. During her journalism career, Juginovic was awarded the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) Gord Sinclair Award for Best Special News Event, the RTNDA Gord Sinclair Award for Best Live Special, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Gold Ribbon Finalist for News and Current Events, and an Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Gemini Award Nomination for Best News Information Series. Juginovic received a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a master’s degree from the University of Southern California (USC). In 2009, she was awarded the Nieman Journalism Fellowship at Harvard University and in 2013, she was a Cowan Scholar recipient at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
New York, NY - April 14, 2022 - Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the appointment of Markle Foundation CEO and President Zoë Baird to the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC), which will advise the President and the National AI Initiative Office on a range of issues related to artificial intelligence (AI). Baird is one of 27 members who will serve on the committee. As CEO and President of the Markle Foundation, Baird works with partners from many sectors and a broad range of federal agencies to provide early identification of the potential and the impact of developing technologies and building of critical technology policy. Markle’s work includes leveraging technology to create more good jobs and prepare people for them, including jobs in emerging technologies such as AI. Markle’s Rework America Alliance, a partnership of civil rights organizations, nonprofits, private sector employers, labor unions, educators, and others, helps millions of unemployed workers from low-wage roles move into better jobs. “AI presents far-reaching opportunities to increase our competitiveness as a nation while tackling some of our most challenging and intractable societal problems,” said Baird. “Effective AI policy can enable America to lead the world in economic growth that equitably rebuilds the middle class and promotes flourishing communities. I’m honored to be a member of this committee and play a role in providing recommendations on topics including global collaboration and AI workforce issues.” This three-year appointment begins immediately and will end on April 15, 2025. The committee will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, May 4, 2022. The meeting will be open to the public via webcast. For more information about this announcement, see the news release issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce, and to learn more about the NAICA please visit https://www.ai.gov/naiac/. Markle Foundation Media Contact For more information about the Markle Foundation, contact Carrie Gonzalez at: [email protected] or [email protected] About the Markle Foundation The Markle Foundation challenges itself and diverse partners to deploy their varied expertise to identify solutions to critical public problems and achieve systemic change. As advanced technology and automation changes the very nature of work, Markle’s priority is advancing solutions toward a labor market that will enable workers in America to move into good jobs in the digital economy. Markle’s Rework America Alliance follows Markle’s success in creating the policy and technology architecture that has enabled improvements in healthcare, national security, and access to the Internet. For more information, visit markle.org, follow @MarkleFdn and @ReworkAmerica on Twitter, and read our book, America's Moment.
REWORK AMERICA STATE NETWORK A Forum for State Leaders to Share and Accelerate Workforce Innovation The Rework America State Network, formed by Markle in 2018, is a non-partisan collaboration with 30 state governors and the mayor of the District of Columbia working to unlock economic mobility for all American workers. The State Network provides a forum for governors and their senior teams to share innovative workforce practices, tools, data, and resources to transform the labor market at a scale and pace not possible through individual state actions. In turn, member states bring a commitment from the governor and senior state leaders to work towards expanding economic security and mobility for all, particularly for populations with the least economic power. Achieving Workforce Goals The State Network supports states by: Sharing practices and highlighting successful programs through webinars, convenings, and individual conversations with education and workforce leaders. Partnering with states on policy development to share insights, policy strategies, and case studies on what is working in states. Providing a vehicle for scaling successful workforce strategies across more states. The pandemic’s acute economic impact on workers—particularly those without a bachelor’s degree, and Black, Latino and women workers—brought long-standing economic precarity into greater focus. These trends create a clear urgency and opportunity to build workforce, higher education and training systems that combat low job quality, address systemic racism and other problems, and prioritize expansive economic security. State leaders are critically positioned to build a better system that provides opportunity for all workers to get good jobs and experience economic security. Rework America State Network Governors Gov. Kay Ivey - Alabama Gov. Asa Hutchinson - Arkansas Gov. Gavin Newsom - California Gov. Jared Polis - Colorado Gov. Ned Lamont - Connecticut Gov. John Carney - Delaware Gov. Brad Little - Idaho Gov. J. B. Pritzker - Illinois Gov. Eric Holcomb - Indiana Gov. Kim Reynolds - Iowa Gov. Laura Kelly - Kansas Gov. Andy Beshear - Kentucky Gov. Charlie Baker - Massachusetts Gov. Gretchen Whitmer - Michigan Gov. Tim Walz - Minnesota Gov. Mike Parson - Missouri Gov. Greg Gianforte - Montana Gov. Phil Murphy - New Jersey Gov. Roy Cooper - North Carolina Gov. Doug Burgum - North Dakota Gov. Mike DeWine - Ohio Gov. Kevin Stitt - Oklahoma Gov. Tom Wolf - Pennsylvania Gov. Daniel McKee - Rhode Island Gov. Bill Lee - Tennessee Gov. Spencer Cox - Utah Gov. Phil Scott - Vermont Gov. Jay Inslee - Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser - Washington, DC Gov. Tony Evers - Wisconsin Sharing Rework America Alliance Resources and Insights The State Network elevates practices that states can adopt to achieve their workforce goals. For example, resources developed by Markle’s Rework America Alliance are shared with State Network members. The Alliance, a collaboration of more than 30 leading organizations including civil rights organizations, nonprofits, private sector employers, labor unions, educators, and others, is working to help unemployed workers from low-wage roles move into better jobs, particularly Black and Latino workers who have been disproportionately impacted by the current economic crisis. Resources shared by the Alliance include robust data insights and tools to help workforce leaders access insights on good jobs and training; training and tools for career coaches to help them better support job seekers; and resources to help drive the adoption of equitable hiring and talent management practices by employers. Learn more at markle.org/alliance-resources Providing Policy Support The State Network team: Engages in extensive research and engagement with federal policymakers and relevant organizations. Focuses on policies that leverage the workforce and training systems to address problems in the labor market such as low job quality and systemic racism. Identifies promising policy strategies that expand economic security and mobility within four areas of focus: - Postsecondary education and training - Labor market transformation and job quality - Workforce training performance and accountability - Career counseling and coaching
The Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth will hold a hearing entitled “Our Changing Economy: The Economic Effects of Technological Innovation, Automation and the Future of Work” on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, at 10:00 AM ET in CVC 200, Congressional Auditorium. There will be one panel with the following witnesses: Professor Daron Acemoglu, MIT Institute Professor, MIT Department of Economics Dr. Kristen Broady, Fellow in the Brookings Metropolitan Program, The Brookings Institution Dr. Shawn Dubravac, CEO and President, Avrio Institute Ms. Zoë Baird, CEO and President, Markle Foundation Mr. Brent Orrell, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute Download Here Watch Here
The opportunity afforded by infrastructure investments to connect workers with good paying, attainable careers If enacted, the leading federal infrastructure proposal affords a generational opportunity to tackle several pressing challenges.[1] On the one hand, these investments will help to address long neglected physical infrastructure deficiencies and catalyze a move towards a cleaner energy future. At the same time, a major boost in infrastructure spending can create millions of good jobs that are attainable for workers without four-year degrees, a population that has benefited from a smaller and smaller share of the nation’s good jobs over decades and that has experienced the slowest recovery from the COVID-19-induced recession.[2] But to realize the former goal—the physical aims of infrastructure investments—policymakers will need to be intentional about the latter—building inclusive, skilled infrastructure workforces. At least one estimate forecasts that the leading infrastructure package would create around 1 million jobs,[3] while others predict several million over a decade. This would be on top of what is already a sizable component of the workforce: in 2020, infrastructure employed roughly one in nine American workers.[4] Most infrastructure jobs today and those of the near future can be accessed without a bachelor’s degree, and these jobs offer higher wages than most other jobs attainable with that level of formal education.[5] But the benefits of these good jobs have not been equally accessible. Much like the infrastructure workforce of decades ago, today’s infrastructure workforce skews heavily white, older, and male.[6] On top of limited paths to entry, women and non-white people within the infrastructure workforce earn lower wages due to wage gaps within occupations and occupational segregation.[7] To broaden opportunity to benefit from good quality, in-demand infrastructure jobs and mobility opportunities within the sector, policymakers at all levels will need to take deliberate, multifaceted action. The role of states in building an inclusive infrastructure workforce States can play a pivotal role in fostering an inclusive, skilled infrastructure workforce. Not only will a significant portion of federal infrastructure spending likely flow through states,[8] but state governments and local governments together typically spend the majority of public investment in infrastructure and own the majority of public infrastructure assets.[9] States also have substantial stimulus funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and some existing flexible workforce funding (e.g. WIOA Governor’s Reserve Funds) that can be used to complement the infusion of federal infrastructure dollars. And at the most fundamental level, states have a role in shaping the workforce and education system to support the workforce needs of growing economic sectors and equipping residents with opportunities to connect to good quality employment. This brief presents a framework for states towards this aim. It first provides key context on the infrastructure workforce, including demographic and wage disparities that underscore the need for states to foster inclusive pathways to good infrastructure jobs. The remainder focuses on a three-pronged framework to help state policymakers consider multifaceted, complementary approaches, centering on the following strategies: 1. Broaden exposure and recruitment. 2. Grow a supply of effective infrastructure-related training programs and improve success in those programs by bolstering key supports. 3. Spur inclusive hiring practices and combat the prevalence of harassment and discrimination in major infrastructure sectors. 1. This report focuses on physical infrastructure broadly to include sectors such as energy, transportation, telecommunications, water, green infrastructure and climate resiliency, as well as public works. 2. Heather Long, “Many left behind in this recovery have something in common: >No college degree,” Washington Post, April 22, 2021. 3. Anthony Carnevale, quoted in Nancy Marshall-Genzer, “What kind of jobs could the infrastructure bill lead to?” Marketplace, August 2, 2021. 4. Anthony P. Carnevale and Nicole Smith, “15 Million Infrastructure Jobs: An Economic Shot in the Arm to the COVID-19 Recession,” Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, 2021. 5. Joseph Kane, “Biden needs to create an infrastructure talent pipeline, not just more jobs,” Brookings Institution, January 29, 2021. 6. Ibid. 7. Caroline George and Joseph W. Kane, “Reversing America’s poor track record on inclusivity in infrastructure jobs,” Brookings Institution, May 17, 2021. 8. Mark Wolf, “Infrastructure Bill Update: What Could It Mean for States?” National Conference of State Legislatures, August 3, 2021. 9. See Elizabeth McNichol “It’s Time for States to Invest in Infrastructure,” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, March 19, 2019, for an overview of how federal grants fit into state infrastructure spending. See Peter G. Peterson Foundation, “State and Local Infrastructure Spending: A Closer Look,” June 17, 2020, for how state and local spending compare to federal spending on infrastructure.
The Rework America Alliance, a Markle initiative, studied the job histories of 29 million people across more than 800 occupations to look at how to realize the potential of the more than 5.8M workers from low-wage roles currently unemployed and without a college degree. From this, the Alliance has identified actionable steps that can be taken to help these workers to return to work in better roles. These findings are detailed in “Unlocking Experience-Based Job Progressions for Millions of Workers” authored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Markle, McKinsey & Company, and the National Urban League with input from many of our partners in the Rework America Alliance. Get the topline takeaways Download the full publication Two new tools have also been developed so we can take action based on these insights: A new Job Progressions tool developed by McKinsey & Company to help career coaches use historical job progression data to connect job seekers to good jobs, aligned with their experience. A new Rework Community Insights Monitor from The Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta to provide a metro-level view for policymakers and workforce development leaders. Learn more about the work of the Rework America Alliance.
New York, NY – The Markle Foundation’s Rework America Alliance a unique coalition of civil rights groups, nonprofits, private sector employers, labor unions and educators, today announced the first regions in which it will partner with local community-based organizations to deploy resources to help job seekers connect to good jobs. The Alliance is opening opportunities for millions of unemployed and low wage workers to move into good jobs, particularly for people of color who have been disproportionately impacted by the current economic crisis, and those who have built capabilities through experience but do not have a bachelor’s degree. The initial regions and organizations that will lead efforts locally are: Atlanta, Georgia - Goodwill of North Georgia Austin, Texas - Austin Area Urban League Denver, Colorado - Mi Casa Resource Center, a UnidosUS affiliate Finger Lakes region, New York - PathStone, in partnership with Rural LISC Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota - Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota and Urban League Twin Cities Indiana and Colorado - Markle will expand its relationships with the states of Colorado and Indiana by providing the full suite of Alliance capabilities and partners, building on previous successful collaborations in both states through its Skillful initiatives In these regions, the Alliance will work closely with community-based organizations that serve workers so they can help job seekers: identify the good jobs that are in-demand, transfer the skills they already have to new jobs and find effective, affordable training, if needed, for those jobs. The Alliance is also working to secure commitments from employers to hire talented workers with nontraditional education and experience. Training and resources will be provided to employers to drive the adoption of inclusive, sourcing and talent management practices that focus on skills rather than degrees and remove bias in hiring. This initial deployment will be scaled nationally by worker-serving partners through their extensive national networks in communities throughout the country. This work will draw on the knowledge and resources of more than 30 organizations, bringing additional data, networks, commitments, tools, and technical support from this wider group of Alliance partners. These partners include: Markle Foundation, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, National Urban League and McKinsey & Company, with AFL-CIO, CVS Health, Goodwill Industries International, Google, IBM, Microsoft, North America’s Building Trades Unions, Rural LISC, UnidosUS, Workday, Zurich North America and other leading businesses, training, and workforce organizations. “Working with local organizations is key to connecting people to good jobs,” said Zoë Baird, CEO and President, Markle Foundation. “They understand the needs of their communities and have established trusted relationships within those communities that allow them to deliver support and guidance to those who need it most. They also have connections with employers, local government and other nonprofits, to help drive change across the labor market, with the backing of national bodies that can share this work more broadly in the future.” “As we begin the work of rebuilding a post-pandemic economy that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, coalitions like the Rework America Alliance are essential," said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League. "By creating economic opportunity in the communities hardest-hit by the pandemic, we enhance the resiliency of the nation as a whole.” “These community partners bring exemplary leadership and innovative ideas to the Alliance. The Atlanta Fed is excited to contribute to finding real-world solutions to current labor market challenges,” said Stuart Andreason, Assistant Vice President and Director of the Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. “Though economic conditions are improving, we still see a ‘less-than’ recovery where many lower-wage workers and workers of color remain distressed. Efforts like the Rework America Alliance and the dedication of local organizations, like our hometown partners, can help make this a truly equitable recovery.” The selection process for identifying this initial set of regions and partners considered several factors including the underlying economic landscape in these locations, and the organization’s commitment to creating a model to allow them to scale this work across their organizations nationally. The regions and partners selected reflect the first phase of deployment, with additional locations to be announced later in the year. To see the full list of Alliance partners, please visit markle.org/alliance. About the Markle Foundation The Markle Foundation challenges itself and diverse partners to deploy their varied expertise to identify solutions to critical public problems and achieve systemic change. Today as advanced technology and automation change the very nature of work, Markle’s priority is advancing solutions toward a labor market that will enable workers in America to move into good jobs in the digital economy. Markle’s workforce initiatives include the Rework America Alliance, which draws on Markle's Skillful and Rework America initiatives. They follow Markle’s success in creating the policy and technology architecture that has enabled improvements in healthcare, national security, and access to the Internet. For more information, visit markle.org, follow @MarkleFdn and @ReworkAmerica on Twitter, and read our book, America's Moment. Note to the Editor For media inquiries, please contact Carrie Gonzalez at [email protected] or 917-705-6531 For more information about the regional organizations named in today’s announcement, please visit markle.org/rework-america-alliance-local-partnerships
Local regions and organizations partnering with the Rework America Alliance The Markle Foundation’s Rework America Alliance, a unique coalition of civil rights groups, nonprofits, private sector employers, labor unions and educators, will partner with local community-based organizations to deploy resources to help job seekers connect to good jobs. The initial regions and organizations that will lead efforts locally are: Mi Casa Resource Center educates, trains and supports youth and adults along career and business pathways to grow their income and achieve lasting economic success. Focused on supporting income growth and employment — self-employment, formal employment, and everything in between — Mi Casa Resource Center provides training and tailored support to help people take the next step on the journey toward financial success. When all families succeed, the entire community thrives. Learn more at micasaresourcecenter.org Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides job training and career navigation services to eliminate barriers to work and independence. Revenue from nearly 50 retail stores ― along with grants and financial contributions ― supports Minnesotans with digital literacy skills, resume development, understanding government benefits and more. Shopping and donating helps divert over 65 million pounds from landfills annually and has helped us connect people to jobs since 1919. Learn more at www.goodwilleasterseals.org The Austin Area Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to providing economic empowerment, educational opportunities and the guarantee of civil rights for African Americans and other underserved/underrepresented populations in in the Austin/ Central Texas region. Since 1977, the Austin Area Urban League has enriched the lives of citizens within the greater Central Texas Region. The Austin Area Urban League is one of more than 90 affiliates of the National Urban League providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of thousands in the Central Texas region. Aligning with the Empowerment pillars of the National Urban League, the Austin Area Urban League seeks to meet the needs of underserved populations in the Austin/Central Texas region by focusing on programming and Services in the areas of Education and Youth Development, Workforce and Career Readiness, Health, Housing, Justice and Advocacy. Learn more at aaul.org Urban League Twin Cities For more than 90 years, Minnesotans have looked to the Urban League as a source of strength in the community. From employment to education to engagement, the Urban League seeks to help African descendants strive for and achieve economic empowerment and self-sufficiency to build wealth that can be passed down from generation to generation. We envision a future in which African descendants can be fully engaged, empowered and invested in the success and well-being of the Twin Cities metro area. The Urban League understands that the cultural heritage and assets of people of African descent are a rich resource of creativity, power and beauty. We believe that a strong and systemic change is needed to transform our communities. The Urban League plays a vital role as advocate and thought leader for issues affecting African descendants in the Twin Cities. Learn more at ultcmn.org PathStone begun in 1969, is a private, not-for-profit community development and human service organization serving Indiana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Virginia, and Vermont. PathStone builds family and individual self-sufficiency by strengthening farmworker, rural and urban communities through community development programs and advocacy. It delivers quality career and employment services that enhance the skills, performance and potential of individuals. It provides a range of education and health services designed to promote and enhance lifelong learning, healthy living and employability. And it promotes access to personal counseling and financial resources designed to stabilize living environments and provide the foundation for economic security. PathStone believes that a combination of planning, vision, multi-sector stakeholder input, strategically targeted public and private resources and persistence must all be combined if success is to be realized. The organization has recently adopted environmental standards for all of its programs. Learn more at pathstone.org Goodwill of North Georgia’s mission is to put people to work. The nonprofit has provided services in the region for more than 90 years. In fiscal year 2020, Goodwill of North Georgia provided job training and employment services to 46,697 people and helped 25,019 people find jobs or start new businesses. The organization currently operates 67 stores, 53 attended donation centers and 13 career centers. Revenues generated from Goodwill’s retail program help fund job training and placement programs. Learn more at goodwillng.org
Indianapolis, IN– TodaySkillful, a Markle Foundation initiative, announced thefirst of a new suite of training and resources for career coaches to help connect job seekers to good, in-demand job opportunities.Developed with support fromStrada Education Network, Ivy TechCommunity College, and the state of Indiana, as well as with additional support from Cognizant U.S. Foundation and Microsoft Corp., the new tools will help job seekers in the state and beyond. Skillful is part of Markle’sRework America Alliance, working with employers, educators, nonprofits, workforce leaders and others in Indiana to help people get good jobs based on the skills they have or the skills they can learn. The Alliance,a national collaboration ofcivil rights organizations, nonprofits, private sector employers, labor organizations and educators,is opening opportunities for millions of unemployed and low wage workers to move into good jobs, particularly people of color who have been disproportionately impacted by the current economic crisis.Skillful is contributing resources to the Alliance as it aims to help unemployed people across the country return to the workforce in better jobs with greater career potential. The new virtual, skills-based training program for career coaches is the first in a suite of training and resources developed to improve the support job seekers can receive from career coaches. This includes access to improved job data insights and tools for clearly articulating capabilities and transferable skills to employers.Career coaches provide a crucial source ofsupport and guidance for job seekers at workforce centers, nonprofit community organizations, and community and training colleges. This training will be provided in Indiana by Ivy Tech Community College and rolled out by the Rework America Alliance to other community-based organizations nationwide to help career coaches more effectively and efficiently serve job seekers at this time of critical need - with further trainings to be added as developed throughout the year. “We are thankful to have truly outstanding and forward-thinking partners here in Indiana, including the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, Strada and Ivy Tech, that have helped us to create an exceptional program of career coach training in the state,” said William D. Turner, Jr. Executive Director, Skillful Indiana and National Alliance Delivery. “With these new remotely-accessible training modules, we are now better able to support those helping job seekers within our state, and to take this Indiana innovation to other regions.” “This is transformative work that will help Hoosiers better navigate their career options as the economy changes through and beyond the recovery from the pandemic. Our partnership with Skillful establishes Indiana as a leader in workforce development and training of career coaches,”said PJ McGrew, Executive Director of the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet. “The state’s network of career coaches are an exceptional resource for job seekers in Indiana and the ability to connect them with additional training and resources is essential to helping Hoosiers navigate their career options.” By identifying career coaching as an essential step to economic recovery, and investing in this area, Skillful, Strada, the state of Indiana, and Ivy Tech Community College - together with the Rework America Alliance - are leading the way for the rest of the nation. TheRework America Alliance,which also contributed to the development of the new training course, will make these resources available to career coaches in worker-serving organizations throughout the country. “A career coach can be the catalyst in helping a job seeker discover their potential and help them attain employment that matches their skills and interests to create a livelihood with opportunities for upward mobility,” saidCaroline Dowd-Higgins, Vice President of Career Coaching and Employer Connections, Ivy Tech Community College. “By providing coaches with access to data insights on in-demand jobs locally, and equipping them with effective skills, we are enabling more job seekers to successfully move into careers that will empower them to thrive.” Organizations that employ career coaches and are interested in accessing this training and other resources, [email protected] more information. For media inquiries, please contact Carrie Gonzalez [email protected] 917-705-6531 ### About Skillful Skillfulisa nonprofit initiative of the Markle Foundation and partof Markle’s Rework America Alliance working with employers, educators, nonprofits, workforce leaders and others to help people get good jobs based on the skills they have or the skills they can learn.TheRework America Alliance,a national collaboration ofcivil rights organizations, nonprofits, private sector employers, labor organizations and educators, isopening opportunities for millions of unemployed and low wage workers to move into good jobs, particularly people of color who have been disproportionately impacted by the current economic crisis.Skillful is contributing resources to the Alliance as it aims to help unemployed people across the country return to the workforce in better jobs with greater career potential. TheMarkle Foundationchallenges itself and diverse partners to deploy their varied expertise to identify solutions to critical public problems and achieve systemic change. Today as advanced technology and automation change the very nature of work, Markle’s priority is advancing solutions toward a labor market that will enable workers in America to move into good jobs in the digital economy. For more information, visit www.markle.org.
Policymakers across the political spectrum are calling for federal investment to modernize and repair the nation’s roads, bridges, and pipes, while recognizing the strong potential to create infrastructure jobs in the process.(1) Indeed, making a strong investment in the nation’s infrastructure is regularly cited as one of the areas with the most potential for bipartisan collaboration. Regardless of the direction that a major infrastructure package takes, there is a need to make complementary investments in our workforce, education, and training systems to ensure we build a pipeline of skilled workers and to correct the existing disparities in access to well-paying infrastructure jobs. The Challenges As policymakers consider investments in infrastructure with the intent to create good jobs, we must also consider inextricably linked workforce and training challenges: IInfrastructure investments will spur job creation, but not necessarily training creation. With targeted investments, we can incentivize the creation of an adequate supply of effective, accessible training programs. Millions of additional infrastructure jobs would mean millions of good quality jobs with relatively short education requirements. But the current system does not have adequate support or incentives for education providers and employers to create a sufficient supply of trainings to meet the skills needs of several million additional infrastructure jobs. Leading infrastructure proposals would create or save about 15 million infrastructure jobs over ten years, including 8 million jobs for workers with a high school diploma or less and about 5 million for people with more than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree. Most infrastructure jobs would, however, require some degree of specialized training, particularly given the accelerating pace of technology and automation across relevant industries, like manufacturing and construction. Without attention to the workforce and training needs, many sectors—from the transportation, to construction, to energy—are likely to find an inadequate pipeline of effective training programs and with that, a shortage of qualified workers. With deliberate reforms to the infrastructure careers pipeline, we can create millions of new jobs, while not replicating long-standing inequities in access to good quality infrastructure careers. Large disparities in the pipeline to infrastructure jobs means disparities in access to jobs that offer higher wages than most other jobs for people with less formal education than a bachelor’s degree. At both the 10th and 25th percentiles of wages, infrastructure workers see a wage premium of more than $3 per hour when compared with workers across all occupations. Infrastructure occupations have long had glaring, persistent demographic gaps. A significantly disproportionate share of infrastructure workers are white and older than age 45. More than eight in ten infrastructure workers in 2019 were male. Apprenticeship has great potential to help expand infrastructure pipelines. There is a need to scale both on-ramp programs to apprenticeship and supports that dramatically increase success in apprenticeship. Registered Apprenticeship (RA) is a widely recognized, proven strategy to build a pipeline of skilled workers and connect jobseekers, particularly those with less than a bachelor’s degree, to higher paying jobs. These programs also tend to lead to bigger wage gains over the course of a career, as compared to very short-term training programs. But access to RA is constrained, in part because too many people lack support opportunities to prepare for and successfully apply for spots as apprentices. Pre-apprenticeship programs (also known as apprenticeship-readiness programs) have been recognized as a strategy to expand the pathways to succeed in apprenticeships, particularly for severely underrepresented groups in the apprenticeship system—namely, women and people of color. We should view pre-apprenticeship programs as critical to expanding the pipeline for underrepresented groups to ultimately enjoy the wage gains and career mobility that apprenticeships connected to infrastructure jobs would offer. Critically, funding for pre-apprenticeship programs is limited, due to little funding for the programs and the fact that such programs are not eligible for Pell grants. There is also the reality that even where a pre-apprenticeship program is free, the opportunity cost to participating can be a barrier for low-income workers that are household breadwinners. Apprentices earn a paycheck while training, but affordability challenges still exist, particularly childcare and reliable transportation. This disproportionately limits success in apprenticeship for women and low-income people. Our workforce system struggles to ensure workers can navigate career and training options. Addressing the navigation challenge is critical to widening the pipeline to good infrastructure jobs. While advancements have been made at the federal and state levels, workers and career counselors are largely unable to access vital information that would help them to identify trainings with strong labor market results and that meet a jobseekers’ goals. And in terms of direct career counseling, the federal investment in the public workforce system provides resources to serve just a small fraction of those who could benefit from career advice. Top Priorities for Building the Infrastructure Workforce With the aim of building a widely shared recovery, the Markle Foundation has identified three top objectives for reforming the education and training system that should be considered critical complements to any major infrastructure investment. Build a sufficient supply of high-quality training programs that succeed in preparing workers for infrastructure careers. Federal policy should incentivize the creation of effective training opportunities to build the pipeline of skilled workers for good quality infrastructure jobs. To do this, we should support collaboration between employers, labor and community partners to create and provide high quality trainings as well as important pathways to those trainings, including pre-apprenticeships and bridge programs offered by worker-serving organizations. Infrastructure investments will create some short and long-term projects, but we should prioritize training programs that set people up for long-term attachment to a dynamic sector. This means developing skillsets that are foundational as well as driven by demand for skills in an occupation across a sector, not just for one project. Priority strategies to accomplish this include: Provide funding to intermediary organizations to scale sector and regional collaboration in the creation of employer-connected training opportunities. Such intermediaries could include labor-management partnerships, community-based organizations, unions, and workforce boards. These intermediaries would receive funding from states or from national grants to work with employers in an infrastructure sector (e.g. energy, transportation or telecommunications) in a region and training providers to create effective training programs. This strategy is also useful towards scaling the availability of Registered Apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships. o Supporting these collaborations is simultaneously a strategy to scale work by intermediary organizations (community-based organizations, labor-management partnerships, and workforce boards) that work in a sector or region to improve the quality of existing jobs and expand the adoption of practices that reduce bias in hiring. Support employers and unions in providing training opportunities to new and incumbent workers when that training is connected to good quality jobs. Help businesses and union training programs with the costs of developing training programs and paying workers while participating in trainings, when that training is connected to good quality jobs and is substantial. Additionally, we should explore programs that help offset the costs for small and medium-sized businesses of working with third-party organizations to design and deliver training. We could also support the availability of training that small and medium-sized employers create and deliver to their employees. Goal 2: Ensure access to skills development opportunities by addressing affordability and other common barriers to completing training programs. We need to make sure that the populations hit hardest by wage stagnation and displacement have the financial means to participate in effective trainings that lead to infrastructure careers. Priority strategies towards accomplishing this include: Provide funding support to cover tuition and other common barriers to completing training programs: A new dedicated funding system should be developed to guarantee that all low-wage and unemployed workers can pay for effective education and training programs. This funding should have greater generosity than is currently available through Pell or funding in the public workforce system for training. This would essentially be a training account given to all unemployed and low-wage workers for any program that gets people good jobs at family supporting wages. This funding should have flexibility built in: o Programs should be able to cover pre-apprenticeship and effective trainings run by community-based organizations and unions,, in addition to effective training programs offered through traditional education providers. o Funding should be allowed to cover non-tuition costs: While tuition costs often account for the largest expense of taking a training, the cost of supportive services that are essential to participate and complete a program – such as transportation and childcare – are too often insurmountable barriers for low-income people. There is also the reality that many adult learners are household breadwinners and cannot afford to reduce work hours, reducing their household’s income. This funding should have accountability measures built in: o Large funding amounts should only be available for programs that can show positive wage gains for participants: Any new training grants should be tied to a program’s record of raising the wages of its participants and helping them secure jobs. Because the support would only be eligible for effective programs, the funding could cover a larger share of costs. This component is also geared towards ensuring that recipients of the funding realize genuine economic mobility. Very short-term training programs, like digital skills training or prerequisites for more advanced training, could be eligible for assistance, without meeting the accountability criteria. This would likely be beneficial for some downstream roles created by an infrastructure investment. A different route: If not providing support directly to students for costs outside of tuition, fund supportive services at education institutions and other touch points for training: In the contexts of either tuition-free community college or in the absence of the aforementioned new funding stream that intends to cover non-tuition costs, attention to supportive services would need to be provided in some other way. This could include providing labor-management partnerships and community-based organizations support directly to provide crucial services, like onsite childcare, expanded food pantries, public and gas subsidies, flexible emergency funding for trainee needs, among other supports. Goal 3: Foster pathways to infrastructure jobs by investing in the information, guidance and support needed to navigate the training and career options and direct people to highly effective trainings. The public workforce coaching system only has the resources to serve a fraction of those who would benefit from guidance, and jobseekers still lack critical information on the outcomes of relevant training programs. Those who do receive support from the public workforce system will encounter services that prioritize immediate placement into any job—often leading to low-wage jobs—rather than providing the guidance and resources to access quality jobs and the training needed that will provide economic security over the course of a career. Key strategies to address these challenges include: Expand funding to hire and train more career coaches in the federal workforce system. Ensure career coaches have information and knowledge needed to navigate the changes in the broader economy, including the long-term career opportunities afforded by infrastructure occupations. Expand funding for career navigators and guidance counselors in the K-12 system with the aim of improving the availability of guidance for young people to pursue infrastructure careers and connect to youth apprenticeship opportunities. Create a new funding stream to support community-based organizations and other entities that provide career services and pre-apprenticeship programs, with an emphasis on reaching populations that historically have limited access to these services—people of color and low-income communities. In addition to broadly supporting career navigation, this funding should support organizations that provide recruitment, support and guidance for pre-apprenticeship participants. (1) Infrastructure jobs cover a large segment of the U.S. workforce: in 2019, more than one in ten workers were employed in infrastructure. Concentrated in 91 different occupations, infrastructure jobs go beyond those commonly associated with infrastructure, e.g. plumbers, engineers, construction workers, and telecommunications equipment installers. There are also large numbers of workers in supportive roles, such as business operations and management in a variety of settings, including engineering firms, utilities, warehouses, and construction sites.
New York, NY – The Markle Foundation is pleased to announce today that Margaret Hoover has been elected to its Board of Directors. Hoover is the host of Firing Line with Margaret Hoover on PBS, a revival of William F. Buckley Jr.'s long running public affairs television program. “Margaret is an astute observer who will bring a broad perspective to Markle’s work. She examines issues and communities from a deeply thoughtful perspective,” said Zoë Baird, CEO and President of Markle. “We are delighted to have Margaret join our Board and look forward to working together to drive an equitable economic recovery that opens opportunities to good jobs for all workers.” “Markle recognizes that it will take broad, cross-sector collaboration to address the current economic challenges and enable an even-handed economic recovery for all Americans,” said Margaret Hoover. “Through the Rework America Alliance, Markle has a vision for making opportunity available for everyone. I look forward to working with Markle’s leadership to advance these solutions.” Suzanne Nora Johnson, Chair, Markle Board of Directors, added, “Margaret’s unique set of experiences and accomplishments make her an excellent addition to the Markle Board. I am so pleased she will be joining us as we pursue our important work.” The Markle Foundation has formed the Rework America Alliance, a unique coalition of more than 30 partners, including civil rights organizations, nonprofits, private sector employers, labor unions and educators. The Alliance is working to advance opportunities for millions of unemployed and low wage workers to move into good jobs, particularly people of color who have been disproportionately affected by the current economic and health crisis. Hoover is a political commentator for CNN and President of American Unity Fund, a political organization focused on achieving full freedom and equality for LGBT Americans. A best selling author, Ms. Hoover served in The White House under President George W. Bush, in the Department of Homeland Security, on Capitol Hill and on two presidential campaigns. Ms. Hoover serves on the boards of Stanford University's Hoover Institution, the Hoover Presidential Foundation, the Belgian American Educational Foundation, and The 19th* a non-profit newsroom. Raised in Colorado, Hoover has lived in China, Mexico, Bolivia and Taiwan, speaks fluent Spanish fluently and has studied Mandarin Chinese. Ms. Hoover lives in New York City with her husband and their two children. About The Markle Foundation The Markle Foundation challenges itself and diverse partners to deploy their varied expertise to identify solutions to critical public problems and achieve systemic change. Today as advanced technology and automation change the very nature of work, Markle’s priority is advancing solutions toward a labor market that will enable workers in America to move into good jobs in the digital economy. Markle’s workforce initiatives include the Rework America Alliance, which draws on Markle’s Skillful and Rework America initiatives. This work follows Markle’s success in creating the policy and technology architecture that has enabled improvements in healthcare, national security, and access to the Internet. For more information, visit markle.org, follow @MarkleFdn and @ReworkAmerica on Twitter, and read our book, America's Moment. For media inquiries, please contact [email protected] or 917-705-6531
