A summary of key developments from the Workforce Matters spring policy briefing in May 2026, featuring updates from the National Skills Coalition. This blogpost has been updated to reflect the House Appropriations Committee’s passage of its 2027 Fiscal Year bill Read more
What does it look like when Tribal Nations don’t just participate in workforce systems, but lead them? On April 28, Workforce Matters hosted a conversation through the Workforce Grantmaking in Native Nations and Communities Initiative featuring two compelling examples from Read more
Attributed to: Nina M. Bershadker, Executive Director, Taft Foundation About the Taft Foundation In service of The Taft Foundation’s mission to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) lead fulfilling lives, we are particularly focused on expanding opportunities for young Read more
Brittany Corde, Senior Program Officer, Ascendium Philanthropy 1. Tell us a little bit about your background and why you joined Workforce Matters. I currently serve as a Senior Program Officer at Ascendium Education Group, where I lead grantmaking focused on Read more
Central to philanthropy at the intersection of workforce development and postsecondary education, community colleges serve first-generation learners, adult workers seeking to upskill, and young people navigating the transition from high school to career. In the second meeting of Workforce Matters’ Read more
Improving access to high-quality jobs: lessons from Encuentro’s immigrant workforce model How do we improve immigrant workers’ access to quality jobs? The answer — according to workers themselves — is far more layered than workforce development programs and funders typically Read more
Thanks to all members and speakers who joined us for Workforce Matters’ 2026 budget briefing and discussion on March 31. A special thanks to Economic Opportunity Funders for their always-excellent Annual Budget and Tax Briefing, which provided the foundation for Read more
Galiana Fajardo, Senior Principal, Programs, Redefine Alliance Tell us a little bit about your background and why you joined Workforce Matters. I’m from California’s Central Valley, a region that has been systematically under-resourced compared to its sister regions, the Bay Area and Read more
Interest in apprenticeship is growing across the United States—from policymakers and employers to education leaders and workforce practitioners. Yet the country’s apprenticeship system remains far smaller than those in other advanced economies. Workforce Matters members and guests explored these challenges Read more
WORKFORCE MATTERS | 2026 PROGRAMMING UPDATE At Workforce Matters, we are privileged to convene a national network of funders who share a commitment to expanding equitable access to quality jobs and education for young people and adults. As we move Read more