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 to fund Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education in 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 Indian Country where collective governance, data sovereignty, and strategic philanthropy 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’ Postsecondary + Workforce Funders Affinity Group, we invited researchers John 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 our conversation, and to our speakers, Megan Evans and Melissa 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 and opportunities on our March 5 webinar, “Apprenticeship: What Funders Read more
Last October, Tameshia Bridges Mansfield, Keely Cat-Wells (Making Space), Tamiera “TC” Nash (Louisiana Opportunity Youth Alliance), and Tracy Van Slyke (Pop Culture Collaborative) joined Further Together for a powerful panel on narrative. Together, they explored how cultural stories shape how we see work, workers, and workforce systems—and how those stories Read more
Last October at Further Together, one of the most thought-provoking conversations focused on something often invisible in workforce development, but deeply powerful: narrative. Moderated by Tameshia Bridges Mansfield, the panel featured Keely Cat-Wells (Making Space), Tamiera “TC” Nash (Louisiana Opportunity Youth Alliance), and Tracy Van Slyke (Pop Culture Collaborative). Together, Read more
On December 10, 2025, Workforce Matters was joined by Katie Spiker and Melissa Johnson of the National Skills Coalition for our final policy briefing of the year, which was open to funders and field partners alike. In the session, Katie and Melissa focused primarily on Workforce Pell and provided brief Read more
The Northern New Mexico Youth Fund is a new participatory, youth-led public-private partnership created by the Northern New Mexico Pathways to Opportunity Strategy Table to strengthen initiatives that support young people ages 13-29 in the region to thrive at school, work, and home. As part of our effort to showcase Read more
Earlier this year, Workforce Matters fielded a feedback survey and hosted two listening sessions in partnership with the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). Over 100 individuals participated, including grant partners in our Workforce Grantmaking in Native Nations and Communities initiative, Native-led nonprofits, Tribal programs, 477 programs, WIOA Section 166 Read more