This summer, Workforce Matters will launch a new peer-to-peer learning lab facilitated by Surabhi Jain of Surbahi Jain Consulting. This learning lab will serve as a community of practice for grantmakers interested in learning how to practically apply the principles of Trust Based Philanthropy. This new learning lab will focus Read more…
Authors: Matthew Bruce, Executive Director, Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance, and Steph Dolan, Program Director, Corporate Coalition of Chicago What do Martha Stewart, Donald Trump and Robert Downey Jr. all have in common? All have criminal records. While these individuals have gone on to varying degrees of fame and success, many Read more…
Tell us a little bit about your background and why you joined Workforce Matters. I have spent close to a decade working in philanthropy, spanning both the private and corporate sectors, with a focus on workforce development and education. Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed firsthand the power of bringing people Read more…
Tell us a little bit about your background and why you joined Workforce Matters. My entire professional career has been dedicated to workforce development, beginning with my role supporting returning citizens in partnership with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in my native Boston. I worked closely with individuals navigating Read more…
As our members are aware, the Trump Administration’s actions this week around federal funding assistance have caused no small amount of disruption and confusion across the country. A funding freeze communicated via a memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on January 27 had the potential to impact Read more…
Workforce Matters hosted a post-election/2025 preview workforce policy briefing for funders last month with representatives from the National Skills Coalition, Unidos US, and the Joint Center. We are pleased to share key takeaways from the conversation below and welcome members to follow up with us on the next steps. In Read more…
Last month, Workforce Matters hosted an end-of-year workforce policy briefing with staff from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to receive updates on ETA’s most recent investments about which philanthropic partners may want to inform their grantees and community partners. Highlights from the conversation are included Read more…
This week (November 17-23, 2024), the U.S. Department of Labor celebrates the 10th anniversary of National Apprenticeship Week. Over the past 9 years, the Office of Registered Apprenticeships has seen tremendous growth, including over 2.3 million new Registered Apprentices representing over 80% growth, over 23,000 new Registered Apprenticeship programs and Read more…
Recapping our time at the SHIFT Conference In September, members of the Workforce Matters team joined hundreds of workforce leaders and practitioners in Memphis, Tennessee to participate in the SHIFT Conference hosted by the National Fund for Workforce Solutions (NFWS). Together with peers from around the country, we laughed, danced, Read more…
Many have called the 2024 election one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime, and perhaps they’re right. However, without understating the importance of this 2024 election and its results, it’s possible that Americans in previous centuries felt the same way, and they too were right. Whether you believe Read more…