Workforce Matters Video Library
Please see below for our video recording archive. Videos are arranged from newest to oldest.
Access to some recordings in the Workforce Matters video archive is restricted to current members of our network. If you are a member of Workforce Matters who would like to access one of the restricted videos below, please email us to request the password. If you are not a current Workforce Matters member, please visit our Get Involved page to learn more about our membership requirements and application process. Membership is free for qualified applicants.
Self-Determination and Innovation: Keys to Transformative Workforce Development in Native Communities
This webinar highlighted key findings from the Tribal Workforce Development Toolkit 2.0, developed by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). It featured speakers from MIGIZI Communications in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Gila River Indian Community as well as the lead author of the toolkit and included recommendations for philanthropy.
Workforce Matters Spring Workforce Policy Briefing
May 2026 briefing on workforce policy with the National Skills Coalition.
Centering Tribal Sovereignty in Workforce Systems and the Role of Philanthropy
In this webinar, Bernadette Panteah, Dr. Christine Meyer, and Megan Elkins of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation had a conversation about what it truly means to center Tribal sovereignty in workforce systems — and what philanthropy must do to rise to that moment. This was the the first webinar in our 2026 Workforce Grantmaking in Native Nations and Communities Series.
Apprenticeship: What Funders Need to Know Right Now
In this webinar, John Colborn (Apprenticeships for America), Brittany Corde (Ascendium Education Group), Laura Love (Strada Education Foundation), and Laura Mutis (JPMorgan Chase & Co.) discuss the state of apprenticeships in the United States in 2026. The conversation explores current trends, policy and funding developments, and the role philanthropy can play in expanding apprenticeship opportunities. Panelists highlight key challenges, promising strategies, and areas where funders can invest to strengthen and scale apprenticeship pathways.
Workforce 101: An Overview of Public Workforce System Funding and Infrastructure
Workforce Matters created and released Workforce 101 in May 2025. Developed by Nancy Snyder Consulting and delivered by Nancy Snyder and Katie Spiker of the National Skills Coalition, this webinar and slide deck provided a detailed overview of the publicly-funded workforce development system with insights specifically tailored toward philanthropic interests.
Missed the webinar? Basic Members can access the webinar and resources for $75 and Supporting Members (including any member of your organization) can access it for free. Register in the link below to access!
End of Year Workforce Policy Briefing with the U.S. DOL Employment and Training Administration
Workforce Matters grantmaking members were invited to join members of the U.S. DOL Employment and Training Administration for a year-end workforce policy briefing in support of planning for 2025 and beyond.
Impact of AI on Workers and Economic Opportunity
Building on the Understanding the Impact of AI on Work and Workforce Development session at our Spring 2024 Further Together conference, this webinar will provide you with an opportunity to learn more about efforts to understand the impact of AI on workers and economic opportunity and to connect with peers who share an interest in the intersection of workforce development and AI.
**ONLY AVAILABLE WITH PASSWORD. Please email info@workforce-matters.org for the password.
National Apprenticeship Week Peer Learning Call
On Tuesday, November 19, 2024, Workforce Matters hosted a peer-to-peer learning call for funders investing in apprenticeships. During this discussion, Laura Burgher from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Sabrina Singh Kansara from the James Irvine Foundation, and Claire Fiddian-Green from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation shared why they launched apprenticeship grantmaking initiatives, their investment strategies, and lessons learned with their peers.
** ONLY AVAILABLE WITH PASSWORD. Please email info@workforce-matters.org for the password.
Funder Briefing: National Career Cluster Framework with AdvanceCTE
In December 2022, Advance CTE launched the Advancing the Framework initiative to modernize the National Career Clusters Framework in response to growing feedback from the field about the need to align the Framework to the realities of learning and work today and for the future. Join us for an Education + Workforce Funder Briefing about the newly updated National Clusters Framework. Learn more about the robust process to update this framework, how it has been used by state partners and how you can support this effort.
** ONLY AVAILABLE WITH PASSWORD. Please email info@workforce-matters.org for the password.
Fund for Workforce Equity - Round 2 Applicant Webinar
A webinar recording of our applicant webinar for the Round 2 application cycle of the Fund for Workforce Equity. Learn more here: https://www.workforce-equity.org/current-funding-opportunities/
DALE Webinar with USDOL Acting Secretary Su
This webinar features Funders for a Just Economy, Workforce Matters, Chicagoland Workforce Funders Alliance, and Raise the Floor Alliance on deferred action for labor enforcement, aka DALE.
In October 2021, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would approve immigration relief for workers participating as witnesses in labor agency enforcement investigations. By making deferred action and temporary work authorization available to undocumented workers—who disproportionately labor in low-wage, high-violation industries—DALE ensures workers can enforce their rights without fear of immigration-based retaliationand can uphold labor laws. On July 22, DHS updated its guidance to indicatethat DALE protections can now extend up to four years.
Featuring keynote remarks by U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, during this educational webinar, you will hear from immigrant workers, worker center organizers, and funders about how labor-based immigration relief has enhanced efforts to uphold workplace rights, build lasting worker power, and promote labor law compliance. Join philanthropic partners from across the workforce and immigration fields to learn about opportunities align and scale this critical work.
Supporting Native Workforce Development – A Guide for Funders
Workforce Matters is excited to announce our newest resource: Supporting Native Workforce Development: A Guide for Funders.
This video features a discussion with Workforce Grantmaking in Native Nations and Communities Advisory Committee members and funders that highlight ideas and resources from the guide. Learn how funders can establish and grow impactful philanthropic partnerships with Native Nations and communities and support policies that expand and strengthen Native-led workforce approaches and providers.
Workforce Grantmaking in Native Nations and Communities (WGNNC) is an emerging funder collaborative focused on supporting workforce development in Native Nations and communities.
FWE Round 1 Learning & Next Steps
On June 12, 2024, we hosted a webinar to share key themes from the Fund for Workforce Equity's final evaluation, Round 1 lessons learned and to share the plans for Round 2 funding opportunities. If you missed the webinar, we invite you to watch the video using this link. You're also invited to review the PowerPoint overview with the evaluation themes and Round 2 grant parameters. To stay updated on news about Round 2, sign up at www.workforce-equity.org.
Learn & Work Ecosystem Platforms - Briefing & Workshop
The Workforce Almanac, launched in November 2023 by the Harvard Project on Workforce is
an open-source, interactive portal of nearly 17,000 workforce training providers across the U.S. The portal maps providers of short-term, post-high-school workforce training, including institutions of higher ed, federally registered apprenticeships, nonprofit organizations, and WIOA-eligible training organizations. The Almanac combines four publicly available data sources (IPEDS, RAPIDS, IRS 990 and TrainingProviderResults.org) into one new dataset. The Almanac has created interactive visualizations for field practitioners and funders to interact with and export the data for learning.
The Learn & Work Ecosystem Library (“the Library”) launched in December 2022. Built on a Lumina-supported map of various funder initiatives in the credentialing reform space within the learn-and-work ecosystem between 2018-2020, the Library now comprises some 300+ glossary terms; more than 300 initiatives and more than 275 organizations working to improve components of the learn/work ecosystem; and 95+ topics addressing key subjects. The Library also includes relational maps that help depict how different efforts are connected.
WGNNC Applicant Webinar
Our team is thrilled about our inaugural Workforce Grantmaking in Native Nations and Communities (WGNNC) grant that launched on December 7th. The grant was structured to provide Native-led workforce entities with maximum flexibility to support programming that aligns with their community vision of Nation-building. Workforce Matters is proud to support self-determined programs, projects, and initiatives designed to meet the distinct workforce development needs of Native Nations, and Native workers and learners.
WGNCC will issue 7 to 9 grant awards ranging from $50,000 to $70,000 with grant terms up to 24 months. The WGNNC grant awards are designed to enhance the capacity of Native-led workforce development entities to design, implement, refine, and/or expand programmatic systems and solutions that cultivate the skills, knowledge, and readiness of Native people to enter, thrive, and advance in their chosen career fields.
Letters of Inquiry are due Friday, January 19, 2024 by 11:59 pm CT.
If you are a funder interested in supporting this exciting new fund, send us an email at nativenations@workforce-matters.org.
Q4 Policy Update
Tune in for information on policy updates related to workforce development from Workforce Matters and our partners at the Department of Labor.
Native Workforce Development Policy and Data: The Current Landscape and Ways Philanthropy Can Strengthen Them
This webinar provides a comprehensive overview of the main federal policies governing Native workforce development and their degree of effectiveness, the nature and extent of the data explaining the current state of the Native workforce nationally and locally, and how increased philanthropic focus and resources can strengthen Native workforce policy and data, leading to better outcomes on the ground. Attendees will hear from Indian Country policy and data experts about specific policy and data issues and the ways their organizations can help Native nations and communities address them.
Speakers: Lora Ann Chaisson, Principal Chief of the United Houma Nation; Casey Lozar, Vice President at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Director of the Center for Indian Country Development (CICD)
Peer Learning Strategy Session - CSR
In this Peer Learning Strategy Session, Workforce Matters was joined by Laura Roberts and Shericca Hill from Jobs for the Future to discuss CSR and HR priorities in workforce development.
The Opportunity to Expand Apprenticeships - A Funder + Field Briefing
During National Apprenticeship Week, we had a funder and field conversation on systems, policies and models around expanding apprenticeship opportunities in an equitable way.
Speakers include:
Jennifer Carlson - Apprenti
John Colborn - Apprenticeships for America
Ryan Craig - Apprenticeships for America
Tamara Johnson - Per Scholas
Mary Alice McCarthy - New America
Matt Muench - JPMorgan Chase
Skills-Based Talent Practices - A briefing from Jobs for the Future
Cat Ward from Jobs for the Future tees up a funder conversation in October 2023 on skills-first talent practices like skills-based hiring with an overview of the landscape and current trends.
Developing the Native Workforce on Native Terms: Success Stories from Indian Country and Their Lessons for Philanthropy
This webinar shares two leading approaches to Native workforce development as well as an overview of the innovation movement that is emerging across the Native workforce development landscape. Native workforce development practitioners will provide attendees with deep insights into how Native definitions and criteria for success fundamentally differ from those of workforce development elsewhere across the country, and what those distinctions mean for how philanthropy should develop and support workforce development partnerships with Native nations and communities.
Developing the Native Workforce: Understanding Indian Country and the Role of Philanthropy
This webinar provides attendees with a broad overview of Native Nations and communities (“Indian Country”); how the self-determined development of the Native workforce advances overarching Native cultural, social, and economic imperatives; the role of philanthropy in supporting and scaling Native workforce development efforts; and how philanthropic organizations can develop partnerships with Native workforce development entities that expand and enhance the quality, accessibility, and cultural relevance of workforce development programs designed by and for Native people.
Speakers: Michael Johnson, Illuminative; Alvin Warren, LANL Foundation; Natasha Hale, Workforce Matters
Community College Webinar: Innovative Financing Strategies
Q3 Workforce Policy Briefing with USDOL
Workforce Matters and colleagues from the US Department of Labor met for an update on federal workforce policy and investments and potential roles and opportunities for workforce grantmakers. This quarter's call had a particular focus on the Good Jobs, Great Cities initiative, as well as other efforts that the Department is investing in under their "Places, Pathways, and Programs" approach.
September 13, 2023 | No Password Required
Affirmative Action Briefing and Discussion for Workforce Grantmakers
The recording is an interactive funder briefing and discussion of the recent Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action. What are the implications of the recent rulings for the workplace and for workforce development initiatives? How can funders continue to lean into and support diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice? Guest speakers include Art Coleman, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Education Counsel, Sally Chen, Education Equity Policy Manager of Chinese for Affirmative Action, and Alex Camardelle, Vice President of Research and Policy at the Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative.
NOTE: A password is required to view this video.
Intro to Journey Mapping
In this session, learn more about Journey Mapping from Greater Good Studios, a design firm dedicated to the social sector.
Promoting Inclusion for People Disabilities in the Workforce Helps All Workers
"Promoting inclusion for people with disabilities in the workforce helps all workers," is a briefing for workforce funders with the Office on Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) at the U.S. Department of Labor. This conversation features Taryn M. Williams, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy and is moderated by Elaine Katz of the Kessler Foundation.
Learn about federal funding opportunities to ensure policies are implemented with diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility principles in mind, including timely considerations about the impact of long COVID and the increase in the prevalence of mental health conditions. The conversation also features ways that funders can help grantees and communities integrate people with disabilities into the design and implementation of employment programs and funding.
May 10, 2023 | No Password Required
Selected Resources & Links Mentioned in the Webinar
Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN)
Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
LEADCenter for WIOA Policy Development
Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT)
Center for Advancing Employment Policy for Youth (CAPE-Youth)
Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship (PIA)
National Trends in Disability employment Report (nTIDE)
Employment of People with Disabilities in Skilled Trade Professions | U.S. Department of Labor Blog
Community Colleges Webinar
Workforce Matters kicked off a new virtual learning and discussion series on community colleges and workforce development, spearheaded by our Community College Working Group. In this inaugural conversation, the Lumina Foundation shared about its grantmaking strategy in this space and introduced grantees from California that are bridging higher education, workforce, labor, and employer sectors to improve community college outcomes for High Road Construction Careers participants.
May 4, 2023 | No Password Required
Resources & Links Mentioned in the Webinar
More information about Talent Pipeline Management
More on the MC3 curriculum from North America’s Building Trades Unions
More on the LCP tracker – labor compliance software
For more information on how the federal government is characterizing good jobs, please see USDOL’s Good Jobs Principles
Spring 2023 Workforce Policy Update
Workforce Matters and colleagues from the US Department of Labor met for an update on federal workforce policy and investments and potential roles and opportunities for workforce grantmakers. This month's call had a particular focus on job quality and on the federal budget for workforce development.
April 25, 2023 | No Password Required
Fund for Workforce Equity Applicant Webinar
A new pooled fund organized by Workforce Matters members, The Fund for Workforce Equity, will provide flexible resources and support to workforce development organizations seeking to pilot, adopt, and learn from new strategies as well as innovate on or extend existing strategies that center workers and learners of color in workforce policy and program design and implementation. Up to $1,000,000 will be awarded as part of our first round of funding in 2022. During this webinar, Workforce Matters supporters and staff talked about the goals for the fund, described the application process, and answered questions from prospective applicants. Applications are due July 31, 2022.
June 16, 2022 | No Password Required
2022 Workforce Policy Update
During this webinar, Workforce Matters was joined by leaders from three national networks who shared their insights on how the current social, economic, and political context is shaping the needs and priorities of their members; key federal policy debates, including WIOA reauthorization and short-term Pell proposals; and opportunities to align workforce policies and investments with racial equity and job quality priorities. Our panelists were:
- Jee Hang Lee, President & CEO, Association of Community College Trustees
- Kate Kreamer, Deputy Executive Director, Advance CTE
- Ron Painter, President & CEO, National Association of Workforce Boards
Crystal Bridgeman, Senior Director of Workforce Development Programs at the Siemens Foundation, and Kermit Kaleba, Strategy Director for Employer Aligned Programs at the Lumina Foundation, moderated the panel discussion and Dr. Lauren N. King, Program Officer for Employment Equity at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, provided opening remarks.
May 24, 2022 | No Password Required
Virtual Info Session: The Fund for Workforce Equity
(No Password Required)
The Fund for Workforce Equity is a new pooled fund organized by Workforce Matters to spark innovative strategies to center workers and learners of color in the design and implementation of workforce policies and programs. In this brief introduction, Workforce Matters Co-Director Loh-Sze Leung provides an overview of the Fund and special guests Dina Emam of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Adrian Esquivel of the Chicagoland Workforce Funders Alliance discuss examples of centering workers and learners from their own grantmaking.
Interested in learning more? Click here for more information on the Fund for Workforce Equity.
January 26, 2022
Workforce 101: An Introduction to the US Workforce System
(No Password Required)
Are you new to workforce development and struggling to wrap your head around the complex US workforce system? A seasoned workforce grantmaker who needs a refresher on how to decipher the WIOA/CTE/TANF/SNAP E&T alphabet soup? Looking for basic information to help you ensure that your grantmaking is aligned with (or differentiated from) public funding streams?
In Part I, we're joined by Nancy Snyder, who briefly describes how the system is structured and funded. Snyder's deep workforce experience includes serving as President & CEO of Commonwealth Corporation, as interim Secretary of Labor & Workforce Development in Massachusetts, and as the Deputy Director for Workforce Development at the Boston Private Industry Council.
(17 min)
In Part II, Kermit Kaleba of the Lumina Foundation provides a funder's perspective on opportunities for philanthropy to both align and work in partnership with the public workforce system.
(7 min)
May 14, 2021
2021 Workforce Budget and Policy Outlook
(No Password Required)
With Melissa Johnson, Managing Director of State Strategies, National Skills Coalition and Mary Gardner Clagett, Senior Director of Workforce Policy, Workforce and Education Policy Group, Jobs for the Future.
April 21, 2021
35 min
Remarks by Dr. Dominique Harrison to the Workforce Matters Steering Committee: Digital Equity
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Dr. Dominique Harrison, Director of the Technology Policy Program at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, joined the Workforce Matters Steering Committee for a conversation about digital equity. In this short video, she discusses how broadband access alone cannot resolve all of the challenges around digital equity, yet remains a critical component to realizing opportunities to increase earnings, job growth, educational attainment, and healthcare, particularly in the Black Rural South.
22 minutes
April 19, 2021
An Introduction to A Racial Equity Framework for Workforce Development Funders
(No Password Required)
Workforce Matters published A Racial Equity Framework for Workforce Development Funders in January. In this webinar, you'll learn about the history and contents of the Framework, and have a chance to hear from fellow workforce funders about real-world examples of racial equity practices.
Overview (10:52)
Practice Examples
- Ashley McIver, Communities Foundation of Texas (2:58)
- Elaine Katz, Kessler Foundation (2:34)
- Jen Racho, Northwest Area Foundation (3:18)
- Rob Hope, ReWork the Bay (2:31)
- Jonathan Njus, W.K. Kellogg Foundation (3:16)
Full Webinar (53:58)
March 24, 2021
Remarks by Rebecca Dixon to the Workforce Matters Steering Committee: Occupational Segregation
(No Password Required)
Rebecca Dixon - Executive Director of the National Employment Law Project - joined the Workforce Matters Steering Committee's Annual Meeting for a discussion on occupational segregation. In this short video, she provides historical context for occupational segregation in the United States, provides an update on current circumstances, and briefly describes opportunities to address continued disparities.
24 minutes
February 24, 2021
Getting to Know STARs - Highlights from a Conversation with Opportunity@Work
(No Password Required)
Workforce Matters invited Byron Auguste, CEO and Co-Founder of Opportunity@Work and LaShana Lewis, CEO of L.M. Lewis Consulting and a technologist who also works on diversity, equity and inclusion in tech, to join our Steering Committee for a conversation about STARs -- the 70+ million adults in the U.S. labor force that are Skilled Through Alternative Routes such as community college, workforce training, bootcamps, certificate programs, military service or on-the-job learning, rather than through a college degree. Gayatri Agnew, Senior Director of Corporate Philanthropy at Walmart.org and co-chair of Workforce Matters, moderated.
February 23, 2021
10 min