New Directions in Racial and Economic Justice: How California's Worker Centers Are Bringing Worker Power into Workforce Development

The traditional public workforce development system has struggled to serve California's most marginalized workers. Worker centers, community-based organizations created by and for BIPOC and immigrant workers in low-wage industries, provide an alternative approach to workforce development that is community and worker centered, industry responsive, and systems oriented. This report details lessons learned from worker centers about effectively reach low-wage workers and excluded industries, creating opportunities to transform low-wage work, and how community organizing and policy advocacy can change the workforce development system.