ProGov21 Policy Library

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

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2022

Level State

State(s) California

Source UCLA Labor Center

Policy Areas Economic Justice

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...

How State and Local Governments Can Strengthen Worker Power and Raise Wages

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2017

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Center for American Progress

Policy Areas Economic Justice

This report highlights policy mechanisms that state and local governments can use to raise wages at an industry or sectoral level and to support worker organizations. Recommendations include, but are not limited to, using wage boards to establish industry-wide pay standards, partnering...

Assessing the Future of Our Work: Automation and the Role of Cities

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source National League of Cities

Policy Areas Data & Technology, Economic Justice

Large numbers of workers will be displaced by automation. To minimize the suffering associated with displacement, cities can equip workers with skill sets that will be in-demand in the future and enhance individuals' ability to work in jobs with low probabilities of being automated....

Unlocking Potential: The Inland Empire Black Worker Center’s Transformative IE Works Program

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2023

Level State

State(s) California

Source UCLA Labor Center

Policy Areas Economic Justice

Across California's Inland Empire, Black workers have the highest unemployment rates and lowest median earnings. To address this, the Inland Empire Black Worker Center implemented a pre-apprenticeship program that prioritizes the dignity of Black workers while preparing them for high...

Competency-Based Credentials Case Studies

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2014

Level State, National

State(s) All States

Source Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Policy Areas Education

Traditionally, employers, workers and students have used academic degrees and diplomas as a proxy for the skills and knowledge needed to perform on the job. There is growing interest in the use of competency-based credentials to complement this approach; however, the current “market”...

Industrial Energy Productivity: Jobs and Workforce Development in the Midwest

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2012

Level State

State(s) All States

Source Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Energy, Education

The Midwest accounts for nearly one-fourth of all industrial energy usage in the U.S., including nearly half of all industrial coal consumption; however, only 10 percent of Midwestern industrial facilities are upgrading their equipment to improve productivity. In 2011 the Midwestern...

Creating Equity for the Early Childhood Workforce

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source National League of Cities

Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education

The early childhood workforce has been undervalued, underpaid, and faces significant inequities, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. City leaders should prioritize equitable policies and investments to support both formal and informal early childhood providers, ensuring they have...

Moving Beyond the Count: Maryland’s Skills to Compete Initiative

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2011

Level City or Town, State

State(s) Maryland

Source Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Policy Areas Education

Maryland is taking bold steps to increase the number of workers who possess a post-secondary education credential. In particular, Skills2Compete Maryland (S2C Maryland) is a campaign aimed at increasing post-secondary success to strengthen the skills of Maryland’s workforce. This...

Developing Market-Relevant Curricula and Credentials: Employer Engagement for Community Colleges in Partnerships

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2012

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Policy Areas Education

Business and education communities share an understanding of the type, level, and quantity of skills and credentials needed by the workforce. However, community colleges often struggle to engage employers effectively. This report outlines strategies community colleges can take to...

Giving Credit Where Credit is Due: Creating a Competency-Based Qualifications Framework for Postsecondary Education and Training

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2011

Level State, National

State(s) All States

Source Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Policy Areas Education

Incomes, job security, and economic growth increasingly depend on postsecondary credentials with value in the labor market. While a vast number of adults in the labor market engage in noncredit occupational education and training, without common metrics or quality assurance mechanisms,...

Detroit Adult Foundational Skill Development: Challenges and Solutions

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town

State(s) Michigan

Source Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Community Development, Education

Nearly half of working age Detroiters do not have the essential foundational skills necessary to get a job or succeed in a career. At the same time, the need for strong foundational skills is growing. Detroit’s emerging economic comeback means that the number of jobs is growing, and...

Advancing American Economic Competitiveness Through Latino Immigrant Worker Success

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2011

Level City or Town, State, National

State(s) All States

Source Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Policy Areas Education

Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of America's population, though many lack the necessary skills and education to meet the demands of industry and earn family sustaining wages. This report provides recommendations that can be taken in order to bridge the skills gap. These recommendations...

Employer Power and Employee Skills: Recommendations for Workforce Training Practitioners and Funders

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2021

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Roosevelt Institute

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement

Successful workforce training programs build worker power by both imparting new skills and reducing obstacles to finding new jobs or maintaining existing ones. This guide provides an overview of existing workforce training nonprofits and outlines best practices for developing workforce...

The High Road To Economic Prosperity: An Assessment of the California Workforce Development Board’s High Road Training Partnership Initiative

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level State

State(s) California

Source UCLA Labor Center

Policy Areas Economic Justice

In 2017, the California Workforce Development Board launched the High Road Training Partnership (HRTP) project to create a workforce development framework for improving skills, increasing competitiveness, and creating economic mobility. This report evaluates the HRTP and finds that...

Addressing Detroit’s Basic Skills Crisis

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2011

Level City or Town

State(s) Michigan

Source Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Policy Areas Education

The Detroit Regional Workforce Fund’s efforts to connect low and moderate-income persons to career pathways is inhibited by the skills gap. As a result, the Detroit Regional Workforce Fund is pursuing several key policy and capacity-building efforts focused on increasing adult educational...

Youth Employment and Financial Capability: A Municipal Action Guide

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2017

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source National League of Cities

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement

Across the nation, youth employment programs introduce thousands of teens to the working world each year. Cities can improve financial outcomes for future generations of workers by directly incorporating financial capability programs into existing municipal youth employment efforts....

Upskill/Backfill Strategies: Advancing Incumbent Workers and Opening Opportunities for Job Seekers

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2014

Level National

State(s) All States

Source Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Policy Areas Education

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) High Growth and Emerging Industry Sectors grant program from 2009 to 2013, the U.S. Department of Labor funded 152 grantees across the country to train unemployed and dislocated workers in emerging and growing sectors...

Community Workforce Agreement on Standards and Community Benefits in the Clean Energy Works Portland Pilot Project

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2009

Level City or Town

State(s) Oregon

Source City of Portland

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Energy

The Clean Energy Works Portland Pilot Project aims to deliver affordable home energy upgrades to homeowners while creating new career opportunities for residents. This community workforce agreement outlines the project's hiring goals and includes eligibility criteria for contractor...

Perspectives on No Worker Left Behind: Results From a Participant Survey

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2014

Level State

State(s) Michigan

Source Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Policy Areas Education

No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) was an offer by the State of Michigan from 2007-2010 of free tuition to low-income and unemployed workers willing to go back to school and earn a market-relevant degree or credential. This study explores the experiences of those who enrolled in NWLB, seeking...

Decarbonizing Buildings: How States Can Set the Table for Success

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2024

Level National, State

State(s) All States, California, District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington

Source Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc.

Policy Areas Energy, Environment & Natural Resources, Housing

Decarbonizing buildings is essential to achieving broader climate goals, which demand rapid progress toward economy-wide decarbonization. Communities should implement a comprehensive policy framework involving equity and workforce investments, carbon reduction obligations, codes and...

Building a Greener KC: Transforming an Industry

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2009

Level City or Town, County

State(s) Kansas

Source Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Energy, Education

This report focuses on an association of city and county governments and metropolitan planning organizations which collaborate to identify new training needs of Kansas City area businesses attempting to adapt to sustainable energy and energy efficiency opportunities. Key findings...

City at a Crossroads: Poverty, Jobs and the Future of Los Angeles

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2006

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Housing, Public Safety, Health, Education

This factsheet highlights the economic challenges facing low-income communities in Los Angeles, including poverty, a declining manufacturing industry, unemployment, increasing costs of living, and inadequate access to education and training programs. It argues that the city must act...

Transforming Michigan’s Adult Learning Infrastructure

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2008

Level State

State(s) Michigan

Source Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Policy Areas Education

Michigan’s economy is transforming to one that demands new skills, knowledge, and credentials, especially post-secondary education. However, there are fewer adults able to meet this growing need; in fact, one out of three working-age Michigan adults lacks the basic skills or credentials...

Mapping Green Career Pathways: Job Training Infrastructure and Opportunities in Ohio

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2010

Level City or Town

State(s) Ohio

Source Policy Matters Ohio

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Economic Justice

Transitioning away from fossil fuels and toward a clean energy economy has the potential to create millions of green jobs, or high-quality jobs that contribute significantly to enhancing or preserving the environment. This report identifies training opportunities in Ohio that prepare...

Fragmentation in Workforce Development and Efforts to Coordinate Regional Workforce Development Systems

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level City or Town, County

State(s) Georgia

Source Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Policy Areas Community Development, Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement

This report examines workforce development trends in the Atlanta metropolitan area and recommends enhancing collaborative efforts to improve workforce education, aligning workforce development with current sector-based employment trends, and supporting individuals with barriers to...

ProGov21 Policy Library

Remove Entry

There was an error communicating with the server.

There was an error while saving your data.

Error

Update Page Content

You are leaving the page