November 18, 2020

In the wake of Covid-19, massive job losses, rapidly evolving business models, and accelerating automation are dramatically reshaping the US economy. The future of work is upon us, and the workforce is growing more diverse each year. One in three people in the United States were already economically insecure prior to the pandemic, including half of all Black and Latinx residents; with an uncertain road to recovery ahead, dismantling structural barriers to racial equity in the workforce is crucial to building a resilient and inclusive economy.

This conversation focused on the following strategies and solutions to advance workforce equity: where racial income gaps have been eliminated, all jobs are good jobs, and everyone who wants to work has access to family-supporting employment. We shared the unique insights of a new report from the National Equity Atlas and Burning Glass Technologies, Race and the Work of the Future: Advancing Workforce Equity in the United States. We also heard from workforce leaders moving equity-focused policies on the ground in Dallas and Seattle — including targeted strategies like skills-based hiring and apprenticeships and cross-sector partnerships that align workforce development with critical community supports like childcare, housing, and transportation.

Featured Speakers:
- Amanda Cage, National Fund for Workforce Solutions
- Andrea Glispie, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas
- Marie Kurose, Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County
- Abbie Langston, PolicyLink
- Sarah Treuhaft, PolicyLink (moderator)