I often think that we are not really doing workforce development, we are doing human development

Power Station

This conversation is about what is possible when a nonprofit organization engages jobseekers and employers in shaping the future of work through a North Star lens of racial equity and economic mobility. It is about reimagining workforce development, an admittedly wonky and uninspiring term, as an opportunity to prepare jobseekers, largely women of color in California, for high quality jobs. And it is about influencing the companies that hire them to do the internal work needed to retain them. In this episode of Power Station, Lisa Countryman Quiroz, CEO of Jewish Vocational Service, shares how employers are expanding their strategies for sourcing talent and making attitudinal changes that enable talented staff to manage both work and family responsibilities. Lisa describes the robust training and certification programs that position jobseekers formerly making $40,000 a year to five years later making over $100,000. She points to JVS ‘s advocacy for progressive legislative policies and its stand against cuts to state and national workforce funding. And she calls on philanthropy to invest in these strategies beyond the traditional markets. Lisa is an exceptional storyteller and a changemaking leader. Once you hear her, you will want to share this episode.