This is the first of three conversations we hosted LIVE from the National Fund's premier, biennial convening, SHIFT Toward an Equitable Future.

A large part of our work at the National Fund is identifying ways in which we use our national platform to drive regional change on issues such as occupational segregation.

As part of that work, we identified career navigation as one such lever. We believe that it must be addressed at a systems level because the impact of occupational segregation goes beyond the worker. It impacts every facet of the workforce ecosystem from companies, education, human welfare, generational wealth opportunities, cities, towns and states because we know that inequities in our systems costs us in a myriad ways. So, we decided to take a deep dive into career navigation to identify opportunities to better support equitable opportunities for all. Today we'll be talking with some of our amazing collaborators who participated in this work.

This conversation focuses on young people who are just starting out in their careers. We met these folks last summer during our Career Navigation interviews. We were excited to be joined by: Juvilee Hernandez from Chicago where she is a youth organizer at Northwest Center; Reginald Bridges is also from Chicago, and he's an assistant kindergarten teacher with It Takes a Village early learning center; and Kayla White, an IT worker in Birmingham, who is also currently working as an intern with AlabamaWorks!.

Join us for the next episode of State of Our Workforce where we will continue our series on the Anthropology of Work. The National Fund will host its premier, biennial convening SHIFT Toward an Equitable Future in Memphis, TN, September 24-26. We are so excited to dig deeper on workforce equity, systems change, job quality, and more.

We are excited to be joined by Hollie Marston, Network Director at the National Fund, to talk about what you can expect at SHIFT this year. Hollie and the National Fund team have been hard at work putting together a learning agenda that will help us amplify voices that need to be heard, activate new solutions to persistent problems, and accelerate change needed to achieve an equitable workforce. Plus, we'll have a very special announcement about September's State of Our Workforce.

Tune in to learn about SHIFT and more!

On this episode of State of Our Workforce, we continue our series on the Anthropology of Work and celebrate Pride Month. We dig into how employers can create safe, equitable environments for LGBTQ+ employees and allow people to thrive authentically.

We are excited to be joined by Janell Thomas, founder of My CoLab Partners, who shared her insights on building and sustaining inclusive workplaces. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn how to support LGBTQ+ workers and ensure your workplace is a space where everyone can thrive.

Learn more about My CoLab Partners here: https://www.mycolabpartners.com/

We are excited to continue our conversation about the Anthropology of Work on State of Our Workforce. This month, in recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are so excited to be joined by Josie Howard, CEO of We Are Oceania for a conversation about her organization's work to empower the Micronesian population in Hawai'i.

Join us as we delve into the complexities of Micronesian employment in Hawai'i's diverse cultural landscape. Learn about some of the transformative initiatives spearheaded by We Are Oceania aimed at empowering Micronesian communities while preserving their rich heritage. Discover how these efforts are shaping a more inclusive and prosperous future for Micronesian migrants in the melting pot of cultures in the Aloha State.

Learn more about We Are Oceania at their website: https://www.weareoceania.org/

We are excited to continue our conversation about the Anthropology of Work on State of Our Workforce. This month, special guest host Carrie Felton, director of worker success at the National Fund, will be joined by Andrea Valencia and Anabelle Garay from Linguaficient to explore the critical topic of language justice and its pivotal role in fostering equity within our workforce.

From dismantling language barriers to empowering marginalized communities, we unpack the significance of linguistic inclusivity in shaping a fairer and more accessible professional landscape. Tune in as we explore the transformative power of language and its profound impact on building a more inclusive and equitable future for all.

Learn more about Linguaficient here: https://www.linguaficient.com/

We continue to explore the anthropology of work on State of Our Workforce. We're very excited to recognize Women's History Month and discuss the ongoing negotiations around the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in Congress.

Discover how the WIOA reauthorization could reshape the landscape of workforce development and what it means for women across industries in an era of rapid change. Katie Spiker, the Managing Director of Government Affairs at the National Skills Coalition, will share her expert insights on policy advancements, skill-building opportunities, and strategies to enhance women's representation and success in the workforce.

Read the NSC's report Unprecedented Opportunity: Meeting the Workforce Demands of New Clean Energy, Manufacturing, and Infrastructure Investments here: https://nationalskillscoalition.org/resource/publications/data-infrastructure-investments/

Welcome to the new season of State of Our Workforce! This year, our conversations will center on the Anthropology of Work. (Check out our mini-episode to learn more.)

In recognizing Black History Month, we are joined by Dr. Angela Jackson, founder of Future Forward, and Dr. Rachel Watkins, professor of anthropology at American University, for a conversation about the history of research and the way it influences us now, with a specific look at its impact in the field of workforce development and how that has affected workers, especially Black workers.

Follow the National Fund on LinkedIn to watch live recordings of State of Our Workforce every month.

Michelle Wilson takes on the role of guest to discuss the upcoming year on State of Our Workforce. She explores the "Anthropology of Work" and the conversations, ideas, and guests that will help everyone learn more about this exciting topic.