#InvestInWork: Get America Back to Work

It’s been almost 18 months since the onset of the pandemic and today, millions of job seekers continue to look for their places in the workforce. Many face barriers that are keeping them from landing well-paying jobs that provide family-sustaining wages.

To kick off National Workforce Development Month, the Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Kansas City, and Fed Communities, along with WorkingNation, invited educational, philanthropic, corporate, and workforce development thought leaders to engage and share solutions around how to help workers move forward in an #InvestInWork Twitter chat.

The participation was robust in the hour-long online conversation on how we can work together to Get America Back to Work. The Q&A format resulted in many observations and suggestions—too many to share here. But we would like to offer examples of some of the tweets to illustrate the range of ideas.

And remember, it's not too late to jump into the mix by going on Twitter using the hashtag #InvestInWork. We encourage you to do so, so we can keep this important discussion going throughout the month.

The National Fund for Workforce Solutions says getting to workforce equity requires a very deep dive. The National Fund aims for a time when "workers, employers, and communities are thriving and prosperous."

A1: Addressing systemic issues requires systems thinking. Getting to the root cause of an issue and understanding how different systems interact is essential to making lasting, equitable change. Learn more about systems thinking here. #InvestInWork https://t.co/SEo6OBQIDh— National Fund for Workforce Solutions (@National_Fund) September 1, 2021

Removing barriers and achieving fairness in the workforce goes hand-in-hand with eliminating racism, according to the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). The organization advocates for the adult learner.

A1: We realize our work will never be complete while racism and the inequities it perpetuates exist. And this means we cannot overlook opportunities to more tangibly connect our mission and work to the broader one of eradicating systemic racism #InvestInWork https://t.co/XhbLWamfNx— CAEL (@CAELnews) September 1, 2021

In order to knock down barriers to employment, David M. Rubenstein Fellow Annelies Goger of Brookings says there needs to be consideration of lived experiences. The mission of the Metropolitan Policy Program is "to deliver research and solutions that help metropolitan leaders build an advanced economy that works for all."

A1. Start by asking people what their barriers and aspirations are, and build a coordinated strategy rooted in an understanding of our/their experiences rather than making assumptions. #InvestInWork https://t.co/9aEQFyCaKc— Annelies Goger (@annelies_goger) September 1, 2021

Collaborative funding efforts among stakeholders can provide critical impact for those that are often left behind, according to World Education Services. The WES Mariam Assefa Fund, the philanthropic effort of WES, invests in inclusive efforts for immigrants and refugees in the U.S., as well as Canada.

A2 (1): Leveraging non-government funding (employers, philanthropy, investors) can shift the future of financing workforce training – this has the potential to change existing employment pathway experiences and improve job quality. #InvestInWork— World Education Services (@WorldEdServices) September 1, 2021

Hiring managers need to rethink requirements when bringing in new talent. Opportunity@Work says there are plenty of people who don't have college degrees that are skilled and capable of filling those positions.

A2: Employers need to find and invest in STARs (workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes) where they are. Our Navigating with the STARs report finds that there are 51 gateway jobs that unlock economic mobility for STARs. #InvestInWorkhttps://t.co/WWH2NJk3QD— Opportunity@Work (@OpptyatWork) September 1,