“Storytelling isn’t done for the sake of storytelling.”

It should be illustrative—not extractive.

The real work? Turning what we hear into action.

🎧 shiftworkforward.org/podcasts/bonus-the-story...

The future of work isn’t something we wait for.

It’s something we build—job by job, employer by employer, community by community.

That’s where our focus is right now.

https://shiftworkforward.org/

#ShiftWorkForward

A snowstorm reveals something bigger:

NYC pays emergency shovelers ~$19/hour—until overtime pushes it to $28.71/hour.
Closer to what it actually takes to live there.

If we can do that in a crisis, why not every day?

🎧 https://ow.ly/VZxo50YBu11

We’ve outgrown our name.

➡️ The National Fund for Workforce Solutions is now Shift Work Forward.

Same mission. Bigger vision.

🎧 shiftworkforward.org/podcasts/how-do-we-shift...

Subscribe to Our Newsletters - Shift Work Forward Join the shift. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest insights, tools, and stories from the leaders redesigning work for an equitable future.

Real workforce change is happening in communities across the country.

📬 Our newsletters bring you insights from the leaders making it happen.

Subscribe: shiftworkforward.org/subscribe-to-our-newslet...

State of Our Workforce Podcast - Shift Work Forward State of Our Workforce is a monthly podcast that brings bold ideas, real stories, and practical strategies from changemakers reshaping what work looks like in America.

The future of work is being shaped right now.

🎧 State of Our Workforce brings you the conversations driving it.

Subscribe: shiftworkforward.org/media-center/state-of-ou...

There’s a lot of conversation right now about the future of work.

What’s missing? Action.

We’re working with employers, workers, and communities to make jobs more stable, more equitable, and more responsive to the people doing them.

https://shiftworkforward.org/

#ShiftWorkForward

Better jobs don’t happen by accident.

They’re built—through intentional job design, worker voice, and employers willing to do things differently.

That’s where we’re focused right now.

We’re just getting started.

#ShiftWorkForward

https://shiftworkforward.org/

Across the country, workers are demanding better jobs. Employers are rethinking how work gets done. And communities are asking bigger questions about what economic mobility really looks like.

We’re building on that momentum!

https://shiftworkforward.org/

#ShiftWorkForward

Shift Work Forward: Today We Launch Our Next Chapter - Shift Work Forward Today is a day I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. After years of conversation, reflection, collaboration, and dreaming with our team and partners across the country, we’re proud to share an important evolution in how we show up in the world: The National Fund is now Shift Work Forward. Seeing this new name officially out in the […]

Today, we’re excited to share an important evolution in our work.

The National Fund for Workforce Solutions is now Shift Work Forward.

Learn more: shiftworkforward.org/news/shift-work-forward-...

Activate Industry Leaders To Improve Job Quality Activate Industry Leaders To Improve Job Quality and Create More Equitable Workplaces Nearly half of U.S. workers earn low wages, with women and people of color disproportionately affected. While some advance through skill-building and earning credentials, most remain stuck without real opportunitie…

Nearly half of U.S. workers earn low wages. That’s not a pipeline issue—it’s a job quality issue.
When employers co-design with workers, everyone wins.
See how we’re driving change: nationalfund.org/what-we-do/activate-indu...

America Runs on Care Work, and I’m Tired of Pretending Otherwise | Common Dreams ​The labor that sustains human life gets pushed to the margins, while the labor that scales software gets paraded on magazine covers.

We talk about the “future of work” while undervaluing the work that sustains everything.
Care jobs are essential—but underpaid + overlooked.
If job quality matters, care work must be central.
www.commondreams.org/opinion/american-runs-on...

Workforce systems don’t change from the top down. They change locally.
✔ Labor markets are local
✔ Collaboration drives change
✔ Networks scale impact
Want to see what that looks like?
https://nationalfund.org/our-network/

Storytelling = strategy. It shapes narratives, challenges assumptions, and drives systems change. What we choose to center matters.
Listen to reflections from a year of workforce conversations:
https://rss.com/podcasts/state-of-our-workforce/2617512

Subscribe to Our Newsletters | National Fund for Workforce Solutions Join us for a deeper dive into the diverse, groundbreaking solutions our network employs to tackle local challenges nationwide.

Workforce systems are shifting fast. Are you keeping up?
Get insights, research, and real-world strategies from across our national network.
Subscribe: https://nationalfund.org/subscribe/

Lessons (So Far) From Lumina Foundation’s FutureReady States Initiative This report synthesizes landscape assessments from 12 states participating in Lumina Foundation’s FutureReady States (FRS) initiative.

Billions invested in credentials—but do they lead to good jobs?
Without transparency + accountability, access ≠ outcomes.
It’s time to shift the system.
www.luminafoundation.org/resource/lessons-so-far-...

Equal Pay Day is about more than wages.

Pay gaps are rooted in occupational segregation: who gets access to which jobs.

If we want equity, we need better pathways, better jobs, and systems that work for everyone.

#EqualPayDay #WorkforceEquity #GoodJobs

A Low-Cost, Scalable Way to Get More Women Into Tech Why aren’t there more women working in tech? For all the hiring pledges, networking initiatives and one-on-one mentoring programs, women hold 30% of tech jobs worldwide — even though they make up half the global population. The implications of having a more representative workforce are straightforwa…

We don’t need to fix workers to get more women in tech jobs. We need to fix access.
Targeted, low-cost training works.
The real opportunity? Scaling what removes barriers.
www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/low-cost-scalab...

The “median wage” isn’t the full story. In NYC, $27/hr still leaves many unable to afford basic costs. If we design systems around flawed benchmarks, we miss the mark. Time to focus on real cost of living → real opportunity.
nationalfund.org/state-of-our-workforce/

Transform Career Navigation and Training Systems Transform Career Navigation and Training Systems to Forge Equitable Pathways to Good Jobs Everyone deserves a fair shot at building a successful career, but a significant number of workers — especially people of color and those with lower incomes — face structural inequities that make it difficult t…

A career shouldn’t depend on who you know.
Disconnected systems + lack of support = blocked mobility.
We need coordinated, worker-centered pathways to good jobs.
Learn more: nationalfund.org/what-we-do/transform-car...

Incremental change won’t cut it. The future of work demands bold ideas + new partnerships.
SHIFT 2026 is where leaders come to rethink systems, job quality, and equity.
Stay tuned:
https://shift.nationalfund.org/

National Fund | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree Nationally Powered. Locally Driven.

The future of work conversation isn’t happening in one place—and neither are we.
Reports. Podcasts. Insights.
Find us wherever you are: https://linktr.ee/nationalfund

Employees are rejecting leadership’s AI vision despite big push from the top Only leadership views AI as a teammate, the rest of the workforce doesn't, report finds

Leaders push AI. Workers aren’t sold.
Why? They’re not included.
Innovation without worker voice = low trust, low adoption.
Worker-centered design isn’t optional.
https://ow.ly/GrsZ50YwtwF

Address Systemic Barriers to Success In the Workforce Address Systemic Barriers to Success In the Workforce to Ensure People Have Access to Opportunities Solving workforce problems requires seeing the whole picture, in all of its complexity. Factors such as reliable and affordable transportation, dependable family care, second chance hiring policies, a…

Jobs alone don’t create opportunity.
Transportation. Childcare. Broadband. Policy.
If we ignore systemic barriers, we design incomplete solutions.
See the full picture: nationalfund.org/what-we-do/address-syste...

Look to the STARs Employers can find the talent they need, transform their local and regional labor markets, and boost STAR mobility by embracing a collective approach to skills-based job pathways.

There’s no talent shortage—there’s a visibility problem.
70M+ workers are already skilled but screened out.
Skills-first hiring isn’t optional—it’s essential.
www.opportunityatwork.org/topics/reports/look-to-t...

Storytelling isn’t just content—it’s how we understand people, systems, and inequities. From day one, that instinct matters. Want better workforce solutions? Start by listening better.
https://nationalfund.org/state-of-our-workforce/

Workforce news moves fast. Our Workforce Wrap-Up helps you keep up with the ideas, research, and policy shaping the #wkdev conversation. Catch up on what matters most. 👇
prod.cdn.everyaction.com/emails/van/EA/EA005/1/77...

The rich are making and spending more money. Everyone else is cutting back. The K-shaped economy is growing more lopsided. Wealthy Americans splurge on travel and events; lower- and middle-income people cut back on groceries.

The economy may be growing—but not for everyone. A “K-shaped economy” is widening the divide between high-income households and everyone else. Job quality and access to good jobs must be part of the solution. Read: www.businessinsider.com/k-shaped-economy-spendin...

Rethinking Underemployment: Are College Graduates Using Their Degrees? - CEW Georgetown Existing underemployment estimates range from 25 percent to 52 percent, making it difficult to gauge the scope of the problem.

We hear about unemployment a lot—but underemployment may be the bigger issue. As many as 1 in 3 college grads may be working in jobs that don’t use their degree. What does that mean for economic mobility? Read the research: cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/measuring-un...

What We Do | National Fund for Workforce Solutions What We Do The National Fund unites a dynamic network of regional workforce leaders who partner with us to test new ideas, learn from success and setbacks, and share what works with the field. That is why we collaborate with our Network Partners to: Address systemic barriers to success in the workfo…

What does the National Fund focus on?
• Address systemic barriers
• Transform career navigation
• Improve job quality with industry leaders

Together with our network, we’re working to expand access to good jobs. Explore the work: https://nationalfund.org/what-we-do/