Challenge

At Third Sector, we are working toward a future where integrated and coordinated workforce development systems provide the tools and the support necessary for all people to have access to basic economic security, jobs that pay a living wage, and the opportunity to build a life of their dreams. Now more than ever,  as communities across the country face economic uncertainty and the impacts of climate change, we need worker-centered, cross-sector collaboration to connect skilled laborers with careers that can power the nation’s climate and infrastructure needs.

The Families and Workers

Challenge

Everyone, no matter their age, race, or income, deserves to get the education and career they want. However, with rising costs and limited access to health care, child care, career counseling, and other key support services, many Americans face significant barriers to enrolling in and completing post-secondary education and obtaining a credential.

Research has found that access to wraparound student support services can improve outcomes for students who face more barriers to college than others by meeting their specific needs and removing those barriers. In 2019, Third Sector worked with the

Third Sector is partnering with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to support cross-sector partnerships in Indiana, Michigan, and Tennessee in designing and developing pilot Lifelong Learning Account (LiLA) implementation plans. These pilot programs will provide working people in their states with access to job training and ongoing educational opportunities to grow or build new careers.

Challenge

Most of us believe that children (ages 0-5 years) should have a safe and nurturing space to learn and thrive with qualified and supported educators, no matter their race, background, or circumstance. However, many cities and states fail to invest meaningfully in early childhood education, leaving educators underfunded, underpaid, and underresourced. For decades, the field of child care has been largely populated with women, more specifically Black Women and women of color, who are often undervalued as working professionals. As a result, these positions are often highly underpaid and provide

Challenge

Most of us believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to build the life of our dreams — no matter what we look like, our circumstances, or where we live. But, in many rural communities, there are fewer opportunities to obtain jobs that pay a living wage than in more heavily populated communities. And for new and growing businesses in rural communities, there are often gaps between what employers are looking for, what education and training partners provide, what skills jobseekers may have, or wraparound support they need.

As a result, many

Challenge

Everyone should have the opportunity to have a job or career that they love and that pays them a wage that helps them support their families. But today, there are millions of Californians who don’t have access to these kinds of job opportunities because government officials and employers have created and maintained barriers based on what we look like, where we live, or what mistakes we may have made in the past. Fortunately, many government social service agencies and nonprofit providers in the state are working hard to remove these