Michigan is actively pursuing a clean energy future, and like many states, faces the critical challenge of not just creating new jobs, but establishing high-quality, family-sustaining careers to attract, cultivate, and retain a skilled workforce. The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) sits at the center of this effort, connecting residents with employment opportunities and helping businesses find the talent they need to thrive. As a participant in the Families and Workers Fund’s Powering Climate and Infrastructure Careers (PCIC) initiative, LEO strives to build an equitable and prosperous

New Mexico is currently undergoing an energy transition away from legacy fossil fuel industries, such as oil, gas, and coal, toward a green economy, which requires a skilled workforce for emerging jobs in these industries. Executive Order 2024-152 and New Mexico’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) state plan mandate the state to train 2,000 New Mexicans for infrastructure and climate-ready professions by 2026. Meeting the aspirational mandates of these regulatory requirements presents state leaders with an opportunity to ensure that these climate-ready jobs are of high quality, with accessible

The United States’ transition to a clean economy is one of the greatest opportunities of our generation. This shift enables us to not only build sustainable infrastructure that powers our homes and transports us safely from one town to the next, but also has the potential to create thousands of quality jobs that strengthen economic possibilities for our neighbors and communities if we act with intention.

These jobs, which offer a living wage, purpose, and pathways for advancement in sectors like manufacturing and energy, are strengthening neighborhoods nationwide. Jobseekers, workers, and

Learners across the country continue to describe credentialing systems as confusing and challenging to navigate. This became clear in our recent conversations with educators, employers, and partners who witness these challenges unfold in real time. During our The Future is Portable: A Conversation with Leaders webinar, panelists described the urgency of building systems that help learners access and share their skills in ways that feel clear, intuitive, and supportive of their long-term goals. At CBExchange, the discussion continued as we explored how digital wallers and Learning and Employment Records (LERs)

For public sector workers transforming behavioral health systems, engaging with stakeholders currently in crisis often means stepping into sensitive spaces–whether they are currently experiencing violence, homelessness, or severe mental illness. Collecting insights about their experience requires a trauma-informed approach to ensure the well-being of the participants as collaborators in the process. It’s about building trust, fostering psychological safety, and honoring the lived experiences of those you serve, while also protecting your own energy to truly show up and be present with your stakeholders.

At Third Sector, our Behavioral Health projects often

Government projects rarely unfold exactly as planned. Funding shifts, capacity varies, and data and operations are often messier than expected. For consultants and public partners, success depends less on sticking rigidly to scope and more on practicing adaptive facilitation—the art of adjusting scope, style, and role to meet clients where they are, while still delivering impact.

At Third Sector, we’ve seen this play out across projects of every size and context. Whether stepping back to address foundational capacity issues, loosening rigid processes to prioritize authentic presence, or designing tools that account