2026 is shaping up to be a defining year for the field of workforce development. At the National Fund, we’re launching new programs. We have the SHIFT Conference coming up in Albuquerque this September. And across the country, conversations about job quality, worker voice, and racial equity are accelerating.

In this special episode of State of Our Workforce, we’re joined by Amanda Cage for a candid conversation about this pivotal moment, and what it requires of all of us. Amanda will discuss the organization’s evolution form a collaborative philanthropic fund into a national catalyst reshaping workforce systems so workers, employers, and communities can thrive together. In this episode, Amanda reflects on that evolution and shares why this moment calls for something bigger.

Whether you’re an employer, funder, policymaker, workforce leader, or longtime partner, this episode asks a timely question: How do we shift work forward — together? Listen now and join us in shaping what comes next.

Learn more about Shift Work Forward: https://shiftworkforward.org/

In this special bonus episode, State of Our Workforce producer Josh Enoch sits down with Michelle Wilson and Henry Danner, hosts of State of Our Workforce and Unpacked, to look back at a year of powerful conversations. Together, they revisit standout moments, unpack recurring themes, and explore what those stories reveal about the state of workforce equity.

The conversation also digs into why storytelling is more than a communications tool—it’s a strategy for advancing racial equity, challenging entrenched narratives, and reshaping systems so workers, employers, and communities can thrive together.

As we look ahead to the year to come, the group reflects on the questions we need to keep asking, the voices we need to keep centering, and what it will take to build a future where every job is a good job.

New York City’s affordability crisis is reshaping the conversation about work, wages, and economic mobility. But what would it take to ensure more New Yorkers can access jobs that truly sustain a family — and build a future?

In this episode, we’re joined by Judith Smith, Director of the NYC Workforce Funders Collaborative; Lauren Melodia, Director of Economic and Fiscal Policies at the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School; and Audrey Jenkins, Research Associate at the Center for New York City Affairs.

Together, they help us unpack how middle-wage jobs fit into NYC’s broader affordability agenda and what it will take to connect more workers to them.

As another year of rapid change and workplace demands comes to a close, we’re taking a different kind of pause. In this episode, guests Peter Godard and Mona Khan of the Social Identity Coaching Lab invite us into a grounded, reflective conversation about what it means to cultivate joy, peace, and presence at work — not as a luxury, but as a necessary condition for people to thrive.

We explore why attending to workplace culture is a catalyst for meaningful change, how to release old patterns to make room for the new, and what it looks like to trust the expert within ourselves. This is an episode designed to meet anyone who works where they are. Not with another to-do list, but with space. With breath. With the reminder that sustaining systems change and advancing equity requires tending to our own humanity.

Settle in. Take a moment. This is your pause.

Liberation Toolkit: https://www.socidlab.com/liberation-toolkit

In Massachusetts, new public investments are expanding access to English language learning for immigrants. But as Andre Green, Executive Director of SkillWorks argues, money alone won’t fix the system. To truly support immigrant workers, we need coordinated systems that recognize language access as a key pillar of equity and economic mobility.

In this episode, we unpack what it takes to build those systems. Andre joins us to talk about how SkillWorks is reimagining English language learning as workforce infrastructure, and why centering immigrants’ experiences is essential to building a more equitable economy.

Commonwealth Beacon: Funding Was the Start – Now We Need To Build Out Systems To Help Our Immigrant Workforce Learn English

Advancing Workforce Equity in Boston: A Blueprint for Action

In today’s economy, data drives decisions. From how employers hire, to how training programs are designed, to how policymakers invest in communities. When data is accurate, comprehensive, and trusted, it helps align resources, reveal opportunities, and strengthen entire systems. In this episode, we’re joined by Joel Simon, Director of Workforce Innovation at the Burning Glass Institute to explore what makes workforce data effective and equitable. We discuss how strong data ecosystems drive better outcomes, and what it takes to build one that truly serves workers, businesses, and communities.

What happens when a grant-funded experiment turns into a lasting way of working? In Louisville, a creative idea to better reach rural jobseekers became much more than a pilot. Born out of the Human-Centered Workforce Services project, their approach was shaped through empathy interviews and co-designed with community members. It worked so well, that even after the project ended, the team at KentuckianaWorks is keeping it going.

We’re joined by Aleece Smith, Director of Employer Programs at KentuckianaWorks, and Carrie Felton, Director of Worker Success at the National Fund to unpack how human-centered design is helping Louisville build stronger connections to rural communities. We’ll dig into why listening and adapting to the people you serve can spark deeper, longer-lasting change in workforce systems.

Career Navigation Journey Maps: https://nationalfund.org/explore/career-navigation/

Workforce development is at a critical inflection point. Economic shifts, technological change, and evolving employer needs are reshaping the labor market, while long-standing inequities continue to hold many workers back. In this episode, we take a wide-angle view of the field: Where are the greatest opportunities? What systemic challenges still demand urgent action? And how can we strengthen equitable systems to ensure every worker can thrive? Michelle Rafferty, Chief Program Officer at the National Fund for Workforce Solutions; Melissa Johnson, Chief of Policy and State Strategies at the National Skills Coalition; and Tameshia Bridges Mansfield, Founder of Beloved Praxis Consulting, will explore what’s working, what’s not, and where the greatest opportunities for creating meaningful change lie.

Too often, workers feel disconnected from the decisions that shape their jobs and see little reward when the companies they power succeed. At Optimax Systems, things look different. In this episode, Ale’ Mendoza, Director of Human Resources at Optimax and chair of the board for the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, takes us behind the curtain to share how they are successfully engaging workers and creating a culture of transparency, trust, and shared success. Ale’ will also highlight how Optimax is equipping employees to grow their skills and shape the future of the business. Tune in for a real-world example of how engagement strategies can drive equity, innovation, and long-term success.

Too many workers spend their lives in low-wage jobs with no path to stability or growth — stuck earning just a paycheck, with little say in the workplace. But what if workers didn’t just show up to do a job — what if they owned the business itself? Employee ownership can transform workplaces, giving workers a real stake in profits, decisions, and their own futures. In this episode, we talk with Rachel Merfalen, Founder and Senior Adviser at Good Future, Krisi Schell, Executive VP of Human Resources at SRC Holdings, and Tom Strong, Director of Employer Activation at the National Fund to explore how this bold idea is becoming a practical strategy for improving workplaces and how workforce development practitioners can support it.