Nadine’s Journey to Stability and Purpose

Nadine is a single mother to four children. One of her younger children has a severe disability requiring constant, around-the-clock care. Due to his disability, she had been unable to find childcare, which in turn made it difficult to find a stable job. Adding to her challenges in finding employment was the fact that she was justice-involved and faced housing instability.

Nadine enrolled in the Arapahoe County Colorado Works Program. Her Workforce Specialist provided her with information on two companies that could train and pay her to become a Parent-Certified Nursing Aide. The Colorado Works Program provided her with supportive services to assist with her job search needs.

After contacting the home health care company and the Department of Regulatory Agencies to determine her eligibility, Nadine was approved and began training. After completing training, she was approved to be her son’s full-time aide.

Nadine recently passed her one-year work anniversary; she and her family are finally safe and stable.

Of the program, Nadine says, “I was working two hours a week at Panera, fresh out of federal prison and drowning…no one would hire me…I didn’t know how we’d survive, let alone escape…You didn’t treat me like the lost cause I felt like. You treated me like a human. You got us into Colorado Works, connected us to resources, food, clothes, training, [and] workshops; you even believed I could be a nursing assistant before I did. Now I’m here, a year into this job, finally stable.”

Remembering Lenita Jacobs-Simmons: a True Workforce Development Champion

NAWB was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Lenita Jacob-Simmons at the end of June. Lenita was a force in the workforce development world. She was a dedicated leader at the US Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration whose work touched countless programs, professionals, and lives.  

More than her impressive career, Lenita was known for championing others. She believed in the power of work to transform lives and communities. Many of us were lucky to learn from her, be encouraged by her and inspired by her.  

We are privileged to have her son, Walter Simmons, on our Board of Directors. His leadership locally at Employ Prince George’s and nationally with us at NAWB and our friends at the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals is a beautiful reflection of Lenita’s values and legacy.  

To honor her work and spirit, her family has established the Lenita Jacobs-Simmons Memorial Fund, with the Greater Washington Community Foundation to support workforce development professionals’ own professional development. 

 

 

 

NAWB Releases New Report: Forging What’s Next: Workforce Leaders on Innovation and Impact

Earlier this year, NAWB hosted a series of listening sessions with hundreds of workforce leaders to understand how the system is adapting to rapid technological, economic, and labor market changes.

The insights gathered highlight emerging strategies and innovations aimed at increasing impact, efficiency, and personalization across the workforce ecosystem.

We’re proud to share Forging What’s Next: Workforce Leaders on Innovation and Impact with our members. This report captures the collective wisdom, bold ideas, and shared commitment that surfaced throughout these conversations.

Key themes include the use of AI to streamline operations, human-centered service design, deeper industry partnerships, and reimagining funding models.

NAWB remains committed to partnering across the workforce system to identify, scale, and sustain the most effective innovations—empowering individuals, supporting businesses, and driving economic vitality in communities nationwide.

Download the report: Forging What’s Next Workforce Leaders on Innovation and Impact

Block Grants Won’t Solve America’s Workforce Challenges—Local Expertise Will 

As I sat in the Rayburn hearing room on Capitol Hill yesterday as the House Education and Workforce Committee heard testimony from Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, I was struck by a deep sense of irony. 

At a time when the Administration is promising to reshore manufacturing jobs, modernize our infrastructure, strengthen supply chains, and boost labor force participation, the president’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 cuts funding and dismantles proven programs that are essential for developing the talent pipelines needed to achieve these critical national goals. 

Secretary Chavez-DeRemer highlighted the Administration’s proposed budget as giving states the flexibility to spend workforce dollars “in the way that makes the most sense for them.” She describes consolidating all federal workforce development programs into a single Make America Skilled Again grant, with DOL funding reduced by 35%. Some would call it a block grant. I would call it risky.  

How can we be sure that governors will spend the money according to WIOA law to serve all communities and reach the most vulnerable populations? How can we be sure that the needs of local businesses continue to be prioritized, as they currently are by local workforce boards?  

In short, we can’t. 

The proposal to consolidate federal programs and shift to states would undermine a proven nationwide network of Job Centers, neglect local businesses’ insights crucial for workforce planning, and upend public-private partnerships.  

We already know that the current 15% governors’ set-aside under WIOA would benefit from clearer accountability and transparency measures to ensure it fully addresses statewide workforce needs. Expanding governors’ authority over 100% of workforce funding without clear guidelines risks weakening the locally driven services and partnerships that have proven essential for meeting workforce needs in communities throughout the country. 

Businesses in America today are struggling to fill over seven million jobs. They need economic stability, access to skilled jobseekers, and multiple training opportunities including apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and work study to ensure a strong and successful talent pipeline.  

Federal investments in workforce development already yield immense dividends, including $66 billion in annual wages earned by newly employed workers, reduced reliance on public assistance, business growth and productivity, and increased U.S. competitiveness.   

Congress should indeed provide pathways to help Americans become skilled and employed. Dissolving the very system that already gets the job done is not the way. 

Advancing Economic Mobility: How Workforce Boards Are Using Data to Better Support Parents

Since 2016, The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) and Innovate+Educate have partnered on the Family Centered Employment (FCE) initiative, recognizing that supporting parents is a powerful lever for community economic growth. This strategic partnership has revealed that when workforce systems identify and address parents’ unique needs—particularly through childcare access and coordinated support services—they have the potential to unlock greater workforce participation and career advancement opportunities that benefit entire families.  

In the fall of 2024, thanks to support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, NAWB collaborated with Social Policy Research Associates (SPR) to explore how workforce boards collect and use parent data in practice. Our national survey brought to light a critical insight: while many workforce boards recognize the importance of parent-centered approaches, gaps remain between intention and implementation. These findings not only highlight current challenges but also present compelling opportunities to transform how the workforce system serves parents—potentially impacting thousands of families nationwide. 

Key Findings 

  • 86% of survey respondents collect data on parental status, mostly for WIOA eligibility, yet 60% don’t clearly define “parent.” 
  • Over 70% use parental data to inform or update local WIOA plans. 
  • 88% partner with parent-serving organizations, but only 59% formally reflect those partnerships in their plans. 
  • Most WDBs want to collect more data, especially around childcare needs and benefit eligibility, to improve services. 

Why It Matters

Knowing that a jobseeker is a parent helps WDBs tailor services—from scheduling to supportive programs. But without consistent definitions, better data systems, and formal sharing agreements, WDBs face barriers to fully leverage this information. 

Looking Ahead 

While the survey provides a foundation for understanding the current parental data collected in the workforce system, it only scratches the surface. Further exploration with a diverse sample of WDB respondents from varying geographic locations, size, and staff roles could inform program design and systemic solutions. Topics may include:  

  • How WDBs define “parent” and collect related data 
  • Challenges and solutions in data collection 
  • Opportunities to streamline efforts through partnerships and shared tools 
  • Identifying promising practices to focus on for future data collection 

By improving how parental data is collected and used, WDBs can strengthen pathways to economic mobility—not just for individuals, but for entire families. NAWB will continue to share data and best practices to support family-centered employment strategies as the field evolves.  

Learn more about the survey and read the full report. 

NAWB Joins NLC, USCM, NACO, USWA in Laying Out WIOA Reauthorization Recommendations

May 7, 2025— This week, NAWB was proud to co-author a letter laying out formal recommendations for congress as they consider reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

The letter – signed by NAWB President & CEO Brad TurnerLittle; National League of Cities CEO and Executive Director Clarence Anthony; US Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director, Tom Cochran; National Association of Counties CEO and Executive Director, Matthew Chase; and US Workforce Associations Director, Ryan Hundt – lays out a set of specific recommendations for how Congress can streamline, improve, and strengthen the public workforce system.

“Locally WIOA has been successful in leveraging funds for activities like apprenticeships, summer youth programs, adult and youth career exploration and piloting innovative opportunities for new businesses,” the letter states. “As the network that serves job seekers and small businesses and supports strong local economies, the one stop career system is a stable and critical partner to economic development and is recognized as one of the most impactful and remunerative investments Congress has made, and can continue to make, in the years ahead.”

Read the letter now.

President’s FY26 Budget Proposes Deep Cuts to Workforce Development Programs

President Trump’s initial FY26 budget, released today, proposed to dramatically reduce non-defense discretionary investments, where workforce development and other domestic program funding is derived, by $1.63 billion or 22.6% overall. The budget proposes to increase defense spending by 13% and further proposes a 65% percent increase in funding for the Department of Homeland Security. This proposal now goes to Capitol Hill to be considered by the Appropriations Committees.

This initial release from the Administration does not include significant details regarding program-level funding, which is expected to be provided at a later date. Nevertheless, the high-level information released today indicates that the President is proposing a $4.6 billion reduction in funding for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)—a 35% cut over currently enacted levels.

Throughout the budget request, a significant amount of program elimination or consolidation has been proposed. As part of these components of the budget, the Administration is proposing to create a new consolidated workforce grant program dubbed “Make America Skilled Again” (MASA) which would combine a number of existing workforce development programs into a single programmatic grant. The budget request indicates that the total amount for these grants would reduce current funding levels overall by $1.64 billion.

Current FY25 funding for workforce development programs under Title I of WIOA is currently $5.67 billion, meaning that MASA likely represents a roughly 29% reduction in the federal investment for a number of workforce development programs under this portion of the budget. The budget request provides the following information and related justification for MASA:

“Consistent with the Administration’s efforts to promote the full range of post-secondary education and training options, the Budget proposes to give States and localities the flexibility to spend workforce dollars to best support their workers and economies, instead of funneling taxpayer dollars to progressive non-profits finding work for illegal immigrants or focusing on DEI. Under the last administration, these grant programs funded things such as: certifying Minnesota employers that were ‘committed to advancing DEI in their workplace cultures and communities’; promoting the hiring of illegal aliens and migrants; sometimes providing them subsidized housing in addition to a job; and green jobs in California. States would now have more control and flexibility to coordinate with employers and would have to spend at least 10 percent of their MASA grant on apprenticeship, a proven model that trains workers while they earn a paycheck and offers a valuable alternative to college.”

In addition, the budget request proposes to completely eliminate Job Corps, the Senior Community Service Employment Program, and Adult Education funding under Title II of WIOA.

A high-level overview of this initial budget request can be found here, while a slightly more detailed version of the request can be accessed here .

NAWB will continue to advocate for the highest possible funding levels and to try to learn more about the proposed consolidation. We encourage our members to contact Congress (per our Policy Alert from earlier this week) to urge them to prioritize funding for workforce development.

President Trump Signs Executive Order on Workforce Development and Skilled Trades

April 24, 2025– Last night, President Trump signed a slew of Executive Orders (EOs) pertaining to a number of topics, including workforce development. Among these EOs was one titled Preparing Americans for High-paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future.

This EO is focused on the Trump Administration’s wider efforts to reinvigorate domestic manufacturing in the United States. As acknowledged by the EO, a robust and skilled workforce is an essential component of these wider efforts being undertaken by the Administration.

Key aspects of this EO include:

  • The Development of a Comprehensive Workforce Strategy report: The EO directs the Secretaries of Labor, Commerce, and Education to review all federal workforce development programs within 90 days. They must identify opportunities to integrate and realign resources to address critical workforce needs, propose administrative reforms, and recommend the restructuring or elimination of ineffective programs. The strategy also emphasizes investing in upskilling incumbent workers and exploring alternative credentials to the traditional four-year college degree.
  • Expands Registered Apprenticeships: Over the next 120 days, the EO directs these same Departments to develop a plan to increase the number of active apprentices in America to one million. This plan will examine how to expand apprenticeship opportunities into new and emerging economic sectors and opportunities to leverage existing federal investments in postsecondary student aid and Career and Technical Education (CTE).
  • Transparency and Accountability: The EO calls on the Departments of Labor, Commerce, and Education to improve data transparency on workforce performance outcomes and related credentials.

Read the Secretary of Labor’s response.

NAWB is continuing to analyze this and other EOs for potential impacts for the wider workforce development community and will continue to share updates as they are available.

We welcome members’ perspectives on this new development in the coming weeks ahead as federal agencies begin to develop plans to implement this latest executive action.