From EV Hype to Workforce Strategy: Designing Apprenticeship-Ready Systems

In March 2026, the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) in partnership with NevadaWorks and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), hosted an action-oriented workshop in Las Vegas in March 2026. The workshop focused on the electric vehicle (EV) industry cluster and the workforce systems needed to support the full ecosystem—from critical mineral extraction and the lithium battery lifecycle to vehicle manufacturing, retail, and maintenance.

A select group of workforce, industry, and education leaders from ten states and Puerto Rico convened for this day-long program, supported by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Building America initiative. The workshop was designed for workforce board leaders ready to move beyond buzzwords and take meaningful action on EV workforce development.

To see these leaders in action and get a first-hand look at the event, check out this video summary of the day. 

Labor market data shows a nationwide shortage of workers with relevant EV skills, particularly in occupations that require industry credentials rather than traditional college degrees. Registered Apprenticeships offer workers the opportunity to earn competitive wages while developing in-demand skills. “When you think about how technical some of these jobs are and how expensive postsecondary education can be, having an opportunity to earn and learn at the same time is incredibly valuable,” said Drew Bercich, CEO of the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB). “It benefits not only the employee—who may avoid significant student loan debt—but also the employer, who can train workers specifically for their operational needs.”

Navigating the EV Labor Market The workshop featured a deep dive into the EV labor market based on a study completed by Lightcast. The study examined both labor demand and training supply across the EV mobility sector

Lightcast defines the Total Mobility Sector as a comprehensive ecosystem encompassing the full value chain of modern transportation and automotive innovation, with an emphasis on electric and next-generation mobility technologies. EV Subsectors include:

• EV Manufacturing: The actual manufacturing and assembly of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).
• Battery Production: Manufacturing cells and energy storage systems.
• Testing Facilities: Vehicle testing, validation, and certification.
• R&D / Design: Research and development for mobility innovations.
• Connected & Autonomous Vehicles (CAV): Developing self-driving technology and intelligent systems.
• Intermediate Producers: Suppliers of the components, parts, and materials feeding the entire ecosystem.
• EV Charging Infrastructure: The development, installation, and maintenance of charging networks.

The Lightcast study further analyzed workforce demand by experience level, education, employers, and skill requirements, including non-degree skills, industry credentials, and academic degrees. Read our full blog post breaking down the Lightcast EV Labor Market Assessment. 

The Role of Workforce Boards in EV Apprenticeships A core focus of the workshop was translating this labor market data into actionable training models. Workforce boards are uniquely positioned to serve as conveners, sponsors, and intermediaries in the Registered Apprenticeship space. To help local boards navigate this, NAWB has released several resources detailing strategies and frameworks for success:

• Brief 1: The Role of Workforce Boards in the EV Registered Apprenticeship Ecosystem – An overview of the EV charging landscape, the emerging workforce challenges, and the strategic role WDBs can play
• Brief 2: Building the Conditions to Grow the EV Workforce: Lessons from Kansas, Illinois and New York – Explores what it takes to build the partnerships and pathway infrastructure that can support Registered Apprenticeship over time.

Throughout the session, participants engaged in focused discussions and collaborative learning activities. A highlight of the workshop was a field experience featuring the Tesla Loop, where participants observed emerging transportation technology in action.

The day also highlighted Northern Nevada’s growing role in the EV supply chain. Nevada is home to North America’s largest known lithium deposit and is quickly emerging as a major hub for EV and battery manufacturing. Investments from automakers, energy companies, and public funding are accelerating the state’s role in the national EV economy. “We’re excited to share the work being done—particularly in Northern Nevada—around EVs,” said Milt Stewart, CEO of Nevadaworks, the region’s local workforce development board. “The lithium lifecycle is rapidly expanding here, including mining, processing, manufacturing, and recycling.”

Turning Ideas into Action: The EV Workforce Pitch Competition To culminate the day’s collaborative efforts, participants took the stage for a live, NAWB-sponsored Pitch Competition. Workforce leaders presented actionable, regional strategies for EV apprenticeship programs designed to tackle specific local challenges. After a series of compelling presentations, three standout pitches were awarded top honors:

1st Place: Sherri Mantanona Lead of Industry Sector Partnerships, Workforce Connections (Southern Nevada) In Southern Nevada, an emerging EV sector boasts about 1,500 jobs and strong entry-level Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. However, Mantanona identified a critical bottleneck at the mid-level and journey-worker stages. Because state regulations require a 1-to-1 ratio for electrician apprenticeships, upward movement has stalled, effectively blocking CTE graduates from entering the pipeline. To solve this, Mantanona pitched an “EV Workforce Mobility Pilot” focused on incumbent worker advancement. By leveraging Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) funds to upskill current employees through apprenticeships, employers gain immediate value, the mid-level bottleneck is cleared, and new entry-level opportunities open up for incoming students.

2nd Place: Megan Boddy Talent Pipeline Manager, UP Michigan Works! (Upper Peninsula, Michigan) Representing a 15-county rural region, Boddy noted that while the Upper Peninsula operates behind the national curve in EV adoption, it is deeply connected to the EV transition via advanced manufacturing, grid infrastructure, and a massive outdoor recreation economy. She pitched the “Rural Electrification and Electric Recreation Apprenticeship Accelerator.” This innovative model integrates charging installation, battery systems, grid modernization, and electric Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) diagnostics into existing electrician and industrial maintenance apprenticeships. The strategy also includes a shared pre-apprenticeship program to seamlessly transition youth and dislocated workers into these registered apprenticeships.

3rd Place: Steve Saunier Director of Apprenticeships, ASPYR Workforce Innovation (Columbus, Ohio). Serving as a registered apprenticeship hub in Central Ohio, ASPYR found that local employers often shy away from the liability and administrative burden of owning an apprenticeship program outright. With a recognized knowledge gap regarding the specific training needs for EV fleets, Saunier pitched a localized, collaborative solution. Over a six-month timeline, ASPYR will convene major stakeholders including “JobsOhio,” “One Columbus,” and local training providers to accurately map EV employer needs and training capacity. Following this discovery phase, ASPYR will launch a targeted operating plan and hold a group sponsorship specifically for EV apprenticeships, removing the administrative burden from employers so that vital workforce training can actually begin.

DISCLAIMER: This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA). The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of DOL/ETA. DOL/ETA makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it.

If you follow the daily news cycle, the electric vehicle (EV) industry can seem like a rollercoaster. Between shifting federal investments, political debates, and fluctuating automaker commitments, it is easy to wonder about the true state of the EV economy.

But when we tune out the noise and look at the actual labor market data, a much clearer, undeniable reality emerges: The EV mobility market is not just a speculative future endeavor—it is here, it is massive, and it is critically starved for skilled talent.

With support from a U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Building America (ABA) grant the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) in partnership with Lightcast has released a comprehensive labor market assessment of the EV Mobility Sector. This report cuts through the hype to provide workforce boards, educators, and industry leaders with a data-driven roadmap for action. Here is a look at what the data reveals, and why local workforce systems are the key to unlocking this economic opportunity.

Understanding the Ecosystem: It Is More Than Just Manufacturing

To accurately gauge the workforce need, we first have to understand what the “EV Sector” actually is. The Lightcast study defines the EV Mobility Sector not as a single industry, but as a comprehensive value chain comprised of distinct subsectors:

• EV Manufacturing: The actual manufacturing and assembly of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).
• Battery Production: Manufacturing cells and energy storage systems.
• Testing Facilities: Vehicle testing, validation, and certification.
• R&D / Design: Research and development for mobility innovations.
• Connected & Autonomous Vehicles (CAV): Developing self-driving technology and intelligent systems.
• Intermediate Producers: Suppliers of the components, parts, and materials feeding the entire ecosystem.
• EV Charging Infrastructure: The development, installation, and maintenance of charging networks.

When we break the market down this way, occupational demand becomes much clearer. Some occupations are universally needed and cut across multiple subsectors—for example, Software Developers are highly demanded in CAV, Electric Vehicles, and EV Charging. Conversely, other roles are highly unique to a single subsector, such as Chemical Equipment Operators anchoring Battery Production, or Autonomous Vehicle Operators driving the CAV space.

The EV Manufacturing Core & The Battery Belt

When most people think of the EV transition, they think of the EV Manufacturing subsector—the direct manufacturing and assembly of the vehicles themselves. This core subsector alone generated 104,750 job postings nationwide, with an impressive average advertised salary of $120,614.

But the manufacturing footprint extends far beyond traditional automotive strongholds. A massive “battery belt” is driving immense demand. Tennessee, for example, generated over 1,000 postings in Battery Production and more than 35,000 in Intermediate Producers over the last five years. Similarly, states like North Carolina, Kansas, and Nevada are showing highly concentrated demand for battery materials and production, offering tremendous opportunities for local workforce boards to build specialized technical pipelines.

Unexpected Hotspots: The EV Boom is Happening Everywhere

Because the EV ecosystem relies heavily on intermediate producers, charging networks, and testing, massive employer demand is showing up in states with smaller populations or areas you might not typically associate with EV dominance.

By using a blended importance score based on state subsector concentration (Location Quotient, or LQ) and job postings, the data reveals several unexpected hotspots:

• Utah is emerging as a powerhouse for EV Charging Infrastructure. With an exceptionally high LQ of 5.67, the state has generated nearly 1,000 specific postings in charging deployment, along with over 20,000 postings for Intermediate Producers.
• Idaho shows a surprising and robust concentration in Connected & Autonomous Vehicles, generating 1,860 postings in this highly technical subsector.
• Indiana and Ohio are dominating the critical supply chain, leading heavily in Intermediate Producers and R&D/Design. Indiana posted over 50,000 jobs, and Ohio over 68,000 jobs, in the intermediate supply roles that physically build the components for the national EV ecosystem.
• Illinois and New York both rank at the top of the nation for concentration in EV Charging Infrastructure, with over 1,000 postings each specifically dedicated to charging networks.

The Supply Crisis in “The Middle”

Across the entire EV Mobility Sector, Total Demand reached 1,713,637 postings with an average advertised salary of $74,428. But the most critical finding is who these jobs are for. The EV sector is a “two-lane” market. While there is a lane for bachelor’s-degree engineering roles, the vastly larger opportunity sits in the middle: 70.5% of EV postings require a high school diploma or an associate degree. Furthermore, 56.9% of postings ask for just 0–1 years of experience.

Despite this, our training supply is dangerously misaligned. For bachelor’s degree pathways, supply is relatively strong, with a supply/demand ratio of 1.23. But for the sub-baccalaureate (Sub-BA) pathways that fuel 70% of the industry, the ratio plummets to a catastrophic 0.17. Shorter awards under one year have a ratio of just 0.16, indicating a massive shortfall in the exact skilled talent employers desperately need.

Registered Apprenticeships: Bridging the Gap Regionally

If employers need workers with sub-baccalaureate education and 1-2 years of experience, Registered Apprenticeships (RAs) and work-based learning models are the clearest way to bridge that gap.

In some areas, RA uptake is already showing strong success. Chemical Equipment Operators (crucial for Battery Production) saw a 64.1% growth in apprenticeships over the last five years, yielding an established base of 1,349 active RAs.

But in other critical EV occupations, the apprenticeship pipeline is virtually non-existent, creating an immediate opportunity for workforce boards to lean in:

• Maintenance and Repair Workers (EV Charging): With over 64,000 postings and an average salary of $58,314, general repair pathways need to be adapted for charging deployment. States experiencing a massive concentration of EV Charging postings—like Utah, Illinois, and New York—should lean heavily into commercial technician work-based learning models.
• Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers: Highly demanded in the CAV subsector (2,683 postings), yet there are zero active RAs in the data file. Boards in CAV-heavy states like Idaho, Washington, and Massachusetts should immediately prioritize tech and software validation apprenticeships.
• Calibration Technologists and Technicians: With an incredibly high average salary of $132,103, there are only 33 active apprentices nationwide. This presents a highly lucrative, untapped pathway for technical talent.

A Playbook for Workforce Boards

The market is real, the jobs pay well, and the supply of talent is dangerously low. The Lightcast report outlines five strategic recommendations for local boards:

1. Target the High-LQ Middle: Focus on accessible, sub-BA roles with strong EV concentration, such as high-voltage technicians, field service techs, and quality inspectors.
2. Expand Stackable Sub-BA Pathways: Prioritize certificates and one-to-two-year programs, which remain the tightest and most under-supplied part of the market.
3. Convene Employer Consortia: Do not wait for one flagship employer. Build work-based learning consortia around shared regional clusters (like battery firms, contractors, and charging companies).
4. Use Salary Data in Outreach: Show job seekers that roles like High Voltage Technicians ($119k) and Commissioning Specialists ($73k) offer incredible earning potential without requiring a four-year engineering degree.
5. Align with Local Subsector Demand: Use the data to map your specific regional strengths. Appendix A in the full report provides a 50-state quick reference to the top two subsectors in every single state, making it easy to connect national findings to your local context.

The Window of Opportunity is Open The demand is robust enough to justify immediate action. Workforce boards that move now will be uniquely positioned to shape who benefits from the EV transition in their communities.

Dive into the Data and the Resources:

• Full Lightcast EV Mobility Sector Labor Market Assessment – The full labor market assessment summarizing findings across sub-sectors and geographies.  
• EV Labor Market charts, graphs and tables – A powerpoint deck with all the underlying data presented in charts, graphs, and tables 
• Brief 1: The Role of Workforce Boards in the EV Registered Apprenticeship Ecosystem – An overview of the EV charging landscape, the emerging workforce challenges, and the strategic role WDBs can play
• Brief 2: Building the Conditions to Grow the EV Workforce: Lessons from Kansas, Illinois and New York – Explores what it takes to build the partnerships and pathway infrastructure that can support Registered Apprenticeship over time.
• Read our Event Recap: From EV Hype to Workforce Strategy Pitch Competition
• Registered Apprenticeship Toolkit and Resource Hub: A set of trusted references, practical tools, and real-world examples that reflect how apprenticeship is being used across the workforce system and how workforce boards can engage

DISCLAIMER: This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA). The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of DOL/ETA. DOL/ETA makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it.

This week marks six weeks until the start of Forum 2026 in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada.

As we get closer, I wanted to take a moment to share some of the exciting things we have in store for you before, during, and after the Forum—and how this year’s experience has been intentionally designed to help you grow as a workforce development leader.

Before getting into specifics, I want to share an important shift we’ve made this year: we’ve redesigned the Forum to be more impactful. That means fewer sessions than in past years—but each session will be longer (75 minutes), highly interactive, and focused on giving you practical tools you can take home and implement in your local area.

It’s not enough to simply hear about good ideas happening across our industry. We need to turn those ideas into action. That’s exactly what this year’s Forum is designed to do.

We also know that pre-conference sessions aren’t always the right fit for everyone. So, this year, in addition to our pre-cons, we’re excited to introduce post-conference sessions—giving you the opportunity to continue learning even after the main conference wraps up.

Lastly, before I share some of the specific things we are doing to make this Forum memorable and the best ever, I want to recognize that this is a change from what we have always known at the Forum.  I know there is value in being in DC, but this evolution of the Forum allows us to unlock new possibilities that will make this year’s experience our most impactful yet.

DC in the Desert

Many of you attend the Forum to stay connected to federal policy and strengthen your advocacy efforts. This year, we’re bringing DC to the desert.

We’re thrilled to welcome Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling (U.S. Department of Labor) and Deputy Assistant Secretary Nick Moore (U.S. Department of Education) as main stage participants. We’re also grateful to have The Honorable Dina Titus U.S. Congresswoman (NV-1) joining us for our Executive Director and Board Chairs meeting.  And we aren’t stopping there; we hope to have additional announcements over the next few days.

We’re also investing heavily in advocacy this year through a dedicated Advocacy Track, including training on how to effectively advocate at the national level—highlighted by a session led by former Congressman Jon Porter on making meaningful impact with federal elected officials – and sessions focused on state, county, and municipal advocacy. We’re seeing some of the most successful boards in the country capture momentum by leveraging influence at every level of government—and we want to help you do the same.

Forum Awards

One of my favorite parts of the NAWB Forum is the opportunity not just to gather, but to celebrate the best and most innovative work happening across our workforce system. The Forum allows us to elevate the strategies, partnerships, and leadership that are driving real results in communities across the country.

This year, we’ll highlight forward-thinking practices and the outstanding partnerships at the heart of WIOA. If your board is doing work you’re proud of, I encourage you to nominate your board for a Forum Award. Sharing your story helps amplify your impact—and gives others across the system real examples they can learn from and build on. The deadline to submit your application is February 19^th.

Pre-Cons and Post-Cons

This year you can choose one of these pre-conference sessions on Monday, March 23^rd to start your Forum experience:

• Mark Perna, last year’s most popular plenary speaker, presenting Mastering the Megatrends: Shaping the Next Generation of Talent

• Mary Ann Lawrence leading Are You Ready? Board Contingency Planning

• Turning Data into Action: Insights That Drive Workforce Board Impact—a session that is free for Members thanks to generous support from the Lumina Foundation. Non-members will pay $295 to attend.

• We’re also excited to partner with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) on a special DOL-funded pre-con workshop focused on the electric vehicle industry cluster and the workforce systems needed to support everything from critical mineral extraction and the lithium battery lifecycle to vehicle manufacturing, retail, and maintenance. Board representatives selected for this session may receive up to $700 in travel reimbursement and will be eligible for up to $10,000 in planning grants through a Shark Tank–style pitch competition. Applications for the EV workshop close this Friday February 13! APPLY HERE.

On Thursday afternoon, March 26^th, we’ll launch three post-conference sessions:

• Working Smarter with AI: Building an Ethical, AI-Literate Workforce with AI expert, Past-Chair of the Colorado Workforce Development Council, Chair of the NGA AI and Quantum Workforce Sector Partnership Subcommittee and author of Thought Partner—The Fusion of Soul and System: The AI Collaboration, Jonathan Liebert. This session moves beyond hype and fear to focus on what truly matters: ethical and responsible AI use, real-world productivity gains, and building true AI literacy across teams. 

• From Employer Demand to System Design: Advancing Skills-Based Talent Strategies is a hands-on working session with workforce leaders, employers, and national partners—including our sponsor Walmart, the Kauffman Foundation, CBEN, and Britebound—focused on advancing skills-based talent strategies and launching NAWB’s new Skills Toolkit

• Level up your grants strategy with Grant Writing: Go, Write Win! led by TAD Grants, designed to help you submit stronger, more competitive proposals with confidence. The session goes beyond theory, breaking down evaluation criteria, proposal scoring, common pitfalls, and real-world strategies for client management, contract negotiation, and organizational readiness—so you can submit high-quality applications on time, every time. Normally $995, this special session is available for $595 for NAWB Members and $695 for Non-Members—an exceptional value for a comprehensive, hands-on grants training.  *Please note this session runs through the end of the day on Friday, so please plan your travel accordingly. (Forum room rates are still available Thursday and Friday nights.)

Partner Track Excursions

We’ve been excited to see how many attendees are bringing travel companions this year—about one in eight registrants so far. Because of that, we’ve built out a slate of excursions and experiences that we are calling our “Partner Track” to make the week memorable for everyone.  These are excursions designed for your travel companions, but I totally understand if you want to sneak away to see the Hoover Dam on Friday.

Excursions include:

• Monday (3/23): F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix Plaza – experience the world’s most popular racing series

• Tuesday (3/24): Allegiant Stadium tour – home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders and the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels

• Wednesday (3/25): Area15, Imersive experiential museum, including Meow Wolf – Omega Mart, Illuminarium, and more

• Friday (3/27): A guided visit to the Hoover Dam—the largest single workforce project in US history

Now Is the Time to Book

If you haven’t finalized your plans yet, now is the perfect time to do so. We ask you to book your room at The Cosmopolitan, the official hotel of The Forum 2026, to stay connected to the full Forum experience and take advantage of our discounted room block.

And for a limited time, you can also save 10% on standard Forum registration during our President’s Day sale by using the code FRMVEGAS26. Tickets at this rate won’t last long.

I can’t wait to welcome you to Las Vegas and to Forum 2026. It’s shaping up to be one of our most impactful gatherings yet.

See you in Vegas!

Drew

There are leaders who serve a system—and then there are leaders who build one.

• a business-facing workforce system that treats employers as true customers,
• a local, convening role for boards that aligns partners,
• and a relentless focus on outcomes for job seekers and communities.

• a strong national voice,
• shared learning and best practices,
• and advocacy grounded in what works on the ground.

Andrew Bercich, CEO of NAWB, shared “Bob Knight, who I count as a mentor and friend, didn’t just witness the evolution of the workforce system… he helped author it. From the earliest days of NAPIC to the national influence of NAWB, Bob championed business-led, community-rooted solutions that kept opportunity within reach. His legacy lives in every board convening employers around talent needs, and in every job seeker who found a pathway forward because Bob insisted the system could deliver better—smarter, more humane, and more accountable.”

Yesterday, congressional leaders announced a bipartisan agreement on the FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. For the public workforce system, the most important takeaway is a welcome one: WIOA Title I funding will remain very close to FY 2025 levels.
After a year marked by uncertainty, that stability matters.

Over the past several months, workforce boards across the country have been doing their level best to plan against the backdrop of an unusually volatile environment. We have navigated a President’s budget that proposed deep reductions to workforce investments, alongside House proposals that raised serious concerns about the future of core formula programs. Our system was not waiting to react to the potential for funding cuts as we noted in our November 2025 report A System Under Strain: New Survey Reveals the Impact of Funding Uncertainty on Workforce Boards, indeed boards were making sometimes difficult cuts proactively and finding efficiencies wherever possible. Against that backdrop, the decision to adopt the Senate’s funding levels provides much-needed certainty and preserves the foundation of the public workforce system.

At the national level, WIOA formula funding will be approximately $10 million lower than FY 2025. That modest reduction is limited to the Adult program, while Youth and Dislocated Worker funding remain level. While no reduction is ideal, particularly at a time when local systems are facing rising costs and growing demand, this outcome avoids far more disruptive cuts and maintains the core structure that our communities rely on.

In practical terms:
-Adult Activities will see a small decrease
-Youth Activities will remain flat-funded
-Dislocated Worker programs will remain flat-funded

This level of stability allows workforce boards to continue serving employers, supporting jobseekers, responding to rapidly changing labor market conditions and adapting to a technological environment that changes by the day. It preserves capacity at a moment when flexibility and responsiveness are essential.

It is also important to remember that national funding levels do not automatically translate into local allocations. Once the bill is enacted, the Department of Labor will apply statutory formulas using updated economic data to determine state allotments, followed by local allocations within each state. Because those formulas are driven by relative unemployment and disadvantaged population data, local impacts will vary.

That reality underscores why NAWB continues to emphasize two core principles: flexibility and local control.

Workforce boards operate closest to their communities. They understand local labor markets, regional employers, and the unique barriers facing jobseekers in their areas. Preserving flexibility in how funds are used, and ensuring decisions remain locally driven, is what allows the workforce system to deliver the most meaningful results.

We are grateful for the bipartisan agreement that provides stability after a challenging year, and we view this outcome as a solid foundation as conversations continue around FY 2027 funding and broader workforce policy. At the same time, NAWB will continue to advocate on behalf of our members for policies that strengthen, rather than constrain, the public workforce system.

Stability is not the finish line… but it is a necessary starting point.

As the bill continues to progress through the final steps of enactment, we will continue to monitor and keep you informed.

I’m honored to step into the role of CEO of the National Association of Workforce Boards, and I want to start by saying thank you.

Thank you to the NAWB Board of Directors for the trust they’ve placed in me, and to our members and partners across the country for the work you do every day. Workforce boards are doing some of the most important work in our economy and our communities, and I don’t take lightly the responsibility of serving this network.

Many of you know me already. I’ve had the privilege of serving on the NAWB Board for more than a decade, including as Chair. I’ve also served on local workforce boards and on the Colorado Workforce Development Council, and I’ve spent time in the system as a consultant and one-stop operator.

For most of my career, I’ve also worked in the private sector leading corporate talent organizations with as many as 350 Recruiters, along the way partnering with dozens of workforce boards and local areas across the country to meet hiring needs in diverse fields from advanced manufacturing to healthcare and most recently in the Generative AI space. But I was lucky, after spending most of my career on the demand side of workforce, I was able to pivot and follow my passion for workforce, becoming a consultant to boards and ecosystem partners, helping design and execute strategies, study the culture of high-performing regions and become more involved in day-to-day operations of our AJCs. I’ve seen this system from a myriad of different angles—employer, board member, one-stop operator, strategy consultant—and that range of perspective shapes how I think about NAWB’s role and our opportunity.

When we are at our best, the workforce system is proactive and deeply connective. We bring employers, educators, community organizations, and workers together to solve real problems and create real opportunities. Workforce boards are uniquely positioned to do that work, not on the sidelines of economic and technological change, but right at the center of it.

We’re living through a period of real change. Technology, demographics, geopolitics, and shifting expectations about work are all reshaping how jobs are created, how skills are valued, and how people move through careers. These changes aren’t abstract — they’re already showing up in your communities and in conversations you’re having every day.

NAWB’s role at this moment is clear: to help ensure workforce boards aren’t just navigating change but helping shape what comes next.

That means continuing to elevate the voice and value of workforce boards nationally. It means strengthening NAWB as a place for shared learning, influence, and innovation. And it means making sure policy, practice, and investment decisions reflect what actually works on the ground.

In the near term, my focus is on listening and learning and turning that into action. I want to hear from members about what’s working well, where things feel hard, and where NAWB can be more helpful. I want to deepen relationships with our partners across government, industry, education, and philanthropy. And I want NAWB to continue showing up as a trusted, practical, and forward-looking leader in the workforce ecosystem.

A big part of that is our annual Forum. It’s our flagship convening and one of the places where the NAWB community really comes together. I want it to continue to be a space where people connect, learn from one another, and help set direction for where the system is headed.

Looking a bit further ahead, I’ll work closely with our Board to take what we’re hearing from members, partners, funders, policymakers, and employers and turn it into a clearer, longer-term strategy for NAWB, especially as we head toward our 50th anniversary in 2029.

As always, the strength of NAWB comes from its members. My commitment is to lead in partnership with you, to be honest about the challenges ahead, ambitious about what’s possible, and grounded in what it takes to make things work. A core part of that commitment is being a strong, consistent voice for workforce boards in Washington and beyond.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve, and I’m energized by the work ahead. I’m looking forward to building the next chapter of NAWB — and the future of our workforce system — together. And I look forward to meeting you at the Forum in Las Vegas this March.

Andrew Bercich
Chief Executive Officer
National Association of Workforce Boards