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What's new at the Economic Opportunities Program - May 2016
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We are pleased to bring you the fourth edition of the Economic Opportunities Program's newsletter! Learn how the Economic Opportunities Program (EOP) is driving change and helping low- and moderate-income Americans succeed in today's economy.
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Working in America series explores ways to reskill America
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In April, the Economic Opportunities Program held its latest Working in America event, "Reskilling America: Career and Technical Education in the 21st Century." Panelists explored alternatives to four-year college degree programs that could help students develop needed skills and access better job opportunities. View the full video and related resources online! More.
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Microfinance leaders convene to discuss strategy and market forces |
FIELD convened its
Microfinance Impact Collaborative
---- comprised of teams from six of the nation's largest microbusiness lenders
---- in northern Virginia in late March. Over three days, participants discussed and debated the implications of advances in technology and the growth of new market players for their work, and identified ways they will work together to address barriers to and opportunities for continued growth.
More.
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A call for a broad community of leaders to help restore the promise of work |
"Restore the Promise of Work: Reducing Inequality by Raising the Floor and Building Ladders," published by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and PHI in April 2016, encourages a broad community to help restore the promise of work. A sister piece to "Raise the Floor and Build Ladders," "Restore the Promise of Work" calls for leaders in business, government, nonprofit, education, workforce development, and labor to engage in initiatives to expand economic opportunity and address growing social, political, and economic inequality. More.
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Can we reimagine retail as a pathway to the middle class?
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Also in April, the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program organized, "Reimagine Retail: A Conversation with Kathleen McLaughlin and Walter Isaacson." President of the Walmart Foundation and Chief Sustainability Officer of Walmart Kathleen McLaughlin discussed retail and the role of the private sector in creating economic opportunities with Aspen Institute President and CEO Walter Isaacson. The event also marked the launch of a new grant from the Walmart Foundation to the Aspen Institute, in partnership with Corporation for a Skilled Workforce, to explore strategies to improve the economic opportunities of frontline retail workers. More.
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Promising practices for community colleges |
Promising Practices, released in April 2016, is a group of three briefing reports aimed at leaders in community colleges and the workforce development field. These reports highlight innovative capacity-development initiatives that increase the ability for students ---- especially low-income and traditionally underserved students ---- to access and succeed in programs offered by community colleges. More.
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FIELD launches alumni program for its ELM2 fellows
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In early March, FIELD brought together fellows from the first three cohorts of its Emerging Leaders in Microenterprise (ELM²) program for its first alumni meeting in New York City. The ELM² Fellowship ---- offered by FIELD in partnership with the Capital One Foundation ---- supports the development of emerging leaders in the microbusiness development field. Last week in Washington, DC, FIELD and Capital One hosted ELM² fellows for trainings on topics including change management and time management. More.
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UpSkill America celebrates one-year anniversary
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UpSkill America celebrated its one-year anniversary by highlighting the accomplishments of employers that had committed to investing in the skills of their frontline workers. "Win/Win: Making the Business Case for Employer Talent Investment" featured businesses, in various industries and of various sizes, that have provided upskilling opportunities to workers and witnessed the business benefits firsthand. More.
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The importance of work-life balance for individuals, families, and the US economy |
In March, the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program held another Working in America event, "Finding Time: A Book Talk with Heather Boushey." Executive Director and Chief Economist of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth Heather Boushey discussed her new book, which argues that resolving work-life conflicts is as vital for individuals and families as it is essential for realizing the United States' productive potential. View the full recording and related resources online! More.
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Latest EntrepreneurTracker data available |
FIELD released
data findings from EntrepreneurTracker, a project that is part of FIELD's
microTracker.org work. FIELD interviewed 1,086 individuals who received services from 19 microenterprise organizations during 2013. The surveys revealed a 94% business survival rate, and found that 34% of businesses increased their revenues and 47% increased employment.
More.
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News and updates from the Communities that Work Partnership
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A year ago, the Economic Development Administration at the US Department of Commerce selected AspenWSI to launch
the Communities that Work Partnership (CTWP). CTWP is a nationwide learning exchange to identify, develop, and promote successful best practices for regional partnerships for industry-driven talent development. It includes
seven regional partnerships.
AspenWSI, in partnership with FutureWorks, has advanced the goals of CTWP in recent months by engaging in several activities:
- AspenWSI and FutureWorks held two in-person Learning Exchange workshops. Participants from the seven regional partnerships honed skills in results-driven systems change and planned their regional initiatives.
- AspenWSI and FutureWorks team members conducted site visits to each of the seven regions, meeting with stakeholders, regional leaders and potential collaborators. This will lead to the development of seven baseline reports.
- AspenWSI and FutureWorks held three educational webinars for participants of the regional partnership, titled: Talk is Cheap: Moving Partners to Action for Sector Systems Change; Visual Mapping; and WIOA and WIBs: How Can You Best Leverage These Resources?
- Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker visited two of the regional partnership sites: Houston, TX, on April 7, and Dalton, Georgia on May 6.
- CTWP was featured at the EDA National Conference in Washington, DC, April 7-8. Participants from the regional partnerships will spoke on the panel "The Communities that Work Partnership: Bridging the Gap Between Workforce and Economic Development," discussing their experiences and sharing their progress.
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EOP leaders take the stage
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In recent weeks, EOP leaders have been traveling the country
to advance promising strategies and policies to help low- and moderate-income Americans thrive in today's dynamic economy. Recent events include:
- Maureen Conway, vice president of the Aspen Institute and executive director of the Economic Opportunities Program, spoke at a JobsFirstNYC event on March 7, 2016, in New York City, discussing the new report "Optimizing Talent: The Promise and Perils of Adapting Sectoral Strategies for Young Workers."
- Maureen Conway also spoke at the Aspen Forum on Women and Girls: Conversations Across Generations on March 7, 2016, paying tribute to Helen Neuborne, director of quality employment at the Ford Foundation.
- Joyce Klein joined the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program in Wye, Maryland, for the inaugural meeting of its Expanding Prosperity Impact Collaborative (EPIC). EPIC brings together experts in person and online to develop analyses and forecasts related to a current issue critical to the financial security of millions of Americans. The initial topic for EPIC was income volatility, and Joyce brought the perspectives of self-employed and low-wage workers to the event.
- EOP leaders began participating in a series of roundtable discussions, which will are being held by the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco in five cities -- Las Vegas, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Los Angeles -- to structure a new $40 million initiative to expand economic opportunities in Arizona, California and Nevada. The initiative will fund innovative programs to enhance the income and wealth-building potential of working families and help generate future homebuyers in underserved communities in the three states.
- Maureen Conway moderated "Finding Time: A Book Talk with Heather Boushey" on March 15, 2016, as further described above.
- FIELD Director Joyce Klein presented the "State of Small Business Lending" at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition's annual conference on March 18, 2016.
- Maureen Conway facilitated the plenary panel on economic mobility at the EDA National Conference in Washington, DC, on April 7 (pictured). Panelists discussed existing trends in American economic mobility and how economic development can restore the American Dream.
- Maureen Conway participated in "The Future of Community: A Special Issue of the Foundation Review," a panel discussion at the National Council on Foundation's 2016 Annual Conference on April 12, 2016.
- Maureen Conway also participated in "Advancing Economic Opportunity in Communities," a panel discussion at the American Library Association's first national policy convening on April 13, 2016.
- EOP Associate Director Vickie Choitz was the keynote speaker at the Oklahoma Works workforce development conference on April 20, 2016, speaking on the importance of raising the floor and building ladders. She also facilitated a panel discussion featuring nonprofit, employer, and funder models of raising the floor.
- Maureen Conway presented and led a workshop on Raise the Floor and Build Ladders strategies at the Greater Seattle Sector Skills Academy on April 20, 2016.
- Maureen Conway provided introductory remarks and facilitated "Win/Win: Making the Business Case for Employer Talent Investment" on April 25, 2016, as detailed above.
- On May 4, 2016, Vickie Choitz delivered a presentation on the Future of Work at the Cooperative Development Foundation's 6th Annual Cooperative Issues Forum. The presentation was followed by a panel discussion about how coops can create good jobs and how to scale and sustain these models.
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Upcoming events
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Join the Economic Opportunities Program at one of our upcoming events, either in person or online.
- On May 17, 2016, the Economic Opportunities Program will host "Celebrating Skills for America's Future," a look back on five years of achievements in demonstrating how businesses can successfully partner with community colleges to meet their workforce needs and help working people connect to economic opportunities. This event will include several moderated panel discussions to take stock of job-driven workforce developments and showcase future trends in workforce development. We invite you to join us!
Stay tuned for more event announcements soon!
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The Economic Opportunities Program (EOP) is a policy program at the Aspen Institute. Its primary mission is to advance promising strategies and policies to help low- and moderate-income Americans thrive in today's dynamic economy. Over its more than 20 years of work, EOP has focused on expanding individuals' opportunities ---- to develop their skills and capabilities, to build professional networks and connect to quality work, to start businesses, and to build assets and economic stability. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org/eop.
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, CO; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
Thank you to our many partners and funders for supporting our efforts.
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Questions or comments? Email us at eop@aspeninst.org or call us at (202) 736-2933.
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