John Dorrer

Program Director, Credentials That Work

Contact John Dorrer

John Dorrer is a program director in JFF’s Building Economic Opportunity Group, which focuses on advancing the education and careers of low-skilled adults and low-wage workers. He leads JFF’s Credentials That Work initiative, helping states use real-time labor market information and other longitudinal data to align their education and training investments with the needs of dynamic regional economies.

Mr. Dorrer has 30 years of experience in workforce development. An economist and research administrator, his work has focused on workforce development, human capital, and labor market policies at the state and local levels. He came to JFF from the Maine Department of Labor, where he served as Acting Commissioner and director of the Center for Workforce Research and Information for eight years. He also served as deputy director of workforce programs at the National Center on Education and the Economy, where he worked with America’s largest cities and leading states to assess policies and practices and provided technical assistance and consultation. He has consulted to the U.S Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration on labor market information systems development, capacity building, and workforce strategies. For two decades, he was senior vice president of Training & Development Corporation, a Maine-based nonprofit focused on workforce and regional development.

Mr. Dorrer holds a Master’s in resource economics and a Bachelor’s in economics, both from the University of New Hampshire.