Improving Services and Outcomes for Diverse Populations in America’s Workforce Development System

November 30, 2023

At a Glance

In 2023, Jobs for the Future (JFF) and the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) formed the Task Force on Better Serving Diverse Populations in the U.S. Workforce Development System, an offshoot of the Workforce Transformation Policy Council. The task force comprised executives from different workforce development boards from across the country with special interest and expertise in this topic. Together, through a series of three meetings and subsequent interviews, the task force explored how federal policies can better use existing workforce systems to deliver people-first, equity-centered results for all through the workforce system’s adult and youth programs. The resulting principles and recommendations outlined in this report lean into the power of the nation’s workforce development system as a whole while remaining locally responsive and data-driven.