Good Jobs: Making the Most of Infrastructure Investments

On October 24, 2022, New America's Center on Education & Labor (CELNA) hosted a discussion with Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su and Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg on how local governments can ensure historic infrastructure investments generate good jobs for local residents who need them.

America’s infrastructure has been in dire need of modernization. The recent passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and American Rescue Plan present a unique opportunity for state and local governments to improve our systems of transportation and energy production while also implementing a good jobs strategy that benefits workers and employers alike. But without careful planning, new infrastructure jobs may fall into historical patterns of excluding women and workers of color.

This is the recording of New America’s Center on Education & Labor (CELNA) discussion about how local governments can ensure historic infrastructure investments generate good jobs for local residents who need them. The event will showcase the experiences of communities across the country that have implemented policies and partnerships in support of jobs that offer living wages and other critical benefits for workers.

Speakers include:

• Julie Su, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor
• Polly Trottenberg, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation
• Lydia DePillis, Reporter, New York Times (moderator)
• Mary Alice McCarthy, Senior Director, CELNA (opening remarks)
• Kim Norton, Mayor of Rochester, Minnesota
• Lul Tesfai, Senior Policy Advisor, CELNA (moderator)
• Lauren Starks, Good Jobs Challenge Lead, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Lark Jackson, Program Director, National Center for Women's Equity in Apprenticeship & Employment
• Nancy Luc, Deputy Director, Building Pathways
• Miranda Nelson, National Director, Jobs to Move America
• Michael Prebil, Senior Policy Analyst, CELNA (moderator)
  
  

Good Jobs Collaborative Roundtable Discussions: The Collaborative is hosting three regional roundtables with worker advocates to discuss the future of workforce development policy and practice,

• Atlanta, GA, May 31, 2023
• Chicago, IL, June 26, 2023
• Los Angeles, CA, Fall 2023