Building Federal Capacity for Workforce Development Aligned to Industrial Policy

The multi-billion dollar CHIPS and Science Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and American Rescue Plan catalyzed a once-in-a-generation infusion to support economic growth, job creation, and community renewal in left behind communities.

Many federal agencies are at the forefront of this industrial policy implementation, but the U.S. Department of Commerce has played an especially key role. 

Through the agency’s U.S. Economic Development Administration, the U.S. National Institutes of Standards and Technology, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and other units – the Commerce Department has been responsible for implementing a substantial share of these investments.

While implementation is still underway, early lessons can be gleaned to inform the next administration’s implementation and future economic development efforts. What has the Commerce Department learned from the past several years of implementation that can inform the present and future of economic and workforce development policy and practice in America?

Join New America’s Future of Work and Innovation Economy and leaders from the agency to find out. Questions of exploration will include:

• How have these investments led to an improved capacity within the Commerce Department to align workforce and economic development now and in the future?
• What does success look like? How is the Commerce Department measuring workforce outcomes for its economic development investments?
• What are early lessons learned about how states and regions should formulate their workforce approach and response strategy to federal industrial policy investments in the future?
• And more.

This session will include audience Q&A. Can’t join the session but looking for the insights? Subscribe to New America’s Future of Work and Innovation Economy newsletter to be sent the recording.

Speakers:

• Shalin Jyotishi, Founder and Managing Director, Future of Work and Innovation Economy Initiative
• Rachel Lipson, Senior Policy Advisor, U.S. National Institutes of Standards and Technology in the Department of Commerce
• Rachael Sun, Acting Director of Recompete Pilot Program, U.S. Economic Development Administration in the Department of Commerce
• David Langdon, Deputy Director of Policy and Strategic Planning, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Others TBA