WEBVTT - It’s time to address America’s skill gap and how to overcome it. 0:00:04.559 --> 0:00:08.200 Welcome to Force Multiplier, a new podcast about leveling up 0:00:08.200 --> 0:00:10.840 the impact we can have in the world through our relationships. 0:00:11.480 --> 0:00:14.400 I'm barretton Day Thurston and in collaboration with I Heart 0:00:14.440 --> 0:00:17.480 Radio and Salesforce dot Org, I sit with leaders from 0:00:17.520 --> 0:00:21.280 across the public, private, and nonprofit world who are forging 0:00:21.360 --> 0:00:24.560 partnerships to tackle some of the toughest challenges facing us today. 0:00:27.280 --> 0:00:30.520 Welcome back to Force Multiplier. I'm your host barrattun Day, 0:00:30.520 --> 0:00:34.600 and you are the force that multiplies. We're gonna be 0:00:34.680 --> 0:00:39.960 talking today about workforce development and the face of unemployment 0:00:40.400 --> 0:00:45.479 in America. You know, we have still a challenge of 0:00:45.560 --> 0:00:48.160 employment in this country and the people bearing the brunt 0:00:48.200 --> 0:00:52.440 of it are low wage workers and marginalized communities who 0:00:52.479 --> 0:00:57.080 have been walloped by the pandemic, both in an epidemiological 0:00:57.160 --> 0:01:01.160 sense as well as in an economic sense. And we 0:01:01.280 --> 0:01:06.160 have this mismatch because there are millions of jobs listed 0:01:06.480 --> 0:01:09.360 that aren't filled and there are millions of people looking 0:01:09.400 --> 0:01:13.280 for work. But we have this growing skills gap, this 0:01:13.400 --> 0:01:17.080 mismatch between the skills that workers have and those that 0:01:17.200 --> 0:01:21.880 employers want, and the pandemic accentuated and accelerated this. We've 0:01:21.920 --> 0:01:24.760 seen a growth of remote work in our economy, a 0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:29.240 growth of automation, and a continuation of the effects of globalization. 0:01:30.400 --> 0:01:36.720 All this can be managed can be mitigated when folks 0:01:36.760 --> 0:01:41.759 have access to education and certification and workforce development options. 0:01:42.080 --> 0:01:45.280 Economies are always changing, that's what they do. We as 0:01:45.360 --> 0:01:48.200 humans change. We have to make sure our institutions, and 0:01:48.280 --> 0:01:52.640 especially those that provide dignity and livelihood, keep pace with 0:01:52.680 --> 0:01:55.680 those changes. That technology plays an interesting role in this 0:01:55.800 --> 0:02:01.360 right because technology has contributed to some of this unemployment. 0:02:01.400 --> 0:02:04.480 It has contributed certainly to some of this skills gap. 0:02:05.120 --> 0:02:09.520 As the marketplace, the what is required of people who 0:02:09.560 --> 0:02:13.160 work is different from what many of us are capable of. 0:02:14.000 --> 0:02:16.799 But technology can also be a part of the solution, 0:02:17.480 --> 0:02:21.399 and we have seen the growth of certain job sectors 0:02:21.440 --> 0:02:25.280 because of technology helping us solve a need, whether it's 0:02:25.320 --> 0:02:28.760 a climate need through green collar jobs, or a COVID 0:02:28.880 --> 0:02:32.679 need through more healthcare jobs, or a technology need through 0:02:33.000 --> 0:02:37.000 more tech jobs, and the way we deliver on how 0:02:37.080 --> 0:02:41.120 we grow and adapt. Our workforce can benefit from technology itself, 0:02:41.200 --> 0:02:45.360 through innovative training, through up skilling, through education programs, whether 0:02:45.400 --> 0:02:49.520 they come from educators, employers, nonprofit civic leaders, or somebody 0:02:49.520 --> 0:02:52.840 else just trying to do a solid to society. So 0:02:52.840 --> 0:02:55.800 why do I care? I want to take you back 0:02:55.880 --> 0:03:02.640 to ninet. I um seventeen, going on eighteen years old. 0:03:02.639 --> 0:03:06.760 I'm a first year student at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 0:03:07.600 --> 0:03:10.320 and I am a techno file. I mean I showed 0:03:10.440 --> 0:03:13.720 up with not a real good television or stereo, but 0:03:13.760 --> 0:03:18.919 my computer was dope. I have always been the person 0:03:19.000 --> 0:03:21.919 that friends turned to to help them figure out something 0:03:21.919 --> 0:03:23.760 with their computer. In fact, as partly how I paid 0:03:23.760 --> 0:03:26.880 for college is fixing people's computers. So I found this 0:03:26.880 --> 0:03:31.720 community service opportunity to teach computer skills to folks who 0:03:31.760 --> 0:03:36.680 had a whole different level of technology literacy. And we 0:03:36.760 --> 0:03:39.120 worked out in a Section eight housing project on the 0:03:39.120 --> 0:03:41.680 outskirts of Cambridge neighborhood is Ale Wife for anybody who 0:03:41.680 --> 0:03:44.640 knows the region, and in the basement of this high 0:03:44.760 --> 0:03:49.080 rise building, I would teach classes too, folks who were 0:03:49.120 --> 0:03:52.240 definitely low income and often first generation. They had moved 0:03:52.240 --> 0:03:55.560 to this country for better opportunity, and we school them 0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:58.440 on on Microsoft Word and how file systems worked, and 0:03:58.520 --> 0:04:02.480 Windows and even DOSS. Because I'm old, and it was 0:04:02.520 --> 0:04:05.760 a very satisfying feeling for me because I like teaching, 0:04:05.760 --> 0:04:08.040 and I like when people get ideas, and I like 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:11.240 feeling like I could use my skills for something other 0:04:11.400 --> 0:04:15.080 than binging internet content, that I could use it to 0:04:15.120 --> 0:04:18.640 help folks. But then I saw the lightbulb go off, 0:04:18.960 --> 0:04:22.159 and I saw people able to get jobs and able 0:04:22.240 --> 0:04:25.320 to upgrade not just their skills but their ability to 0:04:25.360 --> 0:04:27.920 provide for their families, which for so many of them 0:04:27.960 --> 0:04:31.440 is why they came here in the first place. So 0:04:31.760 --> 0:04:34.840 I have a taste of what this can feel like 0:04:34.839 --> 0:04:37.320 when it works. I have a taste of the hunger 0:04:37.440 --> 0:04:41.680 so many people have to work, but sometimes the frustration 0:04:42.200 --> 0:04:45.360 when the skills you have don't match what an employer want. 0:04:46.520 --> 0:04:48.680 So we're gonna talk to two people in this episode 0:04:49.120 --> 0:04:51.599 who do what I was trying to do as a 0:04:51.680 --> 0:04:55.240 college first year student, but in the current context, which 0:04:55.279 --> 0:04:58.440 is way more complicated and more fascinating in many ways 0:04:58.600 --> 0:05:04.000 more challenging. First, I sit with Annie Crawley, chief marketing 0:05:04.040 --> 0:05:08.279 officer of Goodwill. I'm trying to understand with Annie how 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:12.480 one of the most recognizable community organizations is leading efforts 0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:14.720 to close the community gap through things I didn't even 0:05:14.720 --> 0:05:16.960 know they were up to, like up scaling millions of 0:05:17.000 --> 0:05:20.120 Americans and helping them get back into the workforce. We 0:05:20.240 --> 0:05:23.640 also hear from Dr Sue else Perman. She's the president 0:05:23.640 --> 0:05:27.120 of ivy Tech Community College, which is the largest contributor 0:05:27.160 --> 0:05:29.680 to the Indiana workforce in the entire state and with 0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:33.960 so many jobs coming from local economic needs. Sue shares 0:05:34.000 --> 0:05:36.760 how ivy Tech builds programs to train students of any 0:05:36.800 --> 0:05:40.800 age to meet those demands. First, I hope you enjoy 0:05:41.000 --> 0:05:55.719 and I'll see you on the other side. So let's 0:05:55.760 --> 0:05:58.000 say I'm looking for a job and somebody else is 0:05:58.040 --> 0:06:00.440 also looking for a job, but they have other things 0:06:00.440 --> 0:06:01.920 that they have to take into account, like the fact 0:06:01.920 --> 0:06:04.000 that maybe they don't have a car, or the fact 0:06:04.040 --> 0:06:07.480 that they don't have consistent broadband. But I have all 0:06:07.480 --> 0:06:09.080 those things, So for me, it's not our problem. I 0:06:09.120 --> 0:06:10.840 just gotta find the employee a like and try to 0:06:10.839 --> 0:06:12.960 get a name, view and go. So how do we 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:15.480 solve for the things that put them behind the starting lines, 0:06:15.480 --> 0:06:20.120 so to speak, so that way they can equitably competitively 0:06:20.400 --> 0:06:24.720 compete for a job. Annie Crawley has been the chief 0:06:24.760 --> 0:06:28.560 Marketing officer of Goodwill for just over six months, which 0:06:28.600 --> 0:06:31.520 is a departure from the traditional marketing roles she has 0:06:31.560 --> 0:06:34.760 built a successful career around for so many years. Before this, 0:06:35.440 --> 0:06:38.039 she's pivoted like so many organizations I've had too, and 0:06:38.080 --> 0:06:40.560 she's facing a new challenge now, one that she is 0:06:40.600 --> 0:06:44.279 excited about to help reshape one of the country's largest 0:06:44.360 --> 0:06:51.960 nonprofit organizations. Hi, how are you. I'm doing really really well. 0:06:52.000 --> 0:06:54.360 Thank you so much for having me on today. You 0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:56.880 are so welcome, and thank you for spending some time 0:06:56.880 --> 0:06:59.280 with me. Well, I think you know why we're here, 0:06:59.320 --> 0:07:01.520 but we're doing this podcast Force multiplier. I want to 0:07:01.520 --> 0:07:03.600 talk about good Will, want to talk about collaboration, want 0:07:03.600 --> 0:07:06.719 to talk about you, and I want to start with Goodwill, 0:07:07.320 --> 0:07:10.800 which many people know for many different reasons. I know 0:07:10.920 --> 0:07:14.040 it as a thrift store, mostly in a place of donations. 0:07:14.800 --> 0:07:18.040 What is Goodwill? Who does good Will serve? And how 0:07:18.080 --> 0:07:22.400 does good Will do that? Good Will serves so many people, 0:07:22.560 --> 0:07:24.360 And it's all of those things that you mentioned. It 0:07:24.440 --> 0:07:27.760 is a nonprofit, it's a retail chain, it's a skills 0:07:27.800 --> 0:07:30.240 training center, it's all of those things. We serve thrifters, 0:07:30.240 --> 0:07:32.200 people who love to thrift and buy a second hand. 0:07:32.680 --> 0:07:35.040 We serve those who are looking for new jobs that 0:07:35.200 --> 0:07:37.960 are looking to advance themselves in their careers, those who 0:07:38.040 --> 0:07:40.360 want to donate and just unload stuff that they don't 0:07:40.400 --> 0:07:42.760 want their homes anymore. People who want to help and 0:07:42.840 --> 0:07:44.480 do good and who want to fund. So we have 0:07:44.640 --> 0:07:48.440 so many different audiences. And you know what's interesting is 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:50.920 that most people know us only for our stores and 0:07:50.960 --> 0:07:54.680 our donation centers, and because of that, people think, oh, yeah, Goodwill. 0:07:54.760 --> 0:07:57.840 It's like this big for profit company, But we're not. 0:07:58.040 --> 0:08:00.760 When you step back, We're really in the business of 0:08:00.760 --> 0:08:03.880 helping people and helping the planet. For people, it's all 0:08:03.880 --> 0:08:06.920 about self empowerment and living life on your terms. And 0:08:07.480 --> 0:08:09.560 for the planet, it's about doing our part to keep 0:08:09.680 --> 0:08:12.840 usable goods out of landfills. Yeah. I think that's a 0:08:12.840 --> 0:08:15.600 good way to unify what it is, you know, helping 0:08:15.600 --> 0:08:18.720 the planet, helping people. So much of what your work 0:08:18.800 --> 0:08:22.440 is I see as interacting with American workers. And the 0:08:22.560 --> 0:08:25.600 organization has been around for so long. What has the 0:08:25.680 --> 0:08:32.720 organization learned about America's workers and what they need? Wow? 0:08:32.840 --> 0:08:35.840 You know, I it's so we're in certainly in a 0:08:35.920 --> 0:08:38.920 time and I know we'll talk about that, but I 0:08:38.960 --> 0:08:43.360 think there's just an ongoing evolution, right. Nothing is ever static. 0:08:43.400 --> 0:08:45.160 And so that's why when we talk about what we 0:08:45.240 --> 0:08:48.720 offer to people, it's not just about getting people into jobs. 0:08:48.760 --> 0:08:51.080 It's also people who already have jobs but want to 0:08:51.120 --> 0:08:54.320 go further, or do more, or go in a different directions. 0:08:54.400 --> 0:08:58.600 So it's almost like goodwill they sort of enabled this journey. 0:08:58.880 --> 0:09:02.880 It's this rand that's an ongoing support of individual growth 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:06.520 and evolution. Maybe you're moving or redesigning your home, and 0:09:06.600 --> 0:09:08.320 we give you a place to shed all the things 0:09:08.320 --> 0:09:11.160 you don't want anymore. You shop our stores and that's 0:09:11.240 --> 0:09:14.040 kind of a part of enabling your personal self expression. 0:09:14.720 --> 0:09:17.240 You utilize our skills, training and job support services to 0:09:17.280 --> 0:09:20.080 advance a career, find a new career. So I think 0:09:20.120 --> 0:09:22.760 what we've learned is that people are always evolving, and 0:09:22.800 --> 0:09:25.680 we want to be able to be that support to 0:09:25.840 --> 0:09:29.199 enable the evolution that they're looking for. I have this 0:09:29.240 --> 0:09:34.640 image of complex organization. How is good will able to 0:09:34.720 --> 0:09:39.520 be so many things to so many people. I would 0:09:39.520 --> 0:09:42.000 imagine that the organization, which is by the way, almost 0:09:42.440 --> 0:09:45.960 twenty years old, never set out to say I want 0:09:45.960 --> 0:09:48.400 to be all these different things to all these people. 0:09:48.440 --> 0:09:52.400 In this way, I think the fundamental thing that Edgar Helms, 0:09:52.400 --> 0:09:54.079 who started the company. Wanted to do when he started 0:09:54.080 --> 0:09:56.880 out of Boston was he wanted to just give everybody 0:09:56.920 --> 0:10:00.240 an equitable chance. And he saw an opportunity to take 0:10:00.320 --> 0:10:02.880 things that those who were more privileged no longer needed 0:10:03.400 --> 0:10:06.520 and use that to create resources to give to people 0:10:06.520 --> 0:10:09.439 who needed more and enable them to sort of step up. 0:10:09.720 --> 0:10:11.679 One thing I really love about good Will is that 0:10:11.760 --> 0:10:15.680 the philosophy really is about teaching a man how to 0:10:15.800 --> 0:10:18.360 fish so that he can eat for a lifetime rather 0:10:18.400 --> 0:10:20.560 than sort of fish for a day. And so I 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:23.640 think just over time and as we've built out the Federation, 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:25.199 which is made up of a hundred and fifty six 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:29.320 different memberships, these members have looked at their local communities 0:10:29.360 --> 0:10:31.680 and said, what do they need here? So something that 0:10:31.720 --> 0:10:34.559 a good Will might need in Michigan might be different 0:10:34.559 --> 0:10:36.800 from what a good Will needs in Texas. And so 0:10:36.880 --> 0:10:40.000 what's unique about this organization is we work to really 0:10:40.120 --> 0:10:43.200 understand the specific needs in the town where you live 0:10:43.600 --> 0:10:45.760 and address those needs. And I think through that that's 0:10:45.760 --> 0:10:48.960 how you've seen sort of this expansion of services that 0:10:49.040 --> 0:10:52.560 we offer throughout the company. I respect that a ton 0:10:52.600 --> 0:10:54.959 and I think we have a lot of blanket band 0:10:55.000 --> 0:10:57.920 aids we try to apply with no knowledge on the ground. 0:10:58.000 --> 0:11:02.120 So having grounded local knowledge seems like a huge differentiator 0:11:02.120 --> 0:11:06.200 for an organization like Goodwill use the word equity, and 0:11:06.240 --> 0:11:08.760 it makes me think of the opportunity gap, especially in 0:11:08.840 --> 0:11:13.480 terms of employment. What is involved in creating that gap 0:11:13.520 --> 0:11:16.280 in this country? More to the point, how are you 0:11:16.360 --> 0:11:18.840 working to help close it? I think a lot of 0:11:18.880 --> 0:11:21.760 it stems from the fact that just fundamentally, we are 0:11:21.920 --> 0:11:25.920 in a digital world today. There was a report last year, 0:11:25.920 --> 0:11:29.240 I think by the Aspen Institute, and according to that report, 0:11:29.280 --> 0:11:31.319 I think thirty two million Americans don't know how to 0:11:31.400 --> 0:11:34.679 use a computer, and half of Americans are not comfortable 0:11:34.840 --> 0:11:39.960 learning online. So there's definitely a need to build more 0:11:40.320 --> 0:11:43.280 digital competent so that tomorrow people are not getting locked 0:11:43.320 --> 0:11:46.160 out of even the most basic jobs. People have this 0:11:46.200 --> 0:11:48.880 idea that it's things like you know, automation and AI 0:11:49.040 --> 0:11:51.720 and all this disruption that's going to take away jobs. 0:11:52.200 --> 0:11:54.800 The reality is that rather than jobs disappearing, the jobs 0:11:54.840 --> 0:11:58.200 are really changing and a lot of workers are going 0:11:58.240 --> 0:12:00.320 to need digital upskilling to keep up with those and 0:12:00.360 --> 0:12:04.120 be prepared for those opportunities. Jobs that previously needed unskilled 0:12:04.120 --> 0:12:07.120 workers over fined with unskilled workers. Twenty percent of those 0:12:07.160 --> 0:12:09.840 jobs are now going to need skilled workers. So it's 0:12:09.880 --> 0:12:12.000 showing the need for even some of the most basic 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:17.120 roles to require some sort of digital proficiency. So with 0:12:17.240 --> 0:12:21.079 that understanding that we have this sort of workforce development 0:12:21.160 --> 0:12:25.960 challenge around digital and technological skills, where does goodwill come in? 0:12:26.160 --> 0:12:28.400 How do you work in all of these communities across 0:12:28.400 --> 0:12:32.360 your federation to help provide people those skills. I would 0:12:32.400 --> 0:12:34.800 say it's twofold. One is that we are trying to 0:12:34.800 --> 0:12:38.960 set up a learning management platform that will enable people 0:12:39.040 --> 0:12:42.160 to come in and get the digital skills and any 0:12:42.200 --> 0:12:44.000 kind of upskilling really that they need to get into 0:12:44.040 --> 0:12:47.760 the jobs what they want. We're also galvanizing other organizations 0:12:47.800 --> 0:12:50.920 to join us and provide services that will allow people 0:12:50.960 --> 0:12:52.560 to get the free skilling that they need so that 0:12:52.600 --> 0:12:55.240 they can get into different jobs. So it's really kind 0:12:55.280 --> 0:12:57.840 of this whole one plus one equals three. I want 0:12:57.840 --> 0:13:00.880 that math. I want that one plus one three put 0:13:00.920 --> 0:13:05.960 my stocks in that. I want to talk about the 0:13:06.080 --> 0:13:11.720 Rising Together coalition. There are many players, many different types 0:13:11.760 --> 0:13:15.559 of players coming together, some of the largest employers in 0:13:15.600 --> 0:13:18.120 the country, some of them with some very progressive policies 0:13:18.160 --> 0:13:22.640 internally or externally, working with Goodwill to help boost this 0:13:22.679 --> 0:13:25.840 economic recovery and make sure it works for everybody, not 0:13:26.000 --> 0:13:28.199 just having that k shape we hear so much about 0:13:28.240 --> 0:13:30.920 in the news. So talk to me about rising together. 0:13:31.120 --> 0:13:35.199 What is it? Who's involved? Yes, they surrising together. At 0:13:35.200 --> 0:13:38.360 the most fundamental level, it's a commitment by the good 0:13:38.360 --> 0:13:41.280 Will brand to help America get back on its way 0:13:41.280 --> 0:13:43.360 to economic recovery. That's what it is. And we know 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:44.840 we can't do it alone, which is why we formed 0:13:44.840 --> 0:13:47.800 a coalition to do that. The brain child that was 0:13:47.840 --> 0:13:50.760 because we looked at what was happening with the pandemic. 0:13:50.840 --> 0:13:55.800 You know, nationwide pandemic related job laws has disproportionately affected 0:13:55.800 --> 0:13:59.760 people of color, women, and those without pihor degrees, and 0:13:59.840 --> 0:14:04.040 we knew that to recover with an inclusive economic infrastructure 0:14:04.320 --> 0:14:07.560 that gives everyone equitable opportunity, we needed something that was 0:14:07.600 --> 0:14:10.400 going to provide the right support in the right place 0:14:10.480 --> 0:14:13.160 at the right time. And so you came together with 0:14:13.640 --> 0:14:17.360 other Fortune fifty companies specifically for the purpose of providing 0:14:17.360 --> 0:14:19.800 those who are not unemployed right now with the support 0:14:19.800 --> 0:14:23.480 and researchers they need. We started with five companies, but 0:14:23.560 --> 0:14:25.960 the ideas that we start with those five and as 0:14:26.000 --> 0:14:28.000 we continue to sort of message what we're doing with 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:31.720 this and get more communication out there about Rising Together, 0:14:31.880 --> 0:14:33.880 is that companies, we get more companies to get on 0:14:33.920 --> 0:14:36.760 the train and join us in this journey. So, in 0:14:36.800 --> 0:14:41.720 a basketball metaphor, who's your starting five? My my starting team. 0:14:41.960 --> 0:14:44.800 So we kicked off the launch in May with Google, 0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:51.320 of Courserra, Indeed, Lift and the Anthem Foundation all are 0:14:51.360 --> 0:14:55.840 bringing very unique supports to the Rising Together structure. All right, 0:14:55.880 --> 0:15:00.440 so I want like ESPN Graphics, Right, I'm gonna hit 0:15:00.480 --> 0:15:02.760 you with a player, and then you're gonna tell me 0:15:02.880 --> 0:15:06.160 what they're bringing to the team, all right. Indeed, what 0:15:06.200 --> 0:15:08.840 do they have for the coalition? Indeed, Oh, they're they're 0:15:08.880 --> 0:15:11.280 all about it. They're elevating all of their jobs services 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:13.680 to ensure people have the right skills for the changing 0:15:13.720 --> 0:15:16.360 labor markets. So they're actually tweaking the way they're offering 0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:19.160 services so that addresses exactly needs people have today when 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:22.440 looking for a job. Alright, Google, big company, big player, 0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:24.800 bringing a lot to the court. What's Google offering to 0:15:24.840 --> 0:15:28.040 this coalition? Huge? Huge, So they're delivering all of our 0:15:28.240 --> 0:15:30.320 digital skills and more than just the digital skills. They're 0:15:30.320 --> 0:15:33.000 giving us the opportunity to provide certification. So they're offering 0:15:33.000 --> 0:15:36.920 digital skill certification for specific jobs that actually are a 0:15:36.960 --> 0:15:40.560 pipeline into roles within their organization. And that certification, I 0:15:40.560 --> 0:15:44.600 can imagine is a very valuable It also doesn't require 0:15:44.720 --> 0:15:47.640 like four years of a bachelor's degree. That is the 0:15:47.680 --> 0:15:49.960 beauty of it. And I think Google is one employer 0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:52.880 that really understands that there is a dire need to 0:15:52.960 --> 0:15:56.560 hire for skills and not just for degrees. Our Lift 0:15:56.720 --> 0:15:58.640 is on the court. Now. Lift we know them as 0:15:58.680 --> 0:16:01.080 kind of this agile player. They move around a lot. 0:16:01.120 --> 0:16:03.440 What is Lift bringing. They have a program called the 0:16:03.520 --> 0:16:06.920 Jobs Access Program that allows people to get free rides 0:16:06.960 --> 0:16:10.120 to interviews or two jobs, and they're expanding that program 0:16:10.160 --> 0:16:12.360 now so that more people can take advantage of the 0:16:12.440 --> 0:16:15.440 free services that they offer. And finally, let's do as 0:16:15.440 --> 0:16:19.320 a quick pair, Anthem and coursera very different players. What 0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:22.440 are each of them bringing? Yes, So Anthem Foundations, so 0:16:22.560 --> 0:16:25.320 you know they're all about healthcare obviously, so they're launching 0:16:25.400 --> 0:16:29.920 a healthcare training path that becomes a direct pipeline leading 0:16:29.920 --> 0:16:35.360 to credentials, job placement, higher wages, more benefits, so we 0:16:35.440 --> 0:16:39.400 love them for that corsera. They're providing free online courses 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:44.520 specifically targeted at youth, veterans, military families, and people who 0:16:44.520 --> 0:16:47.320 have been impacted by the criminal justice system, all to 0:16:47.360 --> 0:16:50.160 help them identify again what their ideal career paths are 0:16:50.160 --> 0:16:53.840 and help them secure jobs. So, the way you've described 0:16:54.600 --> 0:16:57.360 the nature of the program, everyone who signed up here 0:16:57.440 --> 0:17:02.119 is committed to America's economic recovery. But from the perspective 0:17:02.160 --> 0:17:05.040 of the human who is trying to take advantage of 0:17:05.080 --> 0:17:09.160 this service, what's their experience with the Rising Together coalition 0:17:09.200 --> 0:17:11.280 and how might it be a bit different than say, 0:17:11.320 --> 0:17:14.840 two years ago. I think the biggest difference is really 0:17:14.840 --> 0:17:18.320 just sort of the amplification of the different programs. Now. 0:17:18.480 --> 0:17:20.600 Keep in mind Rising Together we're talking about it in 0:17:20.600 --> 0:17:25.280 the media, but it's much more targeted towards funders and corporations, 0:17:25.320 --> 0:17:27.959 and so just everyday person walking down the street may 0:17:28.000 --> 0:17:30.919 not hear about Writing Together specifically. What they should notice 0:17:30.960 --> 0:17:34.480 is that now there's hams to be more availability of services, 0:17:34.800 --> 0:17:39.359 more availability of free services, and more availability of holistic 0:17:39.400 --> 0:17:42.399 services that address all the different needs that people have 0:17:42.720 --> 0:17:45.440 when it comes to searching for a job. What's been 0:17:45.440 --> 0:17:49.480 the most surprising outcome of this partnership so far. I 0:17:49.480 --> 0:17:51.640 think the thing that's been the most surprising and really 0:17:51.640 --> 0:17:55.639 pleasantly surprising is how quickly some people have been wanting 0:17:55.680 --> 0:17:58.760 to come on board. We've been talking to companies and 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:01.680 everyone loves the idea. Yeah, people are like, hey, sign 0:18:01.720 --> 0:18:03.879 me up. People see what's going on right now with 0:18:03.920 --> 0:18:06.560 our economy, even to some of the social issues we're 0:18:06.560 --> 0:18:08.880 dealing with right now, and people are like, I want 0:18:08.880 --> 0:18:11.239 to be a part of the solution. It feels like 0:18:11.280 --> 0:18:14.719 it's been a lower hanging fruit situation in terms of 0:18:14.720 --> 0:18:16.320 getting people to come on board with this or at 0:18:16.359 --> 0:18:19.040 least support it in some way. So that's been great 0:18:19.440 --> 0:18:23.119 easy sales. Pitch you rise together or fall alone. Nobody 0:18:23.160 --> 0:18:26.240 wants to sign up for falling alone? Can you join 0:18:26.280 --> 0:18:29.800 the team? I like that. I haven't writing that one down. 0:18:31.359 --> 0:18:35.520 It is my gifts to the I'm good, I'll sign up. 0:18:35.560 --> 0:18:40.440 That's my asset words. Why do you think it's so 0:18:40.480 --> 0:18:44.760 important to have this kind of cross sector partnership to 0:18:44.880 --> 0:18:47.840 take on the opportunity gap in the workforce development challenge? 0:18:48.359 --> 0:18:50.280 First of all, I don't think anyone can do it alone. 0:18:50.600 --> 0:18:54.760 I think It requires different types of expertise and engagement 0:18:54.760 --> 0:18:58.160 from different company sector to address all the different needs. 0:18:58.200 --> 0:19:01.480 Every partner has something that you would consider to be 0:19:01.520 --> 0:19:04.560 like a creative and impactful to bring to this challenge. 0:19:04.640 --> 0:19:07.480 And you know, as more companies join in, that impact 0:19:07.560 --> 0:19:11.880 just becomes exponential. We call this show for a small supplier, 0:19:12.320 --> 0:19:17.320 right We're looking for that leverage, that that extra umph 0:19:17.520 --> 0:19:20.800 in the Rising Together efforts. So far, what's been the 0:19:20.800 --> 0:19:24.359 force multiplier? You know, I would like to think that 0:19:24.480 --> 0:19:31.720 goodwill has been the force multiplier. And now I mean 0:19:32.400 --> 0:19:34.439 I say good will, but the reason I say good 0:19:34.440 --> 0:19:37.719 will is just because one, we're trying to bring it 0:19:37.800 --> 0:19:40.600 more to the forefront. Everyone knows what's going on. We're 0:19:40.640 --> 0:19:43.080 all watching the news, we're seeing you know, all the headlines. 0:19:43.160 --> 0:19:46.760 But we're trying to create action more than just discussion. 0:19:46.760 --> 0:19:48.360 And that's what I think we're trying to do with 0:19:48.440 --> 0:19:51.320 this Right Together coalition. And I think it also puts 0:19:51.320 --> 0:19:53.640 more of a spotlight on the work. And it also 0:19:53.720 --> 0:19:57.080 keeps everyone accountable. We're basically declaring what we will do 0:19:57.840 --> 0:20:00.040 and we're all holding each other accountable to make he 0:20:00.119 --> 0:20:02.320 that we get it done. So there you have it, Yes, 0:20:02.440 --> 0:20:04.760 good will I said it good. It was the force multiplying. 0:20:08.359 --> 0:20:11.520 I want to know a bit more about you, Annie, 0:20:11.560 --> 0:20:16.520 because we've been talking about career changes and pivots and upscaling, 0:20:17.160 --> 0:20:20.320 and Uh, when I look at your background, you've made 0:20:20.359 --> 0:20:24.639 some changes. You have a lot of experience in consumer 0:20:24.720 --> 0:20:30.159 goods and food, and now you're at this massive, very 0:20:30.160 --> 0:20:36.280 well established nonprofit. How did your path emerge for you? Yeah, 0:20:36.560 --> 0:20:38.480 and I probably have a story that many people can 0:20:38.520 --> 0:20:40.680 relate to in terms of just how things change in 0:20:40.680 --> 0:20:42.439 your life and how you make pivots and how at 0:20:42.480 --> 0:20:44.479 the time of the pivot you're not sure, but when 0:20:44.520 --> 0:20:46.640 you look back, like, wow, that was the right pivot. 0:20:47.520 --> 0:20:50.440 Before business school, I was actually a microbiologist and then 0:20:50.440 --> 0:20:53.040 pivoted into business because I didn't want to get a 0:20:53.040 --> 0:20:54.760 pH d and kind of get into science leadership but 0:20:54.840 --> 0:20:57.760 I wasn't that interested. But became a marketer and then 0:20:57.920 --> 0:21:01.280 started working for CpG companies and then had my first 0:21:01.359 --> 0:21:05.240 durable goods assignment working for Years Holdings working on the 0:21:05.359 --> 0:21:07.600 Craftsman brand, and then went from there to work in 0:21:07.640 --> 0:21:10.439 betting before coming to this role so very much you know, 0:21:10.480 --> 0:21:13.600 for profit marketing, which I've loved. I had a lot 0:21:13.640 --> 0:21:16.760 of rules that involved brand revitalization or sort of brand 0:21:16.800 --> 0:21:19.560 trying to re energize brands that maybe it started to 0:21:19.640 --> 0:21:22.640 lag or having some challenges. So that started to become 0:21:22.680 --> 0:21:24.520 a thing that I really really enjoyed as a part 0:21:24.520 --> 0:21:27.520 of my career, and I would never have seen myself 0:21:27.520 --> 0:21:29.919 a nonprofit. But the one thing that really stood out 0:21:29.920 --> 0:21:32.080 for me when I started having conversations was the fact 0:21:32.080 --> 0:21:34.800 that they were looking to transform the brand. Given its 0:21:34.880 --> 0:21:37.040 role and workforce development, this is the one brand that 0:21:37.119 --> 0:21:41.520 should be very relevant across today's cultural zeitgeist. And I 0:21:41.560 --> 0:21:43.520 don't think we're in as many conversations as we should 0:21:43.560 --> 0:21:45.439 be right now. I don't think the brand is as 0:21:45.440 --> 0:21:47.920 elevated as it should be right now, especially given where 0:21:47.920 --> 0:21:50.560 we are with our economy, and so there's a great 0:21:50.560 --> 0:21:53.879 opportunity to really elevate that message and really move that 0:21:53.920 --> 0:21:56.680 mission forward in a much more powerful and impactful way. 0:21:57.040 --> 0:22:00.000 What advice would you offer someone who's looking at their 0:22:00.040 --> 0:22:03.119 own career path, they want to have even more of 0:22:03.119 --> 0:22:08.800 an impact, and they're wondering what else they can be doing. First, 0:22:08.840 --> 0:22:10.840 I would just say, don't overwhelm yourself. I think people 0:22:11.280 --> 0:22:13.560 see what's going on. We're all a little bit like 0:22:13.960 --> 0:22:16.600 are we living in the twilight zone right now? People 0:22:16.680 --> 0:22:19.560 want to do something and people just have this how 0:22:19.560 --> 0:22:21.359 do I save the world? How do I save the world? 0:22:21.840 --> 0:22:23.440 I would say, don't ever want yourself with the thoughts 0:22:23.440 --> 0:22:24.760 of how to say the world. You can start as 0:22:24.760 --> 0:22:27.240 small as you want. Take stock with the skills that 0:22:27.280 --> 0:22:28.960