Save the date!
May 13-15, 2024 | Washington, D.C.
1:00 – 3:00 pm
3:00 – 3:30 pm
3:30 – 5:00 pm
Plenary
Welcome from National Skills Coalition
Rachel Unruh, Chief of External Affairs, National Skills Coalition
Realizing the Equity Promise of Infrastructure Jobs - Join a discussion with national leaders one year after historic federal investments in infrastructure and job creation.
Panelists:
Broderick Johnson, Executive Vice President, Public Policy & Executive Vice President, Digital Equity, Comcast
Representative Andy Levin, Distinguished Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Stephanie Martinez-Ruckman, Legislative Director for Human Development, National League of Cities
Melissa Wells, Special Assistant to the President, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) & Elected Member, Maryland House of Delegates
Andy Van Kleunen (moderator), Chief Executive Officer, National Skills Coalition
Dr. Alma Salazar Bridgebuilder Award
Break
Plenary
Worker Story
Miguel Hernandez, Fresno, California
Remarks from Members of Congress:
Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Senator, United States Senate
A View from Inside the Beltway - Advocating for Inclusive Skills Training in 2023. Hear from leading government affairs professionals about NSC’s 2023 policy agenda, how it connects to key economic issues, and what matters to policymakers on the Hill.
Panelists:
Nicole Barcliff, Senior Policy Director, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
Allison Dembeck, Vice President of Education and Labor Advocacy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Eric Rodriguez, Senior Vice President, Policy and Advocacy, UnidosUS
Katie Spiker (moderator), Managing Director of Government Affairs, National Skills Coalition
7:00 – 8:45 am
9:00 – 10:30 am
10:30 – 11:00 am
11:00 – 12:00 pm
12:00 – 2:00 pm
2:00 – 2:30 pm
2:30 – 3:30 pm
3:30 – 3:45 pm
3:45 – 5:00 pm
5:00 pm
Breakfast
Plenary
Remarks from Members of Congress
Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Congresswoman, United States House of Representatives
Mike Braun (R-IN), Senator, United States Senate
Making College Work - Learn about what states have done to make quality postsecondary credentials affordable and how to advocate for similar changes at the federal level.
Panelists:
Indivar Dutta-Gupta, President & Executive Director, The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Dr. Anne Kress, President, Northern Virginia Community College
Jennifer Stiddard, Senior Fellow, National Skills Coalition
Dr. Jermaine Williams, President, Montgomery College
Paul Fain (moderator), Journalist, The Job
Break
Concurrent Sessions
Session A: How federal policies can build on state innovation and advance skills training for all - Join state advocates, practitioners, and leaders from the Biden Administration in a discussion about innovative implementation of federal policies and the next generation of federal legislation required to advance high-quality, equitable skills training.
Harin Contractor, Director of Labor Policy, National Economic Council, White House
Yasmin Fallahkhair (moderator), Senior State Network Manager, National Skills Coalition
Katie Spiker (moderator), Managing Director, Government Affairs, National Skills Coalition
Session B: A bipartisan conversation about skills training in 2023 - Hear bipartisan perspectives from key legislative staff about the prospects for a range of important federal skills training policy in 2023.
Scott Estrada, Professional Staff Member, House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Marek Laco, Professional Staff Member, House Committee on Education and the Workforce
LaVontae Brooks, Deputy Chief of Staff, Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV)
Jeffrey Connor-Naylor (moderator), Director, Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships
Lunch and Plenary
Worker Story
Khaija Faulk, New Orleans, Louisiana
Q & A with Union Leader
Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO (AFT)
Brooke DeRenzis, Chief Strategy Officer, National Skills Coalition (moderator)
Panel Discussion: Skills Training in the Fight for Good Jobs and an Inclusive Economy - How skills training policies are part of the effort to improve job quality and build a racially equitable workforce, and how skills training advocates can be allies in the fight for good jobs.
Panelists:
Tameshia Bridges Mansfield, Vice President, Workforce and Regional Economies, Jobs for the Future (JFF)
Angela Hanks, Chief of Programs, Dēmos
Abby Snay, Deputy Secretary for the Future of Work, California Labor and Workforce Development Agency
Brooke DeRenzis (moderator), Chief Strategy Officer, National Skills Coalition
Break
Concurrent Sessions
Session A: Policies to drive equity-advancing industry partnerships - Industry partnerships are expanding good job opportunities for historically marginalized workers, helping local businesses develop an inclusive talent ecosystem, and accelerating local economic growth. Learn what those partnerships look like and how federal policy can support and scale them in communities across the country.
Panelist:
Carla Garrett, Good Jobs Challenge Lead, United States Department of Commerce
Celeste Granger, Associate Vice President of Talent Development, Charleston Chamber of Commerce
Michelle Seibert, Economic Opportunity Officer, United Way of Central Iowa
Nakeisha Ricks-Pettyjohn (moderator), Senior Fellow, Workforce Development, National Skills Coalition
Session B: Cultivating pathways to quality training for quality jobs - Accessible and equitable pathways to quality training and jobs are foundational to building an inclusive economy, but how do we get there? Hear panelists explore this question and discuss policies to support quality programs, credentials, and jobs.
Panelists:
Nathalie Gazzaneo, Associate Director, Project on Workforce at Harvard University
Lesley Hirsch, Assistant Commissioner Research and Information, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Tiffani Williams, Ph.D., Senior Adviser for Community and Economic Development, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity
Robert Matthews, Associate Vice President of Workforce & Economic Development, Mott Community College
Jeannine LaPrad (moderator), Managing Director, Policy and Research, National Skills Coalition
Break
Strategy Session for Taking it to the Hill
Remarks from Members of Congress:
Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Congresswoman, United States House of Representatives
Tips from Government Affairs
Learn how to educate Members of Congress on federal skills training policies and how to make the most out of your Hill visits. Take time to strategize with other advocates from your state.
Speakers:
Megan Evans, Senior Government Affairs Manager, National Skills Coalition
Caroline Treschitta, Policy Analyst, National Skills Coalition
Reception
Hill Day - State delegations attend Hill meetings to meet with Congressional Offices and members of the Biden Administration.
7:30 - 9:00 am
9:00 - 4:00 pm
1:00 - 2:00 pm
4:00 pm
Breakfast
Legislative Briefing: Digital Equity @ Work - A Capitol Hill briefing on what Congress can do to close the digital skill divide.
Welcome and Opening Remarks:
Tim Kaine (D-VA), Senator, United States Senate
Rachel Unruh, Chief of External Affairs, National Skills Coalition
Panel Discussion:
Constance Green, WIOA Adult & Dislocated Worker Programs State Coordinator, Virginia's Community Colleges System
Robert Guzman, External Affairs Director, scaleLIT
Marisol Tapia Hopper, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Funding, Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County
Caroline Treschitta (moderator), Policy Analyst, National Skills Coalition
Reception
Hill Meetings
Check out the Skills Summit Content page for recordings, blogs, pictures, and more!