Special Projects
Coordinated Campaign for Workforce Equity: Advancing Shared Prosperity
The Columbus (Ohio) metropolitan area is one of the fastest-growing economies in the nation, but new research shows that the prosperity generated by the area’s tremendous growth has not been shared equitably with all workers. The Coordinated Campaign for Workforce Equity will bring focus to this issue as community leaders and organizations work together to address growing labor needs.
New Research Highlights Racial Inequities in the Columbus Area Workforce and Targeted Strategies to Advance Shared Prosperity
People of color make up a rapidly growing share of the Columbus area’s workforce, but they continue to face stark inequities in employment and wages, according to a recent report. In fact, workers of color tend to be overrepresented in lower paying occupational groups, while white workers are overrepresented in higher paying professions. This segregation in the workforce hampers the region’s economic growth. In 2018 alone, racial economic exclusion cost Columbus economy about $10 billion. The report, Advancing Workforce Equity in Columbus: A Blueprint for Action, outlines several strategies for building a more equitable Columbus workforce:
● Center racial equity, community voice, and neighborhood needs in the workforce development system, and unify economic development and workforce development strategies.
● Lean into regional partnerships to break silos in workforce development.
● Bring jobs to the people and people to the jobs.
● Engage employers to adopt best practices in hiring, retaining, and promoting workers of color.
● Dramatically expand apprenticeships and develop targeted strategies to support people of color through these programs.
● Cater services to immigrant workers ad workers for whom English is a second language.
● Expand on career pathways that start with entry-level positions in target sectors with good employment prospects.
The report underscores that achieving the vision of an equitable Columbus workforce will require cross-sector collaboration to dismantle barriers to racial economic inclusion and cultivate equity in education, training, hiring, advancement, and the social determinants of work that support positive economic outcomes for workers and families.
Source: Advancing Workforce Equity in Columbus: A Blueprint for Action was released on May 9, 2022, by the National Equity Atlas (a partnership between PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute) with One Columbus, the Workforce Innovation Center, Emsi Burning Glass, and JPMorgan Chase.
What is Workforce Equity and How Will It Be Achieved?
Workforce equity means a labor market in which racial income gaps are eliminated, all jobs are good jobs, and everyone who wants to work has access to family-supporting employment. Employers, policymakers, community organizations, funders, education and training providers, and intermediaries all have important roles to play in bringing this vision to life: uplifting worker voice; cultivating diverse, thriving regional economies that support high-quality jobs; and proactively fostering a just transition and an equitable future of work in the face of accelerating automation and technological change.
As businesses and jobs continue to rebound, racial equity must be at the center of coordinated efforts and collaboration across the workforce ecosystem. To support this important work, Advancing Workforce Equity puts the power of disaggregated data into the hands of local leaders working to foster a more just and sustainable economy through their policy efforts, programs, and investments.
Source: Advancing Workforce Equity in Columbus: A Blueprint for Action was released on May 9, 2022, by the National Equity Atlas (a partnership between PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute) with One Columbus, the Workforce Innovation Center, Emsi Burning Glass, and JPMorgan Chase.
What will the Coordinated Campaign for Workforce Equity do?
● Serve as a personal and direct approach for connecting individuals identified from underrepresented groups to specific employment and training opportunities.
● Promote workforce equity by sharing success stories that reflect the hiring of individuals from underrepresented groups on a career track.
● Report on employer activities that demonstrate a commitment to workforce equity.
For more information about the Coordinated Campaign for Workforce Equity launching in January 2023, contact info@nrtandassociates.com.
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