Jobs for the Future

Jobs for the Future
Name	Jobs for the Future
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	1983
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts
Key people	Maria Flynn
Mission	Expand access to education and training that leads to career advancement

Jobs for the Future

Jobs for the Future is a national nonprofit organization focused on designing and scaling workforce, postsecondary, and career pathways that connect learners to employers, partnering with institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, New York University to promote credential attainment and career mobility. The organization collaborates with entities including U.S. Department of Labor, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Ford Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation to pilot interventions, influence policy, and align training with industry needs such as those represented by Microsoft Corporation, Amazon (company), General Electric, Siemens, Boeing.

Overview

Jobs for the Future operates at the intersection of workforce strategies, postsecondary pathways, and employer engagement, working across states like Massachusetts, California, Texas, New York (state), Ohio and in partnership with systems including City University of New York, Dallas County Community College District, California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, Maryland Department of Labor. JFF offers research, technical assistance, and program design in collaboration with organizations such as National Skills Coalition, Association of Community College Trustees, Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, Migration Policy Institute while engaging with workforce boards like Boston Private Industry Council and intermediaries including Year Up, Per Scholas, Goodwill Industries International, JVS.

History and Development

Founded in 1983 amid concerns about shifts in the labor market and technological change, JFF evolved through eras marked by policy developments such as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the rise of charter initiatives linked to Bill Clinton administration efforts, and philanthropy trends shaped by entities like the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Rockefeller Foundation. Early collaborations included local projects with Boston Public Schools, partnerships with higher education institutions like Boston University and Northeastern University, and workforce pilot programs later evaluated alongside studies by RAND Corporation, National Bureau of Economic Research, American Institutes for Research. Leadership transitions involved figures connected to networks including Aspen Institute, New Profit, Teach For America alumni and ties to public officials in administrations of Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan.

Programs and Initiatives

JFF’s portfolio includes initiatives to expand career pathways, develop sector partnerships, and scale high-quality training models with programs aligned to occupations in sectors represented by United States Department of Education priorities and industry partners such as IBM, Google, Cisco Systems, Intel Corporation. Signature efforts have intersected with models like career pathways pilot frameworks, accelerated apprenticeships linked to U.S. Department of Commerce discussions, and bridge programs similar to those promoted by National Governors Association, Council of State Governments. JFF has implemented technical assistance for initiatives such as apprenticeships comparable to those coordinated with State of Connecticut Department of Labor and credential stacking approaches referenced in policy dialogues at National Conference of State Legislatures.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluations of JFF-affiliated programs have been conducted by research entities including Mathematica Policy Research, Abt Associates, SRI International, MDRC and have been cited in reports by Pew Charitable Trusts and Kaiser Family Foundation about workforce outcomes. Outcomes reported in various studies emphasize metrics used by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center for Education Statistics, and state longitudinal data systems such as California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System to track credential attainment, employment placement, and earnings growth. Impact discussions frequently reference comparisons to initiatives supported by National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, and philanthropic efforts by The Rockefeller Foundation and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Partnerships and Funding

JFF’s funding and partnerships have included philanthropic supporters like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation and corporate partners such as JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Accenture. Public funders and programs engaged include U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Education, state workforce agencies like Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, California Workforce Development Board, and multi-state consortia convened by National Governors Association. Implementation partners encompass community college systems such as Miami Dade College, Los Angeles Community College District, labor organizations like AFL–CIO, and employer networks including National Association of Manufacturers.

Criticism and Controversies

JFF has faced critique from scholars and advocacy groups including analysts associated with Economic Policy Institute, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Inequality.org, for its role in endorsing market-oriented workforce strategies and for partnerships with corporate funders such as Amazon (company) and Microsoft Corporation. Debates have involved comparisons to critiques leveled at workforce reform models promoted by Charter Schools USA and evaluations of public–private collaborations noted in literature from Harvard Kennedy School and Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Controversies have also touched on issues examined by National Labor Relations Board decisions and on questions about credentialism raised in discourse involving American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Boston