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Moderator: Zoë Baird, CEO & President, Markle Foundation Panelists: Chike Aguh, DigitalUS Coalition & Senior Principal, Future of Work Lead at McChrystalGroup Brian Napack, President & CEO, Wiley Angela Siefert, CEO of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance Andy Trainor, VP of US Learning, Walmart Our Essential Service: Driving a National Digital Skills Agenda to Ensure Access & Equity in an A.D. Workforce As we enter a post-pandemic initial recovery, the national unemployment rate is over 14% and the return of stable jobs remains uncertain. Digital skills, already viewed as important to worker success in the age of automation prior to COVID, are now absolutely essential for all Americans, providing access, unlocking opportunity, and creating paths to career mobility. The digital fault lines existed prior to the pandemic, but widened this spring as work, schools, recreation, social and civil engagement all rapidly became available exclusively online. A diverse set of stakeholders including employers, large and small, national organizations, state and local governments have all recognized the gravity of the topic, and are investing in the infrastructure to support a learner and worker ecosystem where digital equity, access, and resilience for all Americans is the new standard, not the exception. Digital skills are fundamental in enabling workers and the economy to recover faster, better, stronger—and more equitably. Digital US, a national coalition focused on equipping all U.S. workers with essential digital skills by 2030, released a report last week “Building a Digitally Resilient Workforce: Creating On-Ramps to Opportunity” that lays out key strategies to enable the digital fluency of individuals and companies at scale.
Stimulus for American Opportunity: Empowering Workers with Training for the Digital Economy The economic crisis caused by COVID-19 is intensifying the inequality that has plagued our economy for years. Tens of millions have lost their jobs or wages, and the people hardest hit are people of color and people in low wage jobs or with low levels of formal education. This crisis will mark an historic turn from the industrial to the digital economy where education and training will be necessary for many good jobs, threatening to leave behind those without the resources and support to access these opportunities. While degree programs are enormously important, they have not worked for all. Workers also need the choice of accessible, rapid, and affordable training that helps them to obtain better jobs with higher wages throughout their careers. The federal response has rightfully prioritized stabilizing incomes. Yet workers with a high school diploma or less lost 5.6 million jobs in the Great Recession out of 7.2 million total jobs erased. After the recession, those individuals recovered only 80,000 of those jobs lost between 2010 and 2016. To ensure that the current return to economic activity creates equal dignity for all workers, America needs major investments in training to create a system of adult learning for the digital economy. Without investments that give workers market power, millions are at risk of falling permanently behind. A bold federal commitment should address three goals. Identify training that leads to good jobs and help people pay for it. Many workers want to pursue additional training but cannot afford to do so and are unsure of which programs will help them achieve better paying jobs and careers. We know that certain skills will be necessary for long term success, and data exists to identify which programs have the strongest track record of improving participants earning prospects. Yet workers are not given the funding or guidance to pursue these programs. Create a new Opportunity Account—a new federal investment in worker training tied to jobs and wages. Workers need financial support to pay for their training. Rather than limiting funding based on the length of a program or focusing largely on in-person programs as we do now, federal and state policy makers should leverage existing wage data and incorporate employer and worker input to determine which training will lead to economic gains. Funding should be available to all unemployed and low-wage workers, and more generous funding should be available to pursue programs with the greatest impact on wages. To help everyone participate, funding should help pay for supportive services. Expand online and employer-provided training. While workers have many choices for training, there is a significant shortage of effective training options that meet the needs of workers in the current moment. Scale effective online training. Social distancing is increasing the appetite for online training options, yet many workers can’t find effective programs meet their career goals. Federal grants should expand the most effective online programs, create new programs to fill gaps, help effective in-person programs transition online, and encourage collaboration to improve outcomes in online education. Match employer investments in training and promote inclusive talent practices. Employer provided training preserves the connection between employer and employee and lets people maintain income while building skills. Yet the crisis threatens to reduce employers’ commitment to training. Federal funding should be available for employers and union programs to cover some of the costs of training that leads to good-paying jobs. Funding should also help employers adopt more inclusive talent practices that reduce bias in hiring and open opportunities for more workers. Empower people with well-informed coaches. Expanded funding for education and training is not enough. People need advice to identify careers that will help them meet their goals and choose training programs that are right for them. Hire and train more coaches: Increase federal funding to hire and train more career counselors in workforce centers, community colleges, community-based organizations, unions, and other trusted organizations that people turn to for guidance during times of crisis. Support state data infrastructure: Federal funding should accelerate efforts to identify the good jobs that are growing in each community and what is required to be successful in these jobs. This paper discusses opportunities for federal policymakers to build a system of adult learning that ensures that the return to economic activity better positions American workers for success—particularly those most profoundly impacted by the pandemic. It does not represent positions taken by the Markle Foundation or others. All comments are welcome.
At Markle we are deeply saddened and angered by the brutal killing of George Floyd, and by the many other atrocious acts of violence Black people have endured as a result of systemic and institutional racism and discrimination. We stand with others to condemn racism, discrimination and injustice. We all must listen and lay bare the history of abuse Black people have encountered, and empower all voices opposing racism. As an organization, we pledge to do more to support all people of color that are hurt in so many ways by racial discrimination and institutional barriers. We must do everything we can to fix the broken systems which have led to decades of inequality and racism in every realm, to help address the impact this has had on our neighborhoods and our country. We will expand our efforts, consistent with the enormity of the need for change, and work towards a better future with equal dignity for all.
Stimulus for American Opportunity, April 2020 Discussion Draft: Ideas for Rapid Acceleration of On-Line Learning This paper is intended to begin a broad discussion on what the Federal Government can do to help workers prepare for the rapidly changing labor market. It does not represent positions taken by the Markle Foundation or others. All comments are welcome.
Through the Skillful State Network, the Markle Foundation helps governors understand how to build skills-based labor markets in which all adults can thrive in the changing economy. As part of this effort, Markle helped inform a vision for the future of California’s labor market and identify potential opportunities. Markle drew upon its experience of working closely with America’s most innovative governors combined with an in-depth analysis of California’s labor market to define specific opportunities and actions needed to support a thriving labor market. The final report —highlighted the opportunities for California to 1) dramatically expand high-quality lifelong education for working adults 2) engage some of the world’s most dynamic employers in the creation of a skilled talent pipeline, and 3) leverage the unique data and technology capabilities in the state to help residents make informed decisions as they navigate the changing economy. It also highlights the importance of making sure that Californians from every region and those from traditionally underserved populations have the support they need to thrive. To help California develop a plan of action to meet these ambitious goals, the report includes potential options state government could consider and provides a framework to understand the relative impact of each option. The following analyses were also shared to support the creation the final report: California “Fact-Pack” provides a detailed analysis of the key trends shaping California’s statewide and regional labor markets, including labor demand and supply demographics, wages, and skills. California regional earnings analysis shows occupational earnings compared to employment growth over time at the state and MSA level. California regional supply and demand analysis illustrates current and projected skill gaps by comparing labor demand and supply by occupation and level of educational attainment at the state and MSA level. Sample intervention details provides additional examples of potential government actions that build momentum, possible metrics to measure success, and ranks potential interventions by expected impact. Additional case-studies summarizes existing programs from around the world in areas related to sample interventions that can help inform state leaders plans.
New York, NY – January 16, 2020– The Markle Foundation is pleased to announce today thatCheryl C. Effronhas been elected to its Board of Directors. Ms. Effron has spent most of her career as a New York-based real estate developer. She was president of ATC Management, known for its contributions to New York City’s emerging neighborhoods—including for its creation of Chelsea Market, as well as management and redevelopment of warehouses in Long Island City into The Falchi Building, The Factory and the Center Building among others. She is currently a Senior Advisor to Tishman Speyer. Ms. Effron left full-time real estate work to dedicate her time to tri-sector (government, non-profit and corporate) solutions for urban issues. “Cheryl’s expertise and proven success in bringing together comprehensive, multi-sector collaborations to solve large issues will help Markle develop the solutions and partnerships needed to create impact,” Zoë Baird, CEO and president of Markle said. “Her dedication and understanding of how to deploy philanthropic organizations as a force for public benefit will help us to progress our goals to reform the labor market. We are delighted to have Cheryl join our Board and look forward to working together to expand opportunities for all Americans in today’s digital economy.” “I’m pleased to be joining an organization which is addressing one of the most pressing issues that we face today in this country, economic opportunity for our workforce,” said Ms Effron. “Markle’s emphasis on collaborative action will help to unite efforts around this issue and accelerate systemic change. I am looking forward to contributing to these efforts going forward.” Ms. Effron is currently board chair of Greater NY, a non-profit she co-founded during the financial crisis in 2009, which pairs civic leaders in the business world with the heads of non-profit organizations in two-year one-on-one strategic partnerships. Additionally, Ms. Effron has served on more than thirty non-profit boards. She is the immediate past-president of the board of the Dalton School, the treasurer of the board of the Brookings Institution, a trustee of the American Museum of Natural History, a trustee of Friends of the High Line and of the International Rescue Committee and an honorary trustee of New York Cares, where she was a founding director. She is co-chair of the president’s leadership committee at Brown University, where she received her BA, and she is a member of the advisory council of the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University. Among her philanthropic roles, she is the founder of the Conjunction Fund and chairman of the board of the Charles H. Revson Foundation. Ms. Effron has served on a variety of New York City and State task forces and commissions over the last thirty years. She is currently a board member of the Trust for Governors Island. ### About The Markle Foundation The Markle Foundation works to realize the potential of technology to achieve breakthroughs in addressing some of the nation’s most pressing issues. Markle challenges itself and diverse partners to deploy their varied expertise to identify solutions and achieve systemic change. Today as advanced technology and automation change the very nature of work, Markle’s priority is advancing solutions towards a skills-based labor market that will enable Americans to transition to the opportunities of the digital economy. Markle’s workforce initiatives include SkillfulandRework America.They follow Markle’s success in creating the policy and technology architecture that has enabled improvements in healthcare, national security, and access to the Internet. For more information, visitmarkle.org, [email protected]@ReworkAmericaon Twitter, and read our book,America's Moment. For media inquiries, please contact Carrie Gonzalez, [email protected] or 212-713-7654
Cheryl Cohen Effron spent most of her career as a New York-based real estate developer. Ms. Effron was president of ATC Management, known for its contributions to New York City’s emerging neighborhoods---including for its creation of Chelsea Market as well as management and redevelopment of warehouses in Long Island City into The Falchi Building, The Factory and the Center Building among others. Ms. Effron left full-time real estate work to dedicate her time to tri-sector (government, non-profit and corporate) solutions for urban issues. She recently stepped down from the City Planning Commission where she was an appointee of the Mayor. She is currently a Senior Advisor to Tishman Speyer. Ms. Effron is currently board chair of Greater NY, a non-profit she co-founded during the financial crisis in 2009 which pairs civic leaders in the business world with the heads of non-profit organizations in two-year one-on-one strategic partnerships. Additionally, Ms. Effron has served on more than thirty non-profit boards. She is the immediate past-president of the board of the Dalton School, the treasurer of the board of the Brookings Institution, a trustee of the American Museum of Natural History, a trustee of Friends of the High Line and of the International Rescue Committee, and an honorary trustee of New York Cares where she was a founding director. She is co-chair of the president’s leadership committee at Brown University where she received her BA, and she is a member of the advisory council of the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University. Among her philanthropic roles, she is the founder of the Conjunction Fund and chairman of the board of the Charles H. Revson Foundation. Ms. Effron has served on a variety of New York City and State task forces and commissions over the last thirty years. She is currently a board member of the Trust for Governors Island. Ms. Effron is married to Blair Effron with whom she has three children.
IRS Form 990-T for Markle fiscal year 2018. 990, Tax, tax forms, tax return, Financial, financial information
IRS Form 990-PF for Markle fiscal year 2018. 990, Tax, tax forms, tax return, Financial, financial information
Foreword Read any report on the future of work and you will likely hear about the looming automation of large swaths of jobs and growing gaps of AI and computer programming skills. While these issues deserve attention, they mask an important but far more subtle shift in the world of work. Entirely new fields and functions are being created at a breakneck pace, and nearly every job is changing. And even incremental changes are—in aggregate—having profound effects. From the engineers designing planes, to the mechanics repairing them, to the office workers handling process management or sales, workers are feeling the pressure to adapt and evolve the way they work. According to a recent report from the McKinsey Global Institute, while today’s technology threatens just 5% of occupations with complete automation-driven obsolescence, far more jobs (60%) could have nearly a third (30%) of their work activity automated with the application of already-existing technology, dramatically changing the work experience of most occupations. Against that backdrop, there is a risk that in our race to close the most acute skill gaps, we might overlook the impact of technology on a much broader segment of our workforce. This paper describes that risk as a “Digital Blindspot” that, in many ways, reflects the way the human brain understands and evaluates risk: we tend to worry more about the unknown than things we know and can control. Avoiding the Digital Blindspot demands that we focus on building not just new tech skills, but also the sort of foundational digital literacy that undergirds a more digitally resilient workforce capable of adapting and responding to new systems, tools, and processes. This requires action across the ecosystem. This must include employers, but we know we can’t do it alone: policymakers, adult education providers, and the K-12 and higher education sectors all have a role to play. Some companies have already identified—and are working to overcome—the Digital Blindspot: our companies (Boeing and Microsoft) and others like AT&T and Stanley Black & Decker, who are profiled later in this report, have invested millions to help their workers build the digital literacy and technology skills they need to thrive. But more needs to be done. This paper highlights the importance of digital literacy in enabling digital resilience by providing workers with the foundational skills and confidence to tackle new technologies. It provides a framework for defining the digital skills required for modern employment and a path forward for employers to prioritize segments of their workforce for investments in digital training. We hope it serves as a useful tool for employers eager to join us in creating a more equitable digital playing field for all workers, and we welcome employers eager to tackle these issues to join us as part of the Rework America Business Network. Heidi Capozzi, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, The Boeing Company &Chuck Edward Corporate Vice President, Head of Global Talent Acquisition, Microsoft Co-Chairs, Rework America Business Network Download Report Additional Resources How should an employer determine the target roles for a digital literacy upskilling pilot? The RABN analyzed 715 occupations in the labor market, assessing both the current level of digitization within a given occupation, as well as the rate of growth in digitization over the past decade and the total employment size of those roles. var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1571678248463'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px'; var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement); What regions should an employer focus on for a digital literacy upskilling pilot? The RABN analyzed the change in level of digitalization rates in the U.S. Metro Statistical Areas from 2008-2018. var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1571678566934'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px'; var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement); About the Rework America Business Network The Rework America Business Network is an initiative of the Markle Foundation. The Network was launched in 2018 with 11 founding large U.S. member companies, which collectively employ approximately 2.2 million Americans. These companies seek to deepen their talent pools of qualified candidates and expand opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds by recruiting and hiring with a focus on individuals’ skills. Member companies also seek to explore how companies can better utilize a skills-based approach when it comes to learning and development. The Network works to share effective practices and encourage more U.S. companies to adopt them, as well as advocate for resources and policies to support these practices. To learn more, visit www.markle.org/RABN.
Felix W. Ortiz III is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Viridis Learning, a cloud-based, SaaS technology platform that integrates with existing student information systems, government databases and labor market information to connect students to employers. Viridis Learning believes that technology can be used to enable the creation of the Skills PassportTM, a permanent employment record that has currency in the ever-evolving employment market. Ortiz is a social impact entrepreneur dedicated to the power of economic mobilization through the pathway of education and skill development. Through his work at Viridis Learning, Ortiz drives change by mobilizing the middle-skill workforce and leveling the employment playing field for young people and underserved communities. With a distinct veteran and entrepreneurial perspective, Felix understands the difficulties that many people face as they enter today’s employment market. Lacking the right skills and resources, he founded Viridis Learning when he discovered gaps in the system that provided a disadvantage to many. Through the creation of the Skills PassportTM, the data-driven employment ledger retains lifetime access of students’ verified knowledge, skills and ability, creating an evolved pathway to relevant career opportunities. As a social impact tech serial entrepreneur, Ortiz has always focused on creating companies that do well by doing good. Lending his voice to making a change, Ortiz has used his platform to speak out about the lack of venture capital funding for Hispanic & African American tech entrepreneurs. Ortiz’s ambitious work has broken down silos between education and employment by shifting the antiquated processes that many systems adhere to. Committing much of his personal and professional life to the development and mobilization of marginalized communities, Ortiz serves on several boards including as a Member of The Board of Directors to the New York City Technology Development Corporation, NY Hall of Science and the Osborne Foundation.
