Better Careers

Making the workforce system work for more Californians

Too many workforce efforts fail too many workers. Many of California’s workforce systems are not meeting the needs of jobseekers, particularly those who have already been failed by multiple systems — such as the justice involved, immigrants, and those without a bachelor’s degree. Racism and sexism built into workforce development pushes many jobseekers into low-wage work and away from the training programs and services that can connect them to quality jobs and opportunities to advance economically.

The Better Careers initiative supports efforts to build a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient workforce system that promotes access to economic opportunity for all low-wage workers by:

• Strengthening the field of apprenticeship to provide clear, viable, and sustainable paths for workers in low-wage jobs and jobseekers to access good jobs with family-sustaining wages, benefits, and opportunities to advance
• Supporting community-led and -accountable organizations that are trusted by Californians who have been failed by multiple systems to provide comprehensive support, connections to quality training and jobs, and to build worker power
• Promoting effective and inclusive workforce services that focus public dollars on efforts to better meet the needs of all the communities they serve

Impact Goals

• Californians thrive. Californians who have been failed by multiple systems can feel authentically cared for and identify, attain, and thrive in quality jobs.
• Organizations are healthy and live their values. Grantees improve their organizational ability to meet their goals and reflect their values, particularly those that emphasize fairness, respect for diverse experiences, and creating a supportive environment for all workers.
• Organizations build and share power. Entities providing workforce development services build the power of and share power with those they serve through how they design and improve services and how they determine and operationalize their priorities.
• Irvine is responsive. Irvine is clear about the role it seeks to play in the field and grantees have influence in shaping that role and how it manifests.