What we do
We work with communities to solve workforce challenges and create pathways for good jobs—those that provide family sustaining wages, benefits, and opportunities for economic mobility. America's current workforce development system has failed to progress with the evolving nature of work. Too many Americans are under-skilled and increasingly likely to be chronically un- or under-employed. At the same time, nearly half of graduates of four-year programs are overqualified for their jobs. In short, we have a supply-demand mismatch, leaving fewer people with family-supporting careers and employers with too few qualified workers. With the passage of historic federal legislation for infrastructure, climate, and technology, communities must develop modern workforce training programs to ensure their residents can benefit from the new world of work.
North America’s Building Trades Unions
Accelerator for America and North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) are partnering to create new and expanded pre-apprenticeship programs in cities across the country. In 2022, AFA and NABTU worked together to recruit Mayors and their cities, pairing them with local trades councils and their training partners. As a result of this effort, AFA city leaders committed millions of new dollars to apprenticeship readiness training programs, including Albuquerque, Chattanooga, Lansing, Salt Lake County, San Antonio, and Scranton with several more cities making plans to join the effort. The initiative was recognized in November at the White House’s Talent Pipeline Challenge.