A high-capacity, responsive, agile workforce ecosystem is critical for sustainable, equitable economic growth in a region. The workforce ecosystem is inherently interdisciplinary, involving many fields of practice, types of organizations, and government policies across various industries, firms, educational institutions, nonprofits, and public sector agencies. Workforce Leadership Academies bring together leaders from across local workforce ecosystems. Academies are targeted to senior-level managers of nonprofit organizations, public agencies, businesses and industry associations, union- based training efforts, community colleges and universities, and other institutions across the workforce ecosystem. By investing in leaders’ knowledge, skills, and relationships, the Workforce Leadership Academies are well-positioned to build nimble collaboration so important to the ecosystem’s success. Since 2014, the Aspen Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program has worked with local organizations to deliver 22 Workforce Leadership Academies in 17 cities with more than 370 participants.

Participants are recognized as Fellows of the Workforce Leadership Academy and become part of the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Fellows Network upon completion.

The growing movement toward skills-based mobility seeks to frame talent development around defined skills, ultimately reducing disparities in career opportunities and increasing productivity and agility in business operations. For-profit businesses, nonprofit organizations, and public agencies can incorporate, for example, job description qualifications that are defined by actual skills and knowledge related to roles rather than defaulted only to degrees obtained; candidate sourcing from a broad base of talent pools that extend beyond customary channels; selection and hiring processes that eliminate biases that might exist in traditional practices; consistent employee support and training with well-defined learning outcomes that advance careers; and a culture that reflects organization-wide demonstration of commitment to racial equity, job quality, and mobility. For a comprehensive guide to skills-first talent strategies, see Jobs for the Future’s Skills-Based Practices: An Employer Journey Map.

The Academy seeks to enable Fellows to:

• Expand and deepen professional networks and partnerships;
• Strengthen leadership practices for organizational and systems change efforts;
• Apply a race equity lens to assess and improve workforce systems and strategies;
• Apply systems change framework to their work;
• Understand and apply elements of effective organizational strategies; and
• Work collaboratively to identify local and regional systems-based challenges and create shared solutions.

Potential Fellows are:

• Located and working within Albuquerque.
• Working within nonprofit organizations, business and industry associations, community colleges and universities, union-based training efforts, public agencies, economic development, and other institutions across the workforce ecosystem.
• In a position of leadership and decision-making authority related to workforce development efforts, with the capacity and ability to execute strategies on behalf of their organization.
• Engaged in or planning workforce development efforts in Albuquerque related to connecting workers to quality jobs and/or career pathways.
• Interested in designing and implementing effective strategies to strengthen their local workforce system.
• Committed to achieving equity across race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
• Eager to collaborate with others in their local workforce system, reflect on their current work, explore leadership practices, and gain feedback from colleagues.

Inclusivity and diversity are core values of the Albuquerque Workforce Leadership Academy. Applicants of color are strongly encouraged to apply. The cohort of Fellows will be selected to represent the diversity of organization type, industry focus, as well as race, ethnicity, and gender.

The Albuquerque Academy is a significant investment of time (outlined below) as well as a commitment to constructively engage with colleagues from across the workforce ecosystem. Fellows also commit to preparation before sessions (readings, assessment, videos) and continued learning, application, and collaboration between workshop sessions. In addition, Fellows will engage in collaborative project work across a small team of Fellows. Activities include:

• A virtual 90-minute orientation
• An opening three-day retreat (two overnights)
• Five Academy session days and five Collaborative Labs held during the same week:
  -four sessions online or in-person (full day)
  -four labs held online or in-person (half day)
  -one combined session with lab held in person (full day)
• One leadership 360 assessment process and debrief workshop (half day)
• A closing three-day retreat (two overnights)
• Collaborative Learning Lab presentations at an in-person stakeholder event
• Reception event for supervisors and advisors
• Aspen Institute-conducted all-Academies virtual events, including skills- first practices webinars and national exchanges (1-2 dates TBD)
• Partners may also decide to offer additional networking and social events.
• Continued learning, application, and collaboration between workshop sessions (self-directed time of up to two hours between sessions as well as nine to 12 hours of collaborative project work across a small team of Fellows)
• Completion of all evaluation surveys, including enrollment, session feedback, midpoint reflection, and follow-up

Applications will be reviewed and approved by members of the Albuquerque Workforce Leadership Academy Local Advisory Council.

The submission materials include:

• Full Application submitted online
• Your resume or link to your LinkedIn page
• Organizational chart
• Letter of reference from an external collaboration partner or a supervisor
• Commitment to Participate form signed by you
• Authorization to Participate form signed by your supervisor