DAY 1

Opening Remarks

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Plenary A | 10:20am-11:20am

Centering Worker Voice to Improve Job Quality and Worker Equity

As California makes historic investments to rebuild an inclusive economy, it's imperative that policymakers look for solutions that can advance job quality and equity. Worker voice, especially the voices of workers of color, rural Californians, and workers in low wage jobs, can be central in designing solutions that increase pathways into quality jobs. Hear from a group of panelists about the innovative approaches and solutions that center worker voice to advance job quality and worker equity in the state.

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• Peter Callstrom, President & CEO, San Diego Workforce Partnership Dr.

• Ana Luz Gonzalez-Vasquez, Project Manager, UCLA Labor Center

• Chris Merrida, Director of Growth & Recruitment, Bitwise Industries

 

Moderator:

Kate Kinder, State Strategies Director (West), National Skills Coalition

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Break  

 

Plenary B | 11:25am-12:25pm

Opening Doors for California’s Opportunity Youth

 

The opportunity gaps that existed before the pandemic have only been exacerbated by the impacts of COVID-19 and will fall disproportionately on California’s opportunity youth. They face unique employment, education, and training barriers that often do not align with career system efforts that center adults.

 

Join a group of panelists as they provide an updated snapshot of the circumstances of California’s youth and young adults, the socio-economic and systemic barriers that oftentimes leave them disconnected from education and workforce training opportunities, and their policy recommendations for how to improve outcomes for young people in our state.

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• Sean Hughes, Policy Director, California Opportunity Youth Network (COYN)

• Robert Sainz, President and Executive Director, New Ways to Work

• Anne Stanton, President and CEO, Linked Learning

• Anna Alvarado, Policy Director; California EDGE Coalition

 

Opening Remarks:

Assemblymember Mike Fong and Zima Creason, Executive Director, California EDGE Coalition

 

Moderator:

Lexi Lopez, Program Director, California EDGE Coalition

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Closing Remarks