In June 2011, Joyce became the first philanthropy to commit to Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships, an initiative to bring diverse business leaders together to help shape a national skills strategy that can address structural skill shortages that are putting the brakes on economic recovery and job creation.

The announcement was made during CGI America, a meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in Chicago June 29-30, where President Clinton convened business, government, and civic leaders to focus on economic recovery and job growth.

Business Leaders United, a CGI Commitment to Action, is spearheaded by Skills for America’s Future, National Fund for Workforce Solutions, National Skills Coalition, and Corporate Voices for Working Families.

“Job creation and job training strategies must go hand in hand,” said Joyce President Ellen S. Alberding. “That won’t happen unless business leaders are at the table shaping workforce policy. Business Leaders United has identified concrete measurable goals to help ensure public workforce training investments are targeted at the jobs that will be part of our post-recession economy.”

Industry partnerships are a specific workforce training model led by local employers in collaboration with colleges, community organizations, public workforce boards, and unions. This model has compiled a track record of success. Business Leaders United will:

• Expand the number of these partnerships by more than 30 percent across 50 states.
• Facilitate conversations between local business leaders and federal policy makers about how private, philanthropic, and public dollars can be leveraged to replicate and sustain these partnerships nationally.