Diversifying Workforce Development and Hiring

Two-thirds of the workforce in the United States lacks a college degree. With many companies and job platforms screening cadidates based on education, a significant number of smart, hard-working people are locked out of the job market. Seeing firsthand the impact this has on workers and their families, Yscaira Jimenez founded LaborX, a talent marketplace that connects skilled workers with employers and training programs. TechSF is a government agency that was started to provide access to technology and tech training for San Franciscans and to develop a local pipeline that could meet the demand for tech talent in the area. Through TechSF’s partnership with LaborX, San Francisco employers can use the platform to gain access to a diverse pipeline of vetted workers.  In this episode of Money + Meaning, Lindsay Smalling interviews Jimenez and Orrian Willis of TechSF about the insights they can offer into this challenge and the details of their innovative partnership, as well as the impacts they are seeing the program create for workers, employers, and communities.