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Federal Reserve conference to connect national leaders in dialogue on strengthening America’s workforce

Four Federal Reserve Bank presidents, industry leaders to speak at “Investing in America’s Workforce” conference in Austin, Texas

For Immediate Release: September 12, 2017

DALLAS—Workforce development efforts across the country are the focus of “Investing in America’s Workforce: Improving Outcomes for Workers and Employers,” a Federal Reserve conference scheduled for Oct. 4–6 at the University of Texas at Austin. Registration is open.

This national conference will connect businesses, government agencies, nonprofits, academics, financial institutions and philanthropic organizations to:

  • Reframe workforce development efforts as investments, not just social services
  • Attract new resources and leverage existing funding sources
  • Improve economic mobility for workers, leading to more regional economic growth

“Workers, employers and policymakers need to think about workforce development through the lens of investment,” said Alfreda B. Norman, senior vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. “This conference will explore ways to make lasting investments in workforce development.”

Speakers will include:

  • Gayatri Agnew, director of opportunity at the Walmart Foundation
  • Ras Baraka, mayor of Newark, New Jersey
  • Raphael Bostic, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
  • Julián Castro, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
  • Juan Garcia, global leader for career advancement at Amazon
  • Esther George, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
  • Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International
  • Angela Glover Blackwell, CEO of PolicyLink
  • Patrick T. Harker, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
  • Robert S. Kaplan, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
  • Ray Marshall, former U.S. Secretary of Labor
  • Rick Wartzman, director of the Drucker Institute’s KH Moon Center for a Functioning Society

Plenary and breakout sessions will highlight strategies and solutions to address workforce development issues, covering topics such as the middle-skills employment gap, post-secondary education, Community Reinvestment Act, workforce development boards, financing tools, funding streams and policy implications.

As part of its mission to ensure the nation’s economic stability, the Federal Reserve is engaged in many community development efforts. The “Investing in America’s Workforce” conference is part of a broader Federal Reserve System initiative, in collaboration with the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, Ray Marshall Center of the Lyndon B. Johnson School at the University of Texas and W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.

Conference Details

When: Oct. 4–6

Where: AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, 1900 University Avenue, Austin, Texas

Registration: $450. Register at investinwork/conference.

Media members are required to register by contacting Alexander Johnson at alexander.johnson@dal.frb.org or (214) 922-5288.

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Media contact:
Alexander Johnson
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Phone: (214) 922-5288
E-mail: alexander.johnsonn@dal.frb.org