The Skills Initiative Powered by Accelerator for America
Summary
In 2025, Accelerator for America (AFA) , in partnership with The Skills Initiative (TSI) committed to launch an 18 month initiative to educate local policy, workforce and economic development, and infrastructure leaders across its network about high-impact strategies to connect un- and under-employed residents with quality jobs and prepare communities to launch TSI’s proven model for wage increases and long-term employment in sectors such as health care, transportation, and trades. AFA and TSI will jointly develop and deliver workforce development capacity building that centers the value of good jobs, career pathways, and employer relationships and introduce the TSI model to AFA’s network of 818 local leaders in more than 100 communities. All communities that express interest in the TSI model will complete an initial assessment, and following a more in-depth assessment, at least two will proceed with a “pre-development” phase, including preparing a “home” organization to establish a workforce development program modeled after TSI.
Approach
Accelerator for America (AFA) and The Skills Initiative (TSI) recognize that advancing economic mobility requires workforce development organizations to better leverage their investments and local employers to connect residents to high quality jobs with long-term career pathways.
As the first phase of a multi-year partnership between AFA and TSI, AFA commits to launching an 18 month initiative that will educate local policy, workforce and economic development, and infrastructure leaders across its national network about high-impact strategies to connect un- and under-employed residents with quality jobs and to prepare at least two communities to launch TSI’s proven model emphasizing long-term quality employment.
AFA and TSI will jointly develop and deliver virtual workforce development capacity building that centers the value of good jobs, career pathways, and employer relationships, and introduce the TSI model to AFA’s network of 818 local leaders in more than 100 communities. All communities that express interest in the TSI model will complete an initial assessment; 6-8 communities will complete a more thorough assessment; and, at least two communities will proceed with a pre-development phase, which entails executing MOUs, preparing a “home” organization to establish a workforce development program modeled after TSI, and other steps to prepare for implementation.
This commitment will leverage AFA’s extensive network of communities, strong relationships with local leaders, and experience bringing innovative models and best practices to different places. AFA will contribute hands-on project management and TSI will contribute technical expertise and deep understanding of how to make this model successful in other communities.
TSI’s model has proven effective in multiple sectors, including healthcare, transportation and union trades. Ninety-one percent of program graduates are placed in a job, with an average wage increase of 20%. Thirty-four percent of TSI graduates earn a promotion and wage increase within the first year of employment.
Action Plan
Discovery & Initial Assessment, September 2025 – June 2026 (9 months) Implementation Steps: Promote TSI model to the AFA network, engage local leaders about the value of good jobs and employer partnerships, complete initial assessment of 6-8 communities, and identify at least two communities to enter the pre-development phase.
Specific Deliverables: 1) Public announcement of commitment; 2) Presentation showcasing TSI model and its impacts, 3) Summary of insights from community leaders, 4) Completed initial assessment of 6-8 communities, 5) Identification of two communities that will enter the pre-development phase, including identification of potential “home” organizations that will establish a workforce development program modeled after TSI and assessment of its commitments to the TSI job quality framework, governance, reputation, and relationships with key employers.
Pre-Development, July 2026 – April 2027 (9 months) Implementation Steps: Determine priorities for the TSI program in two selected communities, formalize commitments, and pursue dedicated funding.
Specific Deliverables: 1) Assessment of local workforce development ecosystems, 2) An executed MOU with each “home” organization, 3) Identification of state, local, and/or national philanthropic funding necessary to build the capacity of each “home” organization to launch/sustain a workforce development program modeled after TSI.
After completion of AFA’s 18-month CGI commitment, AFA and TSI will secure funding necessary to complete the project implementation phase, deliver technical assistance to the selected home organizations, and provide intensive support for twelve months as the home organization in each community launches its TSI program, which will directly impact 180 lives in the first two years (In Year 1 of implementation, each community will launch two workforce cohorts, collectively serving 60 participants by March 2028. In Year 2 of implementation, each community will launch an additional four workforce cohorts, collectively serving an additional 120 individuals by March 2029) .
Background
Job quality is a foundational driver of economic mobility. Good jobs offer fair pay and benefits, safe working conditions, and opportunities for advancement, skill-building, and long-term financial stability that enables individuals to support their families and pursue their priorities.
For too long, public investments in workforce development have prized “rapid attachment” to jobs of dubious quality over interventions that create sustainable outcomes for individuals and local economies. Harvard’s “Project on Workforce” found that over 40% of participants in federally-funded programs earn less than $25,000 annually after completing training programs, and also found that low-wage work is “sticky;” the majority of workers who start in low-wage roles remain trapped in them five years later. There is opportunity for communities across the country to better leverage public and private workforce investments so that more Americans can access high quality jobs, which will benefit not only the participants and their families, but ultimately transform communities as well.
Since 2010, The Skills Initiative (TSI) , based in Philadelphia, PA, has prioritized job quality through commitment to mutual benefit for its key stakeholders: Employers, Participants, and Funders. TSI recognizes that: Employers seek reduced turnover and desire to see professional growth among their staff; Participants, who are unemployed 23 weeks, on average, before joining TSI want more than just a job but are seeking stability, opportunity, and a clear path to advancement; and, Funders prioritize outcomes like wage growth, career mobility, and job retention as these reflect meaningful improvements in people’s lives.
Accelerator for America (AFA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan “Do tank” that delivers solutions, connections, and resources to mayors and other local leaders working to create greater economic mobility in underserved communities. AFA provides technical assistance, capacity building, and advocacy for local leaders across economic and community development, workforce development, and transit and infrastructure.
Progress Update
Partnership Opportunities
AFA seeks national philanthropic partners that desire to have their investments transform local workforce development practices in communities across the country, motivated by the belief that quality jobs are a cornerstone of not just economic success, but personal and community transformation.
AFA also seeks to engage local leaders who desire to better leverage their workforce development investments and local employers to connect residents to high quality jobs with long-term career pathways.,AFA commits to sharing lessons learned with other communities, including how similar organizations may 1) Assess opportunities to replicate or scale promising practices in new places, 2) Identify and secure financial resources from national philanthropic, state, and/or local sources for these purposes, and 3) Formalize and execute similar efforts in partnership with other organizations.
AFA also commits to sharing best practices for: 1) High quality, employer-engaged workforce development, 2) Engagement with Mayors and other local leaders, and 3) Establishing communities of practice to strengthen and sustain the impact of similar investments.
AFA hosts a network of local practitioners from over 100 communities across the U.S.; AFA will use its monthly webinar series and communications channels to share learnings with peers and inspire replication.