Frequently Asked Questions

PROGRESS Worx partners with organizations that share a commitment to social justice. I have dedicated my time to collaborations with employers and unions in partnership with workforce development organizations and agencies in their regions.  We customize apprenticeship and training programs with the goal of providing family sustaining jobs to those that were previously denied access. My commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion motivates me throughout my work. I do everything that I can to expand the capacity of the organizations that I work with to promote effective labor management programs that serve the workplace and the community. 

I am proud that I am among a national network of labor related workforce development intermediaries. Unfortunately, this network is too small and needs to grow. 

Is PROGRESS Worx that different from other workforce development organizations?

Yes. Too few of us from the shop floor who also served as union reps are doing this work or have managed a statewide non-profit. Even fewer of us pursued higher education in our field in order to meld theory with experience  in order to provide creative and customized solutions to complex problems.   And ultimately, what makes my approach to the work unique is my commitment to union empowerment and I've seen how, together, we can build a better future.

My work with the AFL-CIO Working for America Institute (WAI) connects me with a national network of unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO. I also work with unions that are not affiliated.  WAI has referred me to unions through and I have also made connections with many unions throughout my career. I base my approach to supporting unions on my experience as a shop steward and full time Business Agent for Transport Workers Union Local 234. I was the first Local 234 training coordinator and managed grants for the statewide Keystone Transit Career Ladder Partnership that included 33 Pennsylvania transit agencies and 22 unions. This was significant because I was a union staffer and not a management representative.  Working with labor management professionals, I facilitated the “Keystone” process to form joint committees to govern the program at SEPTA and oversee joint work groups to customize the content. This led to apprenticeship programs at SEPTA. 

I have worked with a variety of unions and their employers during my time at Keystone Development Partnership and since I left. I assisted unions with forming Joint Apprentice Councils and aligned funding to support existing Joint Apprenticeships. 

I discovered the need to promote joint problem solving and decision making for both union officers and managers. This led me to understanding the need for capacity building for both organizations – the union and the employer.

As a union rep, I understood the need to enforce contractual rights and advocate for the members. This is essential to ensure the labor management program benefits the workers and does not violate the collective bargaining agreement. As a lifelong union member, machine operator, and welder, I am able to understand the shop floor culture. As an experienced workforce development professional, I am able to communicate with senior management to ensure the best possible collaboration to achieve the win-win for unions and their employers.

Richard Beckhard, a pioneer in the field provides this definition in his book, Organization Development: Strategies and Models [(1969). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley]:

“Organization development (OD) is an interdisciplinary field with contributions from business, industrial/organizational psychology, human resources management, communication, sociology, and many other disciplines.” 

Many OD practitioners approach organizations as systems, most importantly, of people with a focus on how folks function in their roles, how teams reach their goals, how processes enable work to be completed all ties in with interpersonal relationships. 

I studied OD at the National Labor College and earned a Masters of OD and Knowledge Management at George Mason University School of Public Policy.  I learned about strategic planning using “Appreciative Intelligence.”  The professor who led the George Mason program, Tojo Thatchenkery, wrote a book that I think you might find useful.  His site, Appreciative Intelligence provides for more information about this innovative approach.

As an OD practitioner, I prefer the Appreciative Inquiry approach which was developed in the 1980s by David Cooperrider.  My partners, coworkers, and I have achieved some success because the Appreciative Inquiry approach encourages curiosity to explore possibilities based on what the organization is doing right versus a critical study of what individuals are doing wrong. Appreciative Inquiry is a way to embrace organization development through change based on values and positive experiences by those doing the work.

I apply as much of Appreciative Inquiry that I can when I serve as a subject matter expert for organizations to expand the culture of apprenticeship in the US. Asking open ended questions as a coach has opened up discussions that go beyond the current circumstances to explore how to expand effective practices and replicate them for new projects. 

Any project that has an impact in the work place and in the neighborhoods relies on partnerships that align organizations for common goals. This is most apparent in workforce development. 

Consider the demand side for employers searching for qualified applicants to fill vacancies caused by retirements or the growth of their business. Employers know what skills they need, but they don’t have a background in education to be able to customize training for onboarding new hires. Employers need a partnership with training providers. 

Then you consider how to prepare job seekers for opportunities as the “supply side”. This is a critical part of the equation for communities to benefit from pre-employment programs with job readiness content and introductions to the industry. This is accomplished through partnerships with government agencies and community-based organizations to create a pipeline for job seekers to be trained as potential candidates for employers to hire. 

There are other partners in the region that can support workforce development to benefit employers, workers, and the communities where employment can make a difference. These partnerships don’t just happen. Someone has to navigate through the geography and facilitate the process. This is where an understanding of work culture is essential for the organization development.

According to the Federal Reserve: 

“Workforce development” is an essential component of community economic development in any economic climate… Generally speaking, the term has come to describe a relatively wide range of activities, policies and programs employed by geographies to create, sustain and retain a viable workforce that can support current and future business and industry. Beyond this general understanding, it is difficult to gain a consensus as to the definition of workforce development, perhaps because each user of the term approaches it from a different perspective.”

Usually, workforce development is funded by the US Department of Labor on the federal level through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. These funds are distributed through the Local Workforce Development Boards in counties or regions within the states. This offers opportunities for public-private partnership building to support job training programs. 

Recently, there has been alignment with the USDOL and Economic Development funding to support capital investment with workforce development.  Workforce development professionals serve as intermediaries from different organizations for industry related or regional training programs and apprenticeship.  Workforce development professionals serve as intermediaries from different organizations for industry related or regional training programs and apprenticeship. 

As an intermediary, I have assisted Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDB) with employer engagement and project planning. This may include preparation or direct contact with employers to invite them to regional collaborations with the LWDB.  Since 2020, I’ve been working with Philadelphia Works, Inc. that hosts ApprenticeshipPHL.  There have been two apprenticeship accelerator events for employers and other organizations in southeast PA. I assisted with the content and preparation for the events. I also collaborate with state and LWDB for partnership building through my work with Jobs For the Future.

As an intermediary, I partner with Local and State Workforce Development Boards to leverage Federal resources with Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funding. Braiding funding to support eligible programs is a goal that requires partnerships  for employers and unions with government agencies including the Federal Office of Apprenticeship or state Apprenticeship and Training Offices. My role provides connections for employers and other workforce organizations to access available funds. I also support the Business Services teams from the Local Workforce Development Boards to engage employers. This partnership has paved the way for successful employer forums and apprenticeship accelerators.

Through my work with Jobs For the Future and the AFL-CIO Working for America Institute, I am referred to employers that need technical assistance to start or expand their apprenticeship program. This may include support for customizing the training content, partnership building with government agencies, and engaging unions if they have represented employees. 

I find that many employers see the benefit for training their workforce or “growing their own” to increase their market share within their region and industry. The U.S. Department of Labor documented the employers’ return on their investment in their report, “Investing in Talent Development: Benefits to Employers of Registered Apprenticeships from the American Apprenticeship Initiative” 

However, employers many not have experience navigating government agencies to identify funding for their programs. Employers may know their workforce needs skill upgrades, but don’t know how to customize a training program to fit their needs.  This is where the workforce intermediary comes in to build partnerships to support the employers and their workers. This is why my work with the Keystone Development Partnership to register the KDP Registered Apprenticeship Navigator program has had such a positive impact in Pennsylvania.