Expanding Workforce Development Will Assist Those Facing Challenges Related to Sustaining Employment
In this episode of 'The Future of Education,' host Michael Horn speaks with Dr. Kathleen Caliento, President and CEO of CARA Collective, about the organization's holistic approach to workforce development. CARA Collective combines personal development training—including emotional workshops—with professional skills training to help individuals facing barriers such as poverty, homelessness, and criminal records achieve stable employment. The conversation highlights how wraparound services like housing, health care, child care, and legal support are essential complements to job training.
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Key takeaways
CARA Collective blends personal development (e.g., 'Love and Forgiveness' workshops) with professional training to prepare marginalized individuals for sustainable employment.
Wraparound support services—housing, health care, child care, and legal aid—are treated as equally critical as job skills training.
Collaboration with other workforce development organizations and employers amplifies CARA Collective's reach and impact.
Recently, workforce development has taken on a new urgency, given the widening economic divide and the challenges faced by marginalized communities. With the gig economy rising and traditional jobs evolving, there's an increasing demand for skills training and personal development, especially among those facing systemic barriers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 5.9 million Americans were unemployed as of 2022. But what does it really take to equip these individuals for sustainable employment, especially when barriers like poverty, homelessness, and a criminal record stand in the way?
Additionally, how can we bridge this divide and bring about meaningful change in the lives of those often left behind?
On the newest segment of "The Future of Education," host Michael Horn is joined by Dr. Kathleen Caliento, the President and CEO of CARA Collective. Together, they explored the mission and impact of CARA Collective, and surveyed the organization's holistic approach to workforce development.
Several points from Horn and Caliento's discussion touched on:
- CARA Collective's unique method combines both personal and professional training to prepare individuals for the workforce. This includes emotional workshops like "Love and Forgiveness."
- How its services extend to other life challenges, such as housing, health care, child care, and legal support, recognizing that a job alone isn't the only barrier to a stable life.
- The organization's effort to work with other workforce development organizations and employers, the collective is making a broad impact.
Dr. Kathleen Caliento earned her Ph.D. from Columbia University in Science Education. Dr. Caliento's journey has been fueled by a passion for equity and access. Daughter to Haitian immigrants, she understands the challenges many face in seeking opportunity and recognition. Her diverse experience, spanning from education reform to workforce development, provides a rich backdrop to her current leadership at CARA Collective.
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About the author
Michael Horn speaks and writes about the future of education and works with a portfolio of education organizations to improve the life of each and every student. He is the co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, and host of the Future of Education podcast on MarketScale.
