Paper 3 of The Catapult Papers, a series of essays on the future of workforce development and the kinds of workforce organizations that need to be created to expand opportunity for lower-income individuals and create competitive advantages for businesses in need of workers.

Money isn’t an easy topic. Discussing a raise, negotiating rent, or getting a good deal on a car loan make for awkward, stiff, and uncomfortable conversations. For families without stable finances, such topics are even more difficult. When financially fragile individuals and families lack knowledge or experience with money matters, their situation can grow exponentially worse over time.

In those not so distant days, employers were inundated with resumes and inquiries from job seekers, even as they cut back on hiring. In response, as Northeastern University economist Alicia Modestino and her colleagues note, many employers raised hiring standards, requiring specific postsecondary credentials or additional years of experience—regardless of whether the job actually demanded it.

Paper 2 of The Catapult Papers, a series of essays on the future of workforce development and the kinds of workforce organizations that need to be created to expand opportunity for lower-income individuals and create competitive advantages for businesses in need of workers.

We encourage the state to continue its commitment to creative solutions to assist more adults in gaining the skills they need to join the workforce. Employers benefit from a new source of talent in this tight labor market, and students come off waiting lists and into the classroom and move better prepared into the workplace.