Paving the Way for Economic Growth and Workforce Development with Scenario Planning in California

The California Workforce Association (CWA) is a non-profit member association engaged in strategic advocacy, partnership convening, and capacity building for and with all 45 of the Workforce Development Boards in the State of California, as well as over 70 other affiliate members from labor, education, industry, Chambers of Commerce, government and community-based organizations. They were looking for novel and engaging ways to raise awareness among California legislators and employers to think more strategically about workforce policies and their implications as technology and other trends were disrupting the state, national, and global economy. A WhiteLabel partner was engaged to developed scenarios of the future of the California workforce to stimulate their thinking about new workforce development strategies. A series of activities with selected audiences using the scenarios led to legislation that rationalized use of public money for workforce programs, workforce initiatives that leveraged private sector money more effectively, and new public-private partnerships to grow the workforce of the future that the State of California needs.