A History of Shift Work Forward
A History of Shift Work Forward
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Building a Movement
The story of Shift Work Forward begins long before our new name. It begins with the founding of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions in 2007, when visionary leaders from the Annie E. Casey, Ford, Hitachi, and Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundations, along with the U.S. Department of Labor, came together with a bold idea: that collaboration among philanthropy, business, and community organizations could better serve both workers and employers.
With an initial investment of $25 million, the National Fund set ambitious goals. Engage 1,000 employers, prepare 50,000 workers for good jobs, and leverage $200 million in additional investments. Early partnerships in cities like Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., laid the groundwork for a model of local collaboration that would expand across the country. Over the next decade, nearly 50 communities and thousands of employers joined this effort, ultimately serving tens of thousands of workers and proving the power of local partnerships aligned under a national vision.
By the early 2010s, the National Fund was changing the national conversation about workforce development. In 2010, as one of the inaugural awardees of the Social Innovation Fund, we showed that our model could spread across the country, expanding to 28 new communities, proving that employer-led, collaborative approaches could create measurable results: better job placements, higher wages, and stronger retention. We extended our leadership by launching CareerSTAT, a first-of-its-kind network of healthcare employers centered on investing in their frontline workers, redefining how industries support their workforce. In 2016, after nine years of incubation at Jobs for the Future, the National Fund stepped into a new chapter as an independent organization, positioned to lead the field with a stronger national voice.
Expanding the Vision
As the network grew, so did the organization’s vision. It was clear that workforce development could not stop at training alone. The National Fund helped move job quality, addressing racial inequities, and worker voice from the margins of workforce development to the mainstream, building tools, frameworks, and partnerships that influenced how employers, funders, and policymakers think about what it means for a job to be truly “good.” With the hiring of Amanda Cage as CEO, the organization placed racial equity at the center of its work, sharpening its vision of a future where race no longer dictates career success and every worker has what they need to thrive.
Introducing Shift Work Forward
All of this led to the launch of Shift Work Forward. The new name reflects both a rich history and a bold future. While the organization began as a fund that pooled philanthropic investments to test new approaches, it has shifted into something far more powerful: a national catalyst that amplifies local innovation, guides leaders, and inspires change across systems. “Shift” speaks to that transformation, moving from funding alone to reshaping how workforce systems operate. “Forward” points to where this work is headed, toward equity, progress, and thriving futures for every worker.
What has not changed, and will never change, is the strength of the national network and spirit of collaboration that has been central to this work. Developing and nurturing partnerships between philanthropy, business, and communities will continue to anchor the work of reshaping workforce systems. The communities at the heart of this work remain the source of insight, innovation, and impact. Shift Work Forward’s role remains focused on elevating local leadership, connecting dots, and amplifying what works so that, together, these partners can build workforce systems truly serve all people.