Workforce Leadership Network

Preparing for the Future of Work

Developing a resilient network of workforce leaders across California.

Coro California’s Workforce Leadership Network aims to develop a resilient network of leaders who can communicate effectively across organizations, seize opportunities for bold action and collaborations, and foster relationships and mutual understanding among varied stakeholders.

The Workforce Leadership Network (WLN) brings together a cohort of 24 direct service leaders, system leaders, and thought leaders across the field of workforce development for a part-time, four-month leadership development program.

Participants will preferably have a minimum of 5 years of experience, and be interested in building individual leadership skills and knowledge, developing a network of peers across the field, and equitably increasing positive outcomes for job seekers and precariously employed people.

Coro Northern California will convene the Spring 2023 program cohort in person, with opportunities to learn alongside workforce development leaders representing select regions of California. The program will begin in February 2023 and conclude in May 2023. Participants will meet approximately twice a month for all-day leadership training sessions. A detailed schedule is provided below.

Sessions will be facilitated by experienced Coro leadership trainers. Guests from the field of workforce development will also speak and train on planned topics.

Participants will be asked to apply skills between sessions. Small groups will prepare a 3-hour learning session on a topic of their choosing, including interview guests and planned discussions.

What You'll Experience

The Workforce Leadership Network will:

Provide cross-sectoral workforce development professionals with vital leadership skills and a statewide and regional network, advancing their capacity to create impact and improve workforce development services within their organizations and across the region.
Equip participants to enhance their knowledge of workforce development challenges and solutions, and the systems in which those challenges and solutions exist, by learning from their peers within the cohort and across the workforce development field.

The model includes:

Two Regional Cohorts for Focused Learning: one in Northern California and one in Southern California (20-24 people each).
Learning Sessions: Build leadership skills in a team setting with a focus on creating a shared understanding about exercising leadership within organizations, among people, and across systems. Learning topics are applicable for immediate use in the workplace and touch upon Coro’s six leadership practices: self-awareness, critical thinking, communication, inclusion, collaboration, and empowered professionalism.
Leader Interviews: Participants interview workforce leaders and elected officials to establish relationships and understanding.
Group Project: Participants will design and facilitate a 3-hour learning session on a topic of their choosing, including interview guests and planned discussions.

Outcomes

As a result of the program, cohort members will be improve their capacity to:

Thoughtfully navigate complexity.
Include and engage multiple perspectives.
Communicate effectively.
Bring people together across differences.
Feel equipped to collaborate and accelerate positive change wherever they are, discerning between effective management and impactful leadership.
Become more self-aware and able to regulate their responses.

Who Should Apply

Leadership is a practice; as such, ideal candidates do not need to have a specific title or position to apply. The Workforce Leadership Network is meant for all sectors and industries advancing workforce development.

Ideal Coro Northern California WLN candidates:

Work or serve communities in the Bay Area.
Have preferably five years of professional experience in the workforce development arena.
Hold an interest in innovating workforce development products and services to address the challenges facing job seekers and precariously employed Californians.
View workforce development as a cross-sectoral field and are willing to communicate and collaborate with other stakeholders within and outside of the field.
Represent the broad and expansive backgrounds found in the communities they serve.
Have the support they need from their organizations to fully commit to participating.