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Building a Sustainable Future: The Role of Clean Energy Economy Construction with Kate Gordon, CEO of CA FWD Episode 140

The Future Of Work

Release Date: 03/04/2025

Transcript- Episode 153: Why Apprenticeships Are The Pathway To A Sustainable Future Workforce Episode 153

The Future Of Work

00:00:00 Salvatrice For the future, if we genuinely as a community care about the health, longevity, sustainability of our communities, of our local communities, the health of workforce, and I'm not talking about like physical health and mental health, I'm talking about wealth-health of our community, then I'm going to ask the employers to speak to us. 00:00:20 Salvatrice Tell us what is happening, why aren't they engaging? Is it because it doesn't make sense? Is it because it's just...

Why Apprenticeships Are The Pathway To A Sustainable Future Workforce Episode 153

The Future Of Work

Why don’t we hear about more apprenticeship opportunities for students? Today we’ll discuss the development of apprenticeships and cover what goes on behind the scenes when it comes to funding, planning, executing, and regulating these programs, and why they're so hard to come by. Digging in deep we’ll cover the barriers to apprenticeships and how we can engage and support local employers in order to create more long-lasting apprentice programming. Despite the administrative challenges, creating pathways to trades is crucial for the health, longevity, and sustainability of local...

Transcript- Episode 152: Powering the Future: Rebuilding Resilient Workforces for Tomorrow with Tracey Pierce, Chief People Officer at LADWP Episode 152

The Future Of Work

Tracey Pierce [00:00:00]: I always believe that people want to do great work. I don't think we get up every day saying, “What can I not do today”? I think people want to do great work, but I don't know that we necessarily take the time to explain, and evaluate, and share. This is what it looks like, and this is why we're doing it, and this is the return we hope to see. And, oh, by the way, if you give this a try and it doesn't work, I'll be the first one to go back to, you know, take the necessary steps to adjust. Christina Barsi [00:00:31]: The workforce landscape is rapidly...

Powering the Future: Rebuilding Resilient Workforces for Tomorrow with Tracey Pierce, Chief People Officer at LADWP Episode 152

The Future Of Work

In this episode of Future of Work, Dr. Salvatrice Cummo sits down with Tracey Pierce, Chief People Officer at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), to discuss the transformative work happening within one of the largest municipal utilities in the U.S. Tracey takes us behind the scenes on how LADWP is navigating change, innovation, and workforce development during a time of rebuilding for the city. From adapting to climate challenges to harnessing new technologies like AI, Tracey shares the strategies that are helping LADWP build a more resilient, efficient, and future-ready...

Transcript- Episode 151: Leading a Thriving Region for All: How the LA Chamber is Reimagining Economic Growth with Maria S. Salinas, President & CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Episode 151

The Future Of Work

Maria Salinas [00:00:00]: There was a lot of conversation around technology, the advent of AI and just how jobs were changing. And I can tell you that at that time I was like, we cannot miss out on this moment. We cannot have a generation of students be left out of that opportunity of knowing that jobs are changing, that work is being impacted. Christina Barsi [00:00:27]: The workforce landscape is rapidly changing, and educators and their institutions need to keep up. Preparing students before they enter the workforce to make our communities and businesses stronger is at the core of...

Leading a Thriving Region for All: How the LA Chamber is Reimagining Economic Growth with Maria S. Salinas, President & CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Episode 151

The Future Of Work

What does it take to rebuild one of the most complex regional economies in the world, while also preparing for the 2028 Olympics and a rapidly evolving workforce? In this episode of Future of Work, Dr. Salvatrice Cummo sits down with Maria S. Salinas, President & CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, to explore how LA’s business community is leading through disruption, rebuilding with intention, and reimagining what workforce development can look like. Maria shares why she believes the Chamber must be a “caretaker of the region,” how public-private partnerships are...

Transcript- Episode 150: When Goods Move, the Economy Works: Rebuilding L.A. Through Ports, Policy, and People with Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Chief Operating Officer at the Port of Long Beach Episode 150

The Future Of Work

Dr. Noel Hacegaba [00:00:00]: If we want to be better in the future, if we want to be bigger in the future, we need to make sure we don't leave the workforce behind. We need to make sure that we're preparing today, the workforce and the leaders that we're going to need tomorrow. Christina Barsi [00:00:18]: The workforce landscape is rapidly changing and educators and their institutions need to keep up. Preparing students before they enter the workforce to make our communities and businesses stronger is at the core of getting an education. But we need to understand how to change and...

When Goods Move, the Economy Works: Rebuilding L.A. Through Ports, Policy, and People with Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Chief Operating Officer at the Port of Long Beach Episode 150

The Future Of Work

When global tariffs go into effect, how long before the impact hits workers in Los Angeles? In this episode of Future of Work, Dr. Salvatrice Cummo welcomes back Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Chief Operating Officer at the Port of Long Beach, to discuss how one of the country’s busiest ports is helping to rebuild L.A.’s economy. He unpacks how the supply chain crisis pushed ports from being practically invisible to absolutely essential, and what lessons are driving the next chapter. From zero-emissions goals to workforce pipelines, Dr. Hacegaba shares how the supply chain crisis turned ports...

Transcript- Episode 149: Building Belonging: How the YMCA Shapes Community Recovery with Victor Dominguez President and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles Episode 149

The Future Of Work

Victor Dominguez [00:00:00]: Nonprofit organizations are truly, are truly the heartbeat of community because we are serving communities every single day and are truly in tune of what is happening and the resources that are so desperately needed. And if we're really going to look at creating that overall economic stability, to create that long sense of belonging, the nonprofit organizations have to work together. Christina Barsi [00:00:27]: The workforce landscape is rapidly changing, and educators and their institutions need to keep up. Preparing students before they enter the workforce...

Building Belonging: How the YMCA Shapes Community Recovery with Victor Dominguez President and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles Episode 149

The Future Of Work

What if rebuilding a community starts with belonging? In this episode of Future of Work, Dr. Salvatrice Cummo sits down with Victor Dominguez, the first Latino President and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, to explore how the Y is redefining itself as a Center for Community Well-Being. With over two decades of service, Victor shares how the YMCA responded to the Eaton fires, expanded programs like the Foster Youth Initiative, and is measuring long-term impact through powerful social indicators. Victor unpacks how nonprofits can anchor recovery efforts, why youth development and...

More Episodes

What does it take to build a clean energy economy? Kate Gordon, CEO of CA FWD (California Forward), believes it’s about more than just new technology—it’s about putting communities first, preparing for the emerging career opportunities, and making sustainability a part of everyday decision-making. Creating a greener, more resilient future requires everyone to play a role, from policymakers to local businesses to individuals. CA FWD invites people to share their thoughts and questions on the clean energy transition because real progress happens when we work together.

You’ll learn:

Why community benefits plans are important for large-scale energy projects.
How job opportunities in regenerative agriculture, adaptation planning, and wetland restoration contribute to sustainability.
Why zoned industrial land is crucial for manufacturing growth in the clean energy sector.
Why partnerships between educational institutions, industries, labor, and government are essential for workforce readiness.
What job opportunities are emerging in the clean energy economy, and how individuals can prepare for them.

About the Guest:

Kate Gordon, CEO of CA FWD, has spent over two decades at the intersection of climate change, energy policy, and equitable economic development. She previously served as Senior Advisor to U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, leading initiatives like the Community Benefits Plan under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative. Before that, she was Director of California’s Office of Planning and Research and Senior Climate Policy Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom, spearheading programs like California Jobs First and the state’s first integrated climate budget. Gordon also founded the Risky Business Project, assessing the financial risks of climate change, and held leadership roles at think tanks like the Paulson Institute and the Center for American Progress. She holds a J.D. and a master’s from UC Berkeley, teaches at UC Berkeley, and serves as a Non-resident Scholar at Carnegie California.

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