Institute for the Future to support Governor Gavin Newsom's newly formed California Future of Work Commission. IFTF will bring research, futures thinking tools and perspectives to help the newly formed Commission craft forward-facing policies for a rapidly changing workforce in California.
August 30, 2019, Palo Alto, Calif.—The Institute for the Future (IFTF) has been awarded grants by the James Irvine Foundation, Lumina Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Blue shield of California Foundation—which have all been leaders in promoting equitable approaches to the future of work—to facilitate the efforts of the newly formed Future of Work Commission, as it seeks to build cutting-edge policy for a world-class workforce of the future. In the face of rapid automation, new kinds of work platforms, and a shifting global economy, IFTF will draw on its 50 years of research, futures thinking tools and experience in convening discussions of urgent futures to help the Commission build a strong vision for the next century of work in the state.
"Wage stagnation, the disappearance of jobs that provide basic health or retirement benefits, and automation have fundamentally reshaped economic inequality in both the U.S. and in California," says Anmol Chaddha, Research Director, IFTF Equitable Futures Lab. "IFTF is committed to supporting the Future of Work Commission toward developing a much more expansive vision of economic equity in California beyond today’s traditional automation, technology, academic, and policy lenses.”
IFTF has been a leading voice in discussions about the future of work for the past decade, seeking positive visions for a workforce undergoing transformational change. As a facilitator of the Commission’s work, it will guide multiple issue-focused convenings, helping establish the comprehensive understanding necessary to build a world-class workforce of the future. IFTF will draw on the work of its Equitable Futures Lab to frame these discussions of future jobs, skills, and labor policy in terms of creating an equitable economy where everyone has access to the basic assets and opportunities they need to thrive in the 21st century.
“We’re excited to engage with this Commission in laying the foundation in California for a future where workers are at the center of a strong and equitable economy,” says Marina Gorbis, Executive Director of IFTF and its Equitable Futures Lab.
The effort will culminate in a final report with recommendations that lawmakers can act on to ensure that California’s economy works for everyone, today and in the future.
READ THE FINAL REPORT: A New Social Compact. >>
We develop innovative solutions to the complex problems of economic inequality. This is a time of unprecedented economic inequality, persistent racial disadvantage, a disintegrating social safety net, and deteriorating job quality. The combination of new technologies and changing work arrangements threatens to make the economic divide even wider. IFTF Equitable Futures Lab combines expertise in social science, quantitative research, policy analysis, and public engagement with proven foresight methodologies to develop and prototype innovative solutions for an equitable future.
Learn more about the Equitable Futures Lab here.
Institute for the Future is the world’s leading futures thinking organization. For over 50 years, businesses, governments, and social impact organizations have depended upon IFTF global forecasts, custom research, and foresight training to navigate complex change and develop world-ready strategies. IFTF methodologies and toolsets yield coherent views of transformative possibilities across all sectors that together support a more sustainable future. Institute for the Future is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Palo Alto, California.
The James Irvine Foundationis a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California. The Foundation’s grantmaking is committed to a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. Since 1937 the Foundation has provided more than $1.87billion in grants to nonprofit organizations throughout California.
At the Ford Foundation, we believe that social movements are built upon individual leadership, strong institutions, and innovative, often high-risk ideas. While the specifics of what we work on have evolved over the years, investments in these three areas have remained the touchstones of everything we do and are central to our theory of how change happens in the world. These approaches have long distinguished the Ford Foundation, and they have had a profound cumulative impact.
Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. We envision a system that is easy to navigate, delivers fair results, and meets the nation’s need for talent through a broad range of credentials.
Blue Shield of California Foundation is one of the state's largest and most trusted grantmaking organizations. Our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians, particularly the underserved, by making health care accessible, effective, and affordable, and by ending domestic violence.
Jean Hagan
[email protected]
650-233-9551