Leaders for Every Sector

National Service as a Strategy for Leadership and Workforce Development

By Shirley Sagawa, AnnMaura Connolly, Tamara Chao | March 5, 2008

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As the baby boomer generation begins to retire, the United States will face serious worker shortages in nonprofit organizations, health care, and education. National service programs such as Teach For America, the National Community Health Corps, and AmeriCorps have a proven track record for not only encouraging individuals to enter these key fields, but cultivating civic leaders in these areas and helping bring disadvantaged youth into public service through further education and workforce training.

“Leaders for Every Sector: National Service as a Strategy for Leadership and Workforce Development,” an event sponsored by the Center for American Progress together with Voices for National Service, the Hudson Institute, and the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University, explored the ways in which national service addresses workforce needs.

Through panel discussions with national service alumni and executives from a variety of sectors, event participants examined how national service programs help cultivate the skills needed for success in the 21st century, such as the abilities to lead, problem solve, and communicate effectively. Three accomplishments of national service were repeated throughout the discussions: its ability to give volunteers necessary skills for workforce development, help disadvantaged youth continue their education and learn job skills, and inspire our next generation of leaders in civic service.

This report shares anecdotes and discussions from the event and other data to further the discussion about how national service can help prepare individuals to fill jobs in areas likely to experience worker shortages.

Read the full report (pdf)

Full transcript and event information