she/her
Inclusive Economy
Poverty; Raising Working Standards; Wages; Worker Rights; Workforce Development
Marina Zhavoronkova is a senior fellow for workforce development at American Progress. She was most recently assistant secretary for programs and performance at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD). During her five years at EOLWD, her portfolio included management of the Governor’s Healthcare Collaborative, a public-private partnership addressing health care skill gaps in Massachusetts; oversight of the commonwealth’s apprenticeship expansion initiative and the Division of Apprentice Standards; rebranding and unification of the state’s 16 workforce boards and 29 career centers under the “MassHire” brand and identity; management of the state’s regional planning initiative across local and state workforces, education, and economic development partners; COVID-19 emergency staffing and training for the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance; and more.
Prior to her time with EOLWD, she held a variety of roles across workforce and education, including a Dukakis Fellowship in Gov. Charlie Baker’s (R) office, managing a workforce training program for high school students in New York City, and teaching ninth-grade English in Houston.
Marina immigrated to the United States with her family from St. Petersburg, Russia. She has a bachelor’s degree from New York University and a master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Occupational segregation in the American labor market reflects and drives inequalities in American society.
As the American economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, declines in employment in state and local governments threaten the delivery of crucial services and the economic security of workers, particularly workers of color and women.
Data show that in just one year, the 2021 American Rescue Plan eased hardship for millions of Americans and demonstrated the need for further federal investment to build a long-term, equitable economy that works for all.
Marina Zhavoronkova, a senior fellow on the Poverty to Prosperity team at American Progress, discusses the important role the public workforce development system can play in building a skilled, diverse infrastructure workforce.
The public workforce development system has the potential to transform the job prospects of millions of Americans by ensuring equitable access to quality jobs.
American Rescue Plan funding allows state and local governments to invest in employment solutions for their residents, including skills training, career pathways in educational settings, child care, and other basic needs.
Proposed investments in the Build Back Better agenda would benefit a significant number of workers, particularly women and women of color; transform the home care and early childhood sectors; and lift living standards and employment prospects for millions of Americans.
The infrastructure bill represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to expand women’s access to good jobs in construction trades.
