From September 2-4, thousands of individuals descended upon Monterey for the California Workforce Association’s (CWA) annual Meeting of the Minds conference, a statewide gathering of workforce leaders, educators, policymakers, and community partners. The multi-day event featured keynotes, workshops, and networking opportunities designed to spark innovation and collaboration across California’s workforce system. This year’s theme, “Fearless Forward: Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity,” highlighted the need to reimagine services, embrace new technologies, and build inclusive, resilient economies in the face of rapid change.

JVS staff were among the panelists and speakers that led important conversations during the conference. In the panel discussion, “What If We Trusted Jobseekers? Cash Assistance as Bold Workforce Strategy,” JVS Director of Government and Community Affairs Gabriela Jimenez moderated a conversation between JVS Vice President of Program Delivery Dylan Ruggles, Tipping Point Senior Program Officer Talia Nagar, and Social Finance Vice President Andrew Chen about how direct cash support removes barriers to participation, reduces attrition, and improves job placement for those navigating career training programs. Since launching our cash assistance initiative in 2020, JVS has distributed over $1 million in flexible financial support to jobseekers, many of whom are balancing work, caregiving, and other life demands while pursuing training. At a time when public benefits are under attack and safety nets are being slashed, this kind of support has become more urgent than ever. Presenters shared lessons from implementation, funding strategies, and participant spending data to offer actionable insights for designing more effective workforce programs.

In another panel presentation, “Turning Data Into Action for Workforce Success: Using Learning Cycles to Boost Program Performance,” JVS Director of Evaluation and Impact Yana Kusayeva and Chief Program Officer Kelcie Wong were joined by MDRC Research Associate Keith Olejniczak to share their expertise on using data to drive impact. In partnership with MDRC, JVS implemented structured learning cycles over the past three years that engaged frontline staff and participants in co-designing program improvements. This approach led to a measurable increase in completion rates (by 8 to 19 percentage points) in pilot cohorts. Presenters shared their learning cycle methodology and offered tools to help workforce providers identify and address operational challenges. The organizations’ approach uses human-centered design and evidence-based practices to move beyond siloed data toward collaborative problem-solving, stakeholder engagement, and lasting innovation in workforce programs.

To invite JVS staff to share their expertise on a variety of workforce development, employment practices, or public policy topics, contact us and tell us more about the event you are hosting.