Steve Lee on a Coalition Approach to Workforce Impact

Steve Lee, CEO of SkillUp Coalition, discusses how his nonprofit technology platform connects nearly 3.5 million workers without college degrees to career training and job opportunities nationwide. Drawing from his diverse background spanning corporate law, educational technology, and philanthropy, Lee explains the coalition's "data-driven, heart-led" approach that ingests labor market data from partners and tests it with real workers to improve outcomes. He shares insights on navigating AI's impact on gateway jobs like customer service, emphasizing the shift toward skilled trades, advanced manufacturing, and green jobs as more automation-resistant career paths. Lee discusses the importance of balancing national reach with regional customization through 35 localized sites that reflect specific labor market demands, and explains how combining "air game" technology with "ground game" wraparound services creates more effective worker support. The conversation explores practical strategies for building mutually beneficial partnerships in workforce development, with Lee advocating for humility, value-addition, and collective impact as essential elements for scaling upskilling efforts and addressing intergenerational poverty.

Transcript

Julian Alssid: Welcome to Work Forces. I'm Julian Alssid.

Kaitlin LeMoine: And I'm Kaitlin Lemoine, and we speak with the innovators who shape the future of work and learning.

Julian Alssid: Together, we unpack the complex elements of workforce and career preparation and offer practical solutions that can be scaled and sustained.

Kaitlin LeMoine: Work Forces is supported by Lumina Foundation. Lumina is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. Let's dive in. A central focus in our consulting practice and on this podcast is practically how to make meaningful connections between the various organizations and resources that exist to help people close gaps and advance their careers.

Julian Alssid: Absolutely, we've seen a surge of new tech products designed to bridge skills gaps, connecting individuals with training programs and with the employers who can hire them. And key to their success are solutions that are designed for and responsive to the needs of the end user.

Kaitlin LeMoine Precisely. And that's why today we're excited to dive into a conversation with a leader who is at the forefront of using technology to connect millions of workers to meaningful career opportunities. Our guest is Steve Lee, the CEO of Skill Up Coalition. Steve has a fascinating career journey that began as a corporate lawyer, then saw him found and successfully exit an educational software company and work at Bain & Company. He then transitioned to the social sector, including a significant role at the Robin Hood Foundation, before taking the helm at Skill Up. 

Julian Alssid: Steve brings a blend of business acumen and a deep commitment to social good, and we're looking forward to speaking with him about how to upscale efforts in a world of rapid change, especially with the increasing influence of AI. Since launching Skill Up in 2020, Skill Up's nonprofit technology platform has already connected nearly 3.5 million workers without a college degree to career training and job supports nationwide, and the coalition now includes more than 150 partners. Impressive.

Kaitlin LeMoine: Truly. So Steve, welcome to Work Forces. We're so glad you could join us to share more about these impactful efforts.

Steve Lee: I am so honored and thrilled to be here. Thank you both very much for the current show. I will say my family, says I'm a dork and so, true story and so anyway, just thank you. It's a pleasure to be here and looking forward to the conversation.

Kaitlin LeMoine: Great. Well, as we get started, can you please tell us a bit more about your background and what led you to your work at Skill Up Coalition.

Steve Lee: So as you, as you alluded to. I was in a private sector for a good chunk of, let's say, the first half of my career, but I've always sort of been interested in having some impact on the social side. I had a really good conversation with a nonprofit leader when I was in the private sector, and she said something which I thought was really interesting. She said, Steve, I've been doing this work for 50 years, and I serve young people and adults. And she said to me that when I serve young people, there's a very good chance that 30 years later I'm gonna see the same person to serve their needs. And what that struck me is this idea of not only just poverty, but this idea of intergenerational poverty, where poverty goes to multiple generations. I'm like, damn, this is not good. This is not the c