READOUT: Acting Secretary Su kicks off ‘Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy’ meeting of government, business, labor leaders, stakeholders

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary Julie Su welcomed mayors and representatives from 16 cities, along with other leaders of government, business and labor; and key stakeholders to open the first of a two-day meeting of the “Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy,” which helps cities launch and scale innovative workforce initiatives to create pathways to good quality jobs. 

Convened by the department, National League of Cities and other partners, the meeting also spotlights the academy’s work to support city-led efforts to train and place workers, specifically from historically underserved and underrepresented communities, in quality jobs in high-demand industries such as infrastructure, clean energy and advanced manufacturing.

The event is part of a comprehensive effort to connect workers with jobs made possible by the Biden-Harris administration’s ‘Investing in America’ agenda. 

“Here at the Department of Labor, creating good jobs is our North Star and we are laser focused on connecting workers to these good jobs, including workers who have been left out in the past,” Acting Secretary Su shared with attendees. “The Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy was born out of the incredible opportunities we have in this moment. We knew that to deliver on the promise of manufacturing, infrastructure and clean energy in America, a partnership between the Department of Labor and America’s innovative cities was an important path forward.”  

Among those joining the meeting today were federal and local government leaders, representatives from the National League of Cities, business and labor leaders, and other critical stakeholders. 

White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden, White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu, and White House Senior Advisor and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez also delivered remarks at the event.

The academy provides its members with technical assistance to support and accelerate each city’s efforts to design and launch workforce initiatives to meet the demands of their regional economies. Cities included in the academy are Birmingham, Alabama; Tempe, Arizona; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Kokomo, Indiana; Frederick, Maryland; Lansing, Michigan; Duluth, Minnesota; Saint Louis, Missouri; Missoula, Montana; Newark, New Jersey; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Jamestown, New York; Monroe, North Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; San Antonio, Texas; and Tacoma, Washington.