Workforce Development Policy:
Economic Mobility and the Future of Work
Less than 45% of the U.S. population has any formal education beyond high school but almost 65% of all jobs require a postsecondary degree or credential. This gap means millions of jobs remain unfilled and, worse, millions of Americans are unable to find work. Without the right education, many Americans are locked into poverty and out of economic mobility.
What is the government’s role in addressing this mismatch? Local governments currently offer free education from kindergarten through high school. Should government also offer free post-secondary education (free college) or training? Are there changes that can be made to K-12 education to make high school graduates more employable in today’s economy? What interventions are needed to help working adults obtain the education they need to advance in their careers? What about job quality and livable wages?
These are the types of questions that form the foundation of workforce policy, an inter-disciplinary area of public policy that sits at the intersection of education and the labor market. Its purpose is to foster economic growth and reduce poverty by aligning the skills of a local workforce with the evolving needs of nearby industries. It includes public policies related to K-12 and post-secondary education, job specific training, and adult education, and it connects with societal challenges related to economic mobility, the future of work, immigration, and incarceration.
This course will introduce students to the dynamic field of workforce development policy. Students will build a foundational understanding of the current workforce preparation ecosystem including today’s key players, programs, funding streams, and policy questions. They will also learn how to critically evaluate workforce programming by examining successful and unsuccessful efforts over time. Classes will be taught using experiential learning – we will use real world situations and discussions with visiting practitioners to interactively learn together.
The course will be taught by a former Fortune 500 C-suite business executive and social impact entrepreneur, who has been building workforce programs for over 30 years. She has a proven track record of helping companies and communities build competitive, diverse workforce pipelines at the local, state, national, and international levels.
Carey O’Connor
214.300.9792 | careyannoconnor@gmail.com | LinkedIn
Social Impact Entrepreneur & Former Chief Legal Officer
Accomplished senior executive and organizational strategist who creates collaborative connections between business
and education leaders to design, launch, and scale workforce development initiatives that create diverse talent
pipelines. Leverage experience as a former Fortune 500 Chief Legal Officer and trusted advisor to C-suites and boards to
provide businesses insights on corporate cultural change and serve as a communication bridge between corporate,
community, and academic stakeholders.
• Workforce innovation • Publicly traded C-suite experience
• Multi-sector coalition building • High-growth initiatives
• Gap assessment and solution development • Innovative fundraising and budgeting strategy
CURRENT ENGAGEMENTS
Dallas College Workforce Scholars | Dallas, TX
Co-founded and developed a modern youth apprenticeship program offering work-based learning opportunities for
traditionally under-served Dallas high school students in high-demand, living wage careers.
• Supported strategic development of program design
• Co-crafted pilot program, receiving 255 applications within 48 hours
• Helped secure $5M grant from the US Department of Labor to support scaling program
Jobs for the Future | Boston, MA
Partnered with CEO to conceptualize and design the Corporate Action Platform and Corporate Solutions practice that
builds equitable growth in corporations within JFF, a nation-wide organization focused on transforming workforce and
education systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all.
• Co-developed the Impact Employer Model as the foundational strategy
• Advised on the creation of a comprehensive funding model that facilitated a successful launch
• Supported marketing and outreach to Fortune 500 corporate leaders resulting in numerous corporate contracts
including Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, and Walmart
• Created an article series, “Corporate Change Makers,” featuring corporate visionaries who are reshaping the way
their companies invest in workers
Dallas Thrives | Dallas, TX
Co-created the strategy for and launched a sustainable coalition of business, government, and education leaders
focused on doubling living wage attainment for youth of color in a single generation. Partners include the Dallas
Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Commit Partnership, Bank of America, AT&T, Amazon, and Capital One.
• Identified key foundational programs necessary to increase living wage attainment for young adults at scale
• Built coalition support and provided strategic direction for program development in student career exploration,
high-quality work-based learning, and college and workforce readiness
• Provided strategic direction and brokered coalition partnerships for new programs focused on key foundational
program goals
• Supported development of programmatic metrics to quantify and publicly articulate progress
• Crafted funding model that has fundraised $10M+ to date
C. O’Connor — Page 2
Dallas County Promise | Dallas, TX
Workforce advisor to nonprofit helping under-served Dallas-area high school students enroll in and complete college.
• Co-built and launched a robust tool connecting students to education and workforce training opportunities in
their career field
• Built and rolled out a career exploration program to 12,000 high school seniors in 38 high schools across 11
school districts
• Created partnerships with youth workforce programs to provide students ability to “earn while they learn”
Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative | Cambridge, MA
Selected for a one-year intensive fellowship in 2018 to study leading research on global human challenges and design
potential solutions with experts at Harvard’s business, law, government/public policy, and education schools. Continue
to leverage resources and relationships to support current engagements.
Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Workforce Leadership Council | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Co-founded and chair an innovative organization bringing together leaders from business, government, and schools to
collaboratively redefine community workforce development strategies targeting unemployed and underemployed
populations in 16 counties across North Texas. Acquired more than $17M in grants for training and workforce
initiatives.
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
Flowserve | Irving, TX 2003–2018
Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, 2012–2018
Vice President and Corporate Secretary, 2011–2012
Vice President and Global Group Counsel, 2008–2011
Senior Attorney, Global Human Resources, 2003–2008
Provided strategic, financial, and commercial guidance to executive leadership and board of directors for a publicly
held $4.6B global manufacturer with operations mainly outside the US. Rose through series of high-ranking positions
to lead a team of 84 legal and compliance professionals in 16 countries with a budget of up to $32M. Directed all
global legal issues, including litigation, M&A negotiation, investor relations, Board of Directors governance, labor and
employment, employee and customer data protection, anti-corruption, bankruptcy, and internal investigations.
• Effectively cross-trained team members and streamlined processes resulting in 7%+ budget savings
• Applied unique insights gained from relationships with European workforce development programs to enhance
enterprise talent strategy
• Created work exchange and apprenticeship programs to promote a diverse talent pipeline and provide economic
and career mobility for professionals with or without a college degree
• Drove completion of six strategic transactions ranging in value from $10M to $373M
• Instrumental in organic footprint expansion into Russia, China, and the Middle East
• Generated $2M+ in annual savings through improvements in external counsel management, litigation defense
strategy, and global employee benefit plan administration
• Successfully managed company response to enterprise-wide cybersecurity attack
• Favorably resolved large wage and hour dispute with US Department of Labor
Hayes and Boone LLP | Dallas, TX 1997–2002
Senior Associate—Labor and Employment Litigation
Led legal teams charged with investigating, litigating, and resolving alleged violations of employment and labor laws
for one of the highest grossing law firms in the country.
C. O’Connor — Page 3
FOUNDATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Aspiring Youth Program | Co-Chair | Dallas, TX 1998–2003
Co-Chaired a Dallas Association of Young Lawyers after-school program providing at-risk middle school students career
exploration and tutoring.
National Skill Standards Board | Researcher | Washington, D.C. 1995–1997
Supported appointed senior leaders from management, labor, education, and community organizations in creating a
national skills standards, assessment, and certification system to enhance American global workforce competitiveness.
US House Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities | Fellow | Washington, D.C. 1995
Researched the impacts of proposed legislative changes aimed at streamlining decentralized US education and
workforce development systems impacting more than 200 federal education and labor programs.
Texas Council on Workforce and Economic Competitiveness | Researcher | Austin, TX 1994
Crafted and presented program consolidation options to an appointed council tasked with creating an integrated,
seamless diverse workforce development system at the state level. Project laid the foundation for Texas 60x30 statewide
workforce plan and the Texas Industry Cluster Initiative
House of Commons of the United Kingdom | Legislative Aide | London, UK 1992
US Congressional Page Program | Congressional Page for House Speaker Jim Wright | Washington, DC 1988
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
Trinity University Board of Visitors | Member | 2021─present
University of Texas School of Law Alumni Association | Executive Committee | 2019─present
International Women's Forum | Member | 2015─present
The Dallas Assembly | Member | 2008─present
Center for Women in Law |Advisory Council |2016–present
Dallas Chamber Young Professionals | Mentor | 2013─2017
Flowserve Women's Resource Group | Mentor & Executive Sponsor | 2016─2018
Leadership Dallas | Member (2006) | Alumni Board Member | 2007─2012 | Governance Committee Chair | 2009─2012
Dallas Bar Association | Member | 2006─present | Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program Fundraiser | 2014–2017
EDUCATION
Juris Doctorate | University of Texas School of Law | 1997
Master of Public Affairs | LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin | 1997
Bachelor of Arts | Trinity University | 1993
AWARDS
Vandergriff Award | Workforce Solutions Tarrant County | 2017
Outstanding General Counsel | Association of Corporate Counsels | 2016
Women in Business Honoree | Dallas Business Journal | 2014
Dallas 500 | D CEO Magazine | 2016─present
C. O’Connor — Page 4
PUBLICATIONS
How Cushman & Wakefield Uses Skills-Based Hiring for Veterans, JFF on Medium, August 17, 2023
How Chevron Empowers Its Workers to Self-Advocate, JFF on Medium, February 6, 2023
How Salesforce is Building Belonging With Its Workers, JFF on Medium, March 9, 2022
Using Worker Voice to Dismantle Structural Racism and Unlock Opportunity, JFF on Medium, December 20, 2021
JP Morgan Chase Partners With Its People to Create a Culture of Learning, JFF on Medium, August 27, 2021
How the Nation's Largest Employer Doubled Down On Employee Well-being to Get Through Crises, JFF on Medium, May
19, 2021
Prudential's Career Navigation Experience Unlocks Employee Potential, JFF on Medium, April 2, 2021
JetBlue Helps 'Crew Members' Navigate the Future of Work with College Access, JFF on Medium, February 5, 2021
Workday is Addressing the Opportunity Gap by Hiring for Skills and Potential, Not Pedigree, JFF on Medium, December
17, 2020
How Autodesk is Flipping the Narrative on Diversity in Technology, JFF on Medium, November 2, 2020
3M Strategy Attracts Tech Savvy Talent to Manufacturing, JFF on Medium, January 16, 2020
How the World's No. 1 Job Site Addresses Equity in Hiring, JFF on Medium, January 13, 2020