Building Arizona’s Future Workforce Through Skills, Not Just Resumes
For many Arizonans, the next step toward a higher-paying career isn't a lack of potential — it's a lack of visibility into the opportunities their skills can unlock. At the same time, employers across healthcare, construction and advanced manufacturing continue to struggle to fill critical roles. Bridging that gap is essential to strengthening Arizona's workforce, expanding economic mobility and building the Arizona We Want.
This month, CFA joined the Burning Glass Institute to launch Phoenix Jobs That Mobilize, a new workforce initiative designed to help workers, employers and workforce partners better navigate career pathways. By focusing on transferable skills — not just traditional job titles or career paths — the initiative helps employers identify qualified talent while giving Arizonans new tools to explore in-demand careers and advance their economic mobility. For Robert insert: image Caption: This toolkit shows Arizona employers the jobs, the workers who can fill them, and the solutions needed to fill these gaps.
CFA was selected to lead the Greater Phoenix effort because of our long-standing workforce leadership and trusted partnerships across industries. While Burning Glass Institute provides the research and analysis, CFA is convening employers, educators, workforce organizations, and career navigators to translate those insights into practical solutions that strengthen Arizona's workforce.
The initiative is already revealing important opportunities. Employers increasingly value skills alongside credentials, many workers already possess transferable skills that qualify them for higher-paying roles, and career
navigators play a critical role in helping people discover pathways they may not have otherwise considered.
What’s Ahead
Over the coming months, CFA will bring partners together to apply these insights, launch new workforce tools and resources, and strengthen pathways that help more Arizonans access family-sustaining careers while ensuring employers can find the talent they need to grow. It's another example of how CFA turns data into action to create practical, lasting solutions that advance economic opportunity across Arizona.