Policy Associate - Workforce

The Bay Area Council is a business-sponsored, public policy advocacy organization representing the most influential companies across the nine-county Bay Area. With over 350 member companies and a reputation as the region’s leading voice of business, the Council advocates for policies and initiatives that strengthen the economy, improve quality of life, and ensure a more equitable and competitive future for the Bay Area and California.

Founded in 1945, the Bay Area Council has a proud legacy of solving the region’s biggest challenges—from building BART to advancing climate leadership to addressing the housing and homelessness crisis. The Council operates at the intersection of government, business, and community to deliver real outcomes.

Workforce of the Future Committee & Policy Area

The strength of the Bay Area’s economy is directly tied to the effectiveness of our workforce and the alignment of talent pipelines with regional employer needs. In response to growing member interest and support, the Bay Area Council re-launched its Workforce of the Future portfolio in 2025. This portfolio is anchored by two core focus areas: (1) the Workforce of the Future Member Committee, and (2) leadership of the Northern California Apprentice Network (NCAN) Steering Committee and broader apprenticeship community.

Workforce of the Future Member Committee: The committee plays auniquerole,bringing businesses, educators, skillstrainersand policy makers to the table to focus on three pillars impacting our region’s workforce and economy:

• AI and the Future of work
• Education to Employment Pathways
• Alternative Workforce & Labor Solutions – beyond the 4-year degree

Leading the Northern California Apprentice Network (NCAN) Steerco and Community:

Apprenticeships continue to be a key priority as a globally proven, viable career pathway for historically overlooked candidates that create skilled talent pipelines to vital roles. the Bay Area Council is a founding member of NCAN and now leads the community of practice, 100+ members strong, working as a bridge to the employer partners we serve with latent apprenticeship potential.

Looking Ahead

The Bay Area Council has received several grants over the past year for our workforce portfolio, expanding the department’s scope, workload and potential impact. The Workforce Associate will play a critical role in a quickly growing policy area at an exciting time as the momentum continues to build.

Position Overview

The Policy Associate will play a central role in supporting both the Workforce Committee and NCAN program. This is a unique opportunity for a professional interested in the Future of Work, AI’s impact on our workforce and the potential to shape policy and programming nationwide starting in the Bay Area. The Associate will work with cross-sector leaders regularly, including Fortune 500 executives, heads of universities and non-profits and leaders of our Bay Area Mayoral teams.

The Associate will also play a central role in helping lead and focus our Apprenticeship work, helping lead steering committee meetings, organize quarterly events and execute on employer engagement activities.

The position will involve significant in-person work around the Bay Area. The employee will be in either the SF or San Jose office twice per week, with additional travel to meetings, events and conferences.

What Success Looks Like in the First 12 Months

By the end of the first year, the Workforce of the Future Associate will be viewed as a trusted, go-to partner across the Bay Area Council’s workforce portfolio, with clear ownership over execution and growing strategic influence.

Specifically, success includes:

• Workforce of the Future Committee
• Seamlessly supports and helps drive committee operations, with well-run meetings, strong agendas, and clear follow-through on priorities.
• Demonstrates a working understanding of the committee’s three core pillars and contributes meaningfully to shaping discussions and next steps. Helps take over one of the pillars.
• Earns credibility with member companies and partners through preparation, responsiveness, and thoughtful contributions.
• Northern California Apprentice Network…