Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Name

Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Legal name

Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Website

https://skilledwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Employment Services (5613)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Qualifications & Credit Framework Authorities (EDADAEAD), Veterans & Military-to-Civilian Transition Programs (EDAAAOAH), Contractor Management Systems (CMS) & Workforce Management (BPACAGAE)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Labor market information analysis
• Career pathway mapping
• Competency-based credentialing
• Workforce benchmarking network

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Philanthropic Funding: CSW operates as a non-profit receiving grant funding from foundations including Truist Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, JPMorganChase, Pinkerton Foundation, Lumina Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and others. Funding supports specific initiatives like WBN cohorts, training programs, and research projects.
2. Government Contracts: CSW receives funding from government agencies including Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, MassHire Department of Career Services, and U.S. Department of Commerce. Contracts support state workforce development initiatives, AI workforce planning, and trauma-informed training programs.
3. Donations: CSW accepts charitable donations from individuals and organizations to support general operations and specific workforce development initiatives. The organization runs Giving Tuesday campaigns and maintains a donation page.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (CSW) is a national nonprofit that delivers workforce development services including the Workforce Benchmarking Network (WBN) data benchmarking platform and cohorts, career pathway and credential mapping tools, labor market information (LMI) analysis, competency-based credential development, and trauma-informed workforce training programs. Services are provided to workforce development organizations, state and local government agencies, community colleges, and employers, primarily through grant-funded initiatives.

Product overview

CSW operates as a workforce policy non-profit with a portfolio of interconnected programs, platforms, and tools rather than a single unified product. The core offering is the Workforce Benchmarking Network (WBN), which includes the WBN National Survey (a Salesforce-based data collection platform with Tableau analytics) and WBN Cohorts (regional peer learning communities). Supporting offerings include the Rural Workforce Academy (RWA) for rural workforce development, ACE-UP community of practice for community colleges, PEER Academy for labor market information training, and various career pathway tools (Career Pathway Maps, Credential Pathway Maps, Occupational Profiles). The organization also delivers training programs like Trauma-Informed and Resilient Massachusetts (T&R MA) and develops competency frameworks including Credit for Prior Learning Frameworks and the Certified Direct Care Worker (CDCW) credential.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Workforce Benchmarking Network (WBN): A peer learning network that brings together workforce organizations to learn about program data use to advance equity and improve outcomes.
• ACE-UP (Advancing Community Equity and Upward Mobility)
• Rural Workforce Academy (RWA)

Products and services

• Workforce Benchmarking Network (WBN) National data benchmarking initiative that collects standardized, aggregate data from workforce organizations on participant characteristics, services delivered, employer engagement, and outcomes. Houses the largest cross-program dataset on workforce services in the country. For workforce development organizations seeking peer benchmarking and data capacity building.
• WBN Cohorts Regional peer learning communities combining forums, technical assistance, and self-assessments to help workforce organizations identify service gaps and apply strategic changes. Delivered in cities including NYC, Detroit, Dallas, and other locations. For workforce development organizations selected through application.
• Rural Workforce Academy (RWA) Two-year initiative to strengthen workforce organizations serving rural communities across the Southeastern United States. Provides practical tools, peer learning, enhanced data strategies, and trauma-informed approaches through an up-to-12-month learning experience for up to 20 workforce practitioners per cohort.
• ACE-UP (Advancing Community Equity and Upward Mobility) Community of practice uniting colleges and industry partners to enhance academic and career mobility for learners. Addresses equity gaps and builds on the U.S. Department of Labor's SCC grant program's equity metrics. For community colleges and their industry partners.
• PEER Academy (Partnering Economic & Employment Research) Nine-month training cohort providing workforce and economic development professionals with skills to independently collect and use labor market information data. Includes retreats and workshops for 16 professionals. Developed in partnership with NYATEP, with funding from Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and Ballmer Group.
• Trauma-Informed and Resilient Massachusetts (T&R MA) Training and coaching program for the MassHire workforce development system on trauma-informed and resilience-building approaches. Includes three CSW trainings, action labs, and ambassador model across 16 workforce regions. For Massachusetts workforce development staff.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of CSW staff rate the organization as a desirable place to work (2025 Gallup Poll)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026NYCETC is the largest city-based workforce development association in the country, supporting over 220 member organizations. CSW partners with NYCETC to lead WBN cohorts in New York City and co-develop workforce benchmarking initiatives.
• MassHire Department of Career Services (MDCS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026MDCS partnered with CSW to provide the Trauma-Informed and Resilient Massachusetts (T&R MA) program, training workforce development staff across 16 MassHire regions on trauma-informed practices.
• Massachusetts Workforce Association (MWA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026MWA partnered with CSW and MDCS on the T&R MA program, advancing trauma and resilience training for Massachusetts workforce development professionals.
• New York Association of Training & Employment Professionals (NYATEP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2025NYATEP partnered with CSW to develop the PEER Academy for workforce and economic development professionals, providing a 9-month series of retreats and workshops on LMI data collection and use.
• CAEL (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2025CSW partnered with CAEL to evaluate the Build Better Careers initiative in Charlotte, NC and Memphis, TN, focused on creating education-to-career pathways in the financial services industry for women and BIPOC residents.
• Michigan State University (IMPART Alliance)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2025CSW supported IMPART Alliance at Michigan State University to develop the Certified Direct Care Worker (CDCW) credential, with funding from the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services.
• Michigan Department of Health and Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2025MDHHS partnered with CSW to train state agency staff on trauma-informed practices and develop the Certified Direct Care Worker credential. The agency has committed to ensuring programs are trauma-informed.
• Michigan Department of Labor and Economic OpportunitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2025MDLEO partnered with CSW to develop Michigan's AI and the Workforce Plan and the Statewide Workforce Plan, integrating AI skills across education and training systems.
• ACE-UP Member Colleges and Industry PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2024ACE-UP brings together community colleges and their industry partners in a Community of Practice to identify and implement effective strategies addressing equity gaps and increasing economic mobility. Members include Onondaga Community College, South Central College, and Reynolds Community College.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Skills Coalition: National policy and advocacy organization focused on building an inclusive skills-based economy. Direct peer that, like CSW, bridges federal/state policy, employer engagement, and frontline workforce organizations.
• National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB): Membership organization representing the nation's workforce development boards. Direct peer that convenes and supports the same state/local workforce system CSW serves, including data capacity and peer learning.
• CAEL (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning): Nonprofit focused on connecting adult learners to employment through prior learning assessment and employer-aligned credentials. Direct peer with overlapping competency-based and credit-for-prior-learning work; CSW is already a CAEL evaluation partner.
• Strada Education Foundation: National philanthropy focused on improving education-to-employment outcomes through research, grantmaking, and partnerships. Direct peer; CSW and Strada are already co-funders of the Build Better Careers evaluation.
• Aspen Institute Workforce Strategies Initiative: Workforce-focused initiative within the Aspen Institute advancing job quality and economic mobility. Direct peer working on similar systems-change themes with foundations, employers, and state agencies.
• Jobs for the Future: National nonprofit that drives workforce and education systems change through research, policy, and practice. Direct peer of CSW with overlapping focus on community colleges, employer partnerships, and equity-centered workforce strategies.

Regional players

• Workforce Development Council (Seattle/King County): Regional workforce development board operating a data-driven performance management system for workforce programs. Regional peer of CSW's WBN cohort model, with similar benchmarking orientation but limited to a single metro area.

Broad incumbents

• National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices: Bipartisan organization helping governors shape workforce and education policy. Broader incumbent that funds and convenes state-level workforce planning, overlapping with CSW's state agency contracts in MI, MA, and CA.
• Lightcast (formerly Burning Glass Technologies): Large labor market analytics provider supplying LMI data that CSW references and recommends to its CBO and college partners. Broader incumbent in the same ecosystem, offering a paid alternative to CSW's PEER Academy LMI training.

Others

• Workforce Solutions (various local boards, e.g. Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas): Local workforce development boards that are both CSW customers (via WBN cohorts) and ecosystem participants. OTHERS category since they are buyers/distributors of CSW's benchmarking services rather than direct competitors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/share?text=CSW&url=https://skilledwork.org
• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://skilledwork.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/corporation-for-a-skilled-workforce
• Pinterestpinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://skilledwork.org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Corporation for a Skilled Workforce