Back to Work RI and Skillful Rhode Island
Rhode Island Governor's Workforce Board
Back to Work RI aims to connect thousands of Rhode Islanders with employment opportunities through a $45 million initiative launched by Governor Gina Raimondo and the Governor’s Workforce Board, prioritizing people who lost jobs due to COVID and those facing persistent employment barriers. HR&A supported Skillful to design a Rhode Island version of the Governor’s Coaching Corps that will equip career coaches to address degree inflation and implement skills-based recruitment, hiring, and retention practices among participating employers.
The initiative addresses critical challenges where degree inflation limits opportunities for qualified workers without traditional credentials, particularly those facing discrimination due to educational background, criminal justice involvement, or disabilities. The Governor’s Workforce Board sought to implement Skillful’s proven approach to career coaching and skills-based labor market practices. HR&A is designing a local Coaching Corps that provides coaches with training and support to be effective problem-solvers, incorporating action teams to tackle specific challenges such as engaging rural jobseekers or leveraging online career resources.
Our comprehensive program blueprint includes timelines, budgets, curricula, and evaluation metrics, as well as guidelines for program launch, application processes, and staff onboarding. The action team structure enables coaches to develop potential policy solutions to pitch to state leadership, creating pathways for frontline insights to inform broader workforce development strategy. This design positions Rhode Island to address immediate COVID recovery needs while building long-term capacity for skills-based approaches that expand opportunity for workers facing systemic barriers to quality employment.
