New National Fund Executive Director: A Marriage of Experience and Vision

Today, Fred Dedrick, most recently the Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development in Pennsylvania, takes over as the first Executive Director of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions.

He brings more than 20 years experience to a post that, as the nation remains stuck at almost 10 percent unemployment, offers great opportunity and truly significant challenge. Leading an effort to prepare America’s workforce to succeed in a post-recession economy has never seemed such an urgent task.

“The economy is a great motivation for me. People are facing very, very difficult times – so it’s an important motivator to make sure we do the job well,” Dedrick said. “Joining the National Fund is a great opportunity to work with people throughout the country committed to helping low-wage workers build a career. Together with our regional partners we can have a national impact on workforce development strategies.”

The effort that Dedrick led in Pennsylvania is an example of how the strategies that serve as the foundation of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions can make a difference. The sector-specific, dual-customer approach in the keystone state involved 7,000 employers and trained nearly 70,000 workers.

In the videos below, Dedrick discusses his vision for the National Fund, his experience, and Pennsylvania's experience with workforce development. You can also read the full press release here.

 On his vision for the National Fund...

On his professional experience...

 On the Pennsylvania experience...