Expanding Workforce Opportunities in the New Economy | FUSE

About Us
About Us
FUSE is a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing the capacity of local governments to engage communities, advance racial equity, and work more effectively for everyone.
About us Overview
Our Model
The FUSE Model centers around a one-year full-time public service role in city or county government and includes three primary phases from start to finish.
Our Fellows & Alumni
FUSE Executive Fellows and Alumni are experienced leaders committed to advancing equity through action-oriented partnerships with government agencies.
FUSE Careers
FUSE is a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing the capacity of local governments to engage communities, advance racial equity, and work more effectively for everyone.
Our Team
The FUSE team and board of directors are committed to driving equitable change locally and nationally.
Work with FUSE
Work with FUSE
The power of government. The experience of community. The impact of new ideas. Together we can build better systems
Work with FUSE Overview
Partner With FUSE
The FUSE Model centers around a one-year full-time public service role in city or county government and includes three primary phases from start to finish.
Executive Fellowship Program
FUSE Executive Fellows and Alumni are experienced leaders committed to advancing equity through action-oriented partnerships with government agencies.
Funders And Supporters
Thanks to the generous support and close partnerships of our funders and supporters, we have been able to deepen our impact on issues that matter the most to communities and the government agencies that serve them.
Newsroom
Read more about our work, partner success, and updates.
Our Projects
Our Projects
Through strategic collaboration, these initiatives harness innovative solutions and practices to bridge gaps in healthcare access.
View All Projects
Health
Expanding access to affordable health care and mental health resources to improve key indicators of community health.
Justice
Enhancing public safety and reform of criminal justice by changing policing, 911 dispatching, bail, sentencing, probation, reentry.
Education
Improving options for childcare, early education, STEM, out-of-school-time, and post-secondary enrollment and affordability.
Climate
Building new infrastructure, disaster resilience, renewable energy, green economy jobs, and plans to reduce emissions.
Housing
Addressing issues of homelessness, housing insecurity, gentrification, and the need to preserve and build more affordable housing.
Jobs
Increasing the number of living-wage jobs and preparing for the future of work through expanded job training.
Apply for the Fellowship

The City of Pittsburgh has evolved into an emergent innovation hub, a testament to the resilience of an economy that just a few decades ago was almost entirely dependent on steel. At the same time, Pittsburgh faces an unprecedented labor shortfall, with too few skilled workers to meet anticipated demand. To help address this workforce challenge, the city partnered with FUSE executive fellow Cynthia Shields.

Cynthia worked with the city’s Department of Human Resources and Civil Service to diversify the talent pool for municipal jobs. She established a new partnership between the city’s summer youth employment program, a local community college, and McDonald’s franchises that will enable more than 200 opportunity youth to attend community college at no cost. Cynthia launched the first citywide construction industry workforce partnership, which is helping to bring more diverse, skilled workers into family-sustaining wage jobs in the construction industry. These forward-looking strategies are strengthening the pipeline of skilled workers in Pittsburgh and making the workforce more adaptable to long-term economic change.

CYNTHIA SHIELDS (2017-18) is a leader in redesigning service delivery systems to better and more efficiently serve end users. Previously, Cynthia worked with communities across the country to coordinate service systems for homeless youth. During her time at Partner4Work, a workforce development board, Cynthia led the development and implementation of Pittsburgh Works, a groundbreaking public/private collaboration that reframed the role of the public workforce system. Cynthia’s ability to create systemic change has been greatly influenced by her personal experiences and her time as a direct service practitioner. She earned a BSW and an MBA from Chatham University.

Cynthia Shields

2017-2018 | City of Pittsburgh - Office of the Mayor

Explore Related Content

Jobs , Northeast , Pennsylvania