Untapped Talent Consortium | Massachusetts

Untapped Talent Consortium: Strengthening the Human Services Workforce

Unlocking Potential and Advancing Careers

The Untapped Talent Consortium is a collaborative initiative among human service employers to support the career advancement of the workforce. Through strategic partnerships and innovative approaches, ABN supports human service organizations to develop workplace career advancement and talent management solutions focused on retention and building inclusive leadership pipelines.

Informed by Research

Massachusetts is experiencing unprecedented disruptions in healthcare and human service delivery. According to the Massachusetts Workforce Agenda, significant workforce challenges necessitate comprehensive strategies to attract and retain talent, particularly for the underemployed population.
Studies showed a rising reliance on foreign-born workers in human services, who account for 1 in 5 employees and up to 80% of direct care staff in some agencies, with 60% identifying as BIPOC.
The “Pathways to Leadership” study by Simmons University, commissioned by ABN and four partner agencies in March 2020, underscored the importance of inclusive practices in workforce development, revealing that diverse teams enhance service delivery and community impact.

Collaborative Approach to Workforce Development

The Untapped Talent Consortium operates in a-cohort model, bringing together agencies committed to creating meaningful career advancement opportunities for the workforce across the sector. Members hold bimonthly sessions, facilitated by workforce development consultants and ABN team, in addition to individual agency coaching sessions.

Membership Includes:

The Approach Includes:

Tangible Outcomes

Through structured collaboration and targeted interventions:

Agencies are more proactive about their workforce career advancement
There is a greater collaboration among agencies across the sector
Better employees’ engagement, in particular the BIPOC and foreign-born staff
Development of a pipeline of diverse leaders in the agencies

Funders & Supporters

Employer members
WES Miriam Assefa Fund
Providers’ Council

Interested in supporting Untapped Talent? Contact us to explore funding opportunities.

Employer Testimonials

"Hearing other agencies’ goals and best practices allows us to enrich our approach. "

"By learning from each other and identifying common hurdles, we can implement effective problem-solving."

"It’s energizing to know that we are all working together to support the staff we serve."

"The consortium is an excellent resource that keeps us on track and fosters accountability in our initiatives."

Join the Movement: Strengthen Your Workforce

We are continually adding new cohorts and adapting to the human services sector’s workforce needs. If you’re an employer seeking to enhance career advancement, improve retention, and cultivate the next generation of leaders, we invite you to join us.

Get in touch to learn how Untapped Talent can support your organization.

Contact Imane Roussel, Director of Partnerships, for more information at imane@africanbn.org.

The Challenge

There is an acute workforce shortage in the human services industry, and the importance of foreign-born and BIPOC workers to the stability of this industry cannot be overstated.

The human service industry in Massachusetts is facing unprecedented growth and related workforce shortages. The cycle of prolonged vacancies and being chronically understaffed limits employers capacity to.

Preserve consistent therapeutic relationships with clients and consumers
Maintain proper staff/client ratios
Meet contractual or compliance obligations
Protect the organization’s financial health
Expand services in the community
Provide staff with necessary professional development and supports to foster job satisfaction

Studies highlight increasing dependence on foreign born workers...

1 in 5 human service workers are foreign-born, comprising 80% of the workforce in some agencies.

60% of the industry workforce identifies as BIPOC.

Simmons University was commissioned by ABN and four partner agencies to conduct the “Pathways to Leadership” study to document the concerns of human service foreign-born workers. Completed in March 2020, study findings included:

Limited trajectories for foreign-born into leadership positions
Disparities in salaries for foreign-born and people of color
The need for more professional training opportunities

The Solution

The Untapped Talent Consortium

Provides an opportunity for employers to collaboratively address some of the most daunting roadblocks that affect the consistency, quality, and efficiency of service delivery through the retention and advancement of the foreign-born and BIPOC workforce.

Through the Consortium, human services agencies seeking to support their foreign-born workforce and promptly advance meaningful solutions can join their peers and learn collectively from their experiences. Members are provided with collaboration, peer learning, and support around solutions that will effectively advance the career development and inclusion of the foreign-born workforce.

Members hold bimonthly sessions, facilitated by experienced Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) consultants and ABN, to collaborate to develop and implement new practices, policies and approaches to support and retain foreign-born workers.

Member Results

Increased skills and capacity among foreign-born and BIPOC workforce.
Increased retention of foreign-born and BIPOC professionals.
Increased diversity among leadership team.

The Challenge

Studies highlight increasing dependence on foreign born workers...

The Solution

Member Results

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