Upcoming Events from the Economic Opportunities Program — November 2025

The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

We hope you’ll join us at one of our upcoming events, which you can learn about below. Everyone who registers will receive a link to the recording, so please sign up even if you can’t participate live.

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November 19 — Backsliding on Child Protections: The Return of Child Labor in the US

Wednesday, November 19, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, on Zoom

In recent years, at least 10 US states have passed laws to restrict child labor protections. And today, children as young as 13 work grueling jobs that put their health, safety, and development at risk — in meatpacking plants, warehouses, tobacco fields, and other dangerous environments. Now, what many believed to be a thing of the past is, in fact, an ever-growing crisis, with life and death consequences for children across the country. There have been numerous reports about children being seriously injured or killed working in these conditions — and migrant children, in particular, get funneled into the most dangerous sectors of the labor market, where oversight is weak and accountability is rare. Join us to explore how we arrived at this moment, and what we — policymakers, advocates, and others — can do to solve it. Wednesday, November 19, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, on Zoom. Click here to register.

December 4 — Beyond 9 to 5: Facilitating Good Jobs for People with Unpredictable Schedules

Thursday, December 4, from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Eastern time, on Zoom

Since the mid-1900s, the nine-to-five work schedule has been viewed as the standard. But for millions of workers, this schedule doesn’t work. Factors like parenting, caregiving, health challenges, educational commitments, and existing employment preclude many people from being predictably and consistently available for certain jobs. As a result, they often end up in poor-quality roles with low wages, including on app-based platforms that have often been heralded for providing this flexibility. It’s time to ensure that workers in these situations don’t have to make this sacrifice. Join us on Thursday, December 4, from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Eastern time, on Zoom to learn more. Click here to register.

June 2-3, 2026 — Employee Ownership Ideas Forum

Tuesday and Wednesday, June 2-3, 2026, in Washington DC and online

The Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, hosted in partnership with the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing, brings together leading policymakers, practitioners, experts, and the media for a robust discussion on how we can grow employee ownership for the shared benefit of American workers and businesses. Registration for our next Forum will open in winter 2026. Visit our website to sign up for information and updates, including a notification when tickets are available.

External Events and Speaking Engagements

EOP staff are frequently called upon to lend their expertise to a variety of critical conversations and settings. To invite one of our experts to speak at an event, please send us an email at [email protected].

Nov 4, Washington DC — Stanford Center for Longevity Learning Huddle. UpSkill America Associate Director Chelsea Miller will participate in a lightning round presentation moderated by the Brookings Institution.

Nov 5-6, Washington DC — Reimagining Talent, Learning & Development Congress, hosted by USC and Strada Education Foundation. UpSkill America Associate Director Chelsea Miller will join speakers from Tyson and Comcast for a panel discussion on “Bringing it all together: Changing Skill Sets and the Evolution of the Career Ladder,” moderated by ProLiteracy’s Mark Vineis.

Nov 9, Indianapolis — AI Frontiers: Uniting Education, Business and Government for Real-World Innovation, hosted by Purdue University and Google. UpSkill America Senior Director Haley Glover will join speakers from Google, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, and Augustana University for a panel discussion on “Empowering the Future Workforce with AI,” moderated by TechPoint’s Sally Reasoner.

In Case You Missed It

We are pleased to share recordings and resources from these recent conversations.

• October 10 — Big Impact, Big Challenges: Lessons from Collaborating with Large Businesses to Improve Job Quality
• September 26 — Banking on Skills: Cara Collective and BMO Bank Partner for Change
• September 5 — The Future of Equal Opportunity