Peter Callstrom

Peter Callstrom

Job Quality Fellow, Class of 2022-23, Economic Opportunities Program

President & CEO, San Diego Workforce Partnership

Peter has led nonprofits in the San Diego region since 1986, including services to people with disabilities, the homeless, and under-represented job seekers. He joined the San Diego Workforce Partnership as CEO in 2012. Peter is a member of the California Workforce Development Worker Equity Initiative, which shapes policy and strategy recommendations on equity and job quality. The Workforce Partnership produced a job quality guide and uplifts this work as a strategic priority. The Workforce Partnership funds, oversees, and delivers workforce programs in San Diego County, which has a population of 3.4 million people. The Workforce Partnership and its funded partners reach more than 100,000 job seekers annually. The Workforce Partnership has creatively deployed its research with career poster boards, online, and in-person with K-12 schools to brings labor market information to life through personality assessments that map to fulfilling in-demand careers. The Workforce Partnership created the only income share agreement fund in the workforce field. Other innovative efforts include OpportunitySD.org, which promotes comprehensive strategies to address youth disconnection; career training initiatives in IT, cybersecurity, construction, and dental assistance; youth employment; reentry for justice-involved individuals; high-road training partnerships; and more. The Workforce Partnership is a nationally recognized leader and recipient of the WIOA Trailblazer Award by the National Association of Workforce Boards, comprising 550 workforce boards.

Peter is a member of the Job Quality Fellowship Class of 2022-23. To learn more about the Job Quality Fellows, visit as.pn/jobquality.

The Job Quality Fellowship is part of the Economic Opportunity Fellows Network, a network of leadership and fellowship programs run by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program. Within this Network, EOP connects national and local leaders from across sectors — nonprofit, government, business, philanthropy, academia, and more — to advance policies and practices with the potential to help low- and moderate-income Americans thrive in today’s economy. Learn more at as.pn/eofn.

Authored by Peter