Jeremy Avins Joins Arnold Ventures as New Vice President, Career Education and Training

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 28, 2024) — Seeking to improve our nation’s education and workforce development systems, Arnold Ventures has appointed Jeremy Avins as vice president, career education and training, effective immediately. In this role, Avins will focus on identifying and expanding programs and policies that improve access to good jobs, meaningful careers, and economic mobility. 

Hiring statistics and projections in the United States indicate that only half of job openings require a four-year college degree. Moreover, many industries increasingly face challenges in recruiting and retaining the workers they need. Research also shows that having some type of postsecondary, industry-recognized credential is important to securing a high-quality job. With this in mind, Avins will work to develop a more robust menu of quality education and training options for those looking to prepare themselves for successful and gratifying careers. This work will complement Arnold Ventures’ long-standing efforts to improve the return on investment in higher education for students, families, and taxpayers. 

“Young people need a wider range of education and training options to prepare themselves for our evolving economy,” said Kirby Smith, executive vice president of strategy and programs at Arnold Ventures. ​“High schools, colleges, job training providers, employers, and the public sector all need to work collectively to ensure that today’s young men and women are prepared for careers that give them the economic mobility and stability they deserve.” 

Policymakers, employers, and the public increasingly recognize the importance of high-quality secondary and postsecondary education, including career training options that have evidence showing they lead to good jobs without requiring a bachelor’s degree. 

Ultimately, this portfolio’s goals include identifying and scaling more programs that help young people achieve meaningful careers, developing better systems and policies to ensure that resources are channeled towards effective programs, and advancing equitable access to opportunity. 

“High-quality jobs provide the springboard for economic opportunity, but the best pathways to those careers are often difficult to identify or access,” said Avins. ​“It is absolutely essential — both to students and the nation as a whole — that we scale the solutions that work for workers and businesses in today’s evolving and muti-faceted economic environment.” 

Avins brings over a decade of public, private, and social impact leadership experience. Before joining Arnold Ventures, Avins led workforce development programs in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains. He previously worked at Redstone Strategy Group, Hope Enterprise Corporation and Credit Union, and the White House Office of Management and Budget. Avins earned master’s degrees from Stanford University and Harvard Kennedy School and a bachelor’s from Yale University. 

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Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy that supports research to understand the root causes of America’s most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change, AV is working to improve the lives of American families, strengthen their communities, and promote their economic opportunity. Since Laura and John Arnold launched their foundation in 2008, the philanthropy has expanded, and Arnold Ventures’ focus areas include education, criminal justice, health, infrastructure, and public finance, advocating for bipartisan policy reforms that will lead to lasting, scalable change. As signatories of the Giving Pledge, the Arnolds have committed to giving away most of their wealth during their lives.