John Colborn Biography

John Colborn is Director of the Aspen Institute's Skills for America's Future initiative.

Skills for America’s Future, part of the Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program, is a private sector-led initiative which advocates for workforce development practices and partnerships to address the national workforce skills gap. Since it was announced by President Obama in October 2010, the initiative as successfully helped create or expand partnerships between more than 40 employers and 200 community colleges across the country, and formed strategic partnerships with major industry associations.

Colborn joined the Aspen Institute in 2014 after 15 years as a program officer and senior executive with the Ford Foundation. In his role as a program officer with the Ford Foundation, Colborn undertook a range of grant making efforts focusing on industry-targeted workforce development partnerships, workforce development policy, and community colleges resulting in improved economic and educational opportunities for tens of thousands of Americans. He also played leadership roles in organizing networks of workforce development and community college funders. Over the last several years, Colborn has served as vice president at the Ford Foundation, overseeing its global operations.

Colborn, a graduate of Oberlin College, holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He has served on a variety of boards and advisory panels and currently serves as a trustee of the Foundation Center and serves on the Board of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning.

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