Brett Berning

Lead the design, coordination, and execution of agency‑wide workforce and career pathway systems, aligning internships, apprenticeships, and early‑career pipelines with operations, labor agreements, public funding, and equity priorities. Manage a diverse portfolio of workforce initiatives—including youth employment, pre‑apprenticeship and apprenticeship pathways, public service traineeships, and internal talent pipelines—in partnership with City departments, education partners, and organized labor. Serve as a systems‑level project manager across workforce development, HR, and learning infrastructure, translating policy and strategy into operationally viable programs that support workforce sustainability and long‑term talent development.

Responsible for designing, developing, and implementing innovative pathway programs for apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, fellowships, youth internships, on-the-job training programs, and other workforce development programs and outreach strategies.

As the agency's first recruiter, I led recruitment operations for the Workforce Development Unit to increase diversity in SFMTA's various pathway, pipeline, and outreach programs such as internships, pre-apprenticeships, registered apprenticeships, fellowships, and on-the-job training programs. • Analyzed 225+ job classifications across 9 divisions (6,000+ staff) including Finance, Information Technology, Human Resources, Streets, Transit, Safety, Government Affairs, Communications & Marketing, and Office of Racial Equity & Belonging. • Promoted and recruited diverse talent for internal job opportunities, including individuals representing diverse backgrounds, abilities, professional experiences, and life experiences. • Partnership development with community-based organizations, educational institutions, professional associations, and other community stakeholders.

The Talent of Tomorrow Fellowship, powered by the ECMC Foundation, is designed to help employers build more robust and reliable talent pipelines, diversify their workforce, and deploy industry-responsive training programs for new hires. The fellowship is a professional development experience for emerging HR leaders who want to help propel their companies’ workforces into the future. Participants in this program will discover how to take advantage of local community college CTE programs to recruit well-qualified talent and build a workforce that stays.

Under the direction of the Dean of Workforce Development, I generated employment/internship opportunities for students to obtain paid work experience in their field of study. I served as a resource to both CCSF staff and students by organizing events, generating employment and internship connections, creating tracking systems, and reporting on outcomes. • 1:1 Career guidance to 300+ students from 30 academic programs across Education, Public and Social Service sectors • Secured 25 internship placement sites for 75+ students in Child Development, Social Work, Social Justice, Alcohol & Recovery Counseling, and Healthcare Interpreting • Sub-grantee ($450K grant) recipient with SF non-profit to fund 5 semesters of paid work experience for students in Social Work as well as cover all administrative and faculty costs • Consulted leadership at City of San Francisco Department of Emergency Management on recruitment strategies to reach diverse populations • Key member of Handshake implementation team training faculty, staff, students, and employers on platform launch

Reported to Executive Chancellor on statewide Request for Qualifications and Request for Proposals bid responses • Awarded two grants ($325k) for workforce development, job outreach and job placement services via the City of Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation and the City and County of San Francisco Office of Cannabis

Reported to the Founder & CEO (Forbes 30 under 30) – researched cannabis skills training, apprenticeships, and workforce policies, convened businesses, job seekers, industry associations, regulators, stakeholders, and community members • Directed cannabis job fair at Golden Gate University with Students for Sensible Drug Policy welcoming 300+ job seekers, 25 businesses and 7 community groups • Partnered with City of Oakland to organize Cannabis Equity Summit & Expo uniting 250+ social equity partners and allies • Created internal committee to survey, benchmark and increase diverse sourcing strategies and hiring practices • Launched external Social Equity Initiative to support equitable hiring for cannabis businesses in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Michigan • Established Community of Practice group of cannabis social impact leaders across California, Nevada, Massachusetts, and New York • Increased brand recognition via Forbes, Benzinga, Yahoo! Finance, Business Insider, mg Magazine, Cheddar and SF Weekly • Managed recruiting, I-9 candidate flow, and portfolio management for fulfillment of 10+ clients (40 positions) in 1 quarter

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)-funded grant partner with the San Francisco Mayor's Office of Economic & Workforce Development, served as Business Services Coordinator for the First Source Hiring Program: Responsibilities included: • monthly, quarterly, and annual reports on full scope of work • job placement • employer outreach • hiring events • technical assistance • stakeholder management • corrective action plans • complex problem solving • contract renewal negotiations • staff supervision • Averaged 10 monthly events engaging businesses, job seekers and workforce partners; resulting in assessment of more than 3,500 residents, technical assistance to 50+ agencies and placement of 395 job seekers • Consulted Bay Area employers in tech, healthcare, hospitality, tourism, retail, cannabis, manufacturing and education • Partnered with the following City and State departments on community and economic development projects: Mayor's Office on Housing & Community Development, Municipal Transportation Agency, Human Services Agency, SFO International Airport, City College of SF, Recreation and Parks, Mayor’s Youth Employment and Education Program & Office of Cannabis; as well as Department of Labor, Department of Rehabilitation and Employment Development Department. • Championed rigorous beta test with key internal/external stakeholders to launch the city-wide Jobs Portal - a tool for connecting job seekers and employers with the City’s workforce programs

Spent 18 months living in Spain where I immersed myself in Spanish courses 5 days/week and obtained an intermediate level of Spanish proficiency. While residing in Madrid I also volunteered for a refugee educational organization, Madrid for Refugees, where I worked to build out part of the workforce development program and stakeholder mapping initiatives.

Business Services Coordinator for the First Source Hiring Program under the San Francisco Mayor's Office of Economic & Workforce Development • Consulted 200+ employers from healthcare, hospitality, tech, tourism, transportation, retail, manufacturing and education on talent acquisition, onboarding strategy, and employee retention services, with special focus on reentry, low-income, and dislocated workers • Complete program oversight of $300,000 grant encompassing: community outreach, event planning, workforce data collection, fiscal/budget management, grantee relations, case management, on-the-job training, job placement, vendor relations, and staff supervision • Redesigned the Job Huddle (monthly rotating workforce stakeholders' event) to increase participation and shared resources for 75+ organizational representatives, bridging the business, education and workforce systems • Reported on workforce participant data under surveillance of Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act • Redesigned candidate experience for improved streamlining of intake and candidate referral process in line with vendor management and workforce management database systems. • Partnered with the Employment & Community Partnerships Department at SFO International Airport to support biannual job fair; included 30 Airport vendors and 200+ pre-screened job seekers

Managed an interactive out-of-school time enrichment program, Youth & Family Center, for youth (ages 6-17) in the following areas: academic tutoring, interactive fitness games, arts & crafts, and physical education. • Oversaw program and supervised a team of 20 staff, volunteers and university/high school tutors • Managed database of 1,200+ youth ages 6-13 • Coordinated inclusion program for children with disabilities • Networked with 900+ families in support of health and wellness

Co-supervised, trained, and led a multi-cultural and multi-generational team of 40 staff and volunteers in a drop-in nursery "Child Watch" setting. • Educated and cared for children ages 8 weeks - 13 years, for a weekly average of 600 total youth. • Administered and monitored database of 3,500+ youth ages 8 weeks-13 years • Nurtured beneficial relationships with new parents & families

MEMBERSHIP SERVICE SPECIALIST, 2008-2010 Served as customer service liaison and front desk operations. Responsible for membership tours of the downtown Boise YMCA facility (more than 16,000 members annually). Executed fiscal transactions, program registrations using Daxko software, building safety protocol, and database monitoring for security and safety of the facility at all times. CAMP COUNSELOR, YMCA RESIDENT CAMP, 2001-2005, 2007-2008 Served as senior counselor, male unit leader, and activities coordinator for 700 youth (ages 7-18) per 8-week summer camp. Trained and supervised 30+ staff in all activities. SISTER CITY AMBASSADOR, ITAPEVA YMCA, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL, 2004-2005 As the Sister City YMCA Ambassador to the Itapeva YMCA in Sao Paulo, Brazil, I was invited as an international partner in skills exchange, program sustainability, and community health & development for the Boise and the Itapeva YMCAs. LEADERSHIP STAFF, CHILDWATCH DROP-IN NURSERY & YOUTH ACTIVITIES CENTER, 2002-2004 Trained and supervised 20 employees. Provided tutoring and childcare for children six weeks-17 years old. Developed monthly curriculum calendar.