Joshua Johnson

Joshua Johnson is a nationally recognized workforce leader, speaker, and author whose work focuses on expanding opportunity for justice-impacted individuals and strengthening inclusive talent pipelines across the United States. He joins the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) as Vice President of Vocational Programs, where he will lead the organization’s strategy to expand high-quality vocational pathways that connect returning citizens to sustainable careers.

Prior to joining CEO, he served as Wisconsin’s State Director of Apprenticeship, where he led one of the nation’s most respected apprenticeship systems and expanded pathways into high-demand industries. He has also held national leadership roles at Jobs for the Future (JFF) and the National Association of State and Territorial Apprenticeship Directors (NASTAD), where he advanced strategies connecting workforce development and economic opportunity through a registered apprenticeship strategy. Joshua also served on President Biden’s Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship, helping to advance the national conversation around equitable registered apprenticeships. Joshua is widely known for his ability to bridge systems that rarely work together—employers, workforce agencies, correctional systems, and community organizations—to build practical solutions that create second-chance career pathways.

His leadership is deeply informed by lived experience. After serving time in prison from 17 to 27 years old, Joshua rebuilt his life and career and has since become a leading national voice on apprenticeship and workforce strategy, redemption, and the power of opportunity. His work has helped reshape how employers, policymakers, and communities think about justice-impacted talent through his professional roles, including reinforcing strong apprenticeship programming within the Wisconsin State Prison system. 

Joshua is the author of Released & Redeemed: A Guide to Purpose, Power, and Leadership After Incarceration, a leadership guide designed to help formerly incarcerated individuals reclaim their story and build a blueprint for success after release.

In addition to his executive leadership, Joshua is a keynote speaker who has addressed audiences across the country on workforce innovation, apprenticeship, and second-chance employment. Through his broader platform, including Pardon Me!, he continues to elevate stories of transformation and advocate for systems that unlock human potential.

Joshua is currently on the Board of Directors for Father’s Making Progress, an organization in his hometown of Milwaukee that focuses on creating stronger fathers, and was a Board member for Junior Achievement in Milwaukee. Joshua lives in North Carolina with his family and remains committed to building a workforce system that recognizes talent by potential, not by past mistakes.