Workforce Development

While the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act plays a role in workforce development, state policymakers actively seek ways beyond WIOA requirements to connect education with workforce and economic development efforts in their states. To achieve this, states adopt policies to connect education, postsecondary attainment and economic development with state workforce development.

Recently Published Resources

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Policy Levers to Advance Credential Transparency

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Policy Brief

Lessons on Expanding Quality CTE and Work-Based Learning

Projections from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce indicate that 72% of jobs in 2031 will require a postsecondary education and/or training. High-quality career and technical education […]

State Policy Ecosystem for Student-Centered Pathways

Student-centered pathways give students learning opportunities that are personalized and connected to practical experiences that prepare them for postsecondary, career and civic life. In the past, policy levers to create […]

Governors’ Top Education Priorities in 2024 State of the State Addresses

Every year, State of the State addresses offer time for new and incumbent governors to outline policy priorities and celebrate state accomplishments. Since 2005, we’ve tracked, analyzed and identified education […]

Ed Note Blog Posts

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High School Postsecondary Workforce

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Normalizing Opportunity: Barriers and Supports for Successful Reentry From Incarceration 

As someone who works closely with people reentering society, and as someone who is looking ahead to his own approaching release from incarceration, I’ve seen firsthand the need to […]

Postsecondary

A stack of books, a gavel and a graduation cap sit on a table inside a library to represent expanding education access and graduation opportunities for people impacted by the justice system.

Expanding Education Access for Justice-Impacted Students

Nearly two million people are incarcerated across federal, state, local and tribal systems in the United States. Among those, 95% of people will be released to rejoin their communities, but […]

K-12

Addressing School Principal Preparation at the State Level

While states battle turnover in school leadership, policymakers are working to increase the number of highly trained, quality principals across their states. In the midst of a changing education landscape, […]

K-12

Recruiting and Retaining Successful CTE Teachers

We know that strong teachers are crucial to the success of a career and technical education program. However, some schools find filling these roles difficult. According to data from the […]

K-12

Centering Students in CTE Program Criteria

Secondary career and technical education program approval is a key component of administering CTE programs. Program approval ensures that approved programs in the state address the core elements required for […]

K-12

4 Models States Use to Fund Secondary CTE

Secondary career and technical education programs support a wide range of initiatives to ensure students succeed in postsecondary education and the workforce. CTE programs rely on various funding sources including […]

Postsecondary

Bridging Computer Science Pathways From K-12 to Postsecondary

Several states are ramping up to expand students’ access to computer science courses and career pathways, and 50 governors signed the Governors’ Compact for Computer Science. Comparably, in the postsecondary […]

Postsecondary

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Connecting Computer Science Education to In-Demand Careers

Increasingly, students must be prepared for the workforce with technical skills, including computer science and digital literacy. One way to support job readiness is to define and create postsecondary and […]

K-12

What Can We Expect in the 2023 Legislative Sessions?

With new legislative sessions beginning, we can learn what education policy trends potentially await in the 2023 sessions by looking at which bills were enacted in 2022 and what early […]

Postsecondary

Leveraging the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to Build Future Workforce and Credential Opportunities

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides a considerable investment in American infrastructure while recognizing the need to train and create pathways for people to enter career fields related […]

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