New project will help states align adult education/workforce
systems, equipping adults to build skills and achieve economic mobility
National
Skills Coalition: 9.27.2017 by Amanda Bergson-Shilcock
National
Skills Coalition is leading a new project to help states align public and
private investments to improve skill-building and economic mobility for workers
with limited foundational skills. Titled “Building the Foundation:
Strengthening Public-Private Systems for Upskilling Workers,” the effort is an
initiative of NSC with support from National College Transition Network at
World Education Inc. The project is funded by a grant from Walmart, as part of
Walmart Giving’s Retail Opportunity Initiative, a five-year, $100 million
sector-wide effort aimed at making it easier for front-line workers to advance
their careers in retail or adjacent sectors by building transferable skills.
There
are more than 36 million workers with foundational skill gaps in the US today –
including people who have reading, math, spoken English, or technology skill
needs. The issue is especially acute in the service sector, where a recent NSC study found that 74% of workers
in the target occupations lack key foundational skills. These skill gaps are an
invisible drag on productivity, compromising economic progress for workers and
their employers.
As
part of this new initiative, NSC will select several states to receive technical
assistance starting in Fall 2017. The 18-month project will capitalize on
momentum in states that are innovating in the area of adult education and
upskilling, providing a boost that enables state leaders to better-align
existing public and private investments and increase the number of individuals
who benefit from effective upskilling approaches.
Leaders
from the selected states will also be invited to participate in peer learning
activities where they can share expertise with other state administrators and
advocates. NSC will also support the engagement of business and industry
leaders in upskilling systems alignment efforts via the Business
Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships (BLU) initiative.
BLU is co-convened by NSC and the National Fund for Workforce Solutions.
An
additional component of the project will provide technical assistance to localities
within select states. This component will be carried out by the Boston-based National College Transition Network
(NCTN).
NCTN
will amplify the work being done at the state level by helping selected
localities implement effective upskilling frameworks on the ground. A key
consideration will be how to ensure that local leaders can use their expertise
to implement state policies in a way that is responsive to both adult
learner/jobseeker and business needs.
More
information on this project will be made available in Fall 2017 when states have
been selected. READ
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