Accelerating Cross-System Integration
Funding different points of the ecosystem in isolation from others frequently leads to sub-optimal results. Building pathways to economic mobility requires infrastructure, including data, that cuts across multiple siloed systems
How Might We…
Create a comprehensive and navigable system on the regional and state levels that result in the best outcomes for employers and job-seekers?
The Challenge & Opportunity
Many funders are supporting efforts at building a system infrastructure at both regional and state levels. These initiatives are natural candidates for investment by funders with different priorities and entry points. These investments also rely on integrated and accessible data. Although there are many aspects of our system level framework that are currently being funded, these investments could be better coordinated to address gaps between silos where no individual funder is incentivized to focus. By identifying effective organizations and efforts that are working across systems and structuring integrated investment opportunities to bring new capital into the space, OPeN can help create more pathways to prosperity.
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By strengthening the overall system through cross-system integration and data management, OPeN seeks to make it easier for people of color (POC) and other marginalized groups to join the workforce. The current system's inadequacies disproportionately affect people of color.
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People of color make up nearly 40% of the US workforce ages 25-64, yet they are underrepresented in well-compensated and stable jobs
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The unemployment rate for workers of color is consistently higher than the unemployment rate for white workers over the last decade
OPeN will work to target these systemic inequalities by focusing funding on research that targets the most at-need populations, identifying investments that cater directly towards and support alternative educational pathways, and support the next iteration of quality assurance standards to ensure greater impact and scale at the national and state level.
OPeN's Areas of Focus
This working group will develop a strategy focusing on 4 overarching goals:
KNOWLEDGE
Deepen infrastructure to disseminate knowledge and drive innovation and adoption of best practices within the field
SCALING
Identify and invest in existing cross-system infrastructure efforts where multiple funders may have overlapping interests
INTEGRATION
Enhance efforts to support credential transparency and recognition across public and private systems
DATA
Strengthen infrastructure to better collect and manage data to inform education and workforce solutions
