Enabling Integrated Policy Agendas
Recovery from the pandemic will require significant shifts in near-term and long-term policies impacting education and workforce development practices and state, regional, and local levels. Various groups have developed forward looking policy agendas, but these policy agendas often focus on the challenge rather than taking a learner-empowered, industry-aligned, and permeable pathways frame
How Might We…
Coordinate investments that allow regional, state, and local stakeholders to best utilize and navigate the ever-changing political and funding landscape?
The Challenge & Opportunity
As a result of the inherent interconnectedness of the education-workforce space, there may be unintended consequences from policy pushes that make sense in one system (e.g., opening up Pell eligibility for short form training programs) that may impact other systems (i.e., sustainability of postsecondary education models). Additionally, limited coordination around a shared policy framework or advocacy agenda is leading to sub-optimal momentum for integrated policy solutions. OPeN can help accelerate integration and field alignment by convening funders to review the current policy landscape, identifying shared priorities where coordinated action would accelerate change, and clarifying where better research is needed to inform decision-making.
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With the increase of federal funding opportunities for workforce development in the coming years, OPeN is well positioned to ensure maximum policy cohesion to ensure equitable distribution and outcomes. OPeN seeks to ensure equity in distribution by funding research on education and workforce policies that close racial gaps, working with programs that innovate state-level infrastructure, and by advocating for the expansion of proven pathways programs that help those without access to traditional educational backgrounds.
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OPeN's Areas of Focus
This working group will develop a strategy around 6 overarching goals:
NEAR-TERM ADVOCACY
Provide targeted funding to help shape priorities of legislation currently being drafted to ensure
FEDERAL INTEGRATION
Support integration of efforts across federal departments in service of pathway approaches
STATE COALITIONS
Invest in supporting state-level coalitions to drive change through legislation or executive action on shared policy priorities for pathways work
STATE INFRASTRUCTURE
Provide techincal assistance to states seeking to leverage new federal funding in service of integrated pathways approaches
RESEARCH
Invest in research to understand differential effects of workforce policies on communities of color and develop policy recommendations that deliberately attempt to close racial gaps
DATA SYSTEMS
Fund a grant competition for adoption of data tools and solutions by state agencies working to support pathways work and ensure better availability of wage and employment outcomes data
