I think it’s important to note what’s happening around the country in terms of labor markets and job growth. We have tens of thousands of new jobs being created in advanced manufacturing and technology industries, and no amount of college graduates are going to fill all those jobs. This is a moment when we need to really reach into the wellspring of human potential, into adult learners, into populations that don’t fit the normal educational paradigm and figure out how we help individuals fill the gaps in our economy and therefore really provide for their families.
—Randy Tillery
Director of Economic Mobility and Postsecondary and Workforce Systems, WestEd
Education and job training can lead to good jobs and living wages; but for many adult learners, that path to greater prosperity is not always straightforward. Structural barriers, disconnected systems, and outdated models often make it difficult for individuals to gain the skills and credentials they need to advance their careers. How can we modernize education and workforce systems and create opportunities for all learners?
In this episode of the Leading Voices podcast, host Danny Torres talks with Kathy Booth, Director of the Center for Economic Mobility at WestEd, and Randy Tillery, Director of Economic Mobility and Postsecondary and Workforce Systems at WestEd and Co-Director of the Center for Economic Mobility. They discuss the challenges many adult learners face—such as balancing work, caregiving, and school—and why short-term training alone often falls short. They emphasize the value of cross-sector partnerships between community colleges, employers, and workforce organizations in building systems that are more responsive to both learners’ needs and local labor markets.
Their conversation covers the following topics:
- How valuable it is to build partnerships that connect education institutions, employers, and workforce systems
- How labor market data can inform program design and improve outcomes
- Why lifelong learning and skills-based hiring are essential in today’s economy
- How systems can adapt to support learning across all stages of life
Additional Resources
- WestEd Center for Economic Mobility (Website)
- The Credential Value Index (Website)
- What Gets in the Way of Education Reforms? (Blog)
About the Center
The Center for Economic Mobility at WestEd brings together employers, educational institutions, and workforce systems to codesign solutions that meet the needs of both learners and employers. By strengthening linkages between systems, the Center aims to foster greater access to education, job training, and credentials so that learners can build stable and rewarding careers. Visit economic-mobility.WestEd.org to learn more.
Featured Guests
Kathy Booth
Randal Tillery
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