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Executive Summary

A Vision for Alignment

As the United States grapples with COVID-19 and the dangerous dislocations it has brought to
the American economy, it may be hard to turn our attention to an ongoing issue like workforce
development. But we would argue there is no better time. While jobs have been returning, an
unprecedented 26.5 million Americans filed for unemployment over a five-week period ending in
April, 2020. This crisis provides an opportunity to consider how Americans are prepared for jobs;
what jobs they are prepared for; and how resilient and adaptable American workers, and the
workforce system as a whole, can be.

The COVID-19 shock to the economy has been severe, and The time is ripe
it comes at a time when other disruptions are also widening
the gap between the workforce we have and the one that we for thinking deeply
need. A McKinsey & Company report, Jobs Lost, Jobs Gained, about how we prepare
estimated that by 2030, 38.6 million Americans would need
to retrain for another occupation due to the impacts of workers for work.
automation.
The time is ripe for thinking deeply about how we prepare workers for work. In 2018 SREB
convened a commission to examine the role of industry sector partnerships in supporting
and advancing work-based learning and other policies and practices necessary to prepare the
workforce of the future. Leaders representing the private and public sectors, industry, and
secondary and postsecondary education served on the commission, contributing generously
of their time. Following its deliberations and research, the commission adopted the following
11 recommendations as most promising and timely. These are presented in summary form here,
and in expanded form with more details, examples and evidence in the full report.

Recommendations of the Commission

1. Engage business and industry leaders in forging and strengthening regional industry
sector partnerships in support of career education.

Robust industry sector partnerships, highlighted as a strategy in the Workforce
Investment and Opportunity Act, should be supported and strengthened. These partner-
ships will be indispensable in aligning the education system with current and future needs
and in identifying credentials of value.
industry sector partnerships bring together employers in related businesses and industries requiring similar skillsets
in their workforces.
2. Prioritize state resources and efforts to develop career pathways in critical industry
sectors as identified by regional business partnerships.

With finite resources at hand, states should carefully direct career and technical education
dollars, scholarships, apprenticeship incentives and other supports toward career pathways
with the most value for individual earners and for the local economy.

SREB Commission on Strategic Partnerships for Work-Ready Students | October 2020 i