Excelencia’s Policy Agenda: Workforce

Overview

Latinos are the youngest and fastest-growing demographic in the U.S. To support their educational pursuits and maximize their contributions to the workforce and economy, higher education has a responsibility to connect students with career-aligned learning opportunities and meet the needs of the competitive workforce. Excelencia in Education prioritizes:

• Expanding Work-Based Learning: Strengthening partnerships between colleges and employers to align coursework with employment, provide hands-on experiences, internships, apprenticeships, and career-ready credentials that lead to high-quality jobs with livable wages.

• Creating Clear Pathways to Workforce Success: Ensuring connectivity between educational programs and careers so students leave higher education with credentials that translate to job opportunities and economic advancement.

How can federal and state policy ensure access to excellence by aligning higher education and economic opportunity?

• Leverage existing federal programs, such as Federal Work-Study, to support experiential learning opportunities for students.

• Make workforce development an allowable activity for Title V grants to support institutions in creating workforce programs.

• Incentivize engagement between employers and the institutions serving Latino students.