Workforce

Our nation needs each and every citizen to be job ready. We need to identify colleges and universities that serve Latinos well and think of how to invest in the capacity of institutions to do this for the economic security of our country.

Robert T. Jones, President of Education and Workforce Policy LLC, and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor

Supporting an Educated Latino Workforce

Excelencia in Education is committed to accelerating Latino student success in higher education. An outcome of meeting this mission is an increase in the numbers of Latinos prepared to join the U.S. workforce and greater potential to build a stronger economy. Latinos are making progress in college attainment and workforce participation. They have the fastest growth in post-secondary enrollment and completion, and their labor force participation is the highest of any group. However, as long as the Latino educational attainment gap remains and labor force participation tends to be concentrated in lower paying jobs, there is more work to be done.

Latino student success benefits the U.S. workforce

Forward-looking employers have routinely asked where they can find the educated Latino workforce they need to compete in today’s global economy. Excelencia’s work to date has focused on the institutions graduating Latinos overall, and by discipline, as well as a collaboration on strategies by employers to prepare a more skilled workforce.