Education Forward Arizona Calls for Creation of Plan to Transform Education-to-Workforce Coordination and Action Statewide
New paper outlines how Arizona can move from coordination to action through clearer priorities, shared responsibility, strategic investment, and accountability
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Education Forward Arizona today released the fourth paper in its Education-to-Workforce Whitepaper Series, making the case for Arizona to develop, adopt, and implement a statewide education-to-workforce plan that connects educational opportunity, workforce development, and the state’s long-term economic future.
The new paper, Alignment and Action: The Case for an Arizona Education-to-Workforce Plan, builds on the findings of the first three papers in the series. It argues that stronger coordination, while necessary, is not enough to ensure that Arizona’s many education, workforce, business, and community partners are working toward shared priorities and outcomes. The fourth paper calls for a more formalized statewide approach that can turn existing strengths into sustained progress.
“Arizona has spent considerable time building programs, partnerships, and institutions that support education and workforce development,” said Ricardo Lopez Valencia, Senior Vice President of Education and Workforce Alignment at Education Forward Arizona. “The next step is to establish a shared plan that makes clear what we are trying to accomplish, who is responsible for what, and how we will know whether our efforts are making a difference. Completing and implementing such a plan would be transformational for students and families in our state.”
The paper emphasizes that a statewide education-to-workforce plan should begin with the experiences of students and families. Arizona offers many educational and career pathways, including career and technical education, dual enrollment, community colleges, universities, apprenticeships, industry credentials, and adult education. But understanding how those options connect, what they cost, whether credits transfer, and where they lead can be difficult.
The paper identifies several essential goals for a statewide plan, including:
- Making education and career pathways easier to understand and navigate.
- Clarifying responsibilities across education, workforce, and related systems.
- Connecting statewide priorities with regional needs and experience.
- Using data and evidence more consistently to guide decisions.
- Aligning investments and implementation resources with shared priorities.
- Establishing accountability so that commitments are reviewed and problems receive follow-through.
A central recommendation is that Arizona complete, adopt, and implement a statewide plan rather than allow the process to end with agreement on broad goals. Adoption would give the plan standing across participating institutions, while implementation would translate its priorities into programs, policies, investments, partnerships, and measurable action.
“Arizona’s economic future depends on whether more Arizonans can access the education and training they need to pursue meaningful opportunities,” said Rich Nickel, President and CEO of Education Forward Arizona. “We already have strong organizations and partnerships doing important work. A statewide plan would give us a clearer way to connect those efforts, make thoughtful decisions about resources, and ensure that progress does not depend on individual relationships or short-term priorities.”
The paper also identifies a significant role for state leadership. The Governor’s Office is well-positioned to initiate and champion the planning effort and convene the institutions and leaders needed to carry it forward. The Legislature, elected education leaders, state agencies, educational institutions, and regional partners would each have important responsibilities in supporting adoption, investment, and implementation.
The Education-to-Workforce Whitepaper Series examines how Arizona can better connect education, workforce development, and economic opportunity. The fourth paper advances that conversation from identifying coordination challenges to establishing a practical statewide approach for addressing them.
The fourth whitepaper in the series is available here: https://educationforwardarizona.org/resource-hub/education-to-workforce-whitepaper-series/
About Education Forward Arizona
Education Forward Arizona is a statewide advocacy organization that keeps education at the center of the conversation and advances pathways to economic opportunity, a high-demand, highly skilled, high-wage workforce, and a stronger Arizona. Working directly and in partnership with education, business, and civic leaders, Education Forward Arizona helps drive progress toward the state’s postsecondary attainment goal, Achieve60AZ, a key indicator on the Arizona Education Progress Meter. This
includes advocating for policies, funding, and cross-sector strategies that support progress for communities statewide. Its work spans the education continuum, from early learning through postsecondary education and workforce training, and includes scholarships and mentoring that help Arizonans gain skills and credentials.