Education Forward Arizona Releases Second White Paper in Education-to-Workforce Series
New paper examines what Arizona can learn from other states as it works to strengthen coordination across education, workforce development, and economic opportunity
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Education Forward Arizona today released the second paper in its Education-to-Workforce Whitepaper Series, examining how other states have approached education-to-workforce coordination and what Arizona can learn as it works to improve student outcomes and build stronger connections among education, workforce development, employer needs, and economic opportunity.
The new paper, Developing Arizona-Specific Solutions to Common Challenges: What We Can Learn from How Other States Approach Education-to-Workforce Coordination and Alignment, looks at selected examples from Washington, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. The paper does not rank states, benchmark Arizona’s current status, or suggest that Arizona should copy another state’s model. Instead, it highlights practical lessons that can help Arizona consider which functions, structures, and supports may be most useful in its own context.
Across Arizona, K-12 schools, colleges, workforce agencies, economic development organizations, employers, and community partners are working to support students and strengthen talent pipelines. But these systems often operate independently, with limited formal coordination, separate measures of success, and different ways of defining progress.
“Other states are not giving Arizona a script to follow, but they do give us useful examples to study,” said Ricardo Lopez Valencia, Senior Vice President of Education and Workforce Alignment at Education Forward Arizona. “The question is what functions Arizona needs to strengthen, where responsibility should live, and how we can better connect statewide direction with the work already happening in communities across our state.”
The paper identifies several core functions that appear across state approaches, including designated responsibility for stewardship and coordination, stronger connections between statewide goals and regional action, more consistent use of evidence to inform decisions, and a clear focus on results that students, families, employers, and communities can see and use.
Examples highlighted in the paper include Washington’s statewide workforce board, which provides planning, evaluation, and public reporting; Texas’ regional pathways work, which connects statewide goals to regional implementation; North Carolina’s use of a public-private backbone organization to support a statewide attainment goal; and Florida’s process for reviewing credentials and connecting credential information to public decisions.
“Arizona already has many of the ingredients needed to build a stronger education-to-workforce system,” said Rich Nickel, President and CEO of Education Forward Arizona. “We have committed leaders, useful data, strong local partnerships, and the Achieve60AZ goal. What we need now is a clearer way to connect those assets so more students and adult learners can see a path to opportunity, earn meaningful credentials, and build stable lives here in Arizona.”
The paper points to several planning considerations for Arizona. State leaders and partners can begin by defining the essential coordination and alignment functions Arizona needs, building statewide direction around regional capacity, and connecting coordination to visible results. Those results may include clearer pathway information, more consistent employer engagement, stronger advising, improved credential review, regional pathway maps, and shared reporting on a small number of outcomes.
The Education-to-Workforce Whitepaper Series will continue in the coming months. Future papers will examine the case for a coordinated statewide planning structure, funding and accountability levers, and practical steps Arizona can take to strengthen alignment statewide.
The second white paper in the series is available here.
About Education Forward Arizona
Education Forward Arizona is a statewide advocacy organization advancing education and training as pathways to economic opportunity, a highly-skilled workforce, and a stronger Arizona. Working directly and in partnership with education, business and civic leaders, Education Forward Arizona helps drive progress toward the Achieve60AZ attainment goal. This includes advocating for policies, funding, and cross-sector strategies that strengthen Arizona’s economy and 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 the skills and credentials needed to thrive. Education and training can be transformative for individuals and for Arizona’s future. By increasing access to certificates and degrees, Arizona can expand economic mobility, meet workforce demand, and build long-term prosperity. Learn more at EducationForwardArizona.org.