California Competes

❄️ Happy Holidays from California Competes! ❄️ As we head into the new year, we want to thank you for partnering with us to reshape the state’s higher education and workforce development systems to meet the needs of today and tomorrow. Explore our Year in Review for a snapshot of the progress we’ve made together in 2024: https://lnkd.in/gvD5zj2Y Looking forward to continuing this momentum in 2025. Na A., Kim Bernet, Laura Bernhard, PhD, Jamaica Chavez Davis, Carolyn H., Su Jin Jez, Anna Johnson, Charlie Musoff, David Radwin, Jeremy Simon

#ICYMI: We coauthored a bold, thought-provoking vision with The Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA to reimagine California’s 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education. Looking beyond political constraints, our proposal aims to challenge the status quo and spark conversations to transform the higher education system into one that truly advances economic mobility and opportunity for all. Read the full paper: https://lnkd.in/g9CNEyMx And the paradigm shift we propose has people talking—check out the paper’s coverage in: ⭐ EdSource: https://lnkd.in/g_-t8pQ6 ⭐ Inside Higher Ed: https://lnkd.in/gnSPPybf ⭐ Insight Into Diversity: https://lnkd.in/gUVzbjdJ

We commend Governor Gavin Newsom for his visionary approach to strengthening pathways to well-paying jobs and economic opportunity for all Californians. We’re excited to see that the master plan for career education hits on our key policy priorities (https://lnkd.in/gcZfHFVp), including: ✅ Strategic coordination through the creation a statewide planning and coordinating body and strengthening of regional collaboration ✅ Supporting adult learners and veterans through the expansion of credit for prior learning ✅ Education and workforce alignment through the innovative career passport ✅ Streamlining benefits access and expanding work-based learning through its forward thinking approach to meeting the needs of today’s learners and economy It’s a bold reimagining of how opportunity is created in our state, and we look forward to partnering with regional and state leaders to bring this framework to fruition. Read our statement here: https://lnkd.in/gkiaw828. Stay tuned in the new year for a deep dive into the full master plan when it’s released. Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom

🔎 Check out Early Edge California’s new policy brief highlighting the unique needs and challenges of student parents with young children in California. It include bright spots and recommendations for how institutions can better support these learners and their families. https://lnkd.in/gZ335mWJ

A key strategy to reengage the six million Californians with some college but no credential is credit for prior learning (CPL), or recognizing and validating the knowledge and skills they’ve gained outside the classroom. Doing so helps students graduate in less time and with less debt: https://lnkd.in/gVaZ_Ard In a recent Education Beat episode, EdSource reporter Emma Gallegos highlights the experience of Navy veteran to showcase how CPL can transform students’ educational journeys. Tune in to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gvF5phgT

“Building the higher education system that we need—that lives up to its potential—is one of the most important things we can do for our future.” #TBT to our 10th anniversary series interview with U.S. Department of Education Under Secretary James Kvaal, where we dug into how higher education must transform to meet the needs of today’s learners and tomorrow’s economy: https://lnkd.in/gnGFpR_Q We have a few ideas outlined in our recently released white paper on reimagining the Master Plan for Higher Education. Learn more about our vision for a more agile system of learning 👇 https://lnkd.in/gszRXufe

Check out the latest episode of TransferTALK with California Competes CEO Su Jin Jez and host Jay Fedje from DegreeSight. They dive into who today’s students are and what it will take for colleges to meet their needs. Some key takeaways: 💡As more and more Californians are able to access higher education—including those taking less traditional routes—institutions should create pathways to college for anyone who can benefit. 💡Designing these pathways starts with not only listening to learners’ needs, but also acting on them. Our partnership with San Jose City College to cocreate a college model with and for East San José residents seeks to do just that: https://lnkd.in/gNpZscdg 💡Postsecondary programs that take steps to serve the communities they’re in will better earn prospective students’ trust and engage them to and through college. Thanks, Jay, for having us on the podcast a second time. Excited to share updates on our work in East San José next year!

Join the first cohort of ATAIN, a groundbreaking national initiative supercharging credit mobility and college transfer success for learners across the country. Unlock the full potential of every learner! #ATAIN #HigherEducation #StudentSuccess #CreditMobility 👉 Learn more on the ATAIN website at www.ATAIN.org 👉 Register for the ATAIN launch webinar tomorrow, December 12, from 11 a.m. to noon PT: https://lnkd.in/ggtajFCq 👉 Apply to join by January 24: https://lnkd.in/gi6zAXPi

Powerful solutions emerge when we directly engage the communities we serve. In partnership with San Jose City College to create a new college program for East San José residents, we used design thinking to jointly create with community members a college model tailored to their needs. In a new commentary, we share our experiences. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gWiSsa9t

#DYK 47% of California’s 300,000+ student parents work full time—on top of their family and school responsibilities—compared to 19% of nonparenting students in the state. And, only 17% of student parents enroll in college full time for the full year, compared to 37% of their nonparenting peers. Our recent publication, the California Student Parents Almanac, sheds light on student parents’ identities and experiences, filling critical gaps in existing data. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g7YTRfwg