From Silos to Systems: How States Are Reuniting Education and Workforce

Across the country—and now at the federal level with Department of Education–Department of Labor interagency agreements—leaders are breaking down long-standing silos between K–12, higher education, and workforce to build a more coherent, career-connected learning system. This shift is enabling states to align policy, funding, and data around a shared goal: creating pathways that reliably lead learners into good jobs. This session brings together state innovators, federal partners, and employers to explore how these new structures are actually being built in practice, what they mean for innovation across the learning–work continuum—and where employers can play a catalytic role.