L/Earner Voice Grants used to incorporate learner and earner perspectives into critical policy conversations
June 27, 2024
Several organizations are leveraging L/Earner Voice Grants to ensure the perspectives of learners and earners are incorporated into the development of critical policies and efforts to expand equitable opportunities for learners to acquire the credentials they need to succeed at high-value, in-demand jobs.
Juntos and the Colorado Department of Higher Education are both planning to conduct surveys and focus groups with learners and earners, while Young Invincibles, Colorado Equitable Economic Mobility Initiative, and the Learning Economy Foundation are hosting meetings to discuss transformational policies with learners and earners.
- Juntos will survey and interview immigrants and refugees who are working to acquire the skills and education needed to enter licensed professions in Colorado. Insights from this research will help connect learners with information about career pathways and support advocacy efforts to expand access to licensed professions for immigrants and refugees.
- The Colorado Department of Higher Education is collecting data on the experiences of learners pursuing careers in education, especially those engaged in stackable credential pathways as outlined in the 2022 Opportunity for Credential Attainment legislation. CDHE will conduct focus groups and distribute a survey to gather valuable feedback from learners and earners.
- Young Invincibles has formed a Learner Voice Coalition, comprising current learners enrolled in higher education programs alongside advocacy organizations and higher education policy groups. The L/Earner Voice Grant will support the coalition’s inaugural retreat, providing a foundation to amplify learner voices in higher education and workforce policy. Participants will co-create the coalition’s vision, discuss best practices for work-based learning, engage employers in career-connected learning, and strategize on incorporating learner and earner voices into updated policies and proposed legislation.
- Colorado Equitable Economic Mobility Initiative, known as CEEMI, has already used its Learner Voice Grant to host a meeting with U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper. This event focused on the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, highlighting the voices of learners, earners, and lessons from implementation across Colorado in this crucial policy discussion.
- Learning Economy Foundation will use its L/Earner Voice Grant to conduct a focus group with adult learners and earners to better understand their perspective on AI, digital wallets, Learning and Employment Records, and general principles of data ownership, agency, and self-advocacy. Feedback from the session will be used to inform a shared, learner-driven definition of success and the value of technology-assisted, career-connected education pathways.
Join us in congratulating these organizations for including learner and earner perspectives in policy-making to create more inclusive and effective solutions.
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As our nation celebrates 250 years, we're inspired to keep building toward a future where opportunity is within reach for every learner and earner. Throughout July, The Attainment Network team will join partners across Colorado and the country to strengthen career-connected learning, expand economic mobility, and build systems that help every learner and earner thrive. Here’s where you can find us this July: 🗓️ July 1 🔹 Colorado Space Institute Space Educator Bootcamp Celebration – Castle Rock Emily will join education, industry, and workforce partners to celebrate the Colorado Space Institute’s Space Educator Bootcamp and explore how educators are bringing space science and STEM learning into classrooms across Colorado. 🗓️ July 10 🔹 Regional Accountable Entity 1 San Luis Valley Programs Improvement Advisory Council Meeting – Alamosa Wes will join healthcare providers, community organizations, and regional leaders working together to strengthen healthcare programs and address the social determinants of health across the San Luis Valley. 🗓️ July 13-15 🔹 CU Badge Summit – Boulder Stefan will attend this national convening focused on the future of digital credentials and how they can expand learning and career opportunities. 🗓️ July 14-16 🔹 College Board District Success Network Conference – Denver Rana will serve on a panel exploring how schools can help students connect classroom learning to future college and career opportunities. 🗓️ July 16 🔹 Postsecondary Talent Development System Transition Advisory Committee – Denver The Transition Advisory Committee, including our own Michelle Camacho Liu, reconvenes to continue developing recommendations to guide Colorado's new unified postsecondary talent development system. 🗓️ July 20-21 🔹 ECMC Research Gathering: From Questions to Change – Minneapolis Stefan will join ECMC Foundation partners from across the country to explore how research, policy, and practice can work together to drive meaningful systems change. 🗓️ July 23 🔹 Construction Pathway Meeting – Alamosa Ashley and Wes will reconvene with education, workforce, and industry partners in the San Luis Valley to continue building a shared strategy for strengthening construction career pathways across the San Luis Valley. 🗓️ July 30 🔹 Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants Summer of Fun – Colorado Springs Michelle Payne will connect with accounting professionals, educators, and employers to explore trends in the profession and opportunities to expand mentorship and internship pathways. If you’ll be at one of these events or working on something similar, please reach out. We’d love to hear from you.