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A coalition of states is coming together to help reskill workers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing recession that left 11.1 percent of workers unemployed in June.
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the American Association of Community Colleges on Tuesday launched the Reskilling and Recovery Network, which will include 20 states, according to a news release. The Lumina Foundation and the Siemens Foundation are supporting the effort.
State and community college institutional leaders from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin will work together to offer targeted assistance and find strategies to help workers.
The Reskilling and Recovery Network will target more vulnerable populations that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, including women and communities of color. States will work in a collaborative network to strategize, engage employers to partner with community colleges, have access to tools from their peers and experts from the participating organizations, and have access to technical assistance for virtual activities.
“The nation’s community colleges are essential to developing a strong workforce,” Walter G. Bumphus, president and CEO of AACC, said in the release. “Working directly with government leaders to wholly address the needs of workers and businesses will benefit students, local economies and the nation’s workforce. This work is critical to economic recovery and we are proud to partner with NGA and grateful to our funding partners that recognize that success will only come from an intentional, collective and bipartisan effort.”
