Inquiry Into Building Regional Skills-First Ecosystems 

Applications are now closed. Selected applicants will be announced in January 2026.

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Across the country, regional workforce systems are grappling with the challenge of transitioning to a skills-first economy. While leaders are generally in agreement about the value of adopting skills-first policies and practices, implementation efforts remain fragmented because processes are siloed, definitions of “skills first” are inconsistent, and organizations have limited capacity to undertake transformative projects.

Inquiry Into Building Regional Skills-First Ecosystems will invite 12 regionally based organizations from across the country to join Jobs for the Future (JFF) in customized local research efforts that engage a variety of community stakeholders to closely examine key conditions and opportunities for advancing skills-based talent management practices and the challenges that currently inhibit progress toward creating skills-first ecosystems.

At the conclusion of the research, all participants will walk away with an actionable set of next steps to apply their learning outcomes in their communities and across their partner networks. In addition, a small subset of participating organizations that demonstrate readiness will be selected to receive additional funding and will continue working with JFF to implement their action plans during the Implementation Phase.