JFF’s No Dead Ends policy recommendations are built on evidence of what works on the ground and that pushes the envelope to bolder innovation. These policy ideas provide concrete steps that policymakers can take today toward a reimagined system that knows no dead ends to economic advancement.
01.
Empower people through data, guidance, and resources to navigate their work and learning journeys.
What policymakers can do to bring clarity to the chaotic work and learning ecosystem:
- Set a statewide goal for doubling the number of people in quality jobs.
- Strengthen the efficacy of publicly funded programs.
- Establish a comprehensive career navigation system.
- Provide flexible, portable funding for skills acquisition and lifelong learning.
02.
Recognize everyone’s skills, knowledge, and expertise, regardless of when and where their learning and development experiences occur.
What policymakers can do to center skills in education, workforce, and employment systems:
- Make awarding credit for prior learning and work experiences a common and consistent practice in education and workforce systems.
- Build conditions for skills-based hiring by bolstering the adoption of digital learning and employment records as an alternative to traditional resumes.
03.
Blur the lines between learning and work to foster common purpose among educators and employers.
What policymakers can do to begin to erase the disconnects between learning and work:
- Ensure that all college-level courses offered to high school students through dual enrollment programs and similar models are aligned with college and career pathways.
- Mobilize employers to expand access to meaningful, paid work-based learning experiences.
04.
Help people get ahead during times of economic uncertainty and personal adversity.
What policymakers can do to limit the risks associated with decisions about work and learning and remove structural barriers to opportunity:
- Use outcomes-based financing solutions to promote a more student-friendly market for education and training.
- Make family assistance programs work for all learners and workers—especially for people on the front lines of caregiving.
- Expand fair chances at economic advancement for people with criminal records by increasing access to postsecondary education and training aligned to quality jobs.
