Solutions
Case Studies
Case studies highlight local business and initiatives who are making strides in building a better tomorrow
High-quality education (including credentialingC) is the foundation of a productive workforce and a resilient community. It is the primary path for attaining family-sustaining wagesD that provide housing, healthcare, and wealth-building opportunities. While there is a need to shift away from reliance on degrees as proxies for candidate skills (see Workforce Pillar) there is a strong correlation between educational attainment and training opportunities and access to high-quality jobs.
Within each of the Capital Region’s metro areas, there are significant racial disparities in educational access, quality, achievement, and retention. This divide creates an opportunity gap for underserved community members and limits the region’s talent pool for knowledge-based, high-growth industries.
A
high-quality education should provide students with a safe and
healthy environment; support their social,
emotional, mental, physical, and cognitive development; and
ensure they are challenged academically and prepared for success in
further study, future
employment and ultimately, participation in a global
society10
These inequalities
permeate every level of students’ educational journeys, with Black
and Hispanic children often having lower early childhood education
(ECE)E enrollment rates, gaps in K-12 reading and math proficiencies,
lower high school graduation rates, gaps in bachelor’s degree
attainment, and lower matriculation into high-quality jobs like those
in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.
The existing
education system exacerbates inequities among underserved groups and
hampers their ability to overcome intergenerational poverty.11
Children not enrolled in ECE are less prepared for kindergarten, and
when their teachers are under-resourced (more common in low-income,
Black, and Hispanic communities), that gap can widen over time.12
Students who are not proficient in reading by third or fourth grade
are four times more likely to drop out of high school.13 Young people
without a high school diploma are less likely to be employed and earn
a living wage, and more likely to live in poverty and suffer from
poor health.14
The problem is not just significant for individual families, but for the regional
economy more broadly. When the local workforce lacks the skills and
experience needed for the region’s high-growth industries,
employers seek talent elsewhere.15
Through partnerships
between educators and other employers, businesses can support access
to high-quality education, expand industry-aligned coursework, and
provide opportunities for early career exposure and work-based
learning.
Continuous
engagement with educators, parents, and community members to
understand their ongoing needs and ideas will strengthen business
investments in education-to-workforce pathways and ultimately support
better student outcomes and a stronger economy.