Latest news with #WinterMeeting
Forbes
15-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
From Pathways To Policy: JFF's Vision For A Career-Ready Workforce
At a time when the economy is shifting and student needs are evolving, the case for more flexible, ... More career-connected learning has never been stronger. (Photo by: Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) At a time when the economy is shifting and student needs are evolving, the case for more flexible, career-connected learning has never been stronger. From youth apprenticeships and dual enrollment to industry-aligned pathways, states are stepping up—and organizations like Jobs for the Future (JFF) are helping lead the way. In this exclusive Q&A, Maria Flynn, President and CEO of JFF, shares her insights on where the career-connected learning movement is headed. She weighs in on bipartisan momentum, promising state models, AI's role in the classroom, and what policymakers must do now to ensure today's learners are ready for tomorrow's jobs. Workforce development and career education are key priorities for many governors. Tell us about Jobs for the Future's work with states to support flexible learning and career-aligned outcomes. What does this work look like, and which states are standouts in terms of innovation and impact? For over 40 years, JFF has partnered with states to build career-aligned education and training systems, expanding work-based learning, apprenticeships, and career pathways that connect learners to good jobs. Through JFF's Center for Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning and the Pathways to Prosperity Network, we help states design policies and programs that make education more flexible, workforce-relevant, and accessible. Maria Flynn, CEO of Jobs for the Future And momentum in this space is building. Recently, at the National Governors Association Winter Meeting, I joined Governors Tony Evers (D-WI) and Mark Gordon (R-WY) for a conversation on aligning education and workforce systems to meet labor market needs. With 10 other governors in the room, the bipartisan enthusiasm was clear: States are committed to expanding opportunities that give students real-world learning experiences and clear pathways to economic mobility. Texas is a great example. The Texas Regional Pathways Network is expanding career pathways that lead to industry-recognized credentials, strengthening education-workforce connections so students graduate with in-demand skills. Colorado's Big Blur initiative, which JFF helped advise, is redefining the transition from high school to career, advancing policies that expand youth apprenticeships, dual enrollment, and industry credential attainment. Across the country, states are moving beyond traditional education silos to build flexible, career-connected learning models that prepare young people for the jobs of the future. Now is the time to scale these approaches—and I'm eager to see how states continue to push forward. In her confirmation hearing, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stressed the importance of multiple pathways to success in the workforce. She's a proponent of apprenticeships, high school dual-credit programs, and other Career Connected Learning opportunities. What opportunities are you hoping to explore with the new administration? JFF shares Secretary McMahon's commitment to expanding career-connected learning. We look forward to working with the administration to scale high-quality apprenticeships, Career and Technical Education (CTE), and dual-enrollment programs that accelerate workforce readiness. JFF's Federal Policy Blueprint for the Trump Administration outlines key steps: setting ambitious career-readiness goals, prioritizing federal investment in skills development, and advancing industry-driven training. Proven models like CareerWise—a Swiss-inspired youth apprenticeship program operating in Colorado, New York, Washington, D.C., Indiana, and Michigan—demonstrate that career pathways can be an "options multiplier," opening doors to both college and careers. Similarly, North Carolina's Cooperative Innovative High Schools have implemented a shared governance model among school districts, community colleges, and employers to align education with workforce needs. This approach ensures joint decision-making in curriculum design, dual-enrollment opportunities, and the creation of internships or apprenticeships in high-demand fields like healthcare, IT, and early childhood education. The partnership accelerates students' entry into careers while preparing them for postsecondary education. At JFF, we're eager to build on successful state models and work with the new administration to expand career-connected learning. This will help create a more inclusive and dynamic education system that ensures all learners have multiple opportunities to succeed after high school. At the end of 2024, Congress came close to passing a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), but it didn't cross the finish line. Why does WIOA need an update and how could our nation's workforce system better partner with K-12 and postsecondary education to better support and prepare students for the jobs of the future? The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is pivotal in shaping the nation's workforce development system. However, the labor market has changed significantly since WIOA was last reauthorized in 2014; Congress needs to update the statute to account for current economic realities, emerging challenges, and new opportunities brought on by technological advancements. JFF has called on Congress to pass the "A Stronger Workforce for America Act," which proposes critical enhancements to WIOA, such as emphasizing skills development, introducing flexible training and career service delivery, and strengthening employer engagement. However, there's more work to be done to provide states and workforce entities with the resources and flexibility they need to implement proven workforce training models like industry sector partnerships and career pathways. Industry sector partnerships are invaluable in aligning education with current and future economic needs and in validating the labor market value of education programs and their associated credentials. Preparing students for the future of work depends on our ability to foster strong partnerships across the workforce development, K-12, and postsecondary education ecosystem. Local workforce boards are well-positioned to bridge the arbitrary divide between industry and education, helping to ensure that secondary and postsecondary curricula better align with employer demand, create new work-based learning opportunities, and leverage labor market information to enhance career navigation and counseling services. In prioritizing these efforts, we can connect the skills that employers need and those learned in a classroom. How are you thinking about AI in this time of rapid change? Are there ways in which AI is already being used effectively to accelerate Career Connected Learning? AI adoption in education and work is accelerating. In a recent survey with Audience Net, JFF found that 57% of learners now report that AI is being incorporated into their education by instructors (up from 13% in 2023). Yet, we also found that access remains uneven, with most learning institutions reporting that they are just beginning to use AI and related tools. JFF sees the opportunity in AI and has a Center for Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work that believes that—if designed, understood, and used correctly—AI can make learning more flexible, career-connected, and accessible, helping young people advance in their educational journey and connect to good jobs. The Center is supporting efforts around AI-powered tutoring, career guidance, and digital credentials to better ensure AI literacy is integrated into learning, while ensuring that AI supports—not replaces—human-centered education. To fully tap AI's potential, we need better policies, stronger workforce data, and greater investments in digital transformation. AI can expand career pathways and improve labor market insights, but only if we ensure these tools benefit all learners and don't just reinforce existing biases. National competitiveness is a priority for Republicans and Democrats. In a time of deep political divisions, how might both parties come together to prepare the next generation for the jobs of the future? Are there any opportunities you would encourage policymakers to seize or any strong state or local examples to replicate? In a deeply divided political climate, preparing the next generation for future employment remains a rare point of bipartisan consensus. JFF's "No Dead Ends" policy agenda, which aims to remove barriers to opportunity in education and the workforce, emphasizes policies with broad support across both parties. These include expanding access to industry-aligned educational opportunities, such as CTE and youth apprenticeships, which equip students with the skills employers need and provide learners with clear, practical career pathways. We also call for improved access to career information and relevant supports that enable today's learners to make informed choices about their futures and stay connected to education and work. There are immediate bipartisan actions that federal policymakers specifically can take to address these needs, like reauthorizing WIOA, passing the JOBS Act, which would expand the Pell Grant to include short-term and workforce-aligned programs, and encouraging greater public-private partnerships to advance high-quality work-based experiences in K-12. These policies have the potential to transform the lives of millions of learners while ensuring that businesses can find the talent they need. But as the federal government's role continues to evolve, JFF is increasingly turning to states, which are already leading the charge on this work. For example, Indiana recently launched the Career Scholarship Account program, offering $5,000 annually per student for career preparation. The state is also implementing a youth-apprenticeship program, engaging over 100 leaders to create three-year paid work-and-learn pathways for high school students. By fall, Indiana expects to enroll at least 450 new youth apprentices. At the local level in Clark County, Nevada, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas is addressing teacher shortages with the launch of the NV|Forward Initiative, the state's first teacher apprenticeship program. With a 97% graduation rate, this initiative is helping to close the teacher gap and meet regional workforce needs. By empowering states to continue this work and aligning federal policy to support and scale their successful models, we can provide every learner with a clear path to good, sustainable employment and strengthen our nation's global competitiveness. Follow Sara Schapiro on LinkedIn.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
John Wahl wins re-election as Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party
HOOVER, Ala. (WHNT) — John Wahl was re-elected as Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party for his third consecutive term. The voting happened during the party's annual Winter Meeting in Hoover. 📲 to stay updated on the go. 📧 to have news sent to your inbox. 'I am honored and humbled to have the support of our State Executive Committee in Alabama,' said Wahl. 'This re-election is a testament to the strength of our party and the hard work we've put into building a unified, successful platform for our state. I look forward to continuing to work together with our members to advance conservative values and bring lasting change to Alabama.' The Alabama Republican Party said under Wahl's leadership, it has seen significant growth and success in recent years, with Republican candidates winning key local, state and federal elections. As the youngest State Party Chairman in the country, Chairman Wahl's leadership has been outreach to minority and youth communities, leading the Party to win four seats in majority-minority districts for the first time in recent history, according to the Alabama Republican Party. Chairman Wahl was re-elected to his second term as RNC Vice Chairman for the Southern Region in January. He has been active in Republican politics for many years, previously serving as ALGOP's Senior Vice Chairman, a member of Senator Tommy Tuberville's transition team and a delegate to the 2020 Alabama Electoral College. He is also the Chairman of the Alabama Public Library Service board and a professional butterfly farmer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GOP governor in top energy state outlines how production 'held back' by Biden will 'open up' under Trump
EXCLUSIVE: Dozens of governors gathered at a convention in Washington, D.C., over the past few days, and Fox News Digital spoke to Wyoming's Republican governor about the importance of American energy independence, the energy outlook for the next four years and the impact of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). "I've been a really strong, vocal advocate for something that Donald Trump keeps talking about, which is let the states do it," Gov. Mark Gordon told Fox News Digital at the National Governors Association's Winter Meeting. "They can get things done faster. We've talked about this in energy, we've talked about it in so many other areas, education and so on. Let us run our own shops. Federalist notion, that's what our country was founded on. That's a good time to remember it, all these years later." Energy production was a much-talked-about issue at the winter meetings, particularly Wyoming, which leads the nation in coal production, has the country's largest uranium reserves and is in the top 10 of states for oil and gas production. 'Full-court Press': Freshman Gop Lawmaker Reveals Blueprint To Flip Script On Green Energy Mandates Gordon touted his track record of working with other governors in western states, particularly New Mexico's Democrat governor, with regard to energy production and pushing back on the Biden administration's efforts to halt new energy projects. Read On The Fox News App "We were frustrated to some degree by a couple of policies in some states on the coasts that were blocking our access to Asian markets, particularly for our coal, and then as the Biden administration came in, and they really shut down permitting, which, actually, this is one of the great things about one of these conventions. [Gov.] Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat from New Mexico, and I went to the White House early on to say, by shutting down energy exploration on our federal lands, you're not slowing down energy consumption," Gordon explained. "What you are doing is moving it offshore to places like Venezuela, which is what the president was talking about today, when in Wyoming and in New Mexico, we've shown great leadership not only in energy but also in environmental issues. We both have low methane emission, natural gas. I think Wyoming has done the best job in putting out migration corridors. So we know that we can develop our minerals in a place where it's important for wildlife to be able to move. We can do these things. Give it to the states." Biden Sent $2 Billion To Stacey Abrams-linked Group In Green Energy 'Scheme,' Epa Says Gordon told Fox News Digital that after years of the country's energy production being "held back," he is optimistic things will "open up" over the next four years under President Donald Trump and said he is "happy" and "excited" about what he's seen so far with energy. "We're going to start to see growth and production again, but I think what's really exciting is you have an administration that's dedicated to putting in place policies that we can make permanent, that recognize that states do it best, recognize that 'and' is a much better conjunction than 'or,' that we can develop energy, and we can protect the environment, and we can do great things going forward. So, from my standpoint, this is an exciting time and I know my fellow governors and I are very anxious to see what we can get done in these first two years." Gordon spoke to Fox News Digital about the new Doge, which has been dominating headlines in recent weeks, and about his work addressing waste and fraud in Wyoming. "We've worked really hard at cutting waste, and Wyoming has had a few episodes where we've lost all our revenue. We're a dominant energy economy, and so when oil and gas prices drop or coal prices drop, or you have a Biden administration, it's tough on our state, and that has allowed us, I think, to keep a lot of that waste out. It doesn't mean we don't keep looking for it, but there's just not a lot of fat in our budget. We're very small and very lean." Gordon expressed hope that cutting regulations at the federal level will translate into positive economic growth at the state level. "At the federal level, there's a lot of stuff [we] need to fix," Gordon continued. "We have done a 'phenomenal' job of slowing our productivity down by making it so sort of dodgy and slow in the process of going through NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act), and the process of going through the permitting and the process of doing all these things, that a project that ought to take four or five years takes a dozen. That's not good for our competitiveness." "I think when you come in to make a difference, and you start, you know, breaking things and moving fast – just as [DOGE leader] Elon Musk likes to say – there's going to be a little bit of overdo. I think this administration, some of the conversations we've had with some of the secretaries, says, hey, what about this? What are the things that we missed in the process of doing that? So I think we're seeing some of that get kind of reined back in a little bit more. 'Is this valuable?' which is a question we should always ask."Original article source: GOP governor in top energy state outlines how production 'held back' by Biden will 'open up' under Trump
Fox News
24-02-2025
- Business
- Fox News
GOP governor in top energy state outlines how production 'held back' by Biden will 'open up' under Trump
EXCLUSIVE: Dozens of governors gathered at a convention in Washington, D.C., over the past few days, and Fox News Digital spoke to Wyoming's Republican governor about the importance of American energy independence, the energy outlook for the next four years and the impact of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). "I've been a really strong, vocal advocate for something that Donald Trump keeps talking about, which is let the states do it," Gov. Mark Gordon told Fox News Digital at the National Governors Association's Winter Meeting. "They can get things done faster. We've talked about this in energy, we've talked about it in so many other areas, education and so on. Let us run our own shops. Federalist notion, that's what our country was founded on. That's a good time to remember it, all these years later." Energy production was a much-talked-about issue at the winter meetings, particularly Wyoming, which leads the nation in coal production, has the country's largest uranium reserves and is in the top 10 of states for oil and gas production. Gordon touted his track record of working with other governors in western states, particularly New Mexico's Democrat governor, with regard to energy production and pushing back on the Biden administration's efforts to halt new energy projects. "We were frustrated to some degree by a couple of policies in some states on the coasts that were blocking our access to Asian markets, particularly for our coal, and then as the Biden administration came in, and they really shut down permitting, which, actually, this is one of the great things about one of these conventions. [Gov.] Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat from New Mexico, and I went to the White House early on to say, by shutting down energy exploration on our federal lands, you're not slowing down energy consumption," Gordon explained. "What you are doing is moving it offshore to places like Venezuela, which is what the president was talking about today, when in Wyoming and in New Mexico, we've shown great leadership not only in energy but also in environmental issues. We both have low methane emission, natural gas. I think Wyoming has done the best job in putting out migration corridors. So we know that we can develop our minerals in a place where it's important for wildlife to be able to move. We can do these things. Give it to the states." Gordon told Fox News Digital that after years of the country's energy production being "held back," he is optimistic things will "open up" over the next four years under President Donald Trump and said he is "happy" and "excited" about what he's seen so far with energy. "We're going to start to see growth and production again, but I think what's really exciting is you have an administration that's dedicated to putting in place policies that we can make permanent, that recognize that states do it best, recognize that 'and' is a much better conjunction than 'or,' that we can develop energy, and we can protect the environment, and we can do great things going forward. So, from my standpoint, this is an exciting time and I know my fellow governors and I are very anxious to see what we can get done in these first two years." Gordon spoke to Fox News Digital about the new DOGE, which has been dominating headlines in recent weeks, and about his work addressing waste and fraud in Wyoming. "We've worked really hard at cutting waste, and Wyoming has had a few episodes where we've lost all our revenue. We're a dominant energy economy, and so when oil and gas prices drop or coal prices drop, or you have a Biden administration, it's tough on our state, and that has allowed us, I think, to keep a lot of that waste out. It doesn't mean we don't keep looking for it, but there's just not a lot of fat in our budget. We're very small and very lean." Gordon expressed hope that cutting regulations at the federal level will translate into positive economic growth at the state level. "At the federal level, there's a lot of stuff [we] need to fix," Gordon continued. "We have done a 'phenomenal' job of slowing our productivity down by making it so sort of dodgy and slow in the process of going through NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act), and the process of going through the permitting and the process of doing all these things, that a project that ought to take four or five years takes a dozen. That's not good for our competitiveness." "I think when you come in to make a difference, and you start, you know, breaking things and moving fast – just as [DOGE leader] Elon Musk likes to say – there's going to be a little bit of overdo. I think this administration, some of the conversations we've had with some of the secretaries, says, hey, what about this? What are the things that we missed in the process of doing that? So I think we're seeing some of that get kind of reined back in a little bit more. 'Is this valuable?' which is a question we should always ask."
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ferguson cancels trip to Governors' conference as budget work continues
Feb. 20—OLYMPIA — Gov. Bob Ferguson canceled his trip to a meeting of the nation's governors in Washington, D.C. this week as work continues to identify cuts to the state's budget. According to a schedule released by the governor's office, Ferguson initially planned to travel to the National Governors Association Winter Meeting on Wednesday after meeting with the Office of Financial Management and was scheduled to return on Saturday. On Wednesday afternoon, Ferguson's office released an updated schedule which said the governor would remain in Washington state "to focus on working with agencies on budget reduction proposals." The National Governors Association, founded in 1908, is the bipartisan collection of governors throughout the country, with more than 45 scheduled to attend this week's meetings. According to the updated schedule, Ferguson will make a budget announcement next week. Ferguson and lawmakers are looking to address a projected $12 billion deficit in the state's budget in the next four years. Days before he took office, Ferguson called on most state agencies to identify an equivalent 6% budget reduction across the board, and for four-year higher education institutions to propose 3% in cuts. As he discussed the plan, Ferguson said K-12 education, community and technical colleges, public safety agencies, and entitlement benefits delivered by state agencies would not be affected. The governor has repeatedly said he would scrub the budget before considering new revenue streams and said his plan could save the state at least $4 billion over the next four years. During a news conference last week, Ferguson said while he was still reviewing the proposals agencies submitted, "for the most part, agencies leaned into it." "Are there a couple of exceptions? Yes, and I've communicated back to those entities that they need to go back and give me something that I can work with," Ferguson said, declining to specify which agencies had failed to initially meet the target. Ferguson met with Rep. Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, and Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, the House and Senate minority leaders, Tuesday, with the state's "broad budget issues" likely to be a main topic, Braun said during a media availability Tuesday morning. "His directive to the agencies to provide 6% reduction opportunities has been delivered, I know that they're vetting those," Braun said. Before his meeting with the governor, Stokesbary said if the Legislature were to adopt a budget with the same spending levels this year as it did in 2023, the state would have a billion-dollar budget surplus. "So it shouldn't take that much to get us back to fiscal sanity and avoid $10 or $15 billion of new taxes," Stokesbary said. First elected in 2014, Stokesbary also drew a contrast between Ferguson's administration and former Gov. Jay Inslee. "For the first time since I've been elected, we have a governor who seems to be living on the same planet as the rest of us, and a governor who wants to engage with the Legislature and improve the delivery of services that his administration is responsible for delivering," Stokesbary said. "So we're certainly not going to agree on everything, but we're going to look for those areas of agreement." During a media availability Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Jaimie Pedersen, D-Seattle, said he met with the governor last week to discuss "a variety of issues." Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, said Tuesday she had not met with the governor since the first week of the session, though a meeting had been scheduled "in the next couple of weeks" and staff continue to communicate with the governor's office "quite regularly." Jinkins said Tuesday that staff continues to review the budget proposals submitted by Inslee before leaving office, included a budget plan that would balance the budget only through cuts. "So when we are going through that, it's fairly kind of devastating," Jinkins said. "The things that it cuts, everything from Medicaid dental care to kidney dialysis for people on Medicaid, lots of cuts to long-term care for seniors and folks with developmental disabilities, and huge reductions in terms of higher education and even K-12." Inslee separately proposed a budget balanced through an array of new revenue streams, including a proposal to tax 1% of a resident's net worth above $100 million, which the former governor said would apply to approximately 3,400 Washington residents. Inslee estimated the tax could raise $10.6 billion over the next four years.
