Stranded Systems: How America's Education, Human Services and Workforce Systems Drifted Apart--'and How to Put Them Back Together'

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Stranded Systems: How America's Education, Human Services and Workforce Systems Drifted Apart--'and How to Put Them Back Together'
Language: English
Authors: Complete College America (CCA)
Source: Complete College America. 2026.
Availability: Complete College America. 1250 H Street NW Suite 850, Washington, DC 20005. Tel: 202-349-4148; e-mail: info@completecollege.org; Web site: https://completecollege.org/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Alignment (Education), Higher Education, Labor Force Development, Human Services, Public Agencies, Agency Cooperation, Elementary Secondary Education, State Government, Federal Government, Accountability, Shared Resources and Services
Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 2014, Pell Grant Program
Abstract: America's education, human services, and workforce systems are meant to serve the same people. A student attending community college, for instance, might receive a Pell Grant and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program assistance. There is a good chance this student is also a parent navigating healthcare and childcare subsidies. This same student is most likely working, which means they're participating in the state's unemployment insurance system. Complete College America (CCA) has long led efforts to increase college completion rates and close institutional performance gaps. Building a cohesive system that integrates education, workforce development, and social supports -- one that's organized and coordinated at the regional level and rolls up to both state and national goals -- is critical to student success and credential attainment. To make good on the promise of college completion and post-completion success, it is believed that states, funders, employers and the federal government must figure out how to fit these systems together to assure the best possible outcomes for all. This document breaks down the barriers created by decades of policy, funding, and data silos, and proposes a framework for building the regional coordination and state-level accountability that can turn disconnected agencies into a unified pathway from learning to economic mobility. It is offered as both a diagnosis and a road map for the leaders, funders, and policymakers who are ready to do the work.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED682200
Database: ERIC
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