Every day, new updates come out of Washington, D.C. regarding the changing face of the federal government, labor, and how the largest employer sets the tone for private employers. When it comes to learning and development, the public sector also plays a critical role in assisting private employers with certain initiatives.
Historically, state and municipal governments shape local employers’ approach to business. This is exemplified in coalitions such as chambers of commerce, and BIDs, or business improvement districts. But L&D initiatives by public institutions, like the University of Texas system — which expanded its partnership with learning and development platform Coursera — are another example of how employers and the public may work together.
The partnership with Coursera seeks to grant UT students microcredentials to build up their resume for their post-grad job search. Meanwhile, another public institution, Michigan State University, partnered with Apple to open a manufacturing academy which intends to offer in-person and virtual classes in both hard skills (such as manufacturing optimization) and soft skills (such as leadership and project management).
Yet another public institution — a prison in Ohio — partnered with JBM Manufacturing to help give incarcerated people technical skills to help with their post-release job search.
State governments are also getting more directly involved. California recently announced its intention to create “career passports” to marry academic credentials and work experience together in a way that shows all of a worker’s capabilities, with the goal being to improve career pathways for Californian talent, per the state’s press release.
Here’s what else HR should know about the kinds of partnerships in the L&D world that can serve as a case study for upskilling programs.