As we near the end of 2024, I’m reflecting on a remarkable year for National Skills Coalition (NSC) and the incredible strides we’ve made together as a staff, board, and national network of leaders.
This January, I stepped into the role of CEO, and it has been a profound honor to lead a preeminent organization with nearly 25 years of effectively moving the needle on skills training, career pathways, and supportive services like childcare, long-term care, and transportation. Building on the legacy of countless skills advocates and other leaders from every part of the country has inspired me at every step.
This year has been marked by bold achievements, pragmatic advocacy, and forward momentum for workers and local businesses alike. Together with our networks—from SkillSPAN to Business Leaders United to Voices for Skills, and in partnership with many organizations—we have unified, rolled up our sleeves, and reached across the aisle as necessary to advance policies that allow everyone to prosper in good jobs. The November elections underscored the importance of addressing working people’s realities, with skills policies standing out as one of the most widely supported, bipartisan measures. Eighty-two percent of voters favor increasing government funding for skills training—a resounding mandate for our shared work.
At NSC, we envision an America where everyone has guaranteed access to valuable skills, good jobs, and economic prosperity. Achieving this vision will require modernized, inclusive policies that reshape our workforce and education systems to meet the meet needs of today’s diverse workers, students, and local businesses. We will also need to design workforce policies in ways that remove the barriers that have historically excluded too many working people, especially people of color and women.
In that spirit, let’s celebrate this year’s collective accomplishments.
In 2024, we achieved several federal policy milestones that will help shape the future of skills training and workforce development.
At the state level, SkillSPAN coalition partners made critical progress:
These victories occurred in a milestone year when SkillSPAN honored its fifth anniversary, a celebration of the resilience and effectiveness of our state advocacy networks. We highlighted this moment at an annual gathering in Denver, Colorado, where coalition partners learned from one another and reaffirmed their shared vision for equitable workforce policies.
Through all of NSC’s work—this year and across our organization’s history—national networks have been at the heart of our success. In 2024, these efforts included:
These efforts underscore our commitment to centering the voices of workers, students, and local businesses in our advocacy work, learning and closely working with them to achieve our important goals.
This year, NSC released more than 25 publications and over 40 in-depth blog articles that explained in detail critical policy issues facing workers, businesses, and the economy alike. Key resources include
These practical policy resources have armed advocates, policymakers, and employers with the information to drive forward-thinking, equitable workforce development.
In early May, we held our annual Skills Summit in Washington, DC, bringing together advocates from 41 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. Over three inspiring days, participants engaged with leaders such as Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, strengthening partnerships and advancing a shared vision for skills-based federal policy. Dr. Ja’Bette Lozupone, Director of Student Affairs at Montgomery College in Maryland, captured the spirit of the event perfectly: “The National Skills Coalition Skills Summit plays a crucial role in empowering education- and workforce-minded people with the tools they need to impact critical policy decisions.”
The energy, ideas, and collaborations sparked at the summit will continue to propel our work forward, so please be sure to join us at our next Skills Summit on May 5-7, 2025, in Washington, DC.
None of this work would be possible without the commitment of our incredible team at NSC, our dedicated board of directors who steer our organization with excellence, and our generous funders who partner with us year after year to achieve a shared vision. Together, we have laid the foundation for even greater progress in the years to come.
As we look ahead, I am filled with optimism and resolve. The work we’ve done in 2024 has set the stage for a future where every person in America has access to valuable skills, good jobs, and economic prosperity. We will continue to advocate for policies that empower workers and businesses, and we will keep building momentum as we charge ahead.
Together, we’ve come far—but the journey isn’t over. The best is yet to come.
Together, we can empower workers with the skills and opportunities they deserve. Support our mission for an equitable workforce—donate now to make it happen.
