Centering Student Voice in Policymaking: Insights from Integrating Student Voice in Policy Research & Advocacy

When it comes to conducting effective skills policy research, it’s critical that the lived experiences of those closest to the issue remain at the center of the process. Unfortunately, for too long the voices of students and workers have been sidelined in the development of education and workforce policies. Recognizing this, National Skills Coalition has taken intentional steps to ensure that the voices of learners and workers are centered in its work, including through the launch of the Student Advisory Council (SAC) earlier this year.

Jane Kunze, Alisha Small, and Rachel Wilkerson, members of NSC’s Student Advisory Council, spoke alongside NSC’s Director of Worker and Student Voices, Michael Richardson, at two events earlier this month. Through a panel at the National Council for Workforce Education (NCWE) conference and a virtual conversation with NSC’s Expanding College and Career Possibilities (ECCP) network, they shared their experiences with the Student Advisory Council, insights from their engagement in developing an upcoming policy brief, and what they hope to see from policymakers because of their advocacy.

Why and how is NSC putting students at the center of policy research and advocacy?

Policy research serves to better understand the effectiveness of current public policies and programs, inform the design of new programs and policies or modify existing ones, and identify promising programs and policies that can be replicated and scaled. When policy research is conducted without the input of those directly impacted, it risks missing the mark, replicating harm, or failing to address the real-world challenges faced by learners.

NSC has evolved and grown its student engagement efforts and subsequently aimed to create a space for student voice to be at the center of these research efforts. This year, NSC has done this throughout the development of an upcoming policy brief that will focus on holistic supports needs and policies for students, particularly those pursuing non-degree credentials or pathways. This research draws upon focus groups and interviews with members of the student advisory council and several other students pursuing non-degree programs and pathways, integrating quotes to center the voices and recommendations of those who are closest to and understand the system best.

This research process supports one of the key objectives of the Student Advisory Council’s work: developing policy recommendations to understand the experiences of learners pursuing career-focused credentials, hear what they want from their colleges and policymakers, and identify promising models for expanding their access to holistic supports for systems change.

Highlights from engaging students: What have we learned so far?

• The Student Advisory Council has empowered students to amplify their voices and recognize their own power as advocates for themselves and others. Students shared that participating in SAC has helped them realize they weren’t alone in their struggles and that, by raising their voices, they could influence policies to address these challenges. Advisory council members learned the mechanisms through which they can make change and that there are people willing to listen and respond. Alisha Small explained, “I learned the importance of my own voice and to be smack dab in the middle of policymaking.” Rachel Wilkerson shared, “I didn’t know that I could be an advocate – and that I already had been.” This realization of shared experience and collective advocacy has been a key takeaway for many participants who engaged in the development of NSC’s upcoming policy brief and through participation in the advisory council overall.

• Doing this work successfully requires intention, investment, trust, and flexibility. Meaningfully engaging students in policymaking isn’t just a matter of asking for input but requires careful planning and respect. This includes building resources and capacity to do the work and pay students for their contributions, staying flexible with participants’ time and capacity to engage -recognizing the realities of life that take priority, and building a community of trust and care that authentically values their stories and experiences. NSC’s approach has emphasized transparency, feedback, and consent throughout the research process. In developing the upcoming policy brief, this meant ensuring students understood the purpose and process of the research, transparently sharing expectations, creating feedback loops that allow their input to shape the final product, and ensuring consent and control for how their stories are shared at all stages of the process.

• To make college work for students, policymakers must recognize the whole student experience and address the root challenges that students face. For too long, education policies have focused narrowly on academic needs, neglecting the broader challenges students face. Student Advisory Council members have shared how central this point is time and time again, elevating their lived experiences and the ways that holistic supports policies from childcare to transportation to food security to mentorship can and have impacted their academic journey. These insights are the center of NSC’s upcoming policy brief, which particularly identifies additional barriers in accessing support services for students in non-degree programs and pathways and highlights students want to see from policymakers to remedy Alisha Small articulated the importance of including student voices and experiences in this research because it allows us to authentically ask, “How can we create a system that can consistently give support for students?”

These efforts are only the beginning

NSC’s work to center student voice in policy research and advocacy is ongoing and evolving. Engaging students in the process allows for the possibility to craft solutions that are informed by real-life challenges and experiences and lead to action by building buy-in and momentum for policy change through a greater connection to and understanding of students’ lives. The upcoming research brief will offer policy recommendations rooted in the lived experiences of students, providing actionable insights for policymakers who want to make a real difference in the lives of learners. By continuing to engage students in this work, NSC is learning, adapting, and evolving—ensuring that the voices of those most impacted by policy decisions remain at the heart of the process.

For more Making College Work updates and information on our Expanding College and Career Possibilities (ECCP) initiative and related efforts, follow our Making College Work Campaign to receive the newsletter and updates.