Blog

  • Meet Our Partners – What Problems Are They Addressing?

    The Mobilizing Data Initiative is excited to introduce our most recent cohort of dedicated data users! Each participating organization is seeking to tackle a unique problem, which you can find below:

    The Greater Akron Chamber

    The Greater Akron Chamber and Polymer Industry Cluster partners seek to strengthen post-secondary pathways by engaging the entire education and workforce continuum. For successful evaluation in future years, the region will need to strengthen local data infrastructure to track participant outcomes, including credential attainment, employment placement, retention, and wage progression. 

    Greenville Chamber

    The Greenville Chamber faces challenges in accessing and aggregating meaningful outcome data from its local and statewide partners, limiting its ability to assess and improve Chamber-led programs. To ensure long-term sustainability and statewide scalability, the Chamber needs to build a system that enables secure data sharing, consistent outcome tracking, and actionable public reporting. 

    Ivy Tech Community College 

    As the demand for non-credit skills training increases, Ivy Tech seeks to develop a framework for matching data and sharing data with key partners to enhance non-credit training program ROI for participants and employers. Ivy Tech will benchmark their progress to counterparts nationwide and work with state labor and education agencies to ensure long-term ROI for the intended beneficiaries of non-credit programs. 

    Nevadaworks

    New investments in Nevada’s energy economy have prompted the Nevadaworks region to develop a comprehensive system to track worker participation and outcomes across multiple energy training pathways. This information will allow partners to connect new and incumbent workers to wrap-around services and support employers who want to anticipate needs and improve program efficacy.

    Partner4Work

    Partner4Work is addressing a critical gap in the regional workforce ecosystem: the limited ability to track and communicate long-term education-to-employment outcomes. By improving data integration, strengthening data-sharing partnerships, and building tools for clearer performance reporting, the organization aims to better understand and demonstrate the impact of workforce programs across the region. 

    Piedmont Triad Regional Council

    To support continuous pathways improvement in the region, the Piedmont Triad Regional Council will develop a structured, data-driven strategy to consistently connect individuals facing barriers to high-skill, high-demand careers. This strategy will coordinate strategic workforce and economic development efforts and ensure targeted investments in talent and industry are effectively supporting economic mobility.  

    Worksystems

    The Portland Metro Area lacks a unified, industry-informed framework to define the clean energy sector and guide workforce development efforts. To address this, Worksystems and its partners will map career pathways, align training with labor market needs, and build systems that connect workers to high-quality energy jobs. 

    See here for more information about the Mobilizing Data Initiative. For questions, please contact:

    Sarah Edwards, CREC Project Manager, sedwards@crec.net, 703-504-2867

  • CREC Launches “Mobilizing Data for Talent Development” Program to Strengthen Career Pathways

    Arlington, VA, June 23, 2025 – The Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) is excited to announce the official launch of our Mobilizing Data for Talent Development program! Funded by the Gates Foundation, this program aims to strengthen education and workforce pathways at the local level and develop data infrastructure for workforce professionals. The program elevates the need for localized results and provides tailored solutions to help regions tell their story more effectively, focused on the organizations who are leaders in data collaboration and insights.

    CREC will collaborate with the following seven organizations over the next year to help them strengthen post-secondary pathways and improve data systems in their regions:

    “This program seeks to bridge gaps between education and employment in new ways by leveraging data,” said Ken Poole, CEO/President of CREC. “By equipping these organizations with the tools to track and share outcomes effectively, we’re not only strengthening regional talent development systems but also ensuring that investments in education and training lead to meaningful career opportunities.”

    Organization projects include tracking non-degree credential ROI, building secure regional data-sharing systems, and implementing strategies to connect individuals to high-demand career pathways. Learn more about the program here.

    Project leaders aim to ensure their communities have reliable and consistent information about which industries, skills, occupations, and education provide pathways to well-paying careers.

    Read about the problems each organization is seeking to address here.

    For more information, please contact:

    Sarah Edwards, CREC Project Manager, sedwards@crec.net, 703-504-2867

  • Apply for the Mobilizing Data for Talent Development Program!

    Applications are open for regional leaders seeking to strengthen post-secondary and career pathways! Funded by the Gates Foundation, the Mobilizing Data for Talent Development program will provide dedicated support to organizations aiming to align talent development systems, enhance regional competitiveness, and invest in K-12, college, and career pathways. 

    Working with C2ER and the LMI Institute, participants will gain access to customized regional capacity-building plans, LMI Institute trainings, and exclusive regional convenings—all designed to help you leverage data for smarter workforce and education strategies. Applications are due March 14. 

    Who Should Apply? 

    State or local economic and workforce development organizations, public or private, as well as educational institutions and training providers are encouraged to apply. Eligible organizations should have a well-defined challenge or opportunity they seek to address through enhanced data-driven decision-making. Those who fill out a complete application will be entered into a raffle to receive a FREE conference registration for this year’s C2ER & LMI Institute Annual Conference May 28 – 30, 2025, in Sacramento, California! 

    Why should you participate? 

    This initiative isn’t just about data—it’s about driving real change. By joining, you’ll improve post-secondary pathways and tackle regional data gaps. Together, we can use and produce better data, open new pathways to success, and fuel our economic future. Organizations will receive some funding to support this work and attend a regional convening. 

    Click here to learn about the program. Have a look at the informational webinar by clicking here. Submit your application here. 

    Questions? Email Sarah Edwards. 

    Please distribute this post to your networks – we look forward to collaborating with you! 

  • Delaware Pathways: How Data is Reshaping Career and Technical Education

    For students in Delaware, choosing a career path should be an exciting opportunity—not an overwhelming challenge. Yet for many the system felt unclear. Questions about postsecondary education value, career pathways, and equity in opportunity remained unanswered. The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) knew that without better data-driven insights, students and educators alike would continue to struggle with decision-making in Career and Technical Education (CTE).

    Determined to bridge these gaps, DDOE’s Office of CTE partnered with the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) to refine how data could improve career readiness and equitable access to high-value CTE programs. Jon Wickert, Director of DDOE CTE, led efforts to integrate student participation data with labor market insights (LMI)—a move that would inform state-wide CTE policy and help ensure students were being prepared for in-demand careers.

    “A big win is our data organization matrix that we put together. It is an internal tool that we created to take all of our data points and put them in one place. From there, we can figure out where those data points are going to be used and who they’re used for, who’s the audience, how they are aggregated, and how they are disaggregated.” – Bart Gill, DDOE

    With guidance from CREC’s technical assistance (TA) sessions, DDOE recognized the power of existing data rather than reinventing the wheel. They implemented the Inclusive Goal Builder, a tool that tracks enrollment and completion rates across demographics, giving educators a clearer picture of where equity gaps persisted. At the same time, they developed an internal data organization matrix, allowing them to track who was using data, how it was aggregated, and where it could be best applied to improve programming.

    The impact was clear: DDOE shifted from simply collecting data for compliance to leveraging it as a decision-making asset. By strengthening stakeholder engagement and documentation practices, they not only streamlined policy improvements but also created sustainable systems that will continue guiding students toward successful career pathways for years to come.

    Learn more about Delaware’s Department of Education here.

  • CareerWise Colorado: Using Data to Build a More Inclusive Apprenticeship Model

    CareerWise Colorado has long been at the forefront of integrating youth apprenticeships into K-12 and higher education systems, providing students with hands-on experience in high-demand industries. But as they expanded their programs, a critical question emerged: Were these opportunities truly reaching all students? Understanding and addressing racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in apprenticeship outcomes became a top priority, but without a strong data system in place, pinpointing the exact gaps—and how to fix them—remained a challenge.

    In 2022, CareerWise Colorado partnered with the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) to deepen their data analysis and evaluation capacity. Through technical assistance (TA) sessions and one-on-one strategy meetings, they began refining their approach—moving beyond simply collecting data to using it as a tool for systemic change. A key realization emerged: apprenticeship programs need to be tailored to the unique needs of each community. By working with local partners, they strengthened their ability to gather, interpret, and share data that more accurately reflected the lived experiences of students.

    With a clearer data strategy, CareerWise Colorado developed a logic model—a framework that outlined key inputs, activities, and long-term goals to align programming with measurable outcomes. This model didn’t just help them internally—it became a national best practice, laying the foundation for apprenticeship programs across the country. Now, armed with new evaluation tools, CareerWise is not only identifying where disparities exist but also developing data-driven solutions to close those gaps.

    “A big lesson from this year and past years is really about the unique nature of each community, its context, and the way that their apprenticeship programs need to respond. We’ve made a lot of progress fleshing out that structure and will continue to refine that over the coming year.”- Mandana Nakhai, CareerWise Colorado

    One of the biggest takeaways from this journey? Data needs to flow in both directions. Traditionally, apprenticeship data has been collected at the state or federal level, but CareerWise saw the value in ground-level data sharing—incorporating insights directly from students, employers, and educators. By centering data in decision-making, they are strengthening not just their own program, but the entire youth apprenticeship ecosystem.

    For CareerWise Colorado, data isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet—it’s the key to unlocking a future where every student, regardless of background, has access to meaningful career opportunities.

    Learn more about CareerWise Colorado here.

  • Building Bridges to Opportunity: How Say Yes Buffalo is Empowering Students Through Data

    Economic mobility can be a challenge for many students in Buffalo, New York; Say Yes Buffalo is working to change that. By expanding access to education and career opportunities, the organization is helping more students build stable, well-paying careers. A key part of this effort? Data.

    To connect students with real-world work experience, Say Yes Buffalo launched the Careerwise Greater Buffalo apprenticeship program in 2021. This program gives students hands-on job training while helping local businesses develop a stronger workforce. However, to measure its success and make improvements, the organization needed a better system for tracking data.

    Christopher Lee, Data Director at Say Yes Buffalo, played a key role in improving how the organization collects and uses data. After a mass shooting in Buffalo in 2022 shifted focus to urgent community support efforts, Christopher remained committed to improving career opportunities for students.

    By participating in technical assistance sessions and learning from other organizations, he helped Say Yes Buffalo improve its approach to data collection, management, and communication. One major achievement was developing a Power BI dashboard for the local school district, allowing real-time tracking of student progress and program impact.

    “I utilized the Power BI dashboard system to help the local school district build their own data tool. Since I am working to bring the CareerWise model to the Buffalo level, that student level data from the local school district has been used to inform this process.” – Christopher Lee, Say Yes Buffalo

    Christopher’s efforts led to several major improvements:

    • Better Decision-Making: By identifying key factors like access to health insurance and savings plans, Say Yes Buffalo now has a clearer picture of what students need for long-term financial success.
    • Increased Employer Engagement: More efficient data collection led to a 45% increase in employer participation in apprentice assessments, strengthening the program.
    • Organizational Growth: The improved data systems led to the creation of a new role focused on program evaluation, reinforcing the organization’s ability to track progress.
    • Stronger Funding Prospects: By demonstrating measurable success, Say Yes Buffalo positioned itself as a valuable community partner, helping secure ongoing financial support.

    Thanks to Christopher’s leadership and Say Yes Buffalo’s focus on improving data systems, students now have more access to career-building opportunities. These changes ensure that more young people, regardless of background, have a clear path toward stable employment and financial security. By using data to inform its programs, Say Yes Buffalo is doing more than tracking numbers—it’s making sure students have the resources they need to build successful futures. Learn more about Say Yes Buffalo here.

  • YouthForce NOLA: Unlocking Data to Build Equitable Career Pathways

    In New Orleans, the journey from high school to a high-wage, high-demand career was riddled with obstacles. Despite a strong network of schools and workforce programs, a fragmented data system made it nearly impossible to track student progress, measure outcomes, or ensure resources were going where they were needed most. Without comprehensive, accessible data, YouthForce NOLA and its partners were working with limited visibility, making it difficult to address systemic equity gaps in education and career pathways.

    Determined to change the game, YouthForce NOLA focused on increasing data capacity to promote more effective, equitable workforce development. With guidance from the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC), the organization enhanced its ability to collect, analyze, and share labor market information (LMI)—a critical step toward creating data-driven solutions for New Orleans students.

    “When I first started, one thing in particular that was helpful was the supply chain mapping exercise where we talked through key questions: Who’s the data producer? What are they? What do they produce? Who uses it? Having an understanding of our own ecosystem will allow us to conduct further longitudinal employment analysis.”- Alicia Dagostino, YouthForce NOLA

    Through a series of technical assistance (TA) sessions, YouthForce NOLA staff honed their data strategy, governance, and analysis skills. Leaders like Simon Spadaro-Bliss and David Shepard gained the confidence to optimize internal data use, advocate for better policies, and form research partnerships that would help track student success long after high school. A pivotal moment came with the passage of Louisiana Act 567, which allowed state education agencies to link education records with employment data through age 26—an advancement that could transform how career success is measured in the region.

    As Alicia Dagostino, Director of Impact Evaluation, took the reins in driving this work forward, her focus shifted to forming a university partnership that would analyze postsecondary outcomes, internships, and credential attainment. With a stronger data infrastructure, a growing network of collaborators, and a deepened understanding of their ecosystem, YouthForce NOLA is now poised to reshape career pathways for New Orleans students—using data not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for lasting change.

    Learn more about YouthForce NOLA here.

  • EmployIndy: Turning Data into Opportunity for Indianapolis Youth

    For many students in Indianapolis, the path from high school to a fulfilling career was unclear. Advisors, tasked with guiding students, often lacked access to real-time data that could help them identify which pathways were most viable, which industries were hiring, and which students needed extra support. Without a comprehensive, strategic data system, the process remained fragmented, leaving historically underrepresented youth with fewer opportunities to make informed career decisions.

    EmployIndy, the workforce development board for Indianapolis, recognized this gap and set out to build a stronger foundation for data-driven career advising. The organization committed to developing a system that would connect students, advisors, and workforce leaders with timely, accurate data to create equitable access to career pathways.

    At the heart of this transformation was Kristen Barry, EmployIndy’s VP of Research and Strategy, who spearheaded efforts to improve the organization’s data governance. Attending a multiday data management workshop, she quickly realized that before leveraging data to drive career outcomes, EmployIndy first needed to get its own house in order—understanding policy, security, and strategy considerations that would allow them to manage and share sensitive information responsibly.

    “Identifying the different processes of data management has helped us understand the strategy and get our house in order to be able to jump when an opportunity presents itself. Two years ago, we would not have been ready to handle some of the sensitive data that would really benefit our programs and our partners.” – Kristen Barry, EmployIndy

    Amidst a major internal reorganization, EmployIndy built a custom data platform to connect Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) with work-based learning services. Through a data-sharing agreement, this platform was integrated directly into IPS’s student information system, allowing career advisors to track academic progress, career interests, and work-based learning experiences all in one place. The result? Stronger, more personalized career advising that empowered students to make informed decisions about their futures.

    Barry’s biggest takeaway? Success in data-driven decision-making starts with a solid foundation. Before jumping into ambitious data-sharing goals, organizations must first ensure they understand how data will be used, how to measure impact, and how to keep information secure. Today, EmployIndy is not just managing data—they are using it as a tool to build more equitable education and career pathways for Black, Latinx, and historically underrepresented youth across Indianapolis.

    Learn more about EmployIndy here.

  • Developing a Stronger Workforce: How CityWorks DC is Transforming Data Access

    Without a strong system to track employment outcomes, policymakers in Washington D.C. have lacked the insights needed to improve education and workforce programs. Residents couldn’t easily access information to make informed career decisions, and employers struggled to connect with the right talent. To bridge these gaps, CityWorks DC set out to advocate for a comprehensive data system that would track early career outcomes and provide transparency for students, job seekers, and policymakers alike.

    In 2022, Dr. Erin Bibo, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at CityWorks DC, took on the challenge of helping develop this system in collaboration with the Deputy Mayor for Education. The initiative, known as the Education to Employment Data System (P-20W), aimed to track student progress from early education through workforce participation, providing critical insights into how D.C.’s education and workforce programs were preparing residents for sustainable careers.

    To support this effort, CREC provided two key resources:

    • Access to Localized Labor Market Data: By working with Lightcast, CityWorks DC was able to gather insights into job trends, workforce needs, and employment patterns, helping stakeholders better understand available opportunities.
    • Expert Guidance on Data System Design: Subject Matter Expert (SME) sessions helped shape the structure and implementation of the P-20W system, ensuring it met the needs of policymakers, educators, and workforce leaders.

    Despite the complexity of building a citywide data system, CityWorks DC and its partners made it happen. In September 2023, D.C.’s Mayor proposed $3.8 million in funding to launch the system, which was later approved by the D.C. Council. Shortly after, the city officially announced the Office of Education Through Employment Pathways, which will oversee the development and implementation of the data system.

    “Our big project was to establish a P20W data system in DC in partnership with the city’s Deputy Mayor for Education, which was very high-risk, high-reward going in, and against all odds, we made it happen. In September, the mayor’s office announced the establishment of a new office, which is the Office of Education through Employment Pathways.” – Erin Bibo, CityWorks DC

    At its core, this initiative is about helping D.C. residents make informed career choices and improving pathways to economic stability. With better data, policymakers can refine workforce programs, residents can understand career opportunities, and employers can more effectively connect with local talent.

    Dr. Bibo’s leadership in bringing together city agencies, education institutions, and workforce organizations proved to be a key factor in the project’s success. By emphasizing collaboration, data privacy, and accessibility, she helped ensure that CityWorks DC and other organizations can now use data more effectively to advocate for students and job seekers.

    Learn more about CityWorks DC here.

    Learn more about DC’s Office of Education Through Employment Pathways here.

  • San Diego Regional EDC: Redefining the Talent Pipeline with Data-Driven Solutions

    San Diego is a city known for its innovation, yet in 2022, a paradox emerged: while 42,100 people were unemployed, the region had 75,630 unique job postings. The numbers didn’t add up. Employers were searching for talent, yet thousands remained without work. A deeper look revealed the crux of the issue—many jobs required a bachelor’s degree on paper, despite the reality that the skills needed could often be gained through other pathways. This education-to-employment mismatch disproportionately affected Black and Latinx youth, who faced the lowest college readiness rates in the region.

    Determined to turn the talent shortage into an opportunity, the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) launched Advancing San Diego, a program designed to break down these barriers and expand career access. By leveraging the Talent Pipeline Management® (TPM) framework, they engaged employers to take a proactive role in shaping workforce development. The key strategies? Communication, adaptation, and access.

    Employers were challenged to rethink hiring practices—shifting from outdated degree requirements to skills-based hiring. Education partners, including local colleges and training programs, aligned their curricula with industry needs, ensuring that students from diverse backgrounds were learning the skills employers actually required. This realignment meant more Black and Latinx youth could access high-quality jobs without unnecessary educational barriers standing in their way.

    Advancing San Diego proved that when employers drive the conversation, workforce strategies become more effective. The key lesson? Hiring practices must evolve to reflect real skills, not just credentials. By eliminating inflated degree requirements and creating clear, equitable career pathways, San Diego isn’t just closing the talent gap—it’s building a more inclusive and competitive economy for the future.

    Learn more about Advancing San Diego here.