California’s future is at a crossroads. Our economy is robust and we have a vibrant, multi-ethnic workforce, but growing gaps in educational attainment, income inequality, and dramatic technological change threaten to undermine the goal of shared prosperity and genuine community. For more than a decade, the California EDGE Coalition has advocated for the development of an education and skills training system that meets the needs of all Californians and that is responsive to the demands of our state’s very different regional labor markets. Much has changed for the better over the last ten years but the need to close the skills gap has, if anything, become more urgent.
It is in this context that the California EDGE Coalition’s new policy agenda, Maintaining_California’s_Edge, proposes a series of recommendations that we believe will help California achieve the twin goals of economic dynamism and widespread economic opportunity. We look forward to working with you to make progress toward this vision of a better future for all Californians.