Despite California’s significant investments in K-12, higher education, and workforce development, silos between these systems create inefficiencies that leave Californians struggling. Over a billion dollars in education and workforce development funding has gone unused, while Californians seeking better opportunities have trouble finding quality training opportunities to reach their career goals, and employers struggle to find qualified workers for open positions.That’s where coordination comes in. A statewide coordinating entity can help break down these barriers, creating a coherent postsecondary ecosystem and ensuring these investments are maximized, coordinated, and guided by a clear vision for shared prosperity.
California Competes has been a longstanding champion for statewide coordination. In 2025, our advocacy contributed to a major milestone: the establishment of the California Education Interagency Council. This coordinating entity will work to ensure California’s education systems meet the demands of its workforce and economy by coordinating efforts and facilitating communication across various agencies. Now, we are supporting the Council’s roll-out, including by developing resources, mobilizing broad support, and sharing guidance and recommendations with its leadership.
The members of the California Education Interagency Council are:
- The President of the State Board of Education,
- The Superintendent of Public Instruction,
- The President of the University of California,
- The Chancellor of the California State University,
- The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges,
- The Director of Consumer Affairs,
- The Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development,
- The Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development,
- The Director of Finance, and
- The President of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities.
Explore our past efforts. To advocate for coordination, we:
- Testified at a Joint Oversight Hearing to help make coordination a priority for the Legislature;
- Participated in the Master Plan for Career Education listening session and provided recommendations to establish a coordinating entity;
- Provided feedback on the budget trailer bill language on statewide coordination;
- Engaged key decision-makers across the Governor’s Office, Department of Finance, Legislative Analyst’s Office, and the Legislature through meetings and sharing several resources, including a new FAQ, written comments, a document outlining ten challenges coordination can resolve, and statements addressing legislators’ concerns;
- Gave testimony and public comment in support of funding for statewide coordination (also see these three);
- Gave testimony and public comment in support of statewide coordination bills AB 95 (Fong) and SB 638 (Padilla);
- Mobilized over 75 organizations and individuals to voice their support for coordination in legislative policy and budget hearings;
- Released an updated white paper and held an accompanying webinar calling for a reimagining of the 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education that centers coordination; and
- Published an op-ed in EdSource that makes the case for coordination.
Thank you to the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund and the Gates Foundation for supporting this work.
