Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Happy New Year! I hope this finds you safe and well.
Beyond the opportunity to have a fresh new start after a challenging year, 2021 is particularly meaningful for our organization as we celebrate our tenth anniversary. For the past decade, California Competes has helped higher education and government leaders make research-driven decisions and implement policies that enable every Californian to succeed. I want to personally thank you for your support and interest in our work.
We envision a California where our state and regional economies and communities thrive, fueled by equitable and racially just postsecondary and workforce outcomes. That means making online education effective and accessible, supporting adult learners to and through college, enhancing higher education and workforce alignment, and instituting statewide coordination and data system efforts.
Guided by the vast knowledge and experience of the California Competes Leadership Council, we have spent 10 years at the forefront of transformation—including the development of the Cradle-to-Career Data System, the creation of a new higher education coordinating council, the launch of higher education finance reform, and California’s recognition and prioritization of the needs of adult learners.
As we look ahead to all that 2021 promises, I hope you’ll join us in building a brighter future for those who face systemic barriers to quality education and employment, so that we can all enjoy a better, stronger, more equitable California.
With gratitude,
Su Jin Gatlin Jez, PhD
Executive Director
California Competes
