Systems change enables small improvements in practice to reach scale by sustaining those improvements over time. National Fund partner communities are reaching substantial scale by altering workforce development policies and business practices to impact substantially more individuals.
Systems change in the National Fund occurs on the national, regional, state, local and organizational level. It can range from increasing public funding for employer-driven workforce development programs to changing a company’s tuition reimbursement or training practices to help entry-level workers grow and succeed. Within this diverse range, the National Fund has identified systems change as sustainable improvements in one of the following categories:
- Education and workforce development systems
- Employer practices
- Public policy and investments
- Funders’ perspectives and investments
After nine years and investments in forty communities the National Fund Network understands what systems need to be improved and, more importantly, knows how to make it happen. This report documents dozens of instances of systems change that have led to direct improvements in education and workforce development systems, employer practices, public investments and policies, and the perspectives and investments of hundreds of funders.