The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) today announced that it has joined The National Governors Association’s (NGA) new State Equitable Recovery Coalition. The Coalition is a partnership of national organizations established to build on existing efforts to drive equitable economic recovery championed by Governors of states and territories.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a major economic toll on communities throughout the country,” said ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown. “Community colleges throughout the country are well positioned to help their local workforces rebound strongly in the wake of the historic past year. We look forward to joining forces with other national organizations through the State Equitable Recovery Coalition to ensure that economic recovery is inclusive and robust across the United States.”
The coalition will complement existing networks that NGA and other organizations are working with to take advantage of shared expertise to help drive a sustainable, equitable recovery from the economic disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, while leveraging the opportunity to address workforce, education, public services, and racial and economic justice.
The State Equitable Recovery Coalition, in partnership with Education Strategy Group (ESG) and supported by the Siemens Foundation, will build on these initiatives and others to connect strategically to maximize networks, expertise and resources on behalf of the Governors of states and territories and the workers they represent.
The coalition will provide technical support to help advance Governors’ community and economic recovery goals over a period of a year. In addition to NGA and ESG, 16 organizations have joined the coalition: ACCT, Advance CTE, the American Public Human Services Association, Ascend at the Aspen Institute, the Center for Law and Social Policy, the Coalition on Adult Basic Education, Goodwill Industries International, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, JFF, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the National Association of Workforce Boards, the National Skills Coalition, the National Urban League, New America, the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association and UnidosUS.
Additionally, the NGA Center for Best Practices will host a series of action labs for Governors’ staff and state teams that focus on intersectional issues with the common goal of increasing economic opportunity for students and workers with low income, particularly Black, Latinx and Indigenous communities and women, while achieving racial equity in access, success and outcomes in postsecondary education and workforce development programs. These action labs will be focused on tangible steps states can take to advance these goals.
Visit the NGA website for more information about the Coalition.