Driving Systems Change: How LERs Enhance Collaboration

For years, Learning and Employment Records (LERs) have been discussed in philanthropic investments, state workforce development, and higher education. While significant strides have been made in their development and implementation as part of workforce initiatives, LERs have yet to become a mainstream tool used and embraced by learners, workers, and employers alike. The promise of LERs lies in the digital tool's ability to document and verify the skills of job seekers and learners while systematically driving connections across the workforce ecosystem.  This begs the question: What barriers prevent workforce ecosystem players from fully leveraging LERs and driving systems change, and how can we overcome them to transform workforce ecosystems while helping more people secure meaningful employment?

Understanding the Benefits and Potential Barriers to LERs

Think of LERs like a digital passport. Just as a passport contains stamps from different countries that verify where you've traveled, LERs compile and validate skills and experiences from various learning and employment opportunities. In the job market, where employers are increasingly looking for skills-based competencies, having a "passport" that clearly shows your journey and achievements can set you apart. This digital passport makes it easier for job seekers and learners to navigate the labor market, proving their readiness and adaptability to prospective employers, much like how a passport helps you move smoothly across borders.

That said, new technology generally and understandably comes with a learning curve. LERs are a different tool than the labor market, which has traditionally been trained to accept and add to, like PDF resumes or LinkedIn badges. Collaboration is the only way for workforce players to drive successful system change. The truth is that workforce partners often change a system while running it. This challenging duality requires tight, consistent communication and collaboration. 

Setting the Table Means Bringing Workforce Players Together

We’ve discovered by now that systems change is never easy, so bringing together the right stakeholders is mission-critical. Our recent blog, “Horizons Recap: Essential Insights for Meaningful Systems Change,” highlights the importance of workforce partners contributing diverse expertise, influence, and representation. The complex process becomes more manageable when systems change initiatives to embrace a dynamic where diverse individuals with different perspectives and strengths come together to pursue a shared mission.

After recognizing the importance of different partners, the next step involves determining which ones can help bring missions to the finish line. An example of a community collective approach is the state of Washington's creation of a Learning and Employment Records (LER) program to support local talent development and employment pipelines across states. This initiative involved collaboration with over 11 cross-sector workforce partners, including the National Governors Association, Greater Spokane Inc., Washington Student Achievement Council, Washington State University, and the Washington Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board.

Each organization brought valuable perspectives on workforce development. By bringing these diverse partnerships to the table, the state successfully built lasting relationships supporting a labor market that readily adopts LERs.

Building a Foundation of Trust Moves Work Forward

LERs, or the implementation of any new technology, require systems, agencies, employers, and the workforce ecosystem to collaborate. This WILL lead to conflict—disagreements are inevitable when stakeholders with diverse experiences come together for complex missions, like system changes. Often, differences of opinion lead to improved outcomes by integrating multiple ideas. As our Vice President of Workforce Solutions aptly said, “Collaboration moves at the speed of trust.” When workforce partners trust each other, it's easier to overcome disagreements, mistakes, or setbacks and continue advancing the work.  

With a foundation of trust, workforce partners can effectively drive systems change that enhances and accelerates shared missions, such as connecting job seekers and learners with meaningful employment. This trust also sustains a framework that enables meaningful, repeatable work. Bringing It All Together: Key Elements for Effective Systems Change

By now, we’ve identified several components for successful systems change:

1. Unlocking the actual benefits of LERs requires communication and collaboration
2. Setting the table requires recruiting stakeholders from diverse workforce backgrounds 
3. Collaboration and transformation move at the speed of trust
4. Building trust helps overcome disagreements while moving work forward

Leveraging technologies like LERs can make systems change more manageable and efficient for workforce ecosystems. Technology can–and should—be an integral part of your ecosystem approach. If you're planning your next workforce initiative and wondering how LERs can help set your table, check out our free brainstorming tool. It will guide you through setting clear goals and creating a pathway for success.