Statewide Strategy
Launching a Statewide Online Workforce Initiative
California sought to establish a new statewide online college designed to expand access to career-aligned education and meet workforce demand across priority industry sectors.
The state needed a clear strategy to define target sectors, align stakeholders, and build legislative support for a new model at scale. Competing approaches required evaluation, labor market validation, and cross-sector consensus before funding could move forward.
Eleven Tenths leadership participated in a statewide task force to evaluate alternative models and define a launch strategy. This work included conducting labor market analysis and engaging employers, trade associations, unions, and workforce development leaders to identify high-demand industry sectors.
A sector selection rubric was developed to prioritize industries for legislative presentation, supporting the advancement of $400 million in funding legislation. Leadership also supported early-stage institutional buildout, including recruitment and hiring of initial faculty for the California Online College.
The initiative secured legislative backing and funding, established a clear sector prioritization framework, and launched the foundational academic team for a new statewide workforce institution designed to operate at scale.
