Eloy Oakley, President and CEO of College Futures Foundation: Post-Secondary Education Is Key to Equity And Prosperity

California is in the midst of an ambitious effort to have 70% of working-age adults attain a post-secondary credential by 2030, which, if achieved, would make it the leading state for educational attainment and generate $2.4 trillion in economic gains over time. But today’s guest, Eloy Oakley of the College Futures Foundation, wants the state to go even further. “If we raised attainment -- which right now sits around 56% across the state for working-age Californians -- to 70% across all demographic groups it would create an additional $2 trillion in economic lift and move California to being the third largest economy in the world,” says Oakley, who was formerly chancellor of California’s community college system. But as you’ll learn in this intriguing WorkforceRx conversation with Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan, the case he makes goes beyond achieving substantial economic gains. “We need to see reimagining post-secondary education as an opportunity to ensure that we have a workforce for the future and that people across all backgrounds can thrive in the new economy.” Tune in to hear what reimagining post-secondary education in California would look like, and which demographic group will determine the success of the effort.

Mentioned in this episode: Golden Ticket Study from College Futures Foundation and Georgetown University