This month, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Third Sector announced the selection of four state cross-sector teams in Indiana, Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas into the National Lifelong Learning Account (LiLA) cohort. Participants will design innovative LiLA pilots for their states, which will provide working people with access to education and training opportunities to grow, or build new careers.
LiLAs are a new concept for financing education and training. These accounts enable individuals to get the education, upskilling to deepen existing skills in a chosen field, and/or re-skilling to learn a new trade or industry, opening doors to higher-paying jobs and economic opportunities. Unlike employer-sponsored training programs conditional on employment, LiLAs are envisioned as universal, portable accounts, empowering individuals to control their learning and career path. With the flexibility to use public and private funds, including matched contributions, LiLAs empower individuals with more choices and agency in their educational pursuits.
"This unique partnership we are launching with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is a tremendous opportunity to help states develop innovative solutions to improve the education and training outcomes of working people in their communities," said Caroline Whistler, CEO and Co-Founder of Third Sector. "These kinds of innovations have the potential to set millions of people on the path to greater economic mobility and can ensure employers can find the skilled workers they need."
Each team comprises a group of cross-sector partners — including government, business, and community-based organizations — who bring their expertise to build a collaborative pilot with the cohort that meets the needs of individuals and other key stakeholders.
- Team Indiana, led by INvestEd, includes the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Indiana House of Representatives, and the Institute for Workforce Excellence.
- Team Michigan, led by TalentFirst, includes Paramelt, The Source, and West Michigan Works!
- Team Tennessee, led by the Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS), includes the Tennessee Bankers Association (TBA), the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE), the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions (TDFI), and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC).
- Team Texas, led by Alamo Colleges District, includes Methodist Healthcare and SA Worx/greater: SATX.
"Innovations like LiLAs can be leveraged by individuals and employers to more easily and routinely invest in upskilling and reskilling," said Jason Tyszko, U.S. Chamber of Commerce senior vice president. "Bringing these accounts to more workers and employers will help ensure our workforce continues to be competitive while also outfitted with the resources needed to prepare for the future of work."
How It Works:
- Mentorship: Third Sector will train each state team to design and develop LiLA pilot implementation plans using its expertise in supporting public sector partners to build outcomes-focused programs.
- Technical Assistance: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation will provide additional technical assistance and training for the cross-sector teams on best practices and strategies for advancing public-private finance innovations like LiLAs.
- 1:1 Coaching Support: Each team will also receive one-on-one coaching support to help them customize their LiLA pilots to local contexts and populations of focus.
Learn more:
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About Third Sector
Third Sector is a national nonprofit helping to unlock possibility, confront inequity, and catalyze change to the benefit of the people and places our government, community-based, and philanthropic partners serve. We are a technical assistance organization that advises our government agencies on effective ways to reshape their policies, systems, and services toward better outcomes for all people, no matter their race, background, and circumstances. Founded in 2011, Third Sector is a 501(c)3 organization that has worked with more than 50 communities to deploy more than $1.8 billion of government resources toward outcomes.
