Center for Economic Mobility

Current Challenge

Economic mobility begins with education, but career pathways can be winding and outcomes vary by discipline, opportunity, and regional economies. 

Purpose

The Center for Economic Mobility partners with education and workforce systems to remove systemic barriers by providing relevant information, helping make that information meaningful, and supporting systems change.  

To foster access to postsecondary education, job training, and credentials that translate to successful careers with income stability and meaningful growth, the center strengthens linkages between K–12, adult education, postsecondary, workforce development, and employers. It focuses on serving communities with low incomes, particularly communities of color and rural communities.

Audience Served

The Center for Economic Mobility partners with adult education providers, workforce development, postsecondary institutions, and intersegmental partnerships, providing relevant information, helping make that information meaningful, and supporting systems change.  

Key Activities

The Center for Economic Mobility conducts research, develops tools, and provides technical assistance to engage education and training providers in better understanding the impact of programs and strategic priorities.  

The Center contextualizes findings using information on regional labor markets, highlights opportunities to strengthen postsecondary attainment, and partners with clients to implement systemic changes that bridge low-wage, low-skill work to skilled employment that pays living wages. 

Center Directors

Randal Tillery

Randal Tillery is Director of Economic Mobility, Postsecondary and Workforce Systems, and the ​Co-​Director of the Center for Economic Mobility at WestEd.

Kathy Booth

As the Director of WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility, Kathy Booth supports national efforts to clarify students’ economic outcomes and delivers technical assistance on using labor market information to develop stronger pathways to living wages.

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