21st Century Learning Ecosystem Opportunities (CLEO) Final Report Webinar

The end of September marks the conclusion of four years of research for the 21st Century Learning Ecosystem Opportunities (21 CLEO) research team. Our goal throughout the project has been to understand and describe the experiences of working learners in frontline service industries, to highlight their voices, and to explore the factors that support their participation in employer-supported education and training initiatives. In this webinar, we share key insights including descriptions of the education and training activities available, persona that represent composite illustrations of our participant learners, and the supports that helped them persist throughout their learning. We highlight our shift to using Critical Race Theory, which provided insight into how working learners, employers, educators, and others with an interest in workforce development talk about their experiences within a system wherein racism is potentially endemic. The webinar will include a summary and synthesis of findings, a representation of methods employed, and recommendations for the field about how employer-supported education and training can best lead to advancement.