Many workforce programs focus on training individuals, often with powerful results for participants. But given the complexities of workforce development — an interplay of stakeholders, evolving needs, access, and policy – investments that target the individual often come up short in terms of their durability and scalability.

In the second installment of our Impact X Talent event series, cohosted with the International Youth Foundation, leaders set out to explore how companies are leveraging cross-sector collaboration, policy engagement, and new models to drive scale and sustainability.

Some of the most salient insights that emerged from the discussion appear below:

Key takeaways

Trust local partners to adapt programs for context and relevance. Scaling successfully often requires decentralizing control and placing trust in local implementing partners. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model, impactful programs empower grantees and on-the-ground leaders to adapt and design approaches that meet specific community needs. 

Pilot locally to build scalable, system-ready solutions. Scalable programs often begin with focused pilots that expose ground-level challenges, like limited access to prep time for teachers or infrastructure deficits in public schools. These pilots provide valuable insight into institutional realities and learner behavior, such as gender-based disparities in classroom engagement. Using this intelligence, programs can design more inclusive and effective strategies before expanding across regions or countries.

Encourage policy reform to modernize curriculum approval processes. Rigid compliance and outdated approval mechanisms in public education systems often delay or block the integration of relevant, skills-based content. There is a need for joint advocacy to streamline these processes, noting that long curriculum approval timelines can render programs obsolete by the time they’re approved. Cross-sector collaboration is important for unlocking more responsive, future-ready learning systems.

Ensure curriculum is agile enough to keep pace with industry. In fields like IT, the pace of technological change outstrips traditional curriculum cycles. Successful programs update content quarterly and maintain alignment with industry certifications. Because formal education systems may take years to approve new curricula, programs can work around this by focusing on enduring protocols rather than transient tools. 

Design flexible programs that meet learners where they are. Programs should serve learners across life stages and environments: high school students in rural areas, adults seeking career transitions, and employees needing upskilling in emerging fields like AI. A dual-delivery model, both formal (institution-based) and informal (open-access), helps learners access content at their own pace, regardless of setting or circumstance. 

Build trust through vendor neutrality and clear social value. Programs that teach universal skills, such as protocols over products, avoid being seen as commercial or self-serving. This neutrality opens doors to collaboration with public institutions and helps dispel concerns about ulterior motives. It also reassures skeptical educators and officials that the primary goal is talent development, not market capture. Clarity of mission and transparency of methods are foundational to long-term adoption. 

Empower educators to champion the program. Teachers are often the linchpin of success, especially in under-resourced environments. Programs can support them through ongoing training, easy access to help (e.g., real-time group messaging), and pathways to gain credentials that advance their careers. Their enthusiasm can drive both institutional buy-in and student participation.

Frame initiatives around shared value. Programs that serve a shared purpose for talent and business (e.g. equipping students for future jobs, providing employers with qualified talent, and enriching public education) are more resilient. Consider how a shared value approach can embed programs as integral to both business and workforce strategy. 

Track outcomes that matter, and use them to adapt. Effective programs go beyond measuring enrollment or access. They track engagement, course completion, and post-program outcomes such as employment or further education. Data can be used not just for reporting, but for real-time course correction, such as identifying when only certain student groups are engaging and intervening quickly.