New Report: Working Hard, Left Behind

A new statewide report, “Working Hard, Left Behind: Education as a pathway from poverty for working Californians,” details the economic state of California’s low-income adults and their educational attainments, and the reforms needed to better lift these families from poverty to financial stability. While California ranks #1 in the U.S. in number of working low-income families, it will produce one million less baccalaureate graduates needed to keep up with the productivity demands of the state’s economy by 2025.

During this webinar, The Campaign for College Opportunity along with leaders from The Women's Foundation of California, and a representative of the Regional Economic Association Leaders of California will discuss the report’s findings, its meaning and recommendations that should be considered as part of a comprehensive, long-term approach to economic success. The report argues that economic security should not be out of reach for people who are working hard when higher education can be a viable pathway from poverty to prosperity. But there must be a will for reform and investment in the state’s higher education system.

The report calls the inequity “both a social justice and economic imperative,” and if left unaddressed, the state’s future outlook is threatened. 

Speakers:

- Michele Siqueiros, Executive Director, The Campaign for College Opportunity
- Judy Patrick, President & CEO, The Women's Foundation of California
- Alicia Berhow, Vice President of Workforce Development and Advocacy, Organge County Business Council & Member of the Regional Economic Association Leaders of California