Van Ton-Quinlivan

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has completely shaken up higher education. Institutions now find themselves with the opportunity to re-invent how they serve their learners by increasing access, flexibility and lowering cost.

The traditional methods of higher education delivery never worked quite well enough for job preparation and reskilling, according to many employers. Then came COVID-19, wreaking havoc on the world of work and effectively deconstructing the college experience. At least for now, the pandemic has decoupled dorms, sports, in-person instruction, socialization, tuition, and other elements of the college experience from the learning itself. This unbundling of education opens up the space to reimagine… Show more

The traditional methods of higher education delivery never worked quite well enough for job preparation and reskilling, according to many employers. Then came COVID-19, wreaking havoc on the world of work and effectively deconstructing the college experience. At least for now, the pandemic has decoupled dorms, sports, in-person instruction, socialization, tuition, and other elements of the college experience from the learning itself. This unbundling of education opens up the space to reimagine how the future of learning will reassemble its component parts, especially for adults. Can we rebundle higher education in better ways to ready adults for the future of work? Can learning systems reassemble to enable continuous and lifelong learning that keeps pace with the unrelenting rate of change? Show less

The gap is staggering. Just in California alone, 500,000 allied health workers are needed by 2024. Realizing it was time for new approaches to developing this workforce, a unique partnership formed this year with Kaiser Permanente and SEIU United Healthcare Workers to fund and facilitate the educational journey required. Leading the effort is veteran educator Van Ton-Quinlivan, who has her eye on all of the associated issues of student debt, diversity and inclusion, shifting skillsets due to… Show more

The gap is staggering. Just in California alone, 500,000 allied health workers are needed by 2024. Realizing it was time for new approaches to developing this workforce, a unique partnership formed this year with Kaiser Permanente and SEIU United Healthcare Workers to fund and facilitate the educational journey required. Leading the effort is veteran educator Van Ton-Quinlivan, who has her eye on all of the associated issues of student debt, diversity and inclusion, shifting skillsets due to COVID and other factors. Check out this fascinating discussion with Shiv Gaglani on the innovative thinking and partnerships that are driving workforce development. Show less

The mediaX webinar series “Thinking Tools for Wicked Problems” continues with mediaX Distinguished Visiting Scholar and CEO of Futuro Health Van Ton-Quinlivan. Health care is a prime example of one of the wicked problems faced in education. Even after a training need is identified, it takes time to achieve agreement across stakeholders to identify the curriculum requirements and find resources to satisfy them. An emergent need can become critical in the time it takes to create and roll out a… Show more

The mediaX webinar series “Thinking Tools for Wicked Problems” continues with mediaX Distinguished Visiting Scholar and CEO of Futuro Health Van Ton-Quinlivan. Health care is a prime example of one of the wicked problems faced in education. Even after a training need is identified, it takes time to achieve agreement across stakeholders to identify the curriculum requirements and find resources to satisfy them. An emergent need can become critical in the time it takes to create and roll out a new training program. In the current pandemic context, this is especially true for licensed health care workers.

Shared vision and collaboration across stakeholders are essential to respond to wicked problems. In this seminar I’ll talk about the coordinated effort that has created a self-paced online Pandemic Readiness curriculum for licensed practical nursing (LPNs) serving California’s 40 million residents and the pop-up facilities anticipated for the COVID-19 critical needs.

Show less

A critical step is for policymakers to immediately extend federal financial aid to high-quality, short-term training programs in high-demand industries, like healthcare. This would help new and incumbent workers quickly access the training and credentials to meet current demand and the anticipated workforce needs of the future as the population continues to age rapidly.

Skilled America talked to Van Ton-Quinlivan of Futuro Health and Daniel Bustillo of the Healthcare Career Advancement Program, or H-CAP, two people entrenched in the effort to train, upskill, and deploy a critical healthcare workforce across the country about the challenges – and solutions – accelerated by a global pandemic

Healthcare workers are facing a shortage crisis in both the workforce and in the classroom. There’s a lack of recognition for the people who protect and serve us all. But how can institutions deliver the best learner experience to those who want to pursue this field? More importantly, what can be done in the workforce to provide sustainable careers? Van Ton-Quinlivan discuss the impact of this shortage and what institutions can start doing to fill these demanding and critical needs.

The need for more health care workers is a structural issue that no one entity can solve on its own. Organizations need to take a different approach and not just reuse the old strategies. An ecosystem must come together to solve obstacles and frictions in the student journey.

What can employers do to prepare today’s workers for the jobs of tomorrow? Van Ton-Quinlivan, CEO of Futuro Health and a former leader in the California Community College system, talks about how employers, labor unions, and educators can work together to help workers learn what they need to get better jobs. Education is not a one-time inoculation to prepare people for a lifetime of work, she says. Frequent booster shots are needed throughout our careers.

What can employers do to prepare today’s workers for the jobs of tomorrow? Van Ton-Quinlivan, CEO of Futuro Health and a former leader in the California Community College system, talks about how employers, labor unions, and educators can work together to help workers learn what they need to get better jobs. Education is not a one-time inoculation to prepare people for a lifetime of work, she says. Frequent booster shots are needed throughout our careers.

When you think about healthcare careers, doctors and nurses probably come to mind first. But there is a looming demand for allied healthcare workers—so-called “hidden” healthcare careers that don’t need years of medical school, but they do require training and certification.

People need to know these jobs exist, and then that there is a clear and direct path to getting credentialed.

“Health care—it’s a highly credentialed field. So, no credential, no interview. No interview, no… Show more

When you think about healthcare careers, doctors and nurses probably come to mind first. But there is a looming demand for allied healthcare workers—so-called “hidden” healthcare careers that don’t need years of medical school, but they do require training and certification.

People need to know these jobs exist, and then that there is a clear and direct path to getting credentialed.

“Health care—it’s a highly credentialed field. So, no credential, no interview. No interview, no job,” explains Van Ton-Quinlivan, the inaugural CEO of Futuro Health.

In this episode of Work in Progress, Ton-Quinlivan explains how Futuro—a brand-new nonprofit partnership between Kaiser Permanente and SEIU-United Healthcare Workers—plans to address the shortage of healthcare workers throughout nation, starting with California, where the demand is massive. Show less

What is driving large employers to invest in new upskilling programs and what types of programs are they investing in? What is working well and what needs to get better? What advice do they have for other companies?

Featuring Eva Sage-Gavin (Senior Managing Director, Talent & Organization Consulting, Accenture), Shweta Srivastava (Director of 21st Century Employability, Microsoft), Van Ton-Quinlivan (CEO, Futuro Health), Chris Trout (Vice President Learning and Development, The Walt… Show more

What is driving large employers to invest in new upskilling programs and what types of programs are they investing in? What is working well and what needs to get better? What advice do they have for other companies?

Featuring Eva Sage-Gavin (Senior Managing Director, Talent & Organization Consulting, Accenture), Shweta Srivastava (Director of 21st Century Employability, Microsoft), Van Ton-Quinlivan (CEO, Futuro Health), Chris Trout (Vice President Learning and Development, The Walt Disney Company), and Matthew Heimer (Senior Features Editor, Fortune Magazine). Show less

Since 2012, the California Community Colleges (CCC) system has been driving transformation of its workforce mission to better address labor market needs. From 2012–2018, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) deepened its commitment to modernizing the system’s career and technical education (CTE) programs and infrastructure. The approach taken by the CCCCO was informed by two public policy principles surfaced through the convenings of the California Economic Summit: 1)… Show more

Since 2012, the California Community Colleges (CCC) system has been driving transformation of its workforce mission to better address labor market needs. From 2012–2018, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) deepened its commitment to modernizing the system’s career and technical education (CTE) programs and infrastructure. The approach taken by the CCCCO was informed by two public policy principles surfaced through the convenings of the California Economic Summit: 1) approach the State as a set of regional economies rather than a monolithic one, and 2) expand CTE capacity in order to provide skilled workers needed by regional economies. The efforts ushered in an era of experimentation, innovation, and collaboration by California’s community colleges and their ecosystem of partners to deliver more workforce programs with better student outcomes.

This renaissance pervaded the state and drove conversations about workforce development from an afterthought to a statewide policy priority. The purpose of this paper is to set the context for and explore this renaissance. The paper is divided into three parts. Part I provides an overview of the nation’s shift from a manufacturing- to a knowledge-based economy; presents current demographic data about postsecondary students; reviews research on pathways to good jobs; and outlines program elements necessary for building CTE capacity at community colleges. Part II provides a provides a case study of the CCCCO’s efforts to reimagine and modernize workforce programs across its colleges. Finally, Part III offers higher education six lessons to meet the nation’s workforce needs—as informed by the experience of the California Community Colleges. Show less

Since 2012, the California Community Colleges (CCC) system has been driving transformation of its workforce mission to better address labor market needs. From 2012–2018, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) deepened its commitment to modernizing the system’s career and technical education (CTE) programs and infrastructure. The approach taken by the CCCCO was informed by two public policy principles surfaced through the convenings of the California Economic Summit: 1)… Show more

Since 2012, the California Community Colleges (CCC) system has been driving transformation of its workforce mission to better address labor market needs. From 2012–2018, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) deepened its commitment to modernizing the system’s career and technical education (CTE) programs and infrastructure. The approach taken by the CCCCO was informed by two public policy principles surfaced through the convenings of the California Economic Summit: 1) approach the State as a set of regional economies rather than a monolithic one, and 2) expand CTE capacity in order to provide skilled workers needed by regional economies.2 The efforts ushered in an era of experimentation, innovation, and collaboration by California’s community colleges and their ecosystem of partners to deliver more workforce programs with better student outcomes. Show less

In the commencement speech to the graduate-level students who were conferred degrees from Golden Gate University's Bruce F. Braden School of Taxation, the Edward S. Ageno School of Business and the School of Accounting, Ton-Quinlivan pays forward 5 tips for navigating career, life and the future of work. Youtube can be found at https://bit.ly/2LE3KYX. She was conferred a Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters that day.

New labor market realities, evolving student demands and rapidly-shifting employer priorities mean the status quo is no longer acceptable for America’s postsecondary institutions.

If you want to stay relevant in the workplace of the future, develop your soft skills. These skills separate you from the robots and are harder for machines to replicate. Soft skills, also referred to as employability skills, power skills, or job-ready skills, include collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication, empathy, leadership, and an entrepreneurial mindset.

Globalization and digitization are transforming business and workforce needs, and adults across the workforce increasingly need skilling, reskilling and upskilling to retain, find, and advance at work. VR could be a gamechanger when it comes to learning and training.

I recently completed 22 Future of Work MeetUps across California. From urban to rural regions, whether driven by biotech or agriculture, without regard for being blue or red, there was one common theme at every meeting — angst.

When we discussed the topics of AI, digital platforms, and increased automation — and the ways they’ll impact employers and workers in the future — you could feel a low current of angst in every room. The rate of change is expected to be exponential even if not… Show more

I recently completed 22 Future of Work MeetUps across California. From urban to rural regions, whether driven by biotech or agriculture, without regard for being blue or red, there was one common theme at every meeting — angst.

When we discussed the topics of AI, digital platforms, and increased automation — and the ways they’ll impact employers and workers in the future — you could feel a low current of angst in every room. The rate of change is expected to be exponential even if not yet well understood.

To ensure our system is future ready, and as a natural next step to the 22 Future of Work MeetUps, I’m going to spend the Fall hosted by Silicon Valley’s Institute for the Future (IFTF). I want to better understand the broader landscape awaiting our state and the issues influencing the Future of Work — how technology impacts learners, learning institutions, employment and social cohesion — in order to consider how to best position the California Community Colleges to make better decisions today. Show less

Technology and market forces are changing the workplace, the talent needs of employers, and the skills workers need to stay in the game. For example, digital skills have become the new basic skill of the workplace; according to Burning Glass, 80 percent of middle-skill jobs require some digital skills. And the shelf life for those skills is getting shorter. The rapid pace of technological change means that workers need regular skill booster shots — that is, access to reskilling over time — to… Show more

Technology and market forces are changing the workplace, the talent needs of employers, and the skills workers need to stay in the game. For example, digital skills have become the new basic skill of the workplace; according to Burning Glass, 80 percent of middle-skill jobs require some digital skills. And the shelf life for those skills is getting shorter. The rapid pace of technological change means that workers need regular skill booster shots — that is, access to reskilling over time — to increase their economic resiliency.

Show less

This video is related to The Chronicle’s latest report, “The Future of Work: How Colleges Can Prepare Students for the Jobs Ahead,” which includes predictions from economists and technology experts on the labor market; insight from employers on the skills they are looking for among recent college graduates; and thoughts from college administrators on how career services must change.

In this guest post for Jobs for the Future's Voices for Opportunity blog, I discuss how Doing What MATTERS for Jobs and the Economy, the unifying framework of the California Community Colleges' Workforce & Economic Development Division, is helping to meet the needs of current and future students in an ever-changing job market.

In an ever-evolving job market, it is essential that students have the skills they need to succeed in the workforce. As jobs change, so must colleges and universities in order to prepare graduates to go out into the world ready for work.

Five years ago I stepped into the role of vice chancellor for Workforce and Economic Development of the California Community Colleges, one of the largest higher education systems in the nation with 113 community colleges and over 2.1 million students. At the time, the system faced declining support for workforce programs and career technical education (CTE). State funding for community college CTE had either been cut — some by as much as 50 percent –or flexed, meaning the dollars could be used… Show more

Five years ago I stepped into the role of vice chancellor for Workforce and Economic Development of the California Community Colleges, one of the largest higher education systems in the nation with 113 community colleges and over 2.1 million students. At the time, the system faced declining support for workforce programs and career technical education (CTE). State funding for community college CTE had either been cut — some by as much as 50 percent –or flexed, meaning the dollars could be used for non-workforce related uses. Additionally, foundations did not see the relevancy of investing in CTE. Since then the workforce mission of California’s 113 community colleges has undergone a significant turnaround – from an afterthought to a state policy priority – growing from $100 million to $900 million in funding. How did we do it? A unifying framework set the foundation for intrapreneurship and innovations-at-scale. Show less

Hiring isn’t easy. Employers might get hundreds — sometimes thousands — of resumes for a single open position and still, somehow, hire the wrong person. Companies working in emerging fields like artificial intelligence or robotics have far more job openings than talented people to fill them. There’s been a shortage of software engineers and health care workers for more than a decade.

As America’s aging population of Baby Boomers exits the workforce and is replaced by automation software,… Show more

Hiring isn’t easy. Employers might get hundreds — sometimes thousands — of resumes for a single open position and still, somehow, hire the wrong person. Companies working in emerging fields like artificial intelligence or robotics have far more job openings than talented people to fill them. There’s been a shortage of software engineers and health care workers for more than a decade.

As America’s aging population of Baby Boomers exits the workforce and is replaced by automation software, the country will likely see a shift toward more health care and social assistance-related jobs over the next eight years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says. Of the 15 fastest-growing jobs in America, eight require an associate’s degree or less, and most are in a health care-related field.

Companies that take the long view prepare for their future hiring needs by investing in workforce development programs, which help develop a pipeline of talent that the company can tap into.

1995 Stanford MBA graduate, Ton-Quinlivan recently sat down with Insights to share her thoughts on why workforce development programs work, their biggest challenges, and what the future will likely hold for hiring in the post-automation world. Show less

Change is rarely easy. And systemic change within the largest and most complex higher education system in the United States—the 113 California Community Colleges, which I help lead—is no exception. Succeeding requires motivating multiple, sometimes disparate groups under a unifying framework for action. In our case, it meant galvanizing business, organized labor, social justice advocates, and educators to move a common agenda. Our efforts to increase social mobility and economic competitiveness… Show more

Change is rarely easy. And systemic change within the largest and most complex higher education system in the United States—the 113 California Community Colleges, which I help lead—is no exception. Succeeding requires motivating multiple, sometimes disparate groups under a unifying framework for action. In our case, it meant galvanizing business, organized labor, social justice advocates, and educators to move a common agenda. Our efforts to increase social mobility and economic competitiveness for our students and communities led to a significant reinvestment in the career technical education mission of the California Community Colleges, and the resulting cross-sector collaboration offers insight into five successful change management strategies. Show less

The California Community Colleges are answering the call for a more skilled, creative and innovative workforce by growing a statewide system of physical spaces designed to foster innovation in students and their education. By building a network of campus makerspaces—community hubs with tools students can use to create—they will help engage more students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and now increasingly arts (STEM/STEAM), and train a workforce for the future at a scale… Show more

The California Community Colleges are answering the call for a more skilled, creative and innovative workforce by growing a statewide system of physical spaces designed to foster innovation in students and their education. By building a network of campus makerspaces—community hubs with tools students can use to create—they will help engage more students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and now increasingly arts (STEM/STEAM), and train a workforce for the future at a scale never before embraced by higher education. Show less

Authors
Davina Drabkin and Lecturers Denise Brosseau and JD Schramm
Special Assistance from Harjeet Heer, Jon Jamieson, Lisa Radloff, and Kim Serra


Publisher: Stanford Graduate School of Business
Case No.: L-29
Publication Date: November 30, 2016

RAND research shows that economic development depends on a trained workforce. From the military to high-tech industries, the need for vocational education and training continues to rise. In this Events @ RAND podcast, panel of experts discusses what California, the federal government, and employers are doing to nurture a workforce that is well prepared for the jobs of today and the future.

The skills gap is the biggest hurdle to economic prosperity for unemployed individuals across the United States, but there are some very specific changes two-year colleges could make to help minimize the gap and improve completion and employment rates in their regions.

Good-paying jobs that don’t require a bachelor’s degree are surging. California community colleges are positioned to close skills gap, but they need improvement.

If you look at all the economic indicators, virtually all signs but one point to good news for California's continued economic recovery. The outlier has to do with the law of supply and demand. In the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas, there is more demand for people to fill middle-skills jobs than there are people with the necessary skills and training to meet the need. That means growth in sectors that employ large numbers of middle-skills employees could be slowed by an inability to fill… Show more

If you look at all the economic indicators, virtually all signs but one point to good news for California's continued economic recovery. The outlier has to do with the law of supply and demand. In the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas, there is more demand for people to fill middle-skills jobs than there are people with the necessary skills and training to meet the need. That means growth in sectors that employ large numbers of middle-skills employees could be slowed by an inability to fill positions and keep California's engines of growth running. Show less

Governance Studies at Brookings hosted an event to highlight the importance of understanding the workforce skills gap in order to create effective public policies aimed at creating equitable economic growth in America. Moderator Elisabeth Jacobs asked a series of questions to which the four expert panelists, including Ton-Quinlivan, responded. View the write up and webinar of the panel.