Postsecondary Education

Postsecondary education is more important to states than ever before. Within the next decade, nearly two-thirds of the jobs in the U.S. will require some form of college credential. To meet that demand, states must lead efforts to graduate more students from high-quality certificate and degree programs with the resources available.

The NGA Center’s Postsecondary team supports the development and implementation of strategies that activate state policy levers and leverage state resources for educational attainment and career development after high school. This includes short-term/industry credentials, apprenticeship pathways, degree completion efforts, skills-based training, and modernizing state data systems to meet the needs of evolving industry sectors. The team works to create and execute state-focused, high-quality technical assistance and peer learning opportunities to support Governors’ offices in maximizing the impact and effectiveness of their current postsecondary systems while exploring opportunities for innovation.

Meet the team

  • Amanda Winters, Program Director
  • Portia Pratt, Senior Policy Analyst
  • Abigail Rhim, Policy Analyst

NGA Resources

Empowerment Through Adult Literacy: Policy Pathways for Governors 

Empowerment Through Adult Literacy: Policy Pathways for Governors 

Adult literacy programs and partnerships provide foundational skills that lead to increased employment opportunities, improved physical and mental health outcomes, and financial stability for families and communities. The National Governors ...
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Governors Prioritizing Postsecondary Strategies: Multiple Pathways Highlighted in 2025 State and Territory Addresses

Governors Prioritizing Postsecondary Strategies: Multiple Pathways Highlighted in 2025 State and Territory Addresses

Governors across the country made clear that postsecondary education remains central to their policy agendas in their 2025 State and Territory addresses—including State of the State, Inaugural, and Budget speeches ...
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Driving Public Sector Innovation Through Skills-Based Hiring

Driving Public Sector Innovation Through Skills-Based Hiring

State governments across the nation are leading a transformation in talent management, shifting toward a more skills-focused approach, which prioritizes a candidate’s skills, competencies, and relevant work experience over traditional ...
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Data and Non-Degree Credentials Learning Community

Data and Non-Degree Credentials Learning Community

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices has launched a Data and Non-Degree Credentials Learning Community to support states and territories in advancing their data infrastructure improvement projects. This ...
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New Report: Growing Number of States Drop Degree Requirements

New Report: Growing Number of States Drop Degree Requirements

National Governors Association study examines state impacts of skills-based practices WASHINGTON, D.C. – Skills-based job postings rapidly increase when states drop degree requirements for public sector jobs, according to a ...
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Empowering Progress: Harnessing Skills-Based Strategies to Drive Public Sector Excellence

Empowering Progress: Harnessing Skills-Based Strategies to Drive Public Sector Excellence

The public sector plays a key role in advancing skills-based strategies, driven by gubernatorial leadership. Whether in the early stages or more advanced in their adoption of skills-based policies and ...
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Governors Prioritizing Financial Literacy

Governors Prioritizing Financial Literacy

The importance of financial literacy is clear. It allows people to make informed decisions related to budgeting, saving, borrowing and investing, ensuring that individuals live within their means, while simultaneously ...
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Resources for Financial Literacy

Resources for Financial Literacy

Governors are working to increase financial literacy in their states. The following resources can be used as tools by Governors and their staff to guide and support their constituents as ...
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Education for Life – A Conversation with Dr. Steven Levitt

Education for Life – A Conversation with Dr. Steven Levitt

Measuring outcomes is one of the primary goals of NGA Chair Colorado Governor Jared Polis’ “Let’s Get Ready: Educating All Americans for Success” initiative. How are we measuring outcomes to ...
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Insights and Opportunities on Public Sector Skills Based Strategy Efforts

Insights and Opportunities on Public Sector Skills Based Strategy Efforts

Since 2021, Governors in more than twenty states have taken steps to remove unnecessary bachelor’s degree requirements for jobs in the public sector. This momentum for innovation, spurred by a ...
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Cybersecurity Credentialing and Education Resources

Cybersecurity Credentialing and Education Resources

As the risk of cyber-attacks increases, it is crucial that Governors support the development of a strong cybersecurity workforce by understanding the current workforce, identifying critical roles, developing career pathways ...
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Getting Ready for Let’s Get Ready at the 2024 NGA Summer Meeting

Getting Ready for Let’s Get Ready at the 2024 NGA Summer Meeting

For those who don’t know, the National Governors Association is bipartisan – and not just as a veneer. It is literally built into the structure of the organization, with an ...
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