Across the country, states are accelerating efforts to expand high-quality work-based learning and apprenticeship pathways. Yet fragmented systems and uneven governance still limit progress. As labor-market needs evolve faster than traditional education pipelines, policymakers are seeking models that strengthen employer engagement, data transparency, and equitable access. To help leaders move from intention to meaningful implementation, Craft Education is hosting a focused, expert-led webinar.
Driving Policy Change for Work-Based Learning
Date: December 10, 2025
Time: 2:00 PM ET
This session brings together national leaders who understand what it takes to scale apprenticeships at the state and systems level. If you support policy, workforce development, apprenticeship expansion, or statewide coordination, this is a conversation built for you.
What We Will Explore
This session highlights the most urgent policy and implementation questions that state and regional leaders face when expanding work-based learning. The panel will offer grounded, real-world insight rooted in research, state examples, and field experience.
Which States Are Leading in 2025
Some states have advanced faster by creating unified apprenticeship offices, aligning agencies, and using braided funding to support intermediaries. These approaches offer lessons for leaders seeking greater statewide consistency and access.
Expect insights on:
- Effective governance and leadership structures
- Policy levers that boost employer participation
- Models for coordinated statewide collaboration
Scaling Pilots into Statewide Systems
Promising local pilots often remain isolated successes. This segment discusses what states need—clear governance, strong data systems, and replicable processes—to scale programs sustainably.
Key questions include:
- What structures ensure statewide consistency?
- How can states build the data systems needed for growth?
- How do leaders remove common barriers that stall expansion?
Bridging the Rural–Urban Divide
Work-based learning operates differently across regions. Rural and urban communities vary in employer availability, transportation, broadband access, and institutional capacity. The panel will explore policy strategies that adapt to these differences while protecting statewide equity and quality.
Defining “High Quality” to Unlock Funding
States often struggle to secure and sustain funding because definitions of “quality” differ across agencies and education sectors. Clear, aligned standards help states strengthen accountability, improve outcomes, and maximize access to federal and state funding streams.
The panel will examine:
- Key indicators of high-quality work-based learning
- How states align definitions across systems
- Why clarity is essential for funding and program growth
And much more.
The Expert Panel
This webinar brings together national leaders whose work has shaped modern policy, research, and industry-led strategy in work-based learning.
Zach Boren – Senior Vice President, Policy & Government Relations, Apprenticeships for America
Zach is an experienced national leader in apprenticeship policy and system modernization. He has served in influential roles, including Chief of Registered Apprenticeship and Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor, where he supported national strategy and expansion efforts.
His work at the Urban Institute further strengthened apprenticeship access and quality across industries. Zach's background reflects deep expertise in federal–state coordination and the long-term advancement of apprenticeship as a mainstream workforce pathway.
Josh Laney - Chief Operating Officer, Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN)
Josh leads the National Project on Apprenticeship Standards and Interoperability (PASI), a federally funded effort to modernize competency-based apprenticeships.
He previously served as the founding director of the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship, bringing firsthand experience in building state-level apprenticeship infrastructure from the ground up.
Tony Davis – National Director, FAME USA at The Manufacturing Institute
Tony is a respected voice in employer-led workforce development with more than two decades of experience. He has guided the growth of FAME USA into a nationally recognized manufacturing talent model supporting hundreds of employers across 17 states.
His background spans operations, statewide workforce strategy, and education governance—including two terms on Louisiana's state board of education. Tony's expertise lies in building scalable industry partnerships and strengthening technical talent pipelines.
Matt Tower – Vice President, Whiteboard Advisors
Matt is known for his ability to distill complex education and workforce trends into clear insights. As Editor of The EdSheet, he tracks national developments across policy, labor markets, and workforce innovation.
His career includes roles in product management, investment, and research, giving him a multifaceted understanding of how public policy and market forces shape education and the future of work.
Dr. Patricia Saenz-Armstrong – Economist & Head of Data and Research Initiatives, Craft Education
Dr. Saenz-Armstrong is a labor economist with more than 15 years of experience studying education-to-workforce pathways and labor market outcomes. She has led research on teacher workforce trends, student success, and economic mobility, with a focus on underserved populations such as women of color and immigrants.
At Craft Education, she oversees data and research initiatives that help states and institutions better understand talent pipelines and design evidence-informed policies.
Register and Join the Conversation
If you’re helping shape work-based learning in your state or region, this is an opportunity to hear what’s working from people who are doing the work every day.
Driving Policy Change for Work-Based Learning
📅 Date: December 10, 2025
⏰ Time: 2:00 PM ET
Reserve your spot, bring your questions, and join a practical conversation about what it will take to move work-based learning policy forward.
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