UC Davis Leads Education and Workforce Alignment Across Northern California
New report highlights Inclusive Excellence’s role in coordinating transitions from education to careers
UC Davis has been an integral leader in shaping the region’s education system across Northern California, with UC Davis Inclusive Excellence playing a central role in coordinating efforts across three regional K–16 collaboratives, according to a recent report from the Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE).
The report, which was co-authored by two researchers and one alumna from the UC Davis School of Education's California Education Lab, summarizes the university’s role in the K-16 Collective – a statewide initiative that was funded as part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2021 Budget Act. UC Davis Inclusive Excellence has led the university’s participation in the statewide K–16 Education Collaborative initiative, which had the goal of transforming the region’s educational landscape to be more aligned with the needs of students and the workforce.
Transforming three regions
UC Davis’ role in the collective is unique in that it has helped align partnerships in the Sacramento region, North State and Redwood Coast, making it the only UC campus to be engaged in three or more regions. In doing so, the division has coordinated efforts across K–12 districts, community colleges, universities and industry partners to strengthen pathways from education to high-demand careers for nearly 900,000 youth across 22 of California’s 58 counties, spanning urban, suburban, and rural locales as well as several tribal communities.
“As the UC partner to three K–16 Education Collaboratives, UC Davis occupies a unique position in its ability to leverage existing networks as well as to offer a broad range of supports that increase students’ awareness, access, and success in postsecondary and occupational pathways,” according to the report.
Bridging fragmented systems to support student success
As the report summarized, California’s education system has long been defined by strong institutions that operate with distinct missions. K–12 systems are often centered on standardized testing and graduation benchmarks. Community colleges prioritize access and transfer. California State University campuses emphasize teaching and workforce preparation. University of California campuses focus on research and advanced study.
While each segment contributes to student success, the differences between them can create gaps that are difficult for students to navigate. Transitions between systems are not always aligned, and students can fall behind, become discouraged or leave the education pipeline altogether.
The K–16 Collaboratives were designed to address this challenge by intentionally connecting these systems and aligning them around a shared goal of student success.
Through its leadership role, UC Davis has helped bring partners together to map clearer education-to-career pathways and identify the support students need at each transition point. According to the report, this intentional coordination has resulted in stronger alignment across institutions and more coherent pathways for students.
Strengthening pathways through data and dual enrollment
The report highlights meaningful progress in how institutions share and use data to support student success. Improved data-sharing practices allow partners to better understand where students encounter barriers and how to address them more effectively.
In addition, expanded dual enrollment programs are helping students earn college credit while still in high school, creating earlier connections to higher education and accelerating progress toward degrees and careers
Together, these strategies are helping to reduce friction between systems and ensure that students are better prepared for each step along their educational journeys.
A regional model with statewide impact
Each K–16 collaborative operates with a regional focus, allowing partners to respond to local workforce needs and community priorities. At the same time, the report finds that UC Davis’ role as a multi-partner institution has helped create consistency and shared learning across regions.
Through this collaboration, institutions are also examining policies and practices that may unintentionally impede student progress and working together to improve them.
For UC Davis, the findings reinforce its role as both a research university and a regional convener committed to public impact.
By coordinating across systems and sectors, UC Davis Inclusive Excellence is helping to build a more connected education ecosystem, one that supports student success, strengthens workforce development and advances economic mobility across Northern California.