California Competes

California Competes is a nonpartisan research and policy organization dedicated to aligning California's higher education and workforce systems with the needs of the economy. Established in 2011 by civic and business leaders, the organization focuses on identifying and promoting policy solutions that expand economic opportunity and enable all Californians to achieve their education and career goals, particularly those from underserved communities.

The organization operates as a nonprofit, influencing systemic change through rigorous, research-based advocacy. Its work targets four primary issue areas: improving college access and success for adult learners, strengthening the alignment between higher education and workforce needs, fostering a more agile and innovative higher education system, and promoting coordinated policy setting and implementation. A key tool in this effort is the Postsecondary to Prosperity Dashboard, a user-friendly data portal that provides visualizations on higher education, employment, and quality of life metrics across California's regions to guide decision-makers. California Competes is funded through partnerships with foundations and other organizations that support its mission.

The organization is led by CEO Dr. Su Jin Gatlin Jez, an accomplished researcher with extensive experience in public policy and education. Prior to leading California Competes, Dr. Jez was a professor at California State University, Sacramento, and has served in multiple leadership roles related to student success and public administration. Her background includes a PhD in education administration and policy analysis from Stanford University and a bachelor's in statistics from the University of California, Berkeley. The organization is guided by a Leadership Council and a Board of Directors composed of respected leaders from business, policy, and education.

Keywords: higher education policy, workforce development, economic opportunity, California policy research, postsecondary education, education equity, student success, education-to-employment pathways, policy advocacy, nonpartisan research, adult learners, data-driven policy, regional economic development, skills gap, education reform, workforce alignment, student parent success, economic mobility, policy analysis, California economy