Oakland Postsecondary Education & Workforce Collaborative

A systems-level coordination of services that ensure that Oakland high school graduates attain a college degree and sustain employment.

Led by Oakland Promise and Urban Strategies Council, the Oakland Postsecondary Education & Workforce Collaborative seeks to improve college matriculation, degree completion, and employment outcomes among Oakland high school graduates through implementation of a multi-pronged strategy which grew out of a partnership between the Oakland Mayor’s office and Alameda County Office of Education. The partners have accomplished the first-ever network-wide data-sharing system between Oakland Unified School District, Peralta Community College district, and CSU East Bay to enable an unprecedented level of coordination of direct services along each student’s postsecondary journey.

The Collaborative will work to eliminate barriers that prevent Oakland high school graduates from thriving in education and work after high school graduation, including meeting their basic needs in housing, food security, and mental health. Through a digital platform, student participants will have access to a wealth of college access resources including FAFSA, DreamAct, scholarships and grants, and benefits such as CalFresh. Program data will provide insights into which resources are the most effective at increasing school completion rates, leading to potential systems-level policies that support conditions for student wellness and success.

The Collaboration

The Problem

  • According to UC Davis School of Education's California Education Lab, only 38% of all Alameda county first-generation, historically under-represented, socio-economically disadvantaged students obtain a CTE, 2- or 4-year college degree within 6 years after HS graduation.[1]
  • Students facing food and housing insecurity report low academic performance at nearly half the rate as students for whom basic needs are covered. Even before the pandemic, 60% of our local community college students reported being food insecure and 83% of students indicated housing insecurity. [2]​
  • Millions of dollars in resources are left unclaimed by high school and college students every year.[3]

[1] chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://tippingpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Understanding-College-Access_Tipping-Point_UC-Davis.pdf
[2] Peralta Community College District student food and housing survey report 
[3] NCAN Report: $3.75 Billion in Pell Grants Goes Unclaimed for High School Class of 2021

"We entered 2020 with a bold vision to ensure that every rising first-year college student in Oakland could meet their basic needs. The pandemic was disruptive, but it also unleashed our potential. Over the last three years, we've connected our students to critical services and helped hundreds re-enroll in school. Looking ahead, we're excited about launching a new city-wide, multi-agency data-sharing agreement in 2023, which will enable us to identify gaps, coordinate resources and ultimately ensure that every student has the support they need to focus on school and thriving." ​- ​Sandra Ernst, CEO, Oakland Promise
For more information, contact:
Please include all members on all communications:

Linda Nguyen
Partnerships Senior Manager
Oakland Promise
linda@oaklandpromise.org

David Harris
Executive Director
Urban Strategies Council [email protected] 

Sandra Ernst
CEO
Oakland Promise 
[email protected]