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The Age of Agility is here, yet employers, policymakers, and education institutions in the United States face mounting challenges to seize the opportunities at hand. Technology has redefined our workforce as school systems struggle to prepare learners to succeed in this new era.
In June 2018, Aligned and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation hosted the Age of Agility Summit Kansas City. The Summit assembled more than 130 business, policy, and education leaders to explore how to better prepare students for the future of work.
Subsequently, a new vision for learners, systems, and educators has emerged for those who embrace agility. In this paradigm, we prepare students to be lifelong learners who are able to acquire the knowledge, skills, and abilities to compete in the global economy and find opportunity in their own community. Through this approach we will build a school to work pipeline that can withstand economic fluctuations. No one can predict the exact set of skills needed to succeed in tomorrow’s jobs. That’s why our charge is to equip students with the tools of agility today and inspire a mindset of lifelong learning that endures.
We all share an obligation to work together to confront the skills gap and reconfigure education pathways. We must remove barriers that stymie innovation in education—any laws, policies, and regulations that make it impossible to adjust on the fly to changing circumstances.
Our first Age of Agility Summit provided the platform for stakeholders to collaborate on solving this problem. Now, we are asking you to join us in taking the next step. Please consider joining Aligned in supporting the Agility Alliance Declaration.
The Agility Alliance Declaration was created to frame the movement’s collective vision for education in the future. As part of a larger communications effort, the Agility Alliance Declaration showcases the breadth and depth of support from business, education, and advocacy organizations to transform the education system across the country and within both Kansas and Missouri.
The Agility Alliance unites business and education behind a collective commitment to all of America’s students—to create agile and responsive education-to-workforce pathways and opportunities.
IMPERATIVE
The Age of Agility has arrived. Advanced technology, artificial intelligence, and automation are radically reshaping the way we work. Tasks, jobs, companies, and entire industries are being transformed. While some view this rapid change as a threat, others are ready to capitalize on the opportunities this new economy brings. One thing is clear: we must act now to prepare individuals and communities to survive and thrive in the new era. We believe education is the key.
VISION
Our vision for education in the Age of Agility empowers students to master the skills and mindset for success in the future. It enables lifelong learners to continuously improve their portfolio of knowledge, abilities, and experiences. It empowers educators to maximize their contributions to the rapidly changing workforce. We envision an agile system that is nimble and responsive to the needs of learners, incenting the development of a diverse array of opportunity pathways with permeability between school and work.
CALL TO ACTION
It’s time to join forces to make this vision a reality. The Agility Alliance is comprised of leaders from business, education, government, and advocacy who are committed to modernizing education and workforce training pathways. Join this movement to create agile and responsive education systems and robust and reliable pipelines of talented people ready to confront the future of work.
We, the undersigned, proudly serve as members of the Agility Alliance, to ensure all learners are prepared to succeed in a competitive global economy and contribute to their local community. We are on a mission to:
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