Who Are the Players?

In order to transform the way we finance and invest in talent, we first need to understand who finances what for whom and how all of the involved parties are positioned in relation to one another. Knowing who the key players are within the talent finance ecosystem and how they have traditionally worked together will drive us to innovate the ways we utilize both existing cross-sector collaborations and potential new relationships.

Issuers and Financing Partners

There Are Six Major Types of Public and Private Issuers of Financing

Government agencies (including federal, state, and local governments), military, and quasi-government organizations

Learners and workers themselves

Employers, employer collaboratives, and related business associations

Employment, education, training, and social service providers

Professional associations, unions, and other worker organizations

Other private sector funders and investors

These instruments may involve other secondary issuers or financing partners who jointly issue, provide capital, or make contributions.

Recipients and Beneficiaries

There Are Three Major Types of Recipients

Service providers to employers and workers

Employers and employer collaboratives

Workers and learners

The benefits of investing in talent development mechanisms reach far beyond the direct recipients of the financial contribution.

Such investments have the potential to generate profound returns and shared value throughout the ecosystem as a whole.

For all types of recipients, there are other direct and indirect beneficiaries beyond the recipients.

One example is issuers providing grants to service providers to finance support services for workers that will result in benefits to governments, employers, and workers.

Example service providers include: public and private universities and community and technical colleges; community-based nonprofit organizations; staffing organizations; professional services companies; other education, training, and credentialing organizations; employer benefit providers (e.g., tuition assistance program managers); industry and business organizations; unions and related worker organizations; government agencies

Employer Training Investments

$28 billion

for tuition reimbursement

$177 billion

for formal education and training

$400+ billion

for informal training

Source: “College Is Just the Beginning: Employers’ Role in the $1.1 Trillion Postsecondary Education and Training System.” Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce, 2015

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Scott Pulsipher on Reimagining Talent Finance

Former Delaware Governor Jack Markell on Government's Role in Building Talent Finance Partnerships

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