APPLY NOW: Join the National Cohort to Design and Launch a Lifelong Learning Account (LiLA) Pilot

Third Sector, a technical assistance nonprofit that advises government agencies on outcomes-based systems change, in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, is offering six months (February – August 2024) of pro bono technical assistance and training to local and state government agencies and their cross-sector partners – including employers and industry associations – interested in leveraging Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLAs) to upskill or reskill their workforce. Participating teams in Third Sector’s national cohort will co-design a LiLA pilot and develop an implementation plan for that pilot program with the goal of launching in late 2024.

For the technical assistance, Third Sector will draw on our experience and expertise in supporting public sector partners to leverage data, policy, and funding to develop and implement innovative, outcomes-oriented programs and services while the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which leads the Talent Finance initiative, will bring alternative expertise that helps advance public-private finance innovations. A cohort of 3-5 teams will engage in virtual workshops over approximately six months, starting in February 2024 and concluding in August, to co-design a LiLA pilot and develop an implementation plan for that pilot program with the goal of launching in late 2024.

Participating teams will also receive one-on-one coaching support from an advisory committee of subject matter experts to help them customize their LiLA pilots to local contexts and populations of focus. 

Cohort teams will:

• Engage with other cross-sector teams from across the country that are committed to directly linking dollars to evidence of workforce success;
• Benefit from individual coaching from subject matter experts in LiLA implementation;
• Participate in virtual technical assistance workshops facilitated by Third Sector, a national leader in outcomes-focused government partnerships, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to design elements of the pilot program; 
• Create a draft LiLA Implementation Plan; and
• Receive resources for practical implementation.

During workshops, Third Sector will curate a combination of facilitated exercises to explore various design components of a LiLA pilot, including guest presentations from subject matter experts, workshop time for cohort teams, and opportunities for teams to compare notes and troubleshoot common challenges. We have found that cross-state cohorts provide momentum and support to leaders across jurisdictions because they are not as constrained by the “status quo” from their own state and are able to jointly identify creative ways to use federal, state, and private funds.