Strengthening the Future of Work: Insights from the 2026 NASWA Winter Policy Forum

What workforce leaders are preparing for next

The 2026 NASWA Winter Policy Forum in National Harbor, MD, brought together state workforce leaders, federal officials, and industry partners to focus on a practical challenge: how to prepare workforce systems for the next wave of policy and technology changes. Conversations throughout the forum centered on data integration, outcomes measurement, and the growing expectations for accountability. 

We were truly grateful to host such an incredible turnout of state workforce leaders at our featured discussion on the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s (CDLE) Workforce Data Intelligence project. This initiative provides a blueprint for the future of agency operations: a unified data platform that modernizes CDLE’s infrastructure by connecting and organizing data across the agency. By integrating data across all departments, the project enables CDLE to create dashboards and reports that help leaders track program performance, identify trends, and make more informed policy and operational decisions to drive positive citizen outcomes.  

Driving the national conversation: 2026 takeaways

NASWA shared its 2026 legislative priorities, focusing on stronger coordination across workforce programs, restoring federal support for labor market information, modernizing unemployment insurance systems, and preparing states for the growing role of AI in the labor market. Discussions centered on these key pillars: 

• Workforce System Alignment: Advance a “no wrong door” approach that better integrates WIOA, SNAP, and Medicaid community engagement requirements to help workers achieve economic mobility. 
• The Power of Data: Restore federal funding for labor market information (LMI) so states can provide reliable, timely data to inform policy and respond to local economic conditions. 
• Modernizing Unemployment Insurance: Increase administrative funding to strengthen fraud prevention and ensure UI systems are resilient enough for the next economic shift. 
• Embracing AI and Innovation: Provide dedicated funding to help states prepare workers for AI and adopt emerging technologies that improve service delivery. 

Looking ahead to the era of Workforce Pell and modernized infrastructure

As we look forward, Workforce Pell implementation will be a major transformative shift for the entire workforce ecosystem. To successfully navigate this change, agencies must modernize their data infrastructure through unified platforms and connected record systems. We’re also energized by the innovation encouraged in TEGL 05-25, which explicitly pushes states to embrace bold new strategies in workforce delivery.

The Foundation: Unified Data Platform

Many workforce agencies currently struggle with fragmented, disparate data sources that hinder effective decision-making. By implementing a unified data platform, organizations can seamlessly integrate data across departments. Whether utilizing a data warehouse or a data lake, this approach enables agencies to accurately track key performance indicators such as total citizens served, return on investment, and the total economic impact of workforce programs. Migrating data to the cloud enables agencies to use AI more effectively and improve operational efficiency. 

The Bridge: Connected Record Platform

Once data is integrated into a unified data platform, the next step is entity resolution: linking records across systems to create a complete view of an individual’s journey across education and the workforce. A connected record platform applies this approach to bring together data from multiple agencies and programs, creating the unified view often associated with P20W systems or state longitudinal data systems (SLDS). With this visibility, leaders can identify trends, address gaps, and improve programs that support citizens throughout their learning and career pathways.

The Future: Intelligent Decision Support

The ultimate goal of this infrastructure is intelligent decision support, which harnesses the power of AI to deliver personalized guidance for citizens. By analyzing individual profiles and workforce trends, AI-driven tools like Google’s Career Compass or Resultant’s Workforce Recommendation Engine match citizens with the most effective training and career paths.

We’re already seeing these capabilities put into practice. Old Dominion University recently launched a new AI-powered Career Pathways tool to help students and job seekers explore training and employment options with greater clarity. Built in partnership with Google, Resultant served as the implementation partner and helped bring this platform to life.

This kind of solution illustrates what becomes possible when unified data, connected records, and AI-driven guidance come together to support better decision-making for both individuals and agencies. 

Turning infrastructure into accountability

As conversations at the 2026 NASWA Winter Policy Forum made clear, Workforce Pell is both expanding access to training and raising expectations for how outcomes are measured, reported, and understood. 

Meeting those expectations will require more than policy alignment. Agencies will need the ability to connect data across programs, track outcomes over time, and translate that data into actionable guidance for both leaders and participants. 

The combination of unified data platforms, connected record systems, and intelligent decision support creates the foundation for that shift. Together, these capabilities allow agencies to move beyond fragmented reporting toward a clearer understanding of what’s working, where gaps exist, and how to improve outcomes at scale. 

As Workforce Pell moves closer to implementation, workforce agencies face a critical question: Is your current data and technology environment ready to support it?  

To help leaders assess where they stand, we created a Workforce Pell Readiness Score designed specifically for state workforce agencies. 

Explore the Workforce Pell Readiness Score