A new report from the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), A Nation at Risk to a Nation at Work: The Case for a National Talent Strategy, characterizes current workforce shortages as a system‑wide challenge rooted in fragmented education, training, and workforce systems across the federal and state levels. Rather than focusing on individual industries or employers, the report emphasizes the need for greater coordination and alignment across public systems that support workforce preparation and employment.

Released March 11, 2026, the report is the culmination of work by the center’s Commission on the American Workforce, formed in 2025, that brought together bipartisan leaders from government, business, education, and workforce policy with the goals of assessing how well current systems are preparing workers for today’s economy and developing actionable recommendations.

The report also calls for stronger connections between education and employment, including greater use of short‑term credentials, employer partnerships, and training programs that are more closely aligned with labor market needs. Additionally, the report explores and underscores the critical need to support working families as a foundational element of a modern workforce system. It links workforce participation and retention to access to caregiving supports and other policies that enable individuals to remain engaged in the labor force as work and family responsibilities evolve.