Advancing lives: Building policy into the system.

^{Written by Mara Woody, Director of Strategic Partnerships, US Ecosystem at Riipen, this perspective draws from both lived experience and extensive work with higher education institutions. Mara partners with colleges, universities, and workforce organizations to expand access to experiential learning and career-connected opportunities. Part five of a six-part blog series sees Mara's insights help academic leaders better understand the systemic barriers learners face and how institutions, partners, and states can design more inclusive, scalable pathways to student success.}

In the last two pieces, I wrote about what it takes to move from alignment to action and how financial policy can accelerate that work. But there is another lever that determines whether change truly takes hold.

Statutory policy.

Funding can support and incentivize, but the statute defines what the system is designed to do. This is where the difference becomes clear:

• We can fund work-based learning.
• We can encourage it.
• We can even build strong pilots and partnerships.

But unless statutory policy is embedded in the system's structure, it will remain uneven, varying across institutions, geography, leadership, and access.

Statutory policy changes that. It moves work-based learning from something available to some learners to something expected of all.

We are starting to see this shift in several states.

In Ohio.

Legislation now requires each public institution of higher education to develop and implement a co-op or internship program aligned to workforce needs.

This is not framed as an optional enhancement. It is a core responsibility of the institution.

In Virginia.

Policy directs institutions to integrate work-based learning into degree programs without extending time to completion.

This is a critical design choice. It reinforces that experiential learning is not separate from academic progress. It is part of it.

In Colorado.

Legislation has established a work-based learning consortium pilot within higher education.

While structured as a pilot, it reflects a broader intent to embed work-based learning into how institutions operate and collaborate.

Why does this matter?

These approaches differ in structure, but they share a common shift. They define work-based learning as part of the system itself.

And when something is defined in statute, it changes how institutions design programs, how leaders prioritize resources, and how systems align around outcomes.

It creates consistency, clarity, and accountability.

But as with financial policy, statute alone is not enough. I have seen mandates introduced with strong intent struggle in practice. Not because the requirement was wrong, but because the system was not prepared to support it. This is where many statutory approaches fall short. They define the “what” without enabling the “how.”

Work-based learning cannot simply be required or expected to appear. It requires:

• Relationships with employers.
• Integration into curriculum.
• Support for faculty and staff.
• Infrastructure to coordinate and scale experiences.

Without these elements, mandates risk becoming compliance exercises rather than meaningful transformation. This is where statutory policy must be connected to the broader ecosystem.

Through the lens of the ADVE Framework, statute plays a powerful role in alignment and design. It establishes shared expectations across institutions, signals what matters at a system level, and creates the guardrails that shape how learning experiences are structured.

But for a statute to have real impact, it must be paired with financial support that builds capacity, convening that builds relationships and trust, and infrastructure that connects institutions, employers, and partners.

When these elements are aligned, work-based learning is no longer dependent on individual champions or isolated programs. It becomes part of how the system operates.

Across the states that are making the most progress, this pattern is becoming clearer. Statute defines the expectation. Funding supports the work. Convening builds the ecosystem. And together, they create the conditions for scale.

This is the difference between isolated success and systemic change. We are at a point where we know what works.

We know that integrating industry-authentic experience into learning improves outcomes. We know that it strengthens the connection between education and opportunity. And we know that when it is done well, it expands access rather than reinforcing existing gaps.

The question is no longer whether work-based learning matters. It is whether we are willing to design systems that make it possible for every learner. Statutory policy is one of the clearest ways to answer that question.

It must be done with intention. Not as a mandate alone, but part of a coordinated system that aligns expectations, resources, and relationships. When we get this right, we are not just expanding programs. We are redesigning the system itself.

And that is what this work has always been about.

About the author:

Dr. Mara Woody, Ed.D., is an award-winning leader, nationally in-demand speaker, and a leading national voice on transforming higher education for a rapidly evolving workforce. With over two decades of experience across public policy, academic affairs, and workforce development, she is known for turning bold ideas into scalable, system-wide impact. As Director of Strategic Partnerships at Riipen, she brings together educators, employers, and policymakers to expand access to real-world learning and advance responsible AI-enabled education. Previously serving as Missouri’s Assistant Commissioner for Postsecondary Policy, she led statewide initiatives to redesign systems around learner success. Dr. Woody, who holds a doctorate from Vanderbilt University, is dedicated to building collaborative, education ecosystems that expand opportunity and drive meaningful outcomes.