Refers to the methods and practices used to help people and organizations move from current ways of working to new ones. It focuses on preparing stakeholders, communicating clearly about what is changing and why, supporting people as they adapt, and ensuring that new approaches become part of regular practice.

In the learn-and-work ecosystem, change management is important because many parts of the system are evolving at the same time. New technologies, shifting workforce skill needs, new types of credentials, and growing expectations for lifelong learning are prompting organizations to rethink how education and employment systems operate. These transitions often involve both the introduction of new tools or systems and changes in institutional practices and expectations. They may also require coordinated changes across multiple organizations, including education providers, employers, workforce agencies, policymakers, and technology platforms.

Responsibility for change management is typically shared among:

• Leaders, who establish priorities and signal commitment to change.
• Implementation teams, who design and guide implementation.
• Managers and practitioners, who integrate new approaches into daily operations.

Change management efforts often fall short when new ideas, tools, or policies are introduced but not fully integrated into everyday practice. Organizations may launch initiatives, pilot programs, or new technologies yet underestimate the time, coordination, and communication required for people to adopt new ways of working. As a result, promising initiatives may advance unevenly or stall before reaching scale. Effective change management helps address these challenges by aligning leadership support, implementation planning, and day-to-day practice across the organizations involved.