Michael Collins

Michael Collins is a nationally recognized leader on economic mobility, the future of work, and the changing relationship between education and opportunity. As Vice President of Education and Training at Jobs for the Future (JFF), he helps education leaders, employers, policymakers, philanthropies, and workforce organizations redesign the systems that connect learning to economic advancement. 

With more than 30 years of leadership in postsecondary education and workforce development, Collins has worked at the intersection of education, labor markets, and public policy to expand opportunity for learners and workers. Drawing on deep relationships across the education-to-work ecosystem, he advances strategies to better connect education systems, workforce systems, and employers, creating more responsive pathways that prepare people for careers in an economy shaped by rapid technological change, evolving skill demands, and lifelong learning. 

At JFF, Collins oversees the organization’s Pathways to Prosperity, Postsecondary, Skills First, Populations, and Career Navigation portfolios. He provides strategic leadership and business development for initiatives that help states, regions, institutions, employers, and philanthropic organizations strengthen education-to-career systems and improve economic mobility. 

Before joining JFF, Collins served as assistant commissioner for participation and success at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, where he collaborated with public officials, educators, employers, and other stakeholders to advance statewide policies that improved educational attainment and workforce success.