WhereWeGo emerged from observations in New Orleans public schools, where successful students left college and ended up in low-wage positions. The first Training Navigator we built addressed what workers told us they needed: "I can't make 4-year college work right now and I don't know my alternatives."
That problem is structural — and it starts with broken data.
The scale of the problem
- Over 70% of Gen Z desire nontraditional educational routes
- 93% of recent graduates view skilled trades as potentially superior to college for economic security
- Trade school enrollment increased 5% between 2020–2023 — roughly double the four-year university growth rate
- Nearly 60% of state workforce agencies lack program-level data on training outcomes (National Skills Coalition)
- Public datasets omit over 50% of available training opportunities
Why the data is broken
Training landscapes transform rapidly. Quality self-reported data requires adequate staffing. Low-quality programs with aggressive marketing dominate search results. And existing data efforts don't prioritize the information workers actually need to make decisions — cost, duration, support services, and what comes after.
WhereWeGo's approach
We're building the first national, sustainable program-level dataset by combining AI-powered discovery with human research review. Our inclusion criteria go beyond WIOA standards. Our metadata is workforce-informed — real outcomes data, labor market integration, and the decision factors workers actually use.
The result: a CMS and API that workforce boards, economic development organizations, and industry nonprofits can use to power their own platforms with accurate, up-to-date training program data.
Want to collaborate? Reach out: leah@wherewego.org
