Austin Estes

Austin joined ESG in 2024 to support the organization’s pathways work at the state and local level. He brings extensive experience using data to inform state policymaking. His work at ESG includes helping education and workforce leaders build AI-resilient pathways, designing and facilitating impactful communities of practices, leveraging employer partnerships to develop industry-aligned opportunities, and developing market-driven skills frameworks to align pathways programming with industry needs. He authored ESG’s Forging Futures report on the next generation of career pathways and leads ESG’s research on the AI economy.

Prior to ESG, he worked at the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), where his work on the COVID Relief Data Project helped illuminate the strategic investments state education agencies made in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to address students’ academic and wellbeing needs. At CCSSO, Austin also supported the Career Readiness Collaborative and helped bring emerging ideas and research on career pathways, work-based learning, durable skills, and credentials of value to state leaders across the nation.

Before CCSSO, Austin worked at Advance CTE, where he served in multiple roles, most recently as the manager of data and research. At Advance CTE, Austin developed a training program to help state leaders analyze student data and identify root causes to address inequities in Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. He also managed the Postsecondary CTE Data Initiative, facilitated a youth apprenticeship data working group with the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship, helped states write their four-year Perkins V plans, and conducted mixed methods research projects to help states identify and adopt high-impact policies.

Austin previously worked at Flamboyan Foundation, where he supported data analysis and research for the organization’s family engagement partnership in Washington, DC.Austin has an MPP from American University and a B.A. in Psychology from Florida Atlantic University.

Why are you in this work?

I come from a family of educators who believe in the power of education to build purpose, connection, and opportunity for young people. I believe state and local leaders can and should work collaboratively to create the conditions for young learners to thrive.

Why ESG?

I first connected with ESG in 2016 when I joined Advance CTE. Our organizations worked together with CCSSO to lead New Skills for Youth, an initiative of 10 states building opportunities for young people by strengthening and expanding high-quality career pathways. The ESG team was smaller then, but the impact and urgency of the work was just as great. I firmly believe in this mission and I’m excited to join a team with the scale and impact that ESG has.