The United States is experiencing dramatic shifts in the skills required of incumbent workers and new hires. While the recent low unemployment rate was generally good news, it also exacerbated a persistent skill shortage in the region's labor force that has been consistently reported by many employers. A McKinsey Global Survey indicates that executives increasingly see investing in retraining and "upskilling" existing workers as an urgent business priority to overcome the labor force skills gap. In September 2019, with support from Strada Education Network, the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) convened a meeting of higher education, industry and policy leaders and subject matter experts in New England to identify best practices and strategies for improving access to--and completion of--upskilling programs in New England. Their keen insights combined with new consumer insights data from Strada Education Network on adults' perceived need for additional education, yielded a number of key recommendations as to how New England can expand and improve successful upskilling programs and policies. This paper seeks to build buy-in for these recommendations by providing a scan of the region's readiness to adapt, collaborate and act to increase access to and completion of upskilling opportunities, including the acquisition of value-added credentials. This white paper argues that all unemployed, underemployed and employed people in New England need access to affordable, industry-validated, marketable upskilling opportunities that operate on collaboration between employers and education providers and yield stackable, transferable credentials and lead to family-sustaining wages ($65,000 in New England).