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Reaching Into High School

Jun 10, 2024 | workshift.opencampusmedia.org | Paul Fain |byElisa Villanueva Beard |Michael Crow |byPaul Fain

High school students now account for half the enrollment at many community colleges, but state dollars often don’t follow the students to campus. Also, young people are more positive about AI’s use in school and work, and an essay on why business leaders should view Gen Z as models for change. The booming dual enrollment of high school students in community college has been a lifeline for the sector’s student numbers, which tanked during the pandemic.
Changing the Enrollment Calculus

May 30, 2024 | workshift.opencampusmedia.org | Paul Fain |byPaul Fain

North Carolina community colleges lure former students back with a pitch of “better skills, better jobs” and an open mind about short-term credentials. Also, wages grow for workers without four-year degrees, although community college credentials are misaligned with the labor market. Enrollment growth at community colleges is leading a post-pandemic recovery, fueled chiefly by the dual enrollment of high school students. But older students also are enrolling in community college in greater numbers.
Co-Producers of Talent

May 23, 2024 | workshift.opencampusmedia.org | Paul Fain |byPaul Fain

Brookings Metro on seizing the moment with place-based economic policy and how employers can help create more nimble education systems. Also, vocational programs at community colleges lead the U.S. enrollment rebound, and an essay on getting on the same page about career-connected learning. Employers need to be more hands-on with the U.S. education system to create paths into good careers for more Americans, including those without four-year degrees.
What to watch as interest grows in alternative paths to jobs

May 22, 2024 | workshift.opencampusmedia.org | Paul Fain |byPaul Fain

This week is a temperature check on the rise of alternative pathways to jobs, featuring short takes from several experts. Also retroactive Pell Grants and a Labor Department official to watch. Consumer interest in alternative credentials is on the rise. And a growing number of employers are offering their own credentials or talking about looking beyond college degrees with skills-based hiring.
Waiting for Projected Jobs

May 16, 2024 | workshift.opencampusmedia.org | Paul Fain |byPaul Fain

Community Colleges scramble to add training programs for expected new EV, semiconductor, and AI-related jobs, with financial backing from the feds and industry. Will the jobs follow? Also, two new reports on college ROI, and an essay on why workers need custom career paths. The U.S. electric vehicle industry is projected to boom in coming years, despite partisan headwinds. In Michigan, state officials hope 7K workers will enter the EV workforce by 2030.
Skills-First for Cyber

May 16, 2024 | workshift.opencampusmedia.org | Paul Fain |byPaul Fain

The White House leads by example on cyber jobs while prodding the private sector on skills-first hiring and job training, like new apprenticeships from Per Scholas. Also, philanthropy’s role in closing AI’s understanding gap, new AI training from Google, and research on the ROI of nondegree credentials.
On-Demand Human Connection

May 16, 2024 | workshift.opencampusmedia.org | Paul Fain |byPaul Fain

Four approaches to mentorship amid a surge of interest among colleges and employers. Also, early thoughts on what new developments in generative AI might mean for education and work, and a podcast episode with a reality check from two experts on AI’s impacts. Mentorship is a popular solution for helping students keep on track as they work toward a credential and landing a career.
Public Infrastructure on Skills

May 9, 2024 | workshift.opencampusmedia.org | Paul Fain |byPaul Fain

Urgency builds for real progress on skills-based hiring before the window shuts on the movement. Also, a new center seeks to connect the dots on competencies and skills, the Treasury taps cyber certs from Google Cloud, and what AI could mean for legal occupations. The window is open now for the creation of skills-based education and hiring systems in the U.S. But shifts in the economy or politics could slam that opportunity shut in the next couple years.
The Job: Skills Training for the Undegreed

Apr 11, 2024 | workshift.opencampusmedia.org | Paul Fain |byPaul Fain

Interplay’s virtual training for the skilled trades makes headway with community colleges. Also, how to support workers without degrees during the AI transition, Congressional movement toward updating WIOA and modernizing apprenticeships, and an op-ed on how AI could threaten social capital. The U.S. faces a serious shortage of workers in the skilled trades—fields like HVAC, plumbing, electrical, solar, and construction.
The Job: Preparing Amid Uncertainty

Apr 4, 2024 | workshift.opencampusmedia.org | Paul Fain |byPaul Fain

A new consortium of major tech companies will share how AI is changing their workforces and occupations in tech. Also, a student success group wants to make sure lower-income students aren’t left behind on AI, and a new index aims to help states tighten connections between education and work. Educators may feel like they’re flying blind as they prepare for the impacts of artificial intelligence.