Alternative Providers Are Changing the Learning Ecosystem

In a new issue brief, Louis Soares, the chief learning and innovation officer at ACE, explores the concept of a learning ecosystem for postsecondary education, with a focus on alternative providers. Alternative providers are positioned in terms of their potential advantages, such as short credential pathways, low costs, flexibility, and connections to the labor market.

The Gen Z Workforce: Addressing Mental Health and Well-being

The Mary Christie Institute, in partnership with the Healthy Minds Network, the American Association of Colleges and Universities, and the National Association for Colleges and Employers, have released a new report that provides insight into the mental health and well-being of the new Generation Z workforce. The report draws attention to how the work environment changed because of COVID-19 for this particular age group, and the resulting increase in mental distress.

Working Learners and Work Colleges: Innovating at the Intersection of Education and Life

For the 72 million Americans in the labor force who lack a postsecondary credential, learning at the intersection of education, work, and life responsibilities holds the key to a high-wage job in the global knowledge and technology economy. Louis Soares and Vickie Choitz look at how “work colleges” can serve as a model for colleges and universities considering how to better support these learners.

Understanding Workers’ Professional and Educational Transitions During the Pandemic

The authors of a new report explain “The Great Resignation” as “a collective desire on the part of the American workforce for more rewarding or meaningful work.” However, they argue that the record-breaking number of resignations, retirements, and overall professional transitions were slowly building over the course of 10 years rather than a sudden mass exodus.

Issue Brief Outlines Strategies to Address “Stranded” Credits

As postsecondary attainment is increasingly tied to economic and workforce development, a new issue brief by Sarah Pingel of Ithaka S+R discusses strategies for institutions and states to better address stranded credits, or academic credits that students have earned but cannot access because they have an unpaid balance at another institution.

The Return on Investment for Business Degrees

A degree in business is one of the most popular choices at all levels—associates, bachelor’s, and master’s. A new report from Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce utilized College Scorecard data as of March 1, 2022 to investigate returns on investments on business degrees for over 1,700 institutions, from program choice to post-grad occupation.

New Reports Examine Pathways to a Good Job Among Today’s Young Adults

The Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University recently released two reports in a series on the delayed transition to a “good job” among young adults. A good job was defined as a job paying “at least $35,000 per year and $57,000 at the median for young workers (ages 25 to 35) nationwide, with adjustments based on cost-of-living differences among states.”

U.S. Strategic Innovative Competition: Why Inclusivity Is Important to STEM Success

Two new reports offer insights into recent legislative efforts that could impact science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and equity.

New Report Examines Demand for Degree Programs

EducationDynamics recently released the 2022 edition of its annual report on the demand for degree programs among college students and the labor market. The report analyzed over 3,000 degree and certificate programs offered by more than 300 accredited colleges and universities across the country.

What Is the Return on Investment for Higher Education?

The Bipartisan Policy Center has released a new report on the return on investment (ROI) for higher education institutions. Expanding on the prior studies, this report estimated ROIs for 3,349 higher institutions in the United States, by comparing students’ earnings after graduation—their college earning premium—and the costs of attending that institution.

How Are Universities Responding to the Changing U.S. Workforce?

A recent report from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities examines the importance of innovative partnerships and new approaches to education—opening the door for upward social mobility, increased income, and opportunities for advancement in the workforce for all students.

New Report Finds That More Education Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Higher Earnings

Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce recently released a report demonstrating more education does not always mean higher earnings for graduates.