• Higher education remains an important avenue for individuals to build the skills and knowledge to succeed in careers and create upward economic mobility for themselves and their families. However, rising costs and rapidly evolving workforce needs have made the conventional four-year degree path impractical, and unattainable, for many.
• Over the past two decades, post-secondary institutions have made steady progress to align with labor market demand and the “toolbelt generation’s” preferences. The rise of alternative education options — trade and vocational schools, certificates and badges, and “micro-credential” programs — is helping better prepare Americans for in-demand jobs of today and tomorrow.
• This rethinking of education and training after high school promotes opportunity pluralism — the idea that students should have access to many paths to a good job, not just the traditional degree pathway. It integrates rigorous academics, technical skills, practical experience, and professional networks.
• The Workforce Pell Grant program, which was officially launched this year, promises to help more people from more backgrounds access higher education options that meet their learning and career goals. The program’s success will largely depend on implementation, which policymakers and stakeholders alike should help shape.
• Public-private partnerships — which enable schools to draw on the private sector’s expertise and share risk — are critical to both the Workforce Pell’s success and the continued growth of non-traditional learning options.
• Lawmakers should protect these relationships, and thereby empower institutions to continue to innovate and better serve students, by codifying current governing guidance into law, which will eliminate uncertainty and remove the potential for politicization.
