The U.S. centuries-old four-tiered degree system (associate, baccalaureate, masters, doctorate) can be insurmountable for many and hinders those who do not complete any given tier. The nation's credential landscape is increasingly confusing, with nearly one million unique credentials awarded from postsecondary education institutions and related…

Drawing on various disciplinary and scholarly approaches to the multiple roles of higher education in society, this paper offers a new conceptualisation of the non-economic contributions of higher education. The conceptual model identifies two basic dimensions in higher education's contributions to society. The first, axiological dimension…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of high school programs on the success of urban graduates. The success of the graduates in this study was defined by their contribution to society, durable skill levels, and personal introspection. Specifically, this study was focused on the impact of early college programs versus traditional…

Researchers have investigated the demography and styles of engagement of those who enroll in MOOCs but have lent little attention to how learners navigate MOOCs' ambiguity as academic certifications. Analyzing semi-structured interviews with 60 people who devoted substantial time to at least one MOOC between 2014-2017, we find that people use…

In conducting a multi-disciplinary, multi-degree study of all 83 higher education accrediting organizations in the United States and the 605 academic programs associated with them, our goal was to uncover patterns in the presence of leadership and general workforce competencies identified within the stated learning outcomes employed by these…

Individuals need the shortest path to opportunity and employers require the shortest path to a skilled diverse workforce. To solve for this, Western Governors University (WGU) has created a skills-based architecture to map our competencies and credentials to high-demand knowledge, and technical skills as well as powerful, enduring, employability…

In 2018, BHEF and the Business Roundtable joined forces to create the Workforce Partnership Initiative (WPI). The initiative invited Business Roundtable CEOs to form multi-company partnerships and connect with leaders of postsecondary institutions to meet regional workforce needs. Dozens of CEOs responded, and the JPMorgan Chase Foundation awarded…

Workforce development and career and technical education (CTE) have long provided reliable pathways to middle skill jobs and a gateway to the middle class. Given recent changes in middle skills jobs, the education landscape, and federal policy priorities, the role of CTE in the U.S. educational landscape is evolving more rapidly, encompassing a…

Economists, policymakers and other experts spend a great deal of time talking about the "future of work," but in many ways, the future is already here. Profound changes are already affecting our workforce and economy, including globalization, automation, and artificial intelligence. We need to adapt to these changes by adequately…

This resource provides helpful information for high school teachers and counselors to better understand computer science, an industry that has many high-wage jobs open across the country. The resource supports effective advising by including an overview of computer science, cybersecurity, and networking; defines in-demand computer science skills…

Nondegree credentialing and training has existed for many years. Reasons for pursuing nondegree education vary, from wanting to pick up in-demand skills, meet a job requirement, or get a pay raise to exploring a new occupational area or engaging in lifelong learning. Having a nondegree credential is not unusual, either; one 2014 analysis by the US…

This protocol guides the review of research that informs the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) intervention reports in the postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) topic area. The review-specific protocol is used in conjunction with the "WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook" (version 4.0). WWC reviews in this topic area focus on…

Several economic factors influence the availability of job openings and labor supply, including technological change and access to quality educational resources. One of the most important factors explaining the current disparity between available jobs and labor supply, however, has been the "skills gap," or the difference between the…

This article describes an examination of how undergraduate instructional design assistants (IDAs) scaled up an open badge system by assisting in creating open badges. External reviewers rated the open badge rubrics created by seven of these IDAs along with those created by instructors, and the results were compared by scored components as well as…

Ph.D. recipients across disciplines pursue careers in a variety of sectors, including academia, for profit, government, not-for-profit, and other areas. Alumni also change career paths, navigating between the sectors and job types over time. While these careers require distinctive disciplinary skills and knowledge, employers also seek to hire…