Microcredentials hold promise for connecting people's skillsets with labour market demand in a rapidly changing world of work. They have proliferated in recent years across economic sectors and education levels, reinforcing European and national efforts to understand and develop them better. They can increase the provision of…

This paper was presented at an event, 'The Skills Revolution: can lifelong learning save the UK economy?', jointly organised by NEON, Ruskin College, The University of West London, and CEILUP (Centre for Inequality and Levelling Up). In the paper the author argues that there is an urgent need to rethink and reform England's skills system and…

This Playbook provides steps in which workforce development boards (WDBs) can blur the lines between high school, postsecondary education, and the workforce. WDBs can play a significant role to Raise the Bar for student success by developing an "education-to-workforce system" focusing on Unlocking Career Success. The three steps detailed…

This product provides a summary of the outcomes of apprentices and trainees aged 15 years or over who undertook an apprenticeship or traineeship during 2023. It includes those who completed their training (completers) and those who cancelled or withdrew (non-completers). The figures are derived from the National Student Outcomes Survey. The 2024…

The idea of twenty-first century skills has been popular in higher education, and education in general, for the last couple of decades. At the heart of this idea is the belief that those leaving education for the workplace now require a particular skill set in order to succeed and help deliver an improving economy and society in an increasingly…

ePortfolios are a collection of digital evidence demonstrating learning over time, and are a high-impact practice for students that can be curated for specific audiences. In multidisciplinary programs, such as agriculture/agribusiness, students often have nuanced learning journeys and graduate with a range of skills and work-integrated learning…

Many students in postsecondary education programs face challenges navigating pathways to good jobs. In particular, students who face barriers to success need accessible pathways to economic mobility, but low income and low tolerance for debt present challenges. These students stand to benefit from strategies at all levels of education (and after…

This publication provides a summary of the outcomes of apprentices and trainees aged 15 years or over who undertook an apprenticeship or traineeship during 2022. It includes those who completed an apprenticeship or traineeship (completers) and those who cancelled or withdrew (non-completers). The figures are derived from the 2023 National Student…

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…

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 publication provides a summary of the outcomes of apprentices and trainees who completed an apprenticeship or traineeship during 2020. The figures are derived from the 2021 National Student Outcomes Survey. Information is presented on apprentices' and trainees' reasons for training, their employment outcomes, further study outcomes and…

This guide has been designed as part of a wider project to raise awareness of ways in which English for Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) learners can benefit from and progress to employment as an apprentice. It also illustrates how a focus on meeting ESOL learners' needs in the workplace can benefit employers and training providers. It is drawn…

Some analysts foresee that the rise of automation--triggered by advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, and other novel technologies--will soon unsettle sizable sections of our labour market, prompting the need for mass upskilling and re-skilling. Continuous learning is perceived as the new norm within the future of work. Many believe that…

This paper reflects on the process followed in the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh to cultivate an innovative and entrepreneurial culture among students and faculty. As a member of the first cohort of the Pathways program, a strategic process was initiated to unlock the innovation capabilities of students and to feed…

A decade after the Great Recession, millions of job seekers in their late teens and twenties--especially young people of color and youth from low-income families--are still struggling to land and keep meaningful work, even as the economy improves. Traditional education and training models are failing to equip them with the skills and credentials…