Middle-skill workers are the majority of the U.S. labor market but are among the least likely to have a career focused social media presence. With recruiters looking to platforms like LinkedIn and using digital keyword tools when looking for candidates, many who are not online are falling through the cracks. Their invisibility in the digital […]
Democratization of Access
“The emerging “consumerization” of higher education will be driven by greater expectations of value, alternative ways to “attend” school and ongoing reskilling for sustained employability.”
Insights from SXSWEDU 2019 On Closing the Skills Gap
Closing the middle skills gap was a hot topic of conversation at SXSWEDU 2019, and Penn Foster was right in the middle of the discussion. Panelists from education and workforce development organizations identified four areas of focus that could help close the middle skills gap, creating opportunity for workers and employers alike. Bringing their ideas […]
The Skills to Succeed in Charles Dickens’ Time, and Ours
To create a national movement to better connect education, career pathways and job creation, while also promoting affordable learning, is going to take the cooperation of and a collaboration with as many public and private sectors players as possible. It’s also going to take a renewal of American spirit and a determined collective effort, the […]
The Troubling Erosion of Trust between Youth and Established Support Systems
Across America, young adults are experiencing a macro erosion of trust towards established support systems. This trust deficit cuts across all income classes, but it is especially prevalent among youth in traditional institutions, and most acute in the school setting. Historically, school existed as an anchor of support for a young adult, but today, schools […]
Addressing the Confidence-in-the Future Gap with a Company Mission that Matches the Moment
As election post-mortems continue, views vary on what happened in this year’s vote that fooled nearly all the pundits. While the debate continues to rage in some quarters, nearly every credible source has confirmed that across battleground states, from urban to rural districts, a powerful, large scale and often under-appreciated voter cohort materially changed the […]
High School Graduation Rate Reaches New Peak But More Must Be Done: A $10 billion Dollar Opportunity for the Economy
When President Obama announced recently that America’s high school graduation rate has reached a record new high of 83.2 percent, it was a proud moment for those involved in education policy in Washington. No doubt the celebration was brief though, because the President and his team, as well as members of Congress, know that more […]
Why “Economic Immobility” is the New “Income Inequality”
There’s no more vexing and persistent issue today than youth unemployment, particularly in America’s largest cities, places that propel the dueling forces of prosperity and poverty. Primary factors that tip the relative strength of those forces are access to affordable education and skills training, as well as credible pathways for young adults to earn meaningful […]
How to Break the Unemployment-Enrollment Link
As posted on FosterEDU A simple, yet troubling rule of thumb drives enrollment to community colleges, for-profit colleges, and some four-year open-access institutions. As reported by Inside Higher Ed, employment and unemployment rates drive spikes in enrollment at these institutions, and play a much greater correlation than other population trends. It’s a logical and consistent […]
What’s Missing from the College Completion Agenda that Could Benefit America’s Economy – A Path to Get There
As posted on FosterEDU The college completion agenda is picking up across the nation. States are seizing the opportunity to set new goals for increasing the number of citizens who hold postsecondary certificates or degrees. The ultimate aim of this initiative is to generate a more skilled, qualified and credentialed pool of candidates to infuse […]
Why Closing the Achievement Gap is Good for Business
As posted on FosterEDU blog Our nation continues to combat the dropout crisis by increasing the high school graduation rate (from 80 percent in 2012 to 81.4 percent in 2013). It’s progress for education, but what about the achievement gap?1 The National Center for Education Statistics defines the achievement gap as the result of when […]
