Strada worked closely with state data agency leaders and state higher education executives to identify 10 critical elements that contribute to the capacity of state data systems to strengthen the connection between education and opportunity.
Access to robust, accurate, and timely information benefits everyone in the education-to-employment system.
The result? For educators, employer-aligned programs that improve students’ career opportunities after graduation. For state policymakers, evidence-based approaches for directing public resources to improve education and workforce outcomes. And for students and their families, clearer guidance for decisions about education choices after high school.
Across the country, state governments are charting paths that allow their education data and employment data to work together. Strada worked closely with state data agency leaders and state higher education executives to identify 10 critical elements that contribute to the capacity of state data systems to strengthen the connection between education and opportunity. These 10 elements are organized into four functions: collect, integrate, provide, and impact.
While no one state has completely developed their data systems across all of the elements of this framework, there are leaders in each element, and all states have strengths to build from.
What we’re reading, talking about, and listening to
THE GOOD JOBS OF THE FUTURE
According to a new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, by 2031 the number of good jobs in the United States will grow by 15.2 million, and 85 percent of them will require some level of postsecondary education. The center defines a good job as one that pays, nationally, a minimum of $43,000 to workers ages 25 to 44, a minimum of $55,000 to workers ages 45 to 64, and a median of $82,000 for all good jobs. Read more.
UNIVERSITY CO-OP PROGRAMS GAINS POPULARITY
Universities that allow students to alternate academic semesters with months of full-time paid work experience — such as Drexel in Philadelphia, Northeastern in Boston, and Georgia Tech in Atlanta — are increasingly attractive to students as more Americans question the value of a bachelor’s degree. “For families and businesses alike, the debate isn’t over just soaring tuition costs and student debt loads, but also whether U.S. universities are producing the kind of talent that companies say they need,” Sanvi Bangalore writes for The Wall Street Journal. Read More.
ACCELERATING USE OF DIGITAL WALLETS
If higher education can speed up the adoption of systems for learners to display their digital credentials and job skills, it could help to reinforce sagging public belief in the relevance of college and a formal education, Paul Fain writes for Work Shift. In pursuit of this goal, a recently formed coalition of national college associations is working to accelerate the use of learning and employment records and digital wallets. Read more.
NEWS FROM STRADA
CONFERENCE:Strada’s Gabriella Gómez and Nichole Torpey-Saboe joined other higher education leaders at the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association Education Policy Conference to discuss the State Opportunity Index.
RECOGNITION: Rhonda Powell, Strada executive vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary, was honored among Savoy Magazine’s 2024 Most Influential Lawyers.
INTERNS:Strada was pleased to welcome 10 interns in 2024. They pursued work projects, participated in learning and leadership development sessions, received individualized coaching and mentorship, and explored community service opportunities.
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