July 24, 2024

Americans spend $1 trillion per year on education and training beyond high school—primarily, research shows, to improve their career prospects.

But the journey from education to employment can be challenging. Individuals are facing a series of high-stakes decisions as they begin to explore education and career pathways, and every choice shapes future possibilities. 
 
Data systems that connect education and employment data can help inform the decision-making process for students and the institutions and educators that serve them. Employers also benefit from more comprehensive data systems as they manage talent needs and build partnerships with education and training providers.

In a new interview, Jon Furr, Strada senior vice president and chief data ecosystem officer, explains how states are working together to accelerate their progress toward a more holistic education-to-employment data system.

“Data are just another way to understand people,” Furr says. “Education-to-employment data helps us understand how individuals are participating in education programs and whether they are then moving into fulfilling jobs after completion.”

CONNECTING COLLEGE TO CAREER

Helping students meet the challenge of connecting their coursework to potential careers is a long-standing dilemma, writes Abby Miller, the author of “Quarterlife Crisis.” Published nearly a quarter-century ago, the book explored the transition from college to the workforce at a time when the topic was not as ubiquitous as it is today. In The Hechinger Report, Miller offers recommendations for colleges and universities seeking to help students connect their degree to career success. Read more.

CAREER PREP WITHIN LIBERAL ARTS

In a piece that outlines steps higher education institutions can take to embed career preparation within a liberal arts education, Steven Mintz, professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin, says: “A liberal education without career preparation is partial and incomplete, missing the practical application of knowledge. Preprofessional training without a humanistic education is narrow and blinkered, lacking the depth of critical thinking and ethical perspective.” Read More.

MODERN EMPLOYER ALIGNMENT NEEDS

The relationship between higher education and employer needs has evolved, with the linear progression from school to work increasingly replaced by more fluid movement between education and career. “Learners are looking at higher education for timely opportunities for career advancement, upskilling, reskilling, or even for a career change,” Ritu Saksena, who works in continuing education at the University of Minnesota, says in an interview with The EvoLLLution. “This is a significant shift in how learners approach higher education and their own career needs." Read more.

REPORT: A new Strada-funded survey from the Rutgers University Education and Employment Research Center shows that, while many states are interested in capturing industry certification data, few are able to systematically collect it.

WEBINAR: Strada’s Laura Love, senior vice president, work-based learning, joined other experts to discuss quality internships on a recent Inside Higher Ed webinar, “From College to Career: Increasing Access to Quality Internships.”

SYMPOSIUM: Staff who support the Strada HBCU Initiative joined institutional advancement leaders from HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions for the HBCU Philanthropy Symposium at Delaware State University.