Work Shift

The Job newsletter became a thing exactly four years ago. The beat remains busy. I’m hoping to keep it rolling. Thanks for reading — and for talking with me.

AI could reshape the workforce—fast. But policymakers and employers still lack clear plans for helping workers adapt. Experts warn that #AI could disrupt millions of jobs, from support roles to high-paying middle management positions. Research by the The Brookings Institution suggests that, even with today’s capabilities, AI threatens 19M professionals in office support and administrative jobs—a major part of the lower middle class. Ben Buchanan, the Biden administration’s special advisor for AI, believes Congress must step in to cushion any potential workforce upheavals. But with Republicans pursuing budget cuts, that’s unlikely to happen soon. “We need to make sure that individual workers and classes of workers are protected in that transition,” Buchanan recently told Ezra Klein of the New York Times. “I think we should be honest: That’s going to be very hard. We have never done that well.” Upskilling will be critical, experts say, but without clear projections, businesses, policymakers, and educators risk falling behind. One place workers looking to upskill could turn? LinkedIn. Read how in this week’s The Job newsletter: https://lnkd.in/ewiEuPht

Senator?Ted Cruz?has released a database?of more than $2B in Biden-era NSF grants that he considers "woke" and subject to extra scrutiny under the Trump administration's widening crackdown on DEI. Many workforce education and training programs are on Cruz's list, including: ?? $3M?to develop new?EV technician training programs?at 15 community colleges across the country, led by Central Oregon Community College. ?? $7.5M?to create the?National Information Technology Innovation Center, led by Columbus State Community College and involving community colleges across Arizona, Ohio, and Texas. ? NSF Regional Engines, like the?$15M Louisiana Energy Transition Engine, which is building?regional expertise?in carbon sequestration and hydrogen as an alternative fuel. It’s led by LSU but includes the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. Cruz, as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, has significant influence over NSF. Read the full story in the Feb. 20th issue of The Job: https://lnkd.in/ee3iCuAb And subscribe to get the latest newsletter tomorrow, with more federal funding news and new research on AI: https://lnkd.in/eyeb_Kum

With the Trump administration pausing federal funding for clean energy projects, #CommunityCollege workforce training programs that rely on that money are in limbo. Colleges and companies have built training pipelines for clean energy jobs—but if funding dries up, those pipelines could collapse. That’s a big deal, especially since 77% of clean energy investments are happening in Republican districts. One program on hold: A $1B electric vehicle infrastructure initiative from the U.S. Department of Transportation, set to fund training programs at 34 community colleges across 10 Southeastern states. One report found that EV battery production alone could require 310K workers by 2030, with two-thirds of those jobs needing specialized training from community colleges and apprenticeships. Without funding, programs in EV manufacturing, maintenance, and charging infrastructure could stall. The #workforce community has been quiet, waiting to see how this plays out. But this could be a make-or-break moment for #CleanEnergy jobs and training. Read more in this week’s The Job: https://lnkd.in/eAEwXEjm

In Work Shift, Data Quality Campaign's CEO Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger and I outline 6 questions we encourage Senators to ask U.S. Department of Labor Secretary-Designee Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer at tomorrow's nomination hearing. We argue that the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions should use their platform not just to elevate the importance of strengthening our nation’s workforce—but to specifically encourage the next Secretary to prioritize improvements in data collection, integration, and transparency. Jobs for the Future (JFF)

From Work Shift: Elon Musk turns his sights to the Education Department while the White House scrutinizes funding for the Labor Department, National Science Foundation, CHIPS, and more. Also, a new bipartisan commission on workforce seeks common ground amid uncertainty at the federal level, and new data on surging certificates in Indiana.

As Congress gears up to (possibly) extend Pell grants to noncredit education, Michelle Van Noy and I return to the fundamental question: Do non-degree credentials improve student outcomes in the labor market? Of course the answer is, "It depends." ??♂? What did you expect? But our latest blog post for Work Shift drills down to what exactly it depends on. Take a look! https://lnkd.in/eSUidD2G

Colorado Mountain College's president, Matt Gianneschi, has an idea to stay relevant to local communities: "Get out of the national market. Focus on your students. Focus on your market.” At this dual-mission college, everything is designed to support the rural Colorado communities it serves. Programs are tied directly to local hiring needs, from first responders to dental hygienists, and every new offering must meet or exceed MIT’s Living Wage Calculator. Students can stack certificates toward degrees without losing time or money, making higher education accessible to working learners. And by relying on local property taxes rather than state funding, the college stays focused on connecting #education to good #jobs — not just increasing #enrollment. Read more: https://bit.ly/4jK2AYa #highereducation #college #communitycolleges

Here's our big take on the federal funding freeze, which is still very much an evolving situation. The tldr: + An OMB memo, issued late Monday, pausing federal grants and loans triggered chaos in the workforce and community college world. + A judge has since temporarily blocked implementation of the order, and the OMB rescinded it today. + However, the White House says it will still review and potentially freeze programs it views as falling under a raft of executive orders on DEI, green energy, and other issues. + Well-placed sources have told us that the Trump administration intends to review and pause some workforce programs. + And as of today, many WIOA-funded and other programs using the federal PMS system still are seeing a notice that payments will be delayed and possibly denied. https://lnkd.in/eUAd66Wb

UPDATE: See coverage from Work Shift in the comments. Looks like OMB just rescinded the order to pause federal funding. However, sources tell us the Trump administration intends to scrutinize and freeze money for many workforce education and training programs — and across other wide swaths of the federal government.