Talent Disrupted Data Explores Underemployment Among College Graduates

Our hearts are with the members of the?University of Colorado – Colorado Springs?campus as you all process – and begin to heal– from the tragic losses on campus over the weekend. One of the things I have come to appreciate about our community of readers is that we support each other through some really challenging times.

???Many of our Colorado institutions are stepping up to support learners and families with the latest?round of FAFSA delays. Our team has been tracking activities at the federal level and?nationally, but a bit closer to home in the Centennial State, we learned that?Colorado Mesa University?has?built?its own tool to provide learners with a guaranteed award, and many of our institutions have?pushed back?enrollment and aid decision deadlines.?

???The?National College Attainment Network?(NCAN)?has dedicated part of their website to information for students, families, counselors and higher education leaders and walking various stakeholders through many of the current challenges and sharing updates around possible work-arounds.

???If you have been tracking the possibility of?Workforce Pell becoming a reality – we have an update! Leadership in the House of Representatives announced that?H.R. 6585, the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act?could be considered by the full House as early as next week. The bill needs to win a two-thirds majority of the House to pass, and of note – there is still not an exact companion bill in the Senate. However, under the bipartisan House bill, learners would be able to use Pell Grants to pay for education programs as short as eight weeks (currently, Pell Grants can only be used for programs with a 15-week minimum). For all of the details in the bill, take a look at the?short write up?from Noah Sudow and me on the Whiteboard Advisors blog.

Speaking of federal policy issues with bipartisan support – a quick nod to my friend and colleague?Jeff Selingo?for including my quick take on the future of a federal student unit record system for higher education in his newsletter, “Next.” If you missed Jeff’s edition, you can read my take on the significant shift in support for a federal data system and subscribe to Jeff’s newsletter?here.

???This week,?Michael Itzkowitz?and the team at the?HEA Groupreleased a new paper?exploring the economic outcomes that students obtain by pursuing a higher education credential in the U.S.?

Side note: one of the things I love about the work Michael does is that he makes all of his data public and accessible; download the data?here.

While the data is presented state-by-state in his spreadsheet, his overall analysis does not focus on states. I am hopeful that Michael may do some follow up analysis on Colorado (hint, hint…).

???Finally,?join me?next?Thursday, February 29 at 12pm MT?to discuss “Talent Disrupted,” a new report from?Strada Education Foundation?and the?Burning Glass Institute, which explores the ongoing challenge of underemployment for college graduates. I will host a conversation with report co-authors?Matt Sigelman, CEO of Burning Glass Institute and?Stephen Moret, CEO of Strada Education Foundation alongside?Dr. Kim Hunter Reed,?Christine Cruzvergara?and?Lindsey Pollack.

Spotlight on Colorado Education and Workforce

???As we continue to track legislative activity this session, we noted that?SB24-104, the Career & Technical Education & Apprenticeships Act?was advanced, unamended to the Appropriations Committee.?

The legislation?is part of?Governor Polis’ Higher Education and Workforce?package.

???The bill requires the state apprenticeship agency — in coordination with the career and technical education division of the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) — to align the high school career and technical education system and the registered apprenticeship system for programs in infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, education or healthcare.

The legislation?also calls on the state apprenticeship agency and CCCS to expand the number of aligned pathways, prioritizing programs and occupations that have been identified in the state’s annual?Colorado Talent Pipeline report.

What We’re Reading (and Listening To…)

Early Childhood Education

• More Republicans Back Spending on Child Care, Saying It’s an Economic Issue, by Moriah Balingit of?The Associated Press
• The Case for Spending Way More on Babies, by Annie Lowry of?The Atlantic

K-12 Education

• Why So Many Kids Are Priced Out of Youth Sports, by Jessica Grose of?The New York Times
• Will AI Replace Colorado Teachers? Here’s What Experts Say, by Erica Breunlin of?The Colorado Sun
• P-TEACH Program Recognized in Top 7 in the Nation, by Macie May of?The Longmont Leader

Postsecondary Education

• Report:?Paying for College: The Latest Trends in Performance-Based Funding, by Erin Whinnery & Tom Keily of?Education Commission of the States
• A Race Against Time: 2 Ways to Push Students Toward Higher Retention, Completion Rates, by Alcino Donadel of?University Business
• States Bet Big on Career Education, But Struggle to Show it Works, by Patrick Wall in?The Washington Post
• States Can Lead the Way in Fixing the College Value Proposition, by Michael Brickman of?American Enterprise Institute
• Higher Ed Has Its Hot-Button Issues, But Jobs Remain A Top Priority For State Policymakers, by Jamie Merisotis in?Forbes(subscription required)

Future of Work

• Employers Have A New Way To Attract And Retain Talent: Upskill With English, by Alison Griffin in?Forbes?(subscription required)

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• TOMORROW! American Enterprise Institute:?Education and the Right, February 22, 1:30-3pm MT, Hybrid-Washington, D.C.
• Colorado Business Roundtable:?What Makes a Good Job and Who Decides?: Issues to Watch Impacting Colorado’s Workforce, February 27, 4-5:30pm MT, The Dome at AMG, Greenwood Village, CO
• The Attainment Network:?2024 Learner Voice Symposium?with learners from?Roadtrip Nation, February 29, 9-11am MT (Virtual)
• Mainstay + Shift:?“Student Support: Powered by Artificial + Human Intelligence” Webinar Series, February 28, March 27, April 24 (Virtual)
• NEW! University of Denver Morgridge College of Education:?Scanning the Future of Law, March 18, 4:30-6pm MT (Virtual)
• NEW! National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA):?Virtual Summit: Focus on Students, May 7-8 (Virtual)
• NEW! Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN):?CBExchange, November 11-14, The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs

Colleagues on the Move

• NEW!?Associate Vice President of Philanthropy?at InsideTrack, Remote
• NEW!?Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Financial Services?at University of Colorado-Boulder