We need to change our approach to education. Here is why.

The archaic “enroll-educate-graduate-obligate” system, which is built on the assumption that a young person becomes ready to work professionally after she graduates from a study program, does not work any more, for a number of reasons.

What if we stop enrolling students and start employing apprentices? No standardized tests like ACT, no tuition, no one-size-fits-all courses. What if we let future professionals start working immediately, and accelerate their growth through provided mentorship, resources and tools, while they make money? What if we stop mandating pre-determined curricula, and offer customizable learning paths via micro-credentialing and badging? What if we stop schooling kids, and start accelerating their professional careers?

Left unchecked, the financial impact of talent shortage could reach $8.452 trillion in unrealized annual revenue by 2030, equivalent to the combined GDP of Germany and Japan. Yet, three out of 10 high school grads who go to four-year public universities haven’t earned degrees within six years, according to the National Student Clearinghouse, wasting time, money and energy. We need to do something about this, and we need to do it fast.