How the next administration could use education to improve job prospects for millions. – The Chronicle of Higher Education
The “Will he or won’t he?” question of whether soon-to-be-President Joe Biden will forgive student debt — and if so, how much? — is dominating the headlines, but it’s hardly the only higher-ed issue that policy shops and advocacy groups are weighing in on. Advice for the Biden-Harris administration is pouring in from all quarters, including calls for major new investments in broadband and focusing on programs or practices (like targeted scholarship programs) with proven success.
Considering the state of the economy, however, I’m drawn to ideas for how higher education can improve people’s job prospects — especially given the stark picture of unemployment and underemployment right now, with as many as 26 million workers directly hurt by the downturn. So this week I spoke with leaders at two organizations, the National Skills Coalition and Jobs for the Future, whose thinking informs a lot of my reporting.
Both groups have put forth a ton of suggestions (the Skills Coalition’s here, JFF’s here), and seven ideas stand out to me. I’ll highlight each one below, including a new “career-advising corps”; a College Scorecard-like online directory of career-training programs; and a new high-profile position in the Department of Education dedicated to community and technical colleges.