Lumina Foundation is working to increase the share of adults in the U.S. labor force with college degrees or other credentials of value leading to economic prosperity.
Apprenticeships have the potential to fundamentally alter training and economic opportunity in the United States, but high-quality models—and effective policy to support growth with quality—are not being utilized nearly enough in this country.
In a new report from Third Way, five international apprenticeship models—spanning the UK, Germany, Australia, Switzerland, and Canada—provide insights for U.S. policymakers on how to scale similar programs in America.
Nine months into President Donald Trump’s second term in office, he and his education secretary, Linda McMahon, have essentially gutted the 45-year-old U.S. Department of Education as they work toward their “final mission” of shutting it down.
Still, some politicians, higher education experts, and former department employees are unwilling to pronounce the department dead. Several believe the federal government should reduce its role in education, while others think the agency could be resuscitated even if it is nearing a flatline. Either way, many admit the department is in critical condition.
In a first-of-its-kind arrangement that balances financial necessity with cultural preservation, Talladega College—a private Historically Black College and University in Talladega, Alabama—has sold four of its six celebrated Hale Woodruff murals to secure its financial future while ensuring the artwork remains accessible to the public.
The sale, which art experts estimate brought the college approximately $20 million, represents a creative solution to the severe financial pressures facing many under-resourced HBCUs.
Colorado is one of the most highly educated states in the country, yet the percentage of homegrown students going on to college and earning a degree is one of the lowest in the nation. For students of color, the educational attainment is even more bleak.
Why does a monied, innovative, and seemingly forward-thinking state have such disparities? Many Coloradans point to the state’s arcane tax structure—in particular, TABOR, a state constitutional amendment passed in 1992 that has sharply limited the revenue the state government could collect and distribute to schools and colleges.
At first glance, they look like raises. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a music professor’s salary jumped $13,000 in the past decade. The salary of a political science professor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney rose by $15,000. A social work professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha got a $19,000 bump. But then you factor in inflation, and the financial reality becomes clear: All three actually took serious pay cuts.
It’s part of a profound shift in how the University of Nebraska makes money, spends money—and who it spends money on.
A disconnect exists between how employers and young adults view opportunity in today’s labor market. According to a recent study, 43 percent of young adults believe there are enough jobs available. Employers see a different picture: 71 percent say those jobs exist, yet 44 percent report that young adults are ill-prepared for the workforce.
This isn’t just about perception—it reflects both a skills gap and a misaligned hiring model, writes the president of Western Governors University in this op-ed.
