Kermit Kaleba is the strategy director for credentials of value for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. Kaleba leads a portfolio designed to increase the number of programs leading to occupational short-term credentials and associate degrees.
Kaleba previously served as managing director for policy at the National Skills Coalition. He also served as executive director of the DC Workforce Investment Council in Washington, D.C.
Kaleba holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a law degree, both from the College of William and Mary.
More from Kermit
12 states set out to define what makes a credential worth it
With growing skepticism and doubt about the value of a traditional college degree, many Americans are opting for short-term credentials that offer a quicker route to economic opportunity. But with more than a million certificate programs out there, how can students (or employers, for that matter) know which ones actually lead to better jobs and bigger paychecks?
Attacks on DEI jeopardize college-employer partnerships
State restrictions risk undermining efforts to create a more racially equitable workforce, Kermit Kaleba and Kysha Wright Frazier write.
Career-focused credentials are booming. we need to know what they’re worth.
Short on time and money, adult learners increasingly are seeking credentials that lead directly to better jobs or promotions. In fact, research shows that two-thirds of adult learners considering further education prefer career-focused options over degrees.
Job seekers with no degrees—but plenty of skills—need and deserve more
With fierce competition for talent in today’s labor market, many employers ask if a college degree is really necessary.
Community colleges will need to help train millions of workers for the nation’s infrastructure plan
In November, Congress passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill to invest about $1 trillion in a range of different priorities, including building and strengthening our nation’s roads and bridges, expanding broadband access, and improving public transit.
Trimmed version of Build Back Better still offers critical job training and other help for adult students
Free community college is missing from the proposed new $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act, but the measure still provides significant help for adult students and the colleges that help them learn and earn.