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Education Technology · Topic

Skills Based Learning

19 articles from Education Technology practitioners

Scaling Career-Ready Skills: How Adaptive Learning and Generative AI Are Transforming Higher Education

Scaling Career-Ready Skills: How Adaptive Learning and Generative AI Are Transforming Higher Education

Skills-based learning has moved from buzzword to mandate as colleges face mounting pressure to connect credentials, employability, and measurable learner outcomes. Employers are increasingly using skills-based hiring practices, and NACE’s Job Outlook 2026 notes that students need to demonstrate concrete examples of skills in action during hiring processes. At the same time, higher education…

Darin Francis·May 4, 2026
If Higher Ed Wants Experiential Learning at Scale, It Needs a Broader Playbook

If Higher Ed Wants Experiential Learning at Scale, It Needs a Broader Playbook

The ground is shifting under higher education. AI is changing how people learn almost overnight—and at the same time, more than half of graduates are underemployed after finishing their degrees. That’s forcing a more uncomfortable question into the open: what is a college credential really worth today? As employers and governments shift their focus…

Darin Francis·Apr 21, 2026
The Degree That Pays You Back: How Employer-Sponsored Apprenticeships Are Rewriting Higher Ed

The Degree That Pays You Back: How Employer-Sponsored Apprenticeships Are Rewriting Higher Ed

Higher education is under pressure. Over the past few years, public confidence in the value of a four-year degree has declined significantly, with fewer Americans expressing a strong belief that traditional higher education delivers a worthwhile return on investment. At the same time, employers consistently report that graduates lack job-ready skills—particularly the “durable skills”…

Darin Francis·Mar 9, 2026
Work-Based Learning & Career Coaching with Strada Education: Closing the Gap Between Education and Opportunity

Work-Based Learning & Career Coaching with Strada Education: Closing the Gap Between Education and Opportunity

As higher education faces mounting pressure to demonstrate clear career outcomes, institutions are rethinking how learning connects to work and the role of career coaching in that process. Employers continue to report skills gaps, students are questioning the return on investment of a degree, and states are demanding stronger alignment between postsecondary education and…

Darin Francis·Feb 2, 2026
Experiential Learning: A Cure for the Medical Worker Shortage with Jason Aubrey of Skilltrade

Experiential Learning: A Cure for the Medical Worker Shortage with Jason Aubrey of Skilltrade

Healthcare systems across the U.S. are facing a persistent and worsening medical worker shortage, particularly in allied health roles that keep hospitals, clinics, and surgery centers running. Rural access gaps, rising tuition costs, and skepticism about the ROI of traditional degrees are colliding with urgent employer demand. At the same time, momentum is building…

Darin Francis·Jan 26, 2026
A One-Year College Alternative: How Pega6 Is Preparing to Train AI-First, Job-Ready Talent

A One-Year College Alternative: How Pega6 Is Preparing to Train AI-First, Job-Ready Talent

The traditional four-year college model is facing growing pressure as rising tuition, shifting labor market demands, and new technological realities expose gaps between education and employment outcomes. Confidence in the traditional college pathway is eroding among parents, students, and employers as rising costs and persistent skills gaps collide with the reality that many new…

Darin Francis·Jan 19, 2026
The Job Dating Model: How Micro Internships Build Talent, Enable Smarter Hiring, and Boost Campus Impact

The Job Dating Model: How Micro Internships Build Talent, Enable Smarter Hiring, and Boost Campus Impact

Experiential learning is surging in relevance. Employers are finding it harder than ever to evaluate early-career talent, while students are graduating into a labor market where more than half—about 52%—end up in roles that don’t require their degree. That disconnect is prompting colleges to reimagine how they equip students for meaningful career entry. Meanwhile,…

Darin Francis·Nov 17, 2025
How McDonald’s and Skilltrade Are Transforming Workforce Education for America’s Frontline Employees

How McDonald’s and Skilltrade Are Transforming Workforce Education for America’s Frontline Employees

Work is changing fast. Automation and artificial intelligence aren’t just reshaping how we work—they’re redefining who gets access to opportunity in the first place. With frontline workers making up a significant share of the American workforce—and one in eight Americans having worked at McDonald’s—the discussion about education, skills, and upward mobility feels more urgent…

Ron Stefanski·Oct 21, 2025
Workforce Success and Innovation-Driven Growth with President Keith of Goldey-Beacom College

Workforce Success and Innovation-Driven Growth with President Keith of Goldey-Beacom College

As higher education institutions face declining enrollments and increasing pressure from employers for skills-based learning, small colleges are rethinking their missions. A whopping 70% of U.S. employers say they struggle to find workers with the right skills, and credential-based programs are gaining traction as a solution. At the intersection of tradition and transformation, Goldey-Beacom College…

Darin Francis·Sep 3, 2025
Unity’s Jessica Lindl on Playing the Career Game Loop: Learning to Earn in the New Economy (Episode 3)

Unity’s Jessica Lindl on Playing the Career Game Loop: Learning to Earn in the New Economy (Episode 3)

As AI, automation, and immersive tech accelerate disruption, the future of work is being reshaped faster than most institutions can adapt. Entry-level roles for recent graduates are shrinking, traditional degrees are being questioned, and lifelong careers are being replaced by continuous reinvention. In this climate, the most valuable assets are no longer technical certifications…

Ron Stefanski·Jun 16, 2025
Unity’s Jessica Lindl on Playing the Career Game Loop: Learning to Earn in the New Economy (Episode 1)

Unity’s Jessica Lindl on Playing the Career Game Loop: Learning to Earn in the New Economy (Episode 1)

As traditional career paths break down, economic mobility is being redefined by adaptability, not academic credentials. Today, 52% of college graduates are underemployed a year after graduation, working in roles that don’t require a four-year degree. Meanwhile, networking strategies like informational interviews yield one job offer per 12 conversations—far more effective than the one-in-200…

Ron Stefanski·Jun 16, 2025
DisruptED in the D: Educational Outtakes with Jason Aubrey and Dr. Sasha Thackaberry-Voinovich (Ep. 2)

DisruptED in the D: Educational Outtakes with Jason Aubrey and Dr. Sasha Thackaberry-Voinovich (Ep. 2)

As student debt hits $2 trillion, education leaders debate whether traditional degrees still deliver the skills and ROI today's economy demands

Ron Stefanski·Feb 26, 2025
DisruptED in the D: Educational Outtakes with Jason Aubrey and Dr. Sasha Thackaberry-Voinovich (Ep. 1)

DisruptED in the D: Educational Outtakes with Jason Aubrey and Dr. Sasha Thackaberry-Voinovich (Ep. 1)

Two education leaders examine how rising tuition and skills gaps are forcing institutions to rethink the traditional degree model

Ron Stefanski·Feb 26, 2025
Changing the Classroom Paradigm: Academic Success and Life Skill Development with the 2Hr Learning Model

Changing the Classroom Paradigm: Academic Success and Life Skill Development with the 2Hr Learning Model

Condensing classroom hours while prioritizing mastery reveals how less instructional time can drive deeper student engagement and real-world capability

Michael B. Horn·May 17, 2024
Finding the Right Skills Programs in This Disrupted World

Finding the Right Skills Programs in This Disrupted World

Organizations must navigate an expanding marketplace of skill-based training options to bridge the talent gap in an increasingly volatile economy

Ron Stefanski·Feb 2, 2024
Is Apprenticeship the Key to Bridging the Experience Gap in Education?

Is Apprenticeship the Key to Bridging the Experience Gap in Education?

Hands-on training programs offer a direct pathway to closing the gap between classroom learning and real-world job readiness

Michael B. Horn·Jan 22, 2024
AI Integration in University Curricula: A New Era in Education

AI Integration in University Curricula: A New Era in Education

Universities are racing to weave AI throughout their programs to close the widening skills gap employers desperately need to fill

Michael B. Horn·Dec 18, 2023
Advancing Teaching: Reshaping Education in a Post-Pandemic World

Advancing Teaching: Reshaping Education in a Post-Pandemic World

Educational leaders are shifting focus from traditional models to skills-based learning that prioritizes adaptability and economic mobility

Michael B. Horn·Dec 4, 2023
Creating a Future of Supporting Lifelong Learning Will Also Depend on Adult Learners and Their Access to Education

Creating a Future of Supporting Lifelong Learning Will Also Depend on Adult Learners and Their Access to Education

Flexible online education is closing wage gaps by making skill development accessible to adults who missed traditional pathways

Education Technology·Oct 5, 2023
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