work-based learning

Strada's $25M HBCU bet started with listening, not a program to fund

Strada Education Foundation invested $25M in HBCUs by listening first, then building flexible scholarships for work-based learning that institutions direct to…

Scaling Experiential Learning in the Curriculum: How Iron Range Engineering Transformed Engineering Education

Engineering has transformed nearly every part of modern life, from the phones in our pockets to the systems powering global industry. But the way engineers are educated has often moved far more slowly than the profession itself. Employers are asking for graduates who can navigate ambiguity, communicate across teams, and contribute meaningfully from the…

Career-Connected Health Care: Why the Apprenticeship Degree Is the Future

Hospitals across the country are feeling the strain—too many open roles, not enough trained professionals, and a growing gap between what students learn and what the job actually demands on day one. Training is getting more expensive, timelines are stretching, and healthcare leaders are being forced to rethink how new clinicians enter the field….

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”…

Workforce Alignment, and the New Blueprint for Career-Connected Learning Ecosystems

Workforce shortages, shifting federal and state policy, and rising skepticism about the return on investment of a traditional four-year degree have pushed career-connected learning to the forefront of education reform. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment is expected to increase by nearly 4.7 million jobs between 2022 and 2032, with…

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…

Scaling Work-Based Learning in the Curriculum: How Riipen Powers Real Employer Projects at Scale

Higher education is facing renewed scrutiny over how well it prepares students for life after graduation. Employers are increasingly signaling that many graduates enter the workforce without real-world, job-ready experience—placing new pressure on higher education to rethink how learning connects to work. Research on high-impact practices consistently shows that experiential and work-based learning boosts…

The End-to-End Model: Impact Consulting’s Strategic Approach to Work-Based Learning

As colleges and universities grapple with enrollment pressures, shifting student expectations, and a tightening labor market shaped by AI and automation, the demand for meaningful work-based learning experiences has grown dramatically. Research across the UK’s higher education sector shows that hands-on industry engagement is becoming a leading factor in student decision-making and employability outcomes. Institutions…

The New Playbook for College ROI: Podium Education’s Scalable Model for Real-World Learning

The debate around the return on investment (ROI) of a four-year degree has reached a fever pitch. As tuition costs rise and employers question the value of traditional credentials, higher education leaders are rethinking how to make college more career-relevant. Experiential learning—work-based and project-based education embedded within curricula—is emerging as one of the most promising…

Career Planning Beyond the College Track: How Work-Based Learning Expands Career Options for Students

Students are discovering viable career pathways that skip the traditional four-year college route and lead to six-figure earning potential

TGR Foundation Scales Career-Connected Learning With Measurable Impact

A nonprofit demonstrates how embedding real-world career experiences into K-12 curricula produces measurable gains in student engagement and workforce readiness

Preparing Students for the Real World: Why Career Education, Not College, May Be the Answer

Millions of young adults are neither working nor studying, signaling that traditional pathways may be failing students in today's job market