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Education Technology · Topic

Workforce Readiness Education

28 articles from Education Technology practitioners

AI-Enabled Engineering Is Changing the Rules for Talent, Skills and Workforce Readiness (Episode One)

AI-Enabled Engineering Is Changing the Rules for Talent, Skills and Workforce Readiness (Episode One)

As AI moves from experimentation into daily enterprise workflows, companies are confronting a harder question than whether to adopt new tools: how to redesign work around them. The shift is already changing what employers need from technical talent, from task-based coding skills

Ron Stefanski·May 19, 2026
AI-Enabled Engineering Is Changing the Rules for Talent, Skills and Workforce Readiness (Episode Two)

AI-Enabled Engineering Is Changing the Rules for Talent, Skills and Workforce Readiness (Episode Two)

AI’s next workforce challenge is not adoption; it is trust, governance and role redesign. Recent PwC research found that most U.S. executives expected AI agents to drastically transform existing roles, even as fewer than half of companies using agents had fundamentally rethought their operating models or redesigned processes around them. For enterprise technology leaders, the…

Ron Stefanski·May 19, 2026
Tiger Woods’ TGR Foundation Is Reimagining Educational Access Through STEAM, AI, and Community Partnerships

Tiger Woods’ TGR Foundation Is Reimagining Educational Access Through STEAM, AI, and Community Partnerships

As schools across the United States continue grappling with post-pandemic learning loss, declining student engagement, and shrinking emergency funding, nonprofit organizations are increasingly stepping in to fill critical gaps. Recent national studies on literacy recovery, student engagement, and career-connected learning show that educators are facing significant post-pandemic challenges in keeping students connected to pathways that…

Ron Stefanski·May 19, 2026
Higher Ed Must Build a Talent Supply Chain to Fix Workforce Readiness

Higher Ed Must Build a Talent Supply Chain to Fix Workforce Readiness

The traditional pathway from college to career is starting to break down—and both universities and employers are feeling the strain. Higher education is under mounting pressure to prove career outcomes as employers question graduate readiness and internships decline. In fact, many institutions are reporting shrinking internship pipelines even as employers continue to prioritize prior…

Darin Francis·May 18, 2026
Engineering Education Needs to Be Human-Centered, Purpose-Driven, and Grounded in Real-World Problem Solving

Engineering Education Needs to Be Human-Centered, Purpose-Driven, and Grounded in Real-World Problem Solving

Student disengagement, the rapid rise of AI, and shifting workforce expectations are pushing higher education to rethink how it prepares graduates. Engineering programs—long defined by rigor and technical depth—are now under pressure to stay relevant, improve retention, and produce graduates who can actually solve real-world problems, not just theoretical ones. And the numbers back…

Darin Francis·May 11, 2026
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
Closing the Education-to-Employment Gap: The Rise of the Career Center as Campus Infrastructure

Closing the Education-to-Employment Gap: The Rise of the Career Center as Campus Infrastructure

Higher education is under mounting pressure to prove its value. As student debt, shifting demographics, and employer expectations reshape the landscape, institutions are being forced to rethink how they prepare students for life after graduation. At the same time, new data shows a sharp rise in internship-to-full-time hiring, with recent cohorts converting at their…

Darin Francis·Apr 28, 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
Tale of Two Interns: What AI Is Really Doing to Entry-Level Work

Tale of Two Interns: What AI Is Really Doing to Entry-Level Work

The narrative around early-career work has become increasingly pessimistic, with headlines pointing to a shrinking pool of entry-level roles, fewer internship opportunities, and AI accelerating both trends. But beneath that narrative, a different tension is emerging—one that’s less about the disappearance of opportunity and more about how it’s being reshaped. Students are using AI…

Darin Francis·Mar 30, 2026
The Employer University Alignment Journey with Kristen Fox, CEO of Business-Higher Education Forum

The Employer University Alignment Journey with Kristen Fox, CEO of Business-Higher Education Forum

Across the U.S., the conversation about the value of a college degree is increasingly tied to one central question: Does higher education actually prepare students for the workforce? As artificial intelligence reshapes how work gets done and employers rethink the skills they need, universities are under growing pressure to ensure graduates leave not just…

Darin Francis·Mar 16, 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
Scaling Experiential Learning at Slippery Rock University with Dr. John Rindy

Scaling Experiential Learning at Slippery Rock University with Dr. John Rindy

Regional public universities are being asked to do more with fewer students, fewer dollars, and less margin for error—making student persistence, timely graduation, and career outcomes central institutional concerns. Under mounting enrollment pressure and a shifting labor market, experiential learning has moved from a “nice to have” to a strategic imperative. Research consistently shows…

Darin Francis·Feb 9, 2026
The DisruptED Journey with Tim Maitland at MarketScale (Episode One)

The DisruptED Journey with Tim Maitland at MarketScale (Episode One)

Education doesn’t change in neat, predictable cycles—it shifts when people start asking better questions. Over the past several years, those questions have become louder and more urgent, driven by workforce disruption, new technologies, and a growing demand for learning that actually prepares people for real life. At the same time, media itself has evolved, favoring…

Ron Stefanski·Jan 15, 2026
From 30 to 1,500 Students: Scaling Mass Experiential Learning with How to Change the World

From 30 to 1,500 Students: Scaling Mass Experiential Learning with How to Change the World

Higher education is at a crossroads. Institutions are being asked to do more with less—serve more students, prepare them for a rapidly changing, AI-shaped workforce, and prove the real-world value of a degree—all at the same time. Employers consistently note that while graduates are technically capable, many struggle to apply what they’ve learned to…

Darin Francis·Jan 5, 2026
Scaling Work-Based Learning in the Curriculum: How Riipen Powers Real Employer Projects at Scale

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…

Darin Francis·Dec 15, 2025
The Program Sharing Model: How Rize Education’s Collaborative Approach Expands Access to Cutting-Edge Majors and Career-Aligned Learning

The Program Sharing Model: How Rize Education’s Collaborative Approach Expands Access to Cutting-Edge Majors and Career-Aligned Learning

Small private colleges are facing unprecedented pressures: rising instructional costs, shrinking budgets, and mounting skepticism about the return on investment of a four-year degree. At the same time, employer demand for job-ready talent is accelerating, creating urgency for institutions to modernize curriculum and increase access to experiential learning. According to Rize Education CEO Kevin…

Darin Francis·Dec 8, 2025
From Caregiver to Changemaker: How Purpose and Community Create Lasting Impact

From Caregiver to Changemaker: How Purpose and Community Create Lasting Impact

Resilience isn’t just about enduring challenges — it’s about leading with compassion, patience, and faith, even when the path feels uncertain. It’s a quality embodied by every caregiver, whose daily acts of care and commitment reflect the essence of true leadership — helping others grow stronger through empathy, service, and understanding. In this episode…

Jason Winningham·Nov 5, 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
The Future of Higher Ed? Mass Experiential Learning That Delivers Durable Skills

The Future of Higher Ed? Mass Experiential Learning That Delivers Durable Skills

Higher education is at a turning point. As employers demand more than technical proficiency, schools are being challenged to equip students with durable skills like collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. Traditional classroom models often fall short of this need. This shift has fueled growing interest in mass experiential learning as a way to prepare…

Ron Stefanski·Jun 4, 2025
TGR Foundation Scales Career-Connected Learning With Measurable Impact

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

Michael B. Horn·Apr 16, 2025
Bridging the Gap Between Traditional Education and Modern Needs: Why School Educators Need to Shift Focus to Durable Skills Part 1 of 2

Bridging the Gap Between Traditional Education and Modern Needs: Why School Educators Need to Shift Focus to Durable Skills Part 1 of 2

Schools must reimagine curricula to equip students with adaptable competencies that outlast technological change

Ron Stefanski·May 1, 2024
Bold Measures are Needed to Improve Investment in Higher Education

Bold Measures are Needed to Improve Investment in Higher Education

The higher education sector faces mounting pressure to reimagine funding models or risk falling behind in a rapidly transforming landscape

Michael B. Horn·Apr 12, 2024
From Academia to Real-World Success: The Essential Shift Needed in Math Education Focus

From Academia to Real-World Success: The Essential Shift Needed in Math Education Focus

Students are losing ground because schools aren't teaching the math that actually matters in the workplace

Michael B. Horn·Apr 5, 2024
Competency-Based Learning is the Key to Success: WGU’s Strategic Vision

Competency-Based Learning is the Key to Success: WGU’s Strategic Vision

Universities increasingly recognize that teaching specific job-ready skills matters more than traditional degree timelines for graduate success

Michael B. Horn·Dec 18, 2023
Student Readiness is Key for Navigating a Changing Job Market

Student Readiness is Key for Navigating a Changing Job Market

Early career exposure in middle school helps young people build practical skills before facing workforce competition

Business Services·Nov 7, 2023
Apprenticeships are the Key Alternative in Redefining Education Geared Towards a Successful Career

Apprenticeships are the Key Alternative in Redefining Education Geared Towards a Successful Career

Hands-on training programs offer a practical route to employment when four-year degrees fail to deliver promised career outcomes

Education Technology·Nov 6, 2023
Rethinking College Career Services: Applying Academic Principles to Foster Real Change in Online Education

Rethinking College Career Services: Applying Academic Principles to Foster Real Change in Online Education

Traditional career guidance models are failing students, but academic rigor offers a blueprint for meaningful transformation

Michael B. Horn·Oct 23, 2023
Debt and Inflation is Disrupting Higher Education, Shifting the Tide in Confidence and College Enrollment

Debt and Inflation is Disrupting Higher Education, Shifting the Tide in Confidence and College Enrollment

Economic pressures are forcing families to reconsider whether a traditional four-year degree remains worth the financial burden

Geordie Hyland·Oct 10, 2023
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