Working to learn: despite a growing set of innovators, America struggles to connect education and career

As the structure and makeup of the American workforce shift, the education and training system has lagged behind the rate of economic change. Yet, there is a clear appetite among learners, workers, employers, and funders for new models of working and learning. The demand for new models has only accelerated during the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic, as Americans indicate more interest in pursuing non-degree options amid economic uncertainty and social distancing. As a result, organizations that train individuals for jobs are expanding, adapting, and attracting new attention....  [+] Show more

As the structure and makeup of the American workforce shift, the education and training system has lagged behind the rate of economic change. Yet, there is a clear appetite among learners, workers, employers, and funders for new models of working and learning. The demand for new models has only accelerated during the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic, as Americans indicate more interest in pursuing non-degree options amid economic uncertainty and social distancing. As a result, organizations that train individuals for jobs are expanding, adapting, and attracting new attention. To meet the growing demand for this type of learning, organizations have attempted to change the structure and content of educational experiences to better serve a wider variety of students.

While attempts to innovate in this space are widely covered in the popular media, researchers have struggled to collect data and understand the characteristics of this relatively diverse and fragmented set of organizations. This report is an analysis of the education-and-employment sector landscape, using a novel dataset of organizations working at the intersection of education and employment. We answer two broad questions: (1) What are the characteristics of the education-and-employment sector? And (2) What are the most common program delivery methods, audiences, and outcomes?; Excerpts from publication.