Maria Flynn and Scott Pulsipher

Four Ways a Skills-Based Mindset Can Expand Economic Opportunity for All

There’s a growing recognition that a person’s capacity for learning, growth, and contribution to the workforce has little to do with the institutions they’ve attended and the degrees they’ve obtained. Longstanding systemic barriers to accessible, affordable postsecondary education mean more than half of Americans don’t have degrees, and for years, degree requirements in job postings have meant those same people faced barriers to advancement in the workforce. However, change is underway: Major corporations and public-sector employers are increasingly dropping degree requirements. Today, about one in five job postings no longer includes a degree requirement.