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. 

Unfortunately, that shift hasn’t translated to meaningful results. Research released earlier this year by the Burning Glass Institute and Harvard Business School found the incremental hiring of candidates without degrees accounted for just one out of every 700 hires in 2023. And most postsecondary institutions themselves have continued to fail to widen access for students who are members of populations that are underrepresented in higher education. The result: Not enough people are being hired based on their skills, and not enough people facing barriers to advancement are being admitted to the colleges and universities that still fast-track people into good jobs. This yields an education and workforce system that leaves millions of people underemployed, falling behind, and locked out of economic opportunity. 

We recently discussed this problem on stage together at Horizons, Jobs for the Future’s annual summit of changemakers, and we’ve come to the same conclusion: Our nation is long overdue for a fundamental mindset shift based on the idea that every individual has immense potential to learn and contribute to our society. Now, it’s up to leaders in the education and work ecosystem to embrace this premise. We must commit to growing and transforming our systems and move beyond questioning “who” to focus on “how” to design systems that empower each person to achieve their aspirations.

Building on our “Candid Conversation” at Horizons, here are four practices leaders can implement now to create economic opportunity for individuals, organizations, and society:

1.  Schools should prioritize expanding access over enhancing institutional prestige. 
   To enable more people to benefit from higher education, institutions should focus on eliminating barriers such as time, distance, and cost, with a focus on meeting students where they are. Not every college and university needs a top-tier research site, an athletics facility, or even a campus; instead, some of today’s most effective institutions are investing in learner-centered supports that enable a broader population of students to access the type of learning they need, on a schedule that works for them.
   
   At some institutions, that looks like courses that begin every 10 weeks, not just at the start of an academic year; at others, it looks like offering both remote and in-person courses so that students can take time away from campus for work or caregiving without halting their studies. Western Governors University, Scott’s institution, recently made a new investment in competency-based education by acquiring Craft Education, an education technology company that will help WGU quickly create responsive, work-based curricula in response to student demand. 
   
   These options are established and successful, but to be effective, they require institutions to reconsider their allegiance to one-size-fits-all models. 
   
   
2.  Schools should hold themselves accountable to delivering powerful returns on a student’s investment in college.
   For higher education, access is only one piece of the opportunity puzzle. Ultimately, a college education is only valuable if it results in a credential. But with the odds of reaching graduation only slightly better than a coin flip—and completion rates even worse among members of groups that are underrepresented in higher education—it's clear there’s significant room for improvement. 
   
   Addressing this gap requires schools to acknowledge that a student’s failure to graduate is a reflection of institutional gaps, not individual weakness. To that end, schools can explore personalized learning supports, including mentorships and tailored educational offerings, to help all students graduate.
   
   Completion is only half of the equation: Equal attention should be paid to ensuring that students see a strong return on their investments. Which job opportunities does a credential unlock, and how do those translate to economic opportunity? At a minimum, students should be better off financially shortly after earning their credential. Sadly, that’s not always the case. The Postsecondary Commission is an organization that has an ambitious plan to change that, with plans to become an institutional accreditor that makes economic mobility a condition of accreditation; this year, Texas State Technical College partnered with them for a pilot assessment. 
   
   
3.  Schools and employers should partner to design and employ a skills-based architecture that embeds development of workplace-ready skills within the postsecondary experience. 
   Students cite improved career outcomes as their top reason for pursuing higher education, but too often programs aren’t aligned with the evolving needs of today’s economy. Recent research from the Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce found that half of the nation’s labor markets had a significant mismatch between the credentials that are in demand in the labor market and the credentials granted by local institutions.
   
   Harnessing external expertise via cross-sector collaboration among educational institutions, employers, and industry experts can help to map learning outcomes to both high-demand technical skills and essential enduring skills—ensuring that students are prepared for the AI-driven transformation of the labor market. 
   
   However, acquiring these skills means little without a way to talk about them and a mechanism to verify them. Leaders from both sides of the talent supply chain can partner to build a common language around skills so educators, employers, and jobseekers use words and phrases that mean the same thing to all parties when communicating through job listings and course descriptions. WGU, for example, recently launched a learning and employment record (LER) digital wallet that enables students to curate and share their experiences, skills, and credentials with prospective employers. 
   
   
4. Employers should reimagine recruitment, development, and advancement strategies.
   When employers recognize that their people are their most important asset, it becomes clear why talent recruitment and development must be a strategic priority.
   
   Individuals should determine their own career paths and pace of progress, but it’s up to leaders to provide guidance on where the organization—and industry—is headed. With a foundation of information, transparency, and optionality, leaders can empower individuals to review their progress against organizational goals and personal interests, shifting the focus from micromanagement to individualized coaching and support. 
   
   Tools like JFF’s Impact Employer Model can also help. This holistic talent management hub enables organizations to implement equitable approaches to sourcing, recruiting, and nurturing talent, and it provides access to 100 employer practices, 30 case studies, and countless opportunities to engage and learn from some of the world’s most dynamic corporate leaders. 
   
   The drive for equitable economic opportunity doesn’t end at the recruitment stage, either.  Career advancement programs should be effective in promoting growth, retention, inclusion, and belonging, and leaders should keep tabs on short-term metrics, such as an individual’s progression within a specified time frame, and collect insights about satisfaction, educational development, and social capital growth. 
   
   A focus on tracking long-term metrics is also important. This includes evaluating the group-level impact of a program, with a particular focus on quality job outcomes over several years. This comprehensive approach ensures that career advancement initiatives not only achieve immediate goals but also contribute positively to the organization’s strategic objectives and employee well-being over the long term.
   
   The great news? According to the American Opportunity Index, creating opportunities like these for employees to thrive can be key drivers of improvements in organizational performance.

Reimagining education and workforce systems through a mindset of abundance, rather than constraint, is crucial for creating equitable economic opportunities. By embracing flexible, inclusive learning models, prioritizing strong student outcomes over arbitrary rankings, aligning skills with workforce demands, and rethinking talent strategies, we can build inclusive environments where everyone can thrive.

Schools and employers must work collaboratively to design a variety of high-quality learning pathways and foster a culture of continuous improvement. This shift will not only prepare individuals for the evolving labor market but also drive innovation and resilience within organizations, ultimately benefiting society as a whole.