June 26, 2023
The "Paper Ceiling" is crumbling under some state policies to promote skills-based learning and removing higher ed credentials as a hiring requirement in certain states, reports the Brookings Institute.
Vocational education as separate tracks died many years ago in the U.S., replaced by the pledge of "college for all," which in many cases had a "reverse equity effect" of leaving few options for those who could not afford college debt or could not see the employment opportunities because higher education has failed to be effective at "career services," a looked-down on, underfunded function in most colleges and almost all universities.
Finally, economics and international relations dictate human capital needs in the U.S. When vocational training became a bad word, the economy was adding junior and senior white-collar workers at a rapid rate as the U.S. ramped up corporate growth. As the Internet and high tech took hold, there was a shift to both skills needed to build that technology and more engineers and PhDs to invent and promote the future, funded by an explosion of venture and private equity funding.
At that point, the U.S. began to export basic tech jobs and put their plants in China, Mexico, and elsewhere. The best example is Apple. With the tensions in China and Taiwan, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the aftermath of Covid, manufacturing and the jobs it creates are coming back to the U.S. Couple this shift with the advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) which is removing low and mid-level white-collar jobs, and the transition is complete.
In the U.S. going forward, not everyone should run to the skill side of the balance board. Rather, people should be able to make rational and informed decisions about what career path to choose, not just one over the other, but to figure out the needed mix of academics and skills as the new norm over time.
At GoEducate, we have created a cloud-based "future-ware" to better manage how learners, institutions, training providers, and employers navigate this mixed horizon. Through our platform, finding the skills-opportunities alongside the college and university options from institutions that truly care about helping students enter the economy with a well-formed understanding of where the jobs are is now possible. The Opportunity Marketplace is designed to connect the dots for individuals, institutions, and employers. Learn more about how GoEducate is deploying its Regional Opportunity Portals (ROPs) and Marketplace at goeducate.io. View the platform and its tools at goeducate.com.
About GoEducate
GoEducate is an Austin, TX-based education-to-work technology platform that connects people, education, and in-demand jobs at the local level. GoEducate is focused on growing early talent, developing skills, and building stronger communities with a diverse workforce. The company and its Regional Opportunity Portal platform (ROP) deliver innovative solutions that help organizations identify, nurture and retain top talent regardless of background and experience through an accessible marketplace environment that provides the resources needed to reach one's full potential.
To learn more, visit https://www.goeducate.io. To see live portals in action, visit Northern New Mexico College https://nnmc.goeducate.com/ and Odessa College https://oc.goeducate.com/.
For more information, please contact GoEducate at info@goeducate.com.
GoEducate connects educational programs, job postings, and student profiles to help communities address labor market inefficiencies and shortages.
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