Generations ago, universities educated future clergymen and the children of the well-to-do. Today, institutions of higher learning have a hand in developing much of the American workforce. The following articles consider the theory and practice of this crucial task. How are colleges meeting their obligation to equip students to flourish in their careers?
On February 5, 2025, the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) launched Boost, an “accelerated college to career program” designed to move lower-income students into the “high-wage, in-demand careers” that…
Over the last 10 years, apprenticeships have gained increasing popularity in the United States. Active registered apprentices have grown from 410,000 to 667,000 since 2011, with new sign-ups increasing by…
The closure of more than 500 private, nonprofit, four-year educational institutions in the last 10 years—three times the rate of the previous decade—is widely seen as a catastrophe for the…
Two outstanding situations sometimes warrant government intervention in the marketplace. First, “natural monopoly” providers, such as public utilities, would charge all the market could bear without government regulation. Second, unprofitable…
In March of 2023, Gov. Roy Cooper issued Executive Order 278, designed to lower degree-related barriers to entry for state-government jobs in North Carolina. A year and a half later,…
A recent study by the advocacy organization Apprenticeships for America reveals the growing potential of community-college apprenticeship programs. Since 2016, the number of community colleges with active apprentices in hosted…
In a recent Handshake survey, 57 percent of participating college seniors said they “feel pessimistic about starting their careers.” Further, 68 percent are at least “somewhat stressed” about their futures,…
Alarming figures from a recent National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) report have shed light on a concerning trend in higher education. The study reveals that a mere 60 percent…
West Virginia has no time to lose. Its 55-percent labor-force participation rate is better only than Mississippi’s. Life expectancy is under 73 years, again placing West Virginia in second-to-worst place…
Significant student-loan debt has hindered young people. That much is clear. Politicians, commentators, and vocal citizens often throw their two cents in on whether it is the individual’s or society’s…