Topic: Workforce development
Blog Post
March 26, 2026
Postsecondary Value & Public Trust
Introducing a New Program Area at Ithaka S+R
Building on a decade or more of research and practice, we recently formed a new program area, Postsecondary Value & Public Trust. This program advances the economic, social, and civic value of postsecondary education. We partner with state agencies, build networks of institutions, and collaborate with field leaders to improve affordability, strengthen workforce alignment, and maximize value, all key levers in rebuilding public trust in higher education.
Blog Post
March 26, 2026
Examining the Academic, Labor Market, and Economic Outcomes of Community College Bachelor’s Degrees
Announcing a New Project
Increasingly, a bachelor’s degree is required for career advancement and economic security. On average, individuals with a bachelor’s degree earn higher wages and have greater job stability than those with less education. Community colleges, which enroll over 40 percent of undergraduates, often serve as the starting point for students seeking a bachelor’s degree, particularly for students of color, low-income students, and adult learners. Yet, for many of these students, four-year institutions are inaccessible for a variety of…
Blog Post
March 12, 2026
Aligning State Dollars with Workforce Opportunity
What the Data (and Five States) Show
Much of the policy conversation about postsecondary-workforce alignment has focused on appropriations: how should state dollars be distributed across institutions, and can performance-based funding models incentivize credential production in priority fields? But state agencies also control a second major lever: student financial aid. Unlike appropriations, financial aid—and especially targeted aid—can influence students’ enrollment and program choices at the outset.
Case Study
March 12, 2026
Targeted Financial Aid and Workforce Opportunity
Five State Case Studies
States play a pivotal role in financing higher education and shaping the pathways that connect learners to opportunity. In an era of federal uncertainty and shifting policy priorities, state leaders face increasing pressure to ensure that public investments in postsecondary education advance both broad attainment goals and more specific workforce needs. This paper is intentionally oriented toward helping states advance policy decisions and understand investment tradeoffs related to their financial aid and workforce alignment strategies.
Research Report
March 12, 2026
Aligning State Investments with Workforce Opportunity
A Framework for Targeted Higher Education Funding
State and local spending on higher education represents a significant public investment, and states have a responsibility to deploy these dollars in ways that maximize their social and economic returns. Policy discussions about how states can ensure their investments maximize these economic and social returns, however, have largely centered on states’ direct appropriations to public institutions and, more recently, on how those dollars can be tied to credentials of value. Far less attention has been paid to state financial aid…
Blog Post
February 18, 2026
What Postsecondary Employment Outcomes Data Can Teach States About Workforce Alignment and Public Value
Many states looking to invest in higher education to strengthen workforce pipelines and expand economic mobility lack the data needed to target those investments effectively. The Postsecondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset helps close that gap by linking postsecondary education to wage and employment data, illuminating how educational pathways connect to workforce outcomes both within and beyond state borders. With support from the PSEO Coalition, Ithaka S+R used PSEO data from South Carolina to explore three key questions, each of which…
Research Report
February 18, 2026
Beyond the Median: Earnings Dispersion Across Programs in South Carolina
Findings from Postsecondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) Data
Which academic programs provide consistent economic returns and which leave graduates facing greater uncertainty? This brief uses Postsecondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) data to examine earnings dispersion within programs of study in South Carolina. While median earnings are often used to assess program outcomes, they can obscure wide variation among graduates. By analyzing the 25th and 75th percentile earnings, this study highlights which programs provide consistent economic returns and which leave graduates facing greater uncertainty.
Research Report
February 18, 2026
Industry Concentration and Workforce Pathways in South Carolina
Findings from Postsecondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) Data
Which academic programs lead to clear labor market placement, and which lead to more diffuse or uncertain employment outcomes? This Ithaka S+R report uses South Carolina’s Postsecondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) data to examine how graduates from different fields of study are distributed across industries, in collaboration with the PSEO Coalition.
Research Report
February 18, 2026
Rural Graduate Retention and State Workforce Contributions in South Carolina
Findings from Postsecondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) Data
This Ithaka S+R report uses Postsecondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) data to examine how the earnings, employment locations, and contributions to South Carolina’s workforce differ for graduates of rural- and urban-serving institutions in the state. By comparing outcomes for associate and bachelor’s degree graduates, the analysis highlights how the urbanicity of where students study shapes both individual economic trajectories and the extent to which graduates remain employed in South Carolina.
Past Event
March 20, 2026
The Potential of Targeted Funding to Meet Labor Market Demands
At the 2026 Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) Annual Conference, Ithaka S+R’s Elizabeth Pisacreta will present a study that examines how states use outcomes-based funding and targeted financial aid to shape postsecondary pathways and respond to workforce needs amid increasing federal constraints. Using national data on higher education finance, state aid programs, and labor markets, the analysis documents substantial variation in state strategies and shows that few states are targeting substantial resources towards high demand, high-wage industries,…
Past Event
March 29, 2026
Fostering a Future-Ready Information Workforce
Understanding the Field’s Needs and Challenges Across Three Empirical Studies
This panel at the 2026 iConference in Edinburgh, Scotland will present findings from three 2025 Ithaka S+R studies that highlight how information users and stewards are navigating technological, social, and institutional change. Panelists Ellen Carroll, Tracy Bergstrom, Dylan Ruediger, and Mark McBride will discuss the implications of these findings for iSchool curricula, professional development, and the preparation of future leaders across the information and education sectors. The conference is scheduled to take place on March 29 – April 2,…
Blog Post
December 16, 2025
New Regional Initiative to Strengthen Adult Learning and Workforce Development in Southwestern Pennsylvania
There are over one million adults under the age of 65 in Pennsylvania with some college, but no credential. At the same time, Southwestern Pennsylvania is struggling to meet workforce needs, with current postsecondary credentials meeting only 52 percent of workforce demand. Higher education and nonprofit leaders across Southwestern Pennsylvania are working to ensure adult learners have the support they need to enroll in and complete high-quality credentials.
Past Event
November 14, 2025
Aligning Targeted Financial Aid to High-Demand, High-Value Occupations
At the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), Ithaka S+R’s Elizabeth Pisacreta, Ini Umosen, and Jonathan Barefield will present preliminary data on states’ use of various types of industry-targeted financial aid. They will introduce the areas of focus of our case study, which will assess alignment between states’ financial aid portfolios and demand for high-opportunity occupations, explore how states develop and monitor targeted aid programs, and develop a framework to help states consider potential benefits and drawbacks…
Blog Post
October 14, 2025
Keeping the Value of the Liberal Arts in Mind as “Workforce Pell” Becomes Reality
Federal financial aid for short-term certificate programs, dubbed “Workforce Pell,” is now the law of the land. By making it financially feasible for more students to enroll in these programs, this policy creates an opportunity for higher education institutions to expand existing short-term programs or offer new ones. With public confidence in higher education broadly declining over the last decade and affordability and a focus on practical skills cited as areas where higher education most needs to improve,…
Blog Post
September 26, 2025
The Impact of Generative AI on the College Internship
Beneath the headlines of white collar lay-offs as companies explore the potential of generative AI to do entry-level office work, another change to the workforce is happening that may be of more immediate concern to current students and higher education institutions. The college internship is changing along with the rest of the American employment landscape. Students and administrators alike should prepare for what is happening now and begin thinking about what may happen over the next several years.
Blog Post
July 7, 2025
Preparing Students for an AI-Infused Workforce
Reflections from the University of Baltimore’s 2025 AI Summit
On June 3, 2025, the University of Baltimore hosted its second AI Summit, organized by the university’s Center for Excellence in Learning, Teaching, and Technology (CELTT). The event, as described by the organizers, was “an in-depth exploration of artificial intelligence’s transformative impact across sectors, with a particular focus on workforce development, educational adaptation, and responsible innovation.” A key strength of the summit was its commitment to bridging the gap between what is happening with AI in the classroom and…
Blog Post
July 1, 2025
Informing Postsecondary Education Policy
How Researchers Are Using PSEO Data
In "How Researchers Use the PSEO Data to Study Postsecondary Outcomes and Inform Policy," we examine how scholars, systems, and agencies leverage PSEO to answer key policy questions. This report was commissioned by the PSEO Coalition, which brings together state, system, and institutional partners committed to expanding access to and use of PSEO data as a foundational tool for data-informed decision-making.
Blog Post
April 2, 2025
Notes from the Postsecondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) Virtual Showcase
In late February, close to 200 higher education, state agency data leaders, policy analysts, funders, and researchers gathered virtually to explore best practices and new opportunities for connecting postsecondary success data with workforce data. Through a series of presentations and demonstrations, convened by the Postsecondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) Coalition, participants learned about how state agencies and institutions are sharing data—both internally and across states—to improve understanding, advocacy, and decision-making at the nexus of higher education and workforce development.
Past Event
March 24, 2025
Faculty Members’ Perceptions of the Impact of Unionization on Shared Governance
Catharine Bond Hill will participate in a panel at the National Center’s 52nd annual national conference, which will focus on Unity in Defense of Higher Education and Collective Bargaining. The session, titled “Faculty Members’ Perceptions of the Impact of Unionization on Shared Governance,” will take place on Monday, March 24 at 3:30-5:00pm ET. Panelists include Brian Rossman, Ernesto Longa, Rotua Lumbantobing, and Catharine Bond Hill. Learn more about the session.
Blog Post
October 10, 2023
Understanding the Impact of Work-Based Learning
Ithaka S+R to Evaluate a 25-Institution Pilot Program with the Council of Independent Colleges
Colleges and universities are under increasing pressure to better prepare students for the world of work and integrate career preparation into their degree programs. There are many avenues to pursue in these efforts, including enhancing career services offices, revising general education curricula, and coordinating academic offerings with local workforce needs. One particularly promising approach is offering more experiential learning opportunities, like study abroad, service-learning, and undergraduate research. These experiences allow students to apply what they…