Can Higher Education Get America Back To Work?
Preview:
The single most important job higher education will be asked to do over the next few years will be getting Americans back to work. With a staggering 38 million Americans unemployed, higher education will need to be laser focused on pathways to work that are affordable, shorter term than two or four-year degrees, and in demand. Affordable because the pandemic is disproportionately impacting the working poor, such as those in the restaurant and hotel industries, where the average annual salary is $30,000 (including tips). Fast, because the majority of the unemployed have little to no savings, so do not have the luxury of two or four years of retooling. In demand, because the poor have no buffer for making the wrong choice of field or for exploring possibilities.
Originally published: May 24, 2020
Author: Paul LeBlanc
Position: President
Institution: Southern New Hampshire University
Published by: Forbes