Higher Education and Workforce Policy: Creating More Skilled Workers (and Jobs for Them to Fill)

In a report from the Brookings Institution, the author examines the trend of declining middle-wage jobs in America. Although enrollment rates for community colleges, for-profit colleges, and lower-tier four-year colleges are high, completion rates are still low and earnings are inconsistent among graduates. Many of these institutions lack the necessary resources and incentives to respond to the job market, and employers lack the incentives to participate in career pathways programs and create good jobs. The report offers three policy suggestions to address these issues, including: provide more resources to community colleges, expand high-quality career and technical education plus work-based learning models such as apprenticeships, and assist and incentivize employers to create better employment opportunities.