Council Post: Let’s Use Today’s Pandemic To Support Our Workforce

President of global online learning at Pearson.

As Congress crafts its follow-up to its unprecedented economic stimulus packages, America can and should seize the moment to address the urgent need to reskill and upskill its national workforce.

Before the lethal virus became a national worry, Americans’ fears about their future usually centered on competing in a global economy shaped by technology — artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer coding, automation — or in other industries such as healthcare, where specialized skills and knowledge often went beyond the reach of their last diploma.

That will also be true after the pandemic, but with tens of millions of Americans out of work and forced to stay at home, these fears have become a national education emergency. The U.S. will need to make a sharper pivot in its education system than previously imagined. It will need new investments and alternative education choices to give workers unparalleled access to the knowledge and skills they need to improve their lives.

First, everyone deserves access to high-quality learning opportunities. The myth that exclusivity and quality are synonymous should be debunked through institutional investment in accessible education. The online learning that provides such access has been around for more than 20 years, and it has now come of age. Some of the early entrants into online learning deliver excellent outcomes. The best options give students control, democratizing learning and providing a stronger link between teacher and student. According to the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, 81% of colleges and universities have moved to entirely online or remote classes since the pandemic’s spread. This explosion in online availability makes it critical to help consumers navigate their many choices to find the best quality and fit.

Second, colleges and universities have an incredible opportunity to reinforce their role as innovators by going beyond the traditional four-year degree and closing the gap between academic and vocation tracks. The most innovative universities are doing just that with shorter courses that stack to a degree, providing the quick on-ramp needed for high-quality jobs. This micro-learning can become a system of bridges and ladders rather than rigid tracks. We are starting to see this internationally at universities such as ESSEC in France, where business degree credentials can be earned online by themselves or as a series of stackable credentials.

MIT and a few other U.S. institutions already offer micro degrees for under $2,000. But many people aren’t aware of such options. Where awareness exists, the demand is strong. While four-year degrees have seen eight consecutive years of declining enrollment, it’s not because people have lost their appetite to learn. Opening the door to a combination of technical, practical and academic learning that leads to better careers can rebuild trust in the degree and be a revenue lifeline for struggling universities.

Third, we can learn from other countries where government investment is helping. For example, in Singapore, incentives are starting to support a deep culture of lifelong learning. And consider Australia, where 20,000 citizens have been encouraged to swap their Netflix time for going online to enroll in six-month, government-subsidized online courses that are part of that country’s financial recovery program for higher education. In exchange, universities have pledged to offer online classes on priority skills and careers, such as teaching, nursing, engineering, information technology and mathematics.

In the U.S., groups such as the National Skills Coalition recommend that billions be invested to train adults who have lost employment and to support education in literacy, numeracy and digital skills. Congress could expand the access, the dollar value and the duration of Pell Grants, which could be made available for short courses and reskilling over a student’s life. Federal assistance could also be directed to programs that underwrite the cost of taking a high-school equivalency program so adults are better prepared to pursue further education. Kentucky’s successful program to increase the number of adults pursuing a GED provides one such model. 

Finally, there has never been a better opportunity for employers to engage in learning, not just as an employee benefit, but in working directly with colleges and universities to shape relevant empowering learning for their future employees. Indeed, in 2018, IBM called nanodegrees the future of education. I predict more companies will join them in accepting these and other credentials alongside degrees. A partnership between employers and institutions could perhaps do more to empower learning than any government ever could.

This is a timely opportunity to invest in America’s workforce, not just for the sake of the economy, but because Americans will have the education they deserve and the lives they aspire to.

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