Reskilling America: How Higher Education Can Help People Adapt as Work Changes

Work is changing faster than many of the systems built to prepare people for it. New technology, shifting employer needs, and new expectations for skills at every stage of a career are reshaping what people need to know. For many workers, the question is no longer whether they will need to learn something new, but how they will do it and who will help.

That is why we are focusing this November on Reskilling America: how higher education can help people build skills and adapt as work changes.

Why reskilling belongs at the center of higher education

Colleges and universities have always been places where people build skills. But the pace of change now asks more of them. Learners who are already in the workforce need shorter, flexible pathways. Employers need workers who can keep learning. Communities need institutions that can respond when local industries shift.

Programs worth learning from

Across our membership, institutions are already doing this work. Some are building upskilling programs designed around working adults’ schedules. Others are forming employer partnerships that connect curriculum to real hiring needs. Many are sharing learner stories that show what changes when someone gains a credential, a new skill, or the confidence to try a different career path.

These efforts are valuable, and too often they stay within the walls of a single campus. Part of our goal is to help share what is working so that more institutions, and more learners, can benefit.

The policy question ahead

Federal funding is also part of the conversation. A temporary measure keeps funding in place through December 11, but Congress still needs to reach a longer-term agreement. For institutions planning reskilling programs, that uncertainty matters. Program design, staffing, and partnerships all depend on knowing what support will be available over time.

We will keep watching what that means for our members and share updates as they develop.

Coming together in Dallas

We will be in Dallas on November 12 and 13 to explore how shared priorities can move into action. Those conversations are where good ideas turn into plans, and where institutions learn from one another.

Share your story

If your institution has a reskilling or upskilling program, an employer partnership, a learner story, or a lesson worth sharing, we want to hear about it. Send it our way.