Shared Language for Skills-Based Hiring

by Presidents Forum | Feb 11, 2026 | Outcomes and Accountability

Shared Language for Skills-Based Hiring

Why it matters:

The skills required for most jobs are changing at an accelerating pace. LinkedIn data shows that by 2030, 70% of the skills used in many roles will differ from today. That shift is reshaping hiring, education, and workforce policy.

The big picture:

Rosemary Lahasky and Josh Connolly, co-chairs of Skills First, are leading a coalition of employers, trade associations, and innovative universities focused on advancing a proactive skills agenda in Congress. Their goal is to ensure federal policy keeps pace with workforce realities.

What stands out:

Professionals are expected to hold twice as many jobs over their careers compared to 15 years ago.
Roughly half of recruiters now prioritize skills over degrees when searching for talent.
Automation and AI are accelerating workforce transformation.

The policy gap:

Much federal policy still centers on traditional 18-year-old students entering four-year institutions. Meanwhile, millions of incumbent workers need on and off ramps to reskill and upskill throughout their careers.

What’s next:

The coalition is focused on accelerating skills-based hiring, expanding access to skilling pathways, and improving how skills are assessed and verified at scale.

Bottom line:

Workforce change is not slowing down. Aligning hiring, education, and federal policy around verified skills is becoming a national competitiveness issue.

Hybrid Models for Today’s Learners

by Presidents Forum | Feb 9, 2026 | Innovation

Hybrid Models for Today’s Learners

Why it matters:

Online education is no longer a differentiator. After the pandemic, flexibility is expected. What students increasingly want is flexibility paired with meaningful, hands-on experience that prepares them for work.

The big picture:

David Schejbal of Excelsior University describes a hybrid model that blends online learning with in-person labs and clinical experiences. A new site in St. Petersburg, Florida allows Excelsior to expand nursing, cybersecurity, and electrical engineering programs while meeting workforce and military learner needs.

Why it works:

Schejbal argues that experiential learning is one of the most durable elements of higher education. Students want interaction, practice, and community, but they cannot commit to traditional schedules. Hybrid models combine those priorities.

What’s next:

If the St. Petersburg site proves successful, similar hybrid hubs could emerge in regions with high concentrations of students and alumni, including parts of Texas, North Carolina, and Southern California.

Bottom line:

The future of higher education is not fully online or fully in person. It is flexible by design, experiential where it counts, and built around how adult learners actually live and work.

Preparing a Policy Agenda Built for Today’s Learners

by Presidents Forum | Feb 6, 2026 | Policy

Preparing a Policy Agenda Built for Today’s Learners

Why it matters:

Higher education policy directly shapes access, affordability, and quality for working adults, military-affiliated learners, and other students balancing education with work and family.

The big picture:

The Presidents Forum approaches policy from a clear premise. Innovation begins with institutions responding to students, not with regulations telling institutions how to innovate. Policy works best when it reflects that reality and evolves to support effective new models.

What’s next:

February is a month for preparation and alignment. Forum presidents will come together in Washington, DC on March 24 and 25 to align priorities and engage policymakers with clarity and purpose.

Bottom line:

The goal is not reaction, but leadership. A thoughtful, student-centered policy agenda can help ensure policy supports innovation instead of standing in its way.

What IPEDS Fall 2024 Data Says About Enrollment and Online Learning

by Presidents Forum | Jan 27, 2026 | Outcomes and Accountability, Video

What IPEDS Fall 2024 Data Says About Enrollment and Online Learning

Why it matters:

IPEDS is the most reliable national snapshot of higher education enrollment. Unlike survey-based estimates, it is reported by institutions tied to Title IV, consistent over time, and detailed enough to analyze market structure and trends.

The big picture:

Phil Hill says the Fall 2024 IPEDS release confirms modest enrollment growth, but at a lower rate than earlier estimates suggested. It also reinforces that distance education is no longer a side channel, it is a core part of how higher education operates in the US.

What stands out:

Total enrollment growth looks positive, but smaller than earlier survey estimates (2.7% vs. 4.4%).
A meaningful share of community college growth appears tied to dual enrollment, which changes the story behind the increase.
Distance education remains elevated above pre-COVID trends and is now deeply embedded in the system.

Bottom line:

IPEDS confirms that online education is durable and structurally important. The next strategic advantage comes from understanding which market you are actually in, and building for learner value in an increasingly competitive environment.

Jonathan Woods Joins the Presidents Forum as Military and Workforce Education Policy Fellow

by Presidents Forum | Jan 23, 2026 | Policy

Dr. Jonathan Woods has joined the Presidents Forum as the Military and Workforce Education Policy Fellow. He brings more than 25 years of experience across military service, federal education systems, and workforce-aligned learning, with deep expertise in voluntary education programs serving servicemembers and working adults.

Jonathan previously directed the Department of Defense’s Off-Duty and Voluntary Education programs across all military services, overseeing large-scale education benefits and quality assurance systems serving hundreds of thousands of learners annually. His background includes leading the development of national data systems, credentialing and workforce alignment strategies, and institutional engagement models designed to improve participation, outcomes, and system accountability. Earlier in his career, he worked extensively in adult and workforce education, curriculum design, and learning systems analysis, including advising military schoolhouses on instructional effectiveness and return on investment.

In his fellowship role, Jonathan will work with the Presidents Forum team to support research, analysis, and institutional learning related to military and workforce education. His work will include helping the Forum learn from institutions serving military-connected learners, identifying shared challenges and strengths across institutions, and strengthening processes for gathering and sharing insight across the Forum’s membership. He will also support the Forum’s efforts to connect learner demand, institutional capacity, and workforce alignment in ways that reflect both operational realities and learner experience.

Through this fellowship, Jonathan will help the Presidents Forum build durable structures for understanding how education benefits, counseling systems, and data insights can better inform institutional practice and support service members and working adults as they navigate education and career pathways.