By Jenna Howard Terrell, Hayley Spencer, and Alyssa Blanchard

This blog post explores the importance of reengaging stopped-out students and the financial benefits for colleges to reenroll students. We also highlight successful strategies used by colleges to reengage students through financial campaigns.

Why Reengagement Matters 

Across the United States, millions of students start college but don’t complete their degrees, joining a large and often overlooked population of “stopped-out” students. Recent estimates from the National Student Clearinghouse suggest that approximately 40 million students stopped out of college before earning a degree or credential. Many of these students paused their studies due to financial challenges, dependent care responsibilities, or other life circumstances. For students from lower income backgrounds, these barriers to degree completion are often more pronounced. Traditionally, colleges and universities have given limited attention to stopped-out students. However, with enrollment declines since the pandemic, reengaging these students presents an opportunity for institutions to tap into a new pool of learners and fulfill their commitment to improving students’ education and career opportunities. 

Ramifications of Stopping Out 

Students who leave college before completing their programs may face limited career options and lower earning potential because many jobs still require a degree or credential. Additionally, these students often carry student debt without the increased income that a degree would afford, making repayment challenging and further limiting their pathways to greater economic mobility.

Colleges also experience negative ramifications from stop-outs due to lower enrollment numbers and lost revenue. Institutions can recoup some of these losses by stabilizing enrollment and revenue through reengagement strategies. 

When more students return to college and complete their degrees, the economic vitality of the surrounding community often improves as well because graduates tend to have higher earning potential, increased purchasing power, and a reduced need for social services. This ripple effect strengthens the college’s role as a driver of economic and community growth. 

Promising Approaches to Reengagement  

In the past, stopped-out students were left with “stranded credits,” which are college credits that they earned at one institution but that could not be used toward a degree from, or otherwise transfer to, another institution due to outstanding financial obligations. With recent federal regulations curbing the withholding of academic transcripts due to unpaid balances, colleges now have an opportunity to revise policies and implement programs that help reengage students who stopped out because of financial barriers.

Recognizing these dynamics, a growing number of colleges are launching targeted financial campaigns to remove financial barriers to reenrollment. Programs offering microgrants and debt forgiveness, for example, are giving students the chance to come back without the looming burden of financial holds or small unpaid balances. By relieving these financial strains, institutions enable students to refocus on their education and complete their degrees. Programs like Ohio’s Comeback initiative, Georgia State University’s Panther Retention Grants, and City Colleges of Chicago’s Chancellor’s Retention Grant and Fresh Start Program demonstrate how financial incentives can bring students back to campus. These programs provide students with microgrants, offer debt forgiveness, clear debt holds, and provide other supports to help students reenroll and persist in their studies. 

These financial campaigns are proving to be a promising approach to reengaging stopped-out students. A team of researchers at WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility recently partnered with City Colleges of Chicago to evaluate the Chancellor’s Retention Grant, which was implemented as a reengagement strategy from spring 2020 to spring 2022. The Chancellor’s Retention Grant created a pathway for financial support for students to return to campus and generated revenue that exceeded what could have been collected through traditional payment collection methods. What began as a difficult challenge turned into a mutually beneficial solution in three important ways:

• Stopped-out students with at least a 2.0 grade point average were able to receive some debt relief to return to college and continue their studies. 
• The program significantly improved reenrollment among eligible students who previously stopped-out due to unpaid balances to the college. 
• City Colleges of Chicago generated tuition revenue and enrollment growth, tapping into a pool of learners who had already demonstrated motivation to complete a degree or credential at City Colleges of Chicago.

Replicating and Scaling Financial Campaigns 

The success of financial campaigns like the Chancellor’s Retention Grant at City Colleges of Chicago demonstrates that targeting financial support for stopped-out students can drive reenrollment among students with some college and no degree, boost institutional revenue, and positively impact local economies. Replicating and scaling these types of financial campaigns across other colleges and regions could provide similar benefits. By offering microgrants and debt forgiveness in combination with long-term student success supports, institutions can create a framework that not only reengages students but also promotes persistence and completion.

As more colleges consider these strategies, collaboration and shared best practices are crucial. We invite higher education leaders and policymakers to connect with WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility to explore reengagement approaches and how to tailor them to meet their institutions’ unique needs and student populations. Our Center can provide guidance, share insights, and support your efforts in implementing effective reengagement solutions. If you would like to work with the Center to support reengagement strategies at your institution, please contact Senior Researcher Jenna Howard Terrell at [email protected].

 

Jenna Howard Terrell is a Senior Researcher at WestEd specializing in evaluation and applied research to strengthen college-to-career pathways. She leads and supports studies on high school graduation measures, early college experiences, and innovative college reenrollment programs such as the City Colleges of Chicago’s Chancellor’s Retention Grant evaluation.

Hayley Spencer, PhD, is a Research Associate at WestEd specializing in research and evaluation for postsecondary education. She leads projects focused on supporting undergraduate STEM students and college and career readiness and supports the Data Integration Support Center at WestEd. Hayley supports cost-effectiveness analysis for studies such as the City Colleges of Chicago’s Chancellor’s Retention Grant evaluation. 

Alyssa Blanchard is a Research Associate at WestEd. She specializes in study planning, data collection, and analysis, with a focus on programs that improve postsecondary access, student success, and economic mobility. Alyssa leads impact studies of postsecondary reengagement programs such as the City Colleges of Chicago’s Chancellor’s Retention Grant evaluation.

By Tracy Huebner

Through this ongoing series, WestEd aims to demystify generative AI and explore its potential applications across education systems. This first blog focuses on AI’s ability to reshape operational efficiencies and student support within community colleges and universities. 

As an education advocate with more than 2 decades of experience spanning research, technical assistance, and hands-on teaching, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of technology-enabled education. Today, we stand at the cusp of a technological renaissance with generative AI poised to redefine the community college and university landscape. 

What Is Generative AI?

Generative AI, or GenAI, creates new content by “learning” from existing data. This innovative technology can generate text, images, and more, going beyond mere data analysis to produce novel and insightful outputs. For instance, it can write creative literature, devise intricate art pieces, personalize educational materials, simulate virtual environments for training, and even generate code to aid in software development. Additionally, GenAI can craft realistic dialogue for virtual assistants, synthesize music that resonates with human emotions, and create data visualizations that reveal patterns invisible to the naked eye, all of which are transforming how we interact with the digital world. 

Generative AI in Community Colleges

In community colleges, GenAI shows promise for streamlining operations and enhancing student services, ultimately leading to a more robust bridge between education and the workforce. Imagine a community college where administrative tasks are handled with unprecedented speed and accuracy, freeing up staff to focus on student engagement. GenAI can make this a reality. For instance, by sifting through financial aid data, it could proactively notify counselors about students who qualify for unclaimed aid, ensuring equitable access to educational resources.

At its core, GenAI truly is a learner, much like our students. It absorbs information from data and uses machine learning to improve its predictive and generative abilities. This means it can adapt to new educational challenges and devise innovative solutions, reflecting the diverse needs of community colleges. 

To help achieve this vision, working and learning together is crucial. Staff from WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility are actively engaging with the Chancellor’s Office for California’s Community Colleges AI Council, bringing their expertise to the table to foster awareness, understanding, and the implementation of GenAI practices. This partnership aims to improve operational efficiencies and the quality of the learner experience across the state’s 116 community colleges. 

Enhancing Operational Efficiencies 

Let’s look at other real-world examples where GenAI can transform administrative processes. In admissions, AI tools can analyze historical enrollment data to predict future trends, aiding in the strategic planning of class sizes and faculty allocation. Colleges like Georgia State University have employed predictive analytics to improve student retention, a practice that can be extended through GenAI for insights and interventions that are more nuanced and have the potential to revolutionize student services.

During the 2020–21 academic year, researchers Katharine Meyer and Lindsay Page conducted a pioneering study at Perimeter College—a community college affiliated with Georgia State University—that involved roughly 11,000 students. This randomized controlled trial explored the impact of personalized text messages on student success. Students received timely, emoji-enriched texts on their phones, which served as friendly nudges for important academic deadlines, guidance on settling balances or navigating financial aid applications, and pointers to various campus resources. Additionally, a responsive chatbot was at the students’ service, answering inquiries about campus facilities, financial support, and a plethora of other concerns, all based on a comprehensive database of frequently asked questions. This digital assistant exemplified the practical benefits of AI in enhancing student communication and support. 

What’s Next?

As we progress through this blog series, we will provide real use case examples that delve deeper into how GenAI can enhance learner supports and empower staff and leadership, fortifying the educational pathway to the workforce. Join us on this exploratory journey as we unveil the capabilities of GenAI to transform colleges into more dynamic, responsive, and student-centered institutions, ready to navigate the challenges of the 21st-century economy. If you have your own examples to share, please reach out to me to add to this dynamic, growing AI community! 

 

Tracy Huebner directs Special Projects and Initiatives for the Center for Economic Mobility (CEM). She has an extensive background in supporting intersegmental pathways, program design, and strategic planning. Tracy actively maintains relationships with outside funders and presents CEM work in public settings.

She holds a BA from Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences, an MA and a PhD in education from Stanford University, and a postdoctoral degree in evaluating programs for schooling and children from Harvard University. You can contact Tracy directly by email at [email protected].

By Quay Dorsey and Valentin Pedroza

In this blog, you will learn how educational institutions leverage systems change in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) programs by using comprehensive strategies and shared measures to create a foundation for equity and inclusivity in STEM.

For far too long, systemic barriers have limited access to STEM education and career pathways for traditionally underrepresented populations. This has resulted in a lopsided STEM workforce. For example, women make up nearly 50 percent of the U.S. workforce but represent only about 28 percent of the STEM workforce. For people of color, the gap persists—Black workers account for 9 percent of the total U.S. workforce but only 5 percent in STEM, while Hispanic workers represent 17 percent of the workforce but just 8 percent in STEM fields. These gaps in representation not only highlight issues of fairness and social justice but also limit the diversity of thought crucial for breakthroughs in science and technology.

Defining Systems Change in the Context of STEM

Systems change is about reshaping the complex web of factors—policies, practices, resources, relationships, and power dynamics—that perpetuate disparities in STEM fields. It’s a strategic approach to foster long-lasting equity and ensure that STEM opportunities are accessible, inviting, and supportive for everyone, especially those who have been historically marginalized.

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES initiative outlines a strategy to increase STEM equity, and WestEd’s partnership helps to make systemwide change a reality. The work encompasses

• assembling a vibrant network of partners from various sectors committed to STEM diversity and equity;
• developing a suite of shared measures that provide a nuanced understanding of progress across multiple dimensions of STEM inclusivity; and
• harnessing the power of collaboration to amplify and replicate successful equity-driven interventions, effectively promoting systemic reform.

The NSF INCLUDES initiative has illuminated the diverse equity-focused efforts taking place across alliances. For example, some alliances are dedicated to supporting Indigenous students’’ access to STEM, while others concentrate on Latina/o/x inclusivity or the broadening of STEM education to be more universally accessible. These insights have led to the identification of metrics that resonate with the missions of various programs, focusing on enrollment, major selection, graduation, employment, and active participation in STEM initiatives.

WestEd also supports other systems change projects, each in their own unique way rewriting the narrative for groups who are underrepresented in STEM. WestEd serves as a thought partner and evaluator for these projects, offering expert guidance on systems change strategies and conducting rigorous evaluations to ensure their efforts effectively advance equity in STEM education. By targeting different components of systems change—such as policy, practice, resource allocation, and relationships—Creating Access to STEM for All (CASA), Advancing Research and Career Opportunities (ARCOS), and Bioscope projects are forging a path toward a more equitable and inclusive STEM future.

Northeastern Illinois University’s CASA and ARCOS and MiraCosta College’s Bioscope project are examples of systems change in action, aimed at enhancing STEM equity. CASA’s cohort-based approach and culturally responsive curriculum empower Hispanic/Latina/o/x and students from low-income backgrounds, while ARCOS strengthens pathways between 2-year and 4-year institutions, offering critical internship experiences. Bioscope pioneers project-based learning in biomanufacturing, ensuring that students from diverse backgrounds receive practical, industry-aligned education. Collectively, these initiatives demonstrate how targeted changes in policy, practice, and partnerships can dismantle barriers and cultivate an inclusive environment where all students can thrive in STEM.

To bring these principles of systems change to your STEM programs, consider the following actions:

• Evaluate your organization’s policies and practices to identify areas where change is needed to support equity.
• Collaborate with a network of diverse partners to share resources, knowledge, and strategies.
• Use shared measures to track progress, inform decision-making, and demonstrate impact.
• Commit to continuous learning and improvement based on data and feedback.
• Find funding that supports innovative, inclusive initiatives.

The team at WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility is equipped to support educators, policymakers, and community leaders in implementing systems change for a more equitable STEM future. If you are looking to apply these approaches to your initiatives or seeking support in advancing equity within your organization, we encourage you to reach out through our Center for Economic Mobility. By working together, we can continue to build on this momentum and create a lasting impact, ensuring that STEM opportunities are accessible and equitable for all.

Below is a list of funding sources you can leverage to support minoritized students in STEM:

U.S. Department of Education Title III Hispanic-Serving Institutions – Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics and Articulation Programs is aimed at increasing the number of Hispanic and other students from low-income backgrounds attaining degrees in STEM fields and at developing model transfer and articulation agreements between 2-year and 4-year institutions in such fields.

U.S. Department of Education Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) Program – Title V is aimed at assisting HSIs in expanding educational opportunities for, and improving the levels of attainment of, Hispanic students. These grants also enable HSIs to expand and enhance their academic offerings, program quality, and institutional stability.

NSF INCLUDES: This is a comprehensive initiative aimed at broadening participation in STEM education and careers by developing a network of diverse STEM talent.

NSF Advanced Technological Education: This supports partnerships between 2-year institutions of higher education, other academic institutions, industry, and other entities to improve the education of technicians in science and engineering.

 

Quay Dorsey is a Senior Program Manager at WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility. He specializes in equitable data collection, evaluation, and initiatives that close equity gaps for students of color and low-income backgrounds. As a member of the executive team for the NSF Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES Coordination Hub, Quay leads efforts to create and analyze shared measures around systems change and broadening participation in STEM. With a decade of experience in Washington, DC, public schools, he remains committed to promoting sustainable, transformative change in education.

Valentin Pedroza is a Senior Research Associate at WestEd. He has dedicated 18 years to enhancing educational equity through research and evaluation. His expertise in designing and executing evaluation projects informs culturally responsive strategies that support underrepresented groups.

By Jasmine McGee and Adriel Garcia

 

 

In this blog, we explore four best practices for partner and practitioner engagement that can transform economic mobility initiatives.

Advancing economic mobility—a person’s ability to improve their economic status over time—is a complex challenge. To make meaningful and systemic changes that enhance communities with economic mobility, coordinated efforts across multiple sectors are pivotal. For any initiative or project aimed at enhancing economic mobility to succeed, the involvement of key partners and practitioners is not just beneficial—it’s essential. Years of practitioner experience makes it clear that effective engagement can lead to increased buy-in, higher productivity, and a more significant impact.

Key interest holders often include local government officials who can influence policy and funding decisions, workforce development agencies that connect individuals with job opportunities, and higher education institutions that provide the necessary training and education for upward mobility. Additionally, community organizations play a vital role in reaching and supporting marginalized populations, while employers and industry leaders can offer insights into labor market needs and create pathways for career advancement. Engaging these diverse partners ensures that economic mobility initiatives are informed by a wide range of perspectives and are better positioned to address the multifaceted challenges of improving economic outcomes for individuals and communities. This blog post explores four best practices for partner and practitioner engagement that can transform economic mobility initiatives.

1. Establish Open Communication Channels

The bedrock of any successful project is transparent, two-way communication. When partners and practitioners are kept informed and encouraged to share their insights, the project benefits from diverse perspectives, which leads to more robust outcomes. Open communication builds trust and keeps everyone aligned with the project’s goals. It ensures that interest holders are active participants in the project’s success.

To do this, development of California’s Master Plan for Career Education included a comprehensive website where participants provided input in addition to a series of statewide in-person and online convenings. A core element of the Master Plan’s mission is to ensure that every voice is heard, establishing multiple channels for feedback and engagement. Commitment to open channels of communication ensures that the Master Plan remains responsive, inclusive, and aligned with the evolving needs of California’s diverse workforce.

ACTION: When gathering partners and practitioners, initiatives should consider their communication channels. Ensure project leaders receive regular communication updates, including weekly emails, monthly meetings, an open forum, and access to fill out a continuous feedback form to gauge whether efforts or tactics need to shift. Consider other modes of communication when including larger audiences, such as websites or social media. This transparent approach allows all parties to stay informed and address issues promptly. By practicing open communication, potential problems will be resolved quickly, and the project can stay on track.

2. Practice Collaborative Decision-Making

Engaging partners and practitioners in decision-making processes creates a sense of shared ownership and commitment. When people feel that their voices are heard, they are more likely to support and contribute to the project. Collaborative decision-making can lead to more innovative and effective solutions. When partners and practitioners are involved in the process, they bring diverse perspectives that can significantly improve the project’s impact.

Collaborative decision-making can look like the following:

• shared vision statement drafting: Build opportunities for interest holders to collaborate on draft visions and goals until it resonates with all parties involved.
• development of a communication strategy: Create a plan that articulates the shared vision of all interest holders and keeps it at the forefront of project activities.
• transparent documentation: Establish clear, accessible documentation that captures the shared vision, making it available to all for reference and guidance.

The California REACH project, a project WestEd supports by providing technical assistance to the Success Center for California Community Colleges, exemplifies the essence of collaborative decision-making in advancing economic mobility. California REACH gathers a dynamic coalition of institutional leaders, support staff, faculty, and partners from industry and academia. The project champions the importance of focusing attention on meaningful collaboration by inviting interest holders into the shared visioning process. This strategic approach ensures that a breadth of expertise and perspectives are at the heart of the project, driving decisions that are both innovative and reflective of California’s diverse educational and workforce needs.

ACTION: When planning projects and initiatives, form an advisory board that includes a host of institutional administration and support staff, faculty, employers, and academic partners. This board should actively participate in decision-making processes to ensure that the project aligns with community needs and can lead to sustainable, long-term economic benefits. It is crucial to ensure that individuals being brought together have the necessary bandwidth to contribute effectively, ensuring that team members are not stretched too thin. This is sometimes the difference between increased participant buy-in and true collaboration.

3. Training and Capacity Building

Empowering partners and practitioners with the necessary skills is a key strategy for maintaining engagement and ensuring the project’s success. When people are equipped with the tools they need, they are more likely to contribute effectively. By investing in their capacity building, initiatives can ensure that participants are not only prepared to contribute now but are also motivated to stay involved over the long term.

The United Domestic Workers Adult Demonstration, a project WestEd supports through their partnership with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, focuses on building capacity for both emerging and established best practices in adult education through a monthly Community of Practice. This collaborative space is dedicated to professional development and skill enhancement, providing educators and practitioners with the tools and knowledge necessary to establish or expand resources and course offerings for adult learners. By identifying and addressing gaps in participants with knowledge and capabilities, the initiative cultivates an environment where continuous and collective learning is a central priority. This strategic approach has created an opportunity to leverage the collective expertise of the community to drive innovation, address challenges, and sustain impact while also establishing a strong foundation of support and mentorship among the practitioners.

ACTION: Identify gaps in the skills and knowledge of key participants, such as educators or practitioners. Offer targeted training sessions, communities of practice, and skill-based workshops. Enhancing the skills of the team not only improves program outcomes but also boosts confidence and engagement among participants, leading to sustained impact.

4. Measure and Celebrate Success

To maintain momentum and morale, it is vital to regularly measure progress and celebrate successes, even small ones. Recognizing achievements keeps partners and practitioners motivated and committed to the project’s goals. It’s important to acknowledge the hard work of partners and practitioners because this recognition can significantly raise morale and keep the project on track.

A great example of this is a Regional K16 Education Collaboratives Grant Program recipient that uses the “In the News” section of its website to showcase local and regional accomplishments. By highlighting these achievements, whether it’s the completion of a significant milestone or the success of a community event, the collaborative not only recognizes the hard work of its partners and practitioners but also keeps everyone engaged and motivated. This public acknowledgment serves as a powerful tool to boost morale, reinforce commitment to the project’s goals, and demonstrate the tangible impact of collective efforts, ensuring that the initiative stays on track and continues to inspire those involved.

ACTION: Establish a system to track progress, and celebrate every achievement, big or small. Publicly recognize participants, institutions, work groups, and regional successes.

Enhancing economic mobility is not a task that can be tackled in isolation. It requires the collective efforts of various sectors, with partners and practitioners playing crucial roles in driving success. When these best practices are implemented effectively, the possibility for transformative systems work is within reach.

Economic mobility initiatives or projects must consider how these best practices can be thoughtfully integrated into their approaches and strategies. By actively applying these engagement strategies, initiatives cultivate stronger relationships with key interest holders, promote a more collaborative environment, and significantly enhance impact and sustainability.

Take the next step in advancing your efforts—visit the Center for Economic Mobility website to learn more about effective engagement strategies and resources to support your initiatives. Together, we can build pathways to greater economic opportunity and success.

 

Jasmine McGee is a Research Associate II at WestEd. Her areas of expertise include data–informed approaches and trends, student–centered equity strategies, a strong understanding of K16 education data systems, and a long history of serving historically disadvantaged populations. Jasmine received a BA in psychology and African American studies from University of California, Davis and an MA in counseling from St. Mary’s College of California.

Adriel Garcia is a Program Associate at WestEd focusing on Economic Mobility, Postsecondary Education, and Workforce Systems. He plays a key role in supporting educational data, developing dashboards, and systematizing education and workforce systems. Adriel holds a BA in psychology social behavior, education, with a minor in management from University of California, Irvine.

 

By Rachel Antrobus and Alexandra Lozanoff

In this blog, we share five foundational strategies for building high-quality K-16 pathways in the context of common challenges and emerging possibilities.

In today’s dynamic job market, students need coherent career-focused pathways from high school to college and employment, commonly called K-16 pathways. When education systems aren’t connected, students have to fill in the gap. Educators, industry leaders, and philanthropic organizations widely recognize the importance of creating seamless, supportive, and student-centered K-16 pathways as an ideal model for academic and career development. Yet, pathways are challenging to fund, develop, and sustain. 

K-16 pathways are broadly defined as clear, sequenced coursework and supplemental activities across multiple education segments (i.e., high school, community colleges, and 4-year institutions). These pathways allow learners to explore their interests, identify education and career goals, shift into different pathways using their transferable interests and competencies, and earn academic credentials—all while accumulating skills and qualifications that align with jobs.

The Importance of K-16 Pathways

K-16 pathways are a key strategy for expanding opportunity. Without explicit connections between education segments, the onus is on students to navigate from high school to college and careers on their own. For students with resources and cultural capital, the gaps are typically navigated successfully and seen as an opportunity to explore interests without the pressure of translating education choices into a career. However, for low-income, first-generation college students, the disconnects between education and careers too often translates into difficulties navigating the gaps between high school, college, and career and often results in a lost connection with postsecondary institutions. Education systems and employers can work together to address the structural factors that get in the way of equitable outcomes and provide first-generation college students with the holistic support needed to successfully transition from high school to college and career. 

In California, several initiatives, such as the Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives Grant Program, are providing resources and establishing minimum requirements for K-16 pathways. WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility is supporting the Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives Grant Program by providing deep technical assistance, including developing implementation plans, facilitating K-16 pathway convenings, and advising K-16 Collaboratives’ leadership teams. The promising practices, strong partnerships, and innovative approaches underway across California–paired with state-level policy changes—offer the promise of meaningful progress toward coherent, career-focused pathways for all students. 

Recommendations

1. Next-step options within pathways: High schools provide at least one community college dual enrollment course, and community colleges include a course that is transferable to a 4-year institution. 

One way to bridge gaps between systems is to ensure students get early access to the next step in their education journeys. For example, high school students can take college courses through dual enrollment, and students in community college can take classes that count toward a 4-year degree. 

To create coherent options for students, high schools, community colleges, and universities need to work together to identify which courses students should be encouraged to take, ensure educators with appropriate disciplinary and youth development backgrounds are recruited to teach the classes, and put systems in place to help students register for courses. They also need to iron out misaligned system requirements such as seat-time minutes, teacher qualifications, and providing sufficient room in school schedules. 

 

2. Employer commitment: All levels of educational programs align with employment opportunities, including opportunities for work as students progress along a pathway. 

Building pathways from high school to college and career requires coordination between education and industry. However, the two sectors often operate in silos, with little ongoing communication or collaboration. This divide can result in a mismatch between the skills that students are taught in school and the skills that are needed in the workforce. If K-16 pathways are to be successful, employers need to commit to advising the pathway curriculum and providing real-world experiences, including work-based learning, and education partners need to have a depth of understanding and the ability to integrate in-demand skills.

Current structures are not well suited for deep engagement between education and industry. Employers may not be engaged until a curriculum has already been developed, and access to employers is often based on individual relationships. By developing regional structures for employer engagement focused on specific industry strategies, a broader range of partners can be engaged to develop action plans around work-based learning opportunities, hiring, and program design. Exemplar partnerships, such as the California Transit Works! statewide consortium, can serve as a model for developing and scaling partnerships between employees, unions, and educators to build worker-driven curricula, training programs, peer mentoring, and registered apprenticeships. 

 

3. Work-based learning: All education segments (K–12, community colleges, 4-year institutions) provide experience-based opportunities that are valued by employers. 

When students gain real-world experience through internships, job shadowing, and project-based learning, they gain confidence early in their academic journeys and are better able to find the career that is right for them. Unfortunately, high schools and colleges lack funding and infrastructure to offer robust, equitable, hands-on training and real-world experience for all students. Work-based learning is one of the most difficult elements to scale, but in every successful scenario, industry partners meaningfully invest by helping students gain real-world experience and making their workplaces “student-ready.” Education partners can support this commitment by providing employers with strategies for welcoming and supporting a diverse group of students. 

Both education partners and employers require funding and staff capacity to support students as they enter new environments, gain new skills, and process their experiences in ways that prepare them for career decision-making and enable them to secure future opportunities. In addition, on-the-ground strategies should be supported by reexamining policies that create barriers, such as fingerprinting requirements or age-restrictions. 

 

4. Student-facing pathway maps: All education institutions provide roadmaps to students that clearly describe course sequences, required levels of education, and employment opportunities. 

To be effective, K-16 pathways need to make educational journeys and career opportunities clear for students and families. Given that students have so many education options, educators can help clarify what types of jobs are available and the different possible pathways to prepare for those occupations. It is critical that, rather than existing in a silo, the roadmaps are instead incorporated into students’ academic lives through the classroom, college preparation, family engagement, advising, and cocurricular activities.

The Los Angeles Regional Consortium is addressing this challenge by making local labor market data available to everyone through an open-source data tool. Practitioners can use this tool to identify high-wage, high-demand jobs available in their region, determine the programs and certifications that prepare students for these jobs, and the pinpoint the skills students need to succeed in their chosen field. Instructors, counselors, student support professionals, and admissions officers can incorporate this information into recruitment materials, counseling, and lesson plans. 

 

5. Articulation agreements: Community college and 4-year institutions ensure that courses are accepted for transfer to shorten time to employment.

Agreements on course articulation are required to maximize the opportunity for community college students to transfer to 4-year institutions. Articulation agreements often are negotiated between individual institutions and require the engagement of administrators, faculty, and academic senates. As a result, students who are considering more than one major or transfer institution are faced with the daunting task of understanding and comparing the many possible combinations of transferable courses and pathways.

Creating articulated transfer pathways that share common general education and major requirements can be a game changer for students’ journeys through K-16 pathways. In California, Assembly Bill 928 and the corresponding Associate Degree for Transfer Intersegmental Implementation Committee outlined a range of recommendations for state-level action to support more equitable transfer, including creating Associate Degrees for Transfer that are recognized by all public 4-year institutions, guaranteeing admissions for transfer students, streamlining transfer pathways in STEM, and reengaging students who completed transfer requirements but have yet to enroll in a 4-year institution. In the meantime, Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives are working to explore new articulation agreements while cocreating solutions to address equity gaps within current transfer pathways.

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Creating K-16 pathways that allow students to reach living wage jobs and respond to workforce demands requires close attention to structures, information flow, and regulations. As California is demonstrating, establishing regional collaboratives that include K-12, community colleges, 4-year institutions, and employers allows practitioners to shift the burden of navigating these systems away from students. 

Rachel Antrobus, EdD is Director of Intersegmental Projects in WestEd’s Economic Mobility, Postsecondary, and Workforce Systems content area where she provides technical assistance to the field, focused on improving college and career pathways within K-16.

Alexandra Lozanoff is a Senior Project Manager in WestEd’s Economic Mobility, Postsecondary, and Workforce Systems content area where she is responsible for designing professional development for postsecondary and workforce development clients.

By Sterling Smith

In this blog, we discuss strategies for bridging the gap between prevalent, low-wage jobs and good jobs that address quality of life and earnings. The blog also highlights a new initiative that aims to address barriers adult learners face while putting them on pathways to good jobs.

The job market can mystify job seekers and educators, but ask either and they can likely talk at length about the current real estate market. Both the job market and real estate market impact our daily lives and have experienced significant shifts over the past few decades, driven by technological advancements, changing demographics, and socioeconomic factors. By examining these parallels, we can better understand how the job market has changed and how this impacts job seekers and educators.

What Makes a Job a Good Job

Much of the current conversation about the real estate market is dominated by the unavailability of affordable housing, just as many individuals in today’s job market struggle with the lack of good jobs. While searching for both jobs and housing, many people primarily consider financials—although dollars and cents are far from the exclusive factor when choosing either. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Good Jobs Initiative has a framework of eight principles that comprise a good job. Outside of providing workers with a living wage, the framework includes

• skills and career advancement;
• organizational culture;
• empowerment and representation;
• diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility;
• benefits; and
• recruitment and hiring.

These principles have direct impacts for job seekers and educators and are important for holistically evaluating what job seekers may want from an employer. In the trucking industry, for example, a study in the journal of Workplace Health & Safety found job turnover was related to issues such as job expectations, long hours away from home, and lack of benefits, among others. While jobs have different requirements and people have different preferences, for educators and job seekers, a more comprehensive approach toward evaluating career opportunities and educational pathways enables a more efficient labor market and reduces time and costs for students.     

Living wages, however, dominate the discussion around what makes a good job. The Living Wage Calculator, developed by Amy K. Glasimer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, defines a living wage as the following:

“What one full-time worker must earn on an hourly basis to help cover the cost of their family’s minimum basic needs where they live while still being self-sufficient.”

The basic needs referenced in the MIT Living Wage calculator include childcare, food, health care, housing, internet and mobile, transportation, civic engagement, other necessities, and income and payroll taxes. Living wages vary based on location and family structure, highlighting the need for both job seekers and practitioners to consider the regional labor market information and living wage data in decision-making. 

Take Los Angeles County, for example: in a family of four with two working adults, each adult needs to earn an hourly wage of $33.24 or $69,139 annually. In comparison, for the same family in Fresno County, each adult needs to earn an hourly wage of $26.79 or $55,723 annually.

Where have all the good jobs gone?

The shortage of good jobs can be likened to the shortage of affordable housing. A number of confounding factors have led to what is called the polarization of the labor market, where middle wage jobs have been eclipsed by growth of high-wage and low-wage jobs. This polarization is reflected in the makeup of our economy. On the low end of the pay scale is the leisure and hospitality industry, which accounted for about 6 percent of jobs in the United States at the beginning of 1950. By the beginning of 2024, that figure had nearly doubled (to 11%). At the higher end of the pay scale, professional and business services saw an even larger gain (from 7% to 15%). Meanwhile, middle skills jobs like manufacturing dropped to a quarter of their prior figures (from 30% to 8%).

Economists like David Autor, Lawrence Katz, and Melissa Kearney argue that the polarization of the labor market can be partially understood through technological advances and the outsourcing of jobs internationally. Other factors have impacted good jobs, including wage stagnation, where workers’ wages remain little changed when accounting for inflation. Wage stagnation has particularly impacted workers in the lower- and middle-levels of the job market. This has coincided with the precipitous decline in the share of workers belonging to a union, which fell by half between 1983 and 2023 (from 20% to 10%), even though studies on unions show that union members have increased benefits and a wage premium between 10 percent and 15 percent. On the bright side, both wage stagnation and union membership have seen some gains recently, for example, union membership increased by approximately 200,000 in 2022.  

How can education systems design bridges across the polarized job market?

Home ownership can feel out of touch for so many, just as securing a good job can be. A college degree continues to be one of the most reliable pathways to securing a good job, with bachelor’s degree graduates typically earning $1.2 million more over their lifetime than workers with a high school diploma. However, if individuals don’t have funds for a down payment on a home or the savings to cover the cost of tuition and living expenses for several years, the only option is to take out sizable loans. A quarter of people over the age of 25 have attended college but have not earned a bachelor’s degree. If colleges want to help more adults cross the chasm between prevalent, low-pay jobs to better options, they will have to redesign the way they engage their communities. For example, to help adults navigate to jobs that better meet their goals and dreams, colleges need to understand the characteristics of jobs in their region and the specific skills and needs of people in their communities. This understanding enables colleges to work proactively to support students across the institution, from advising to wraparound services. Colleges will also need to identify ways to help adults move efficiently through training options to reduce the out-of-pocket and opportunity costs of going back to school. 

WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility is helping turn these ideas into action by supporting a new initiative that is jointly offered by the California Community Colleges (CCC) and the United Domestic Workers (UDW). Domestic workers provide in-home support to children, the elderly, and people who are disabled. These jobs require long hours and physical strength but do not pay a living wage. Domestic workers who are not part of a union often lack health care and do not have consistent schedules, two key elements of what makes a good job. The UDW members who are participating in the initiative are predominantly women of color over the age of 50, many of whom are not fluent in English. 

To help UDW members identify academic programs that will help them make progress toward their goals, WestEd examined jobs that require similar skills, do not require a bachelor’s degree, and continued to be in high demand through both the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. This information was shared with the colleges participating in the initiative at daylong design sessions where they learned about their regional labor markets, the characteristics of UDW members who live near their colleges, and their interests. Educators identified related programs at their colleges and determined the types of supports that would foster success, like offering English as a Second Language courses that teach medical terminology. Importantly, educators moved beyond traditional labor market analyses that look narrowly at projected job openings and wage thresholds. For example, for some UDW members, preparing for a medical assisting position may be an attractive option. While the job does not pay as well as health care positions that require more training, it will provide a consistent schedule, daytime working hours, health care benefits, and the opportunity to sit while working. This work is being done with a data driven and proactive approach to provide support for members, where UDW and the colleges are coordinating on barriers, including transportation, computer and internet access, and course materials.    

Balancing Jobs, Education Pathways, and People

Solving the affordable housing crisis requires innovative solutions that address the supply of housing and the barriers to building and financing. Improving access to good jobs requires equally innovative solutions that build pipelines to good jobs and remove barriers for job seekers. Targeted programs done in partnership with community organizations, such as the UDW and CCC partnership, serve as one example for engaging historically underserved populations and adult learners. Not only are these solutions impactful for individuals, they are key to preserving American competitiveness and productivity. For researchers and educators, solving the good jobs crisis requires data-informed approaches that go beyond our historical understanding of good jobs and are reflective of the populations we strive to reach.

Sterling Smith is a Senior Research Associate at WestEd. Sterling specializes in the intersection of postsecondary education and labor market outcomes. His work includes helping institutions understand how to design and implement programs that are reflective of their regional economy and using a data-driven approach to institutional planning. Sterling is a first-generation college graduate passionate about economic mobility for learners and reducing barriers for underserved individuals.