Ideas

Report/Research Making the Higher Education Act Work for Youth Pursuing Nondegree Pathways

Now more than ever, an expanded and diverse set of education-to-career pathways is necessary for young people to gain employment, advance economically, and meet the needs of our evolving economy. The federal government, through key…

November 30, 2023

Report/Research Next Gen Solutions for Next Gen Talent

How Employers Can Engage, Develop, and Advance Gen Z—Today’s Early Talent  As Gen Z—today’s early talent—enters the workforce in growing numbers, a central question for employers is how they can better understand and respond to…

November 30, 2023

Report/Research How Can Innovative Finance Transform Postsecondary Education and Training?

New Approaches to Paying for Postsecondary Education Offer Tremendous Potential Postsecondary education plays a pivotal role in helping individuals enhance their careers and adapt to changes in the job market. However, the way that we…

November 29, 2023

Report/Research Improving Services and Outcomes for Diverse Populations in America’s Workforce Development System

Recommendations from the Workforce Transformation Policy Council In 2023, Jobs for the Future (JFF) and the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) formed the Task Force on Better Serving Diverse Populations in the U.S. Workforce…

November 20, 2023

Report/Research Toward the Big Blur: State Financing Models That Promote New Education-to-Career Structures

Jobs for the Future’s (JFF) vision for the Big Blur calls for entirely new educational institutions and systems to better prepare 16-to- 20-year-olds for college and careers. This paper examines a new type of financing…

November 16, 2023

Report/Research Community Colleges and Human Services Nonprofits BOOSTing Family Economic Success Through Organizational Policy and Practice

This brief explores how community colleges and human services nonprofits can partner to advance multigenerational family economic success and how these partners can lean into their unique strengths as they seek to achieve this goal.…

November 6, 2023

Tool Skills-Based Practices: A Journey Map for Employers

This document is a one-stop guide to help employers build business agility, workforce diversity, and resilience through skills-based talent practices. It includes business cases for a skills-based approach and resources to assess a company’s maturity…

November 2, 2023

Report/Research Black Learners in IT Associate’s Degree and Credential College Programs

Associate’s degrees and credentials in information technology (IT) can open up pathways to high-wage careers with opportunities for economic advancement. But Black learners and workers face structural barriers that limit their ability to access and…

October 30, 2023

Report/Research Investing in Out-of-School Time STEM is an Investment in a Robust, Diverse STEM Workforce

This brief, developed in collaboration by the STEM Next Opportunity Fund and Jobs for the Future (JFF), shares replicable examples and lessons aimed at broadening access to STEM outside of the K-12 school day and…

October 26, 2023