In a recent Q&A with the high education news website The EvoLLLution, JFF CEO Maria Flynn talked about the need for colleges and universities to put more emphasis on career services, which are especially important at this time, when more learners are going back to school to prepare to switch to more reliable careers.

In the interview, Flynn acknowledged that career services have long been an afterthought for four-year colleges and universities, and that postsecondary leaders have historically seen a degree as the end point, not as the starting point to a promising career.

But that has to change, she argued. “Career services are the number one thing that we need nationally right now,” she said. “From the K-12 system all the way up to adults seeking retraining, there is a huge gap in this area. Without addressing it, we’re going to see increased inefficiencies in the labor market.”