In a new white paper, CHEPP evaluates the landscape of higher education workforce partnerships and provides guidance for practitioners and policymakers through the lens of learner-centered design.
What We Know
Having a college degree or credential is a leading indicator of an individual’s long-term economic success and security, but a degree or credential is out of reach for many. As the cost of completing a degree rises, and many recent graduates face underemployment, public skepticism about the value of higher education has continued to grow. A recent Gallup poll found that just 36% of people have a great deal of confidence in higher education – down from 48% in 2018 and 57% in 2015.
Allowing workers to access higher education through their employers can make college more accessible, affordable, and career connected. Through higher education—workforce partnerships, employers can help employees access discounted tuition costs and, in some cases, cover the full cost of tuition and fees. While workforce partnerships are becoming more common, practitioners and policymakers need guidance to understand how these relationships should be structured to drive learner success and expand economic opportunity.
How Workforce Partnerships Operate
CHEPP’s new white paper, Unpacking Workforce Partnerships: Improving Structures for Learners, looks at various types of partnerships between higher education institutions and employers. The paper outlines the landscape of workforce partnerships and shares best practices and policy recommendations to help ensure these relationships serve learners’ needs and contribute to their postsecondary and economic success.
Workforce partnerships can take many forms, from industry-targeted regional initiatives or employer-contracted skills training to employer tuition benefit programs. Workforce partnerships are often used by employers to recruit, retain, and/or train their workforce. They may allow learners to choose from a range of higher education institutions and programs. As larger employers like Walmart, Starbucks, and Target begin offering these tuition benefit programs to their entire workforce, more learners at all income levels are able to access higher education.
The Benefits of Workforce Partnerships
Completing a credential or degree through an employer can help employees advance within their company, or pursue a degree that allows them to advance their personal and professional growth elsewhere. Expanding education access through employers can also be an important equalizer for low-income learners and students of color.
One recent Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) graduate, Pedro Borges, earned his BS in Business Administration through Walmart’s tuition benefit program. Pedro immigrated to the United States from Cape Verde to Massachusetts at the age of 18 to pursue the American Dream. Without access to Walmart’s program, Pedro would have struggled to pay for college. With his degree, he hopes to continue advancing his career.
From stories like Pedro’s, it is clear that when employers contribute toward their employees’ postsecondary education, they can reduce costs and expand economic opportunity for their employees.
Driving Learner Success Through Workforce Partnerships
More than 40 million Americans have some college but no degree or credential. Workforce partnerships can increase college access and attainment. As the number of workforce partnerships continues to grow, higher education institutions, employers, policymakers must understand how these programs work, what makes them successful, and how we can ensure that learner success is a core element of these partnerships.
Read CHEPP’s new white paper to learn more about best practices and policy recommendations for workforce partnerships.