Workforce Pell Grant expansion benefits Central Ohio

The introduction of Workforce Pell Grants represents more than new federal dollars — it’s an accountability challenge and an opportunity to rethink how states define and deliver quality in short-term workforce training. The @Alabama Talent Triad, built on a competency-based model, demonstrates what it takes: industry-informed, data-driven systems that connect education to actual labor market needs and create pathways to family-sustaining wages. Amber Garrison Duncan, PhD and I dig into what states can learn from Alabama — and why now is the time to act. Read more in Community College Daily: https://lnkd.in/evXAkKMD

Matt Gandal's newest Forbes article digs into how state leadership could make or break Workforce Pell’s success. Federal policy can open the door, but states must: ➡️ Measure what matters to fund what works ➡️ Align outcomes to state economic goals ➡️ Encourage stackability to avoid dead ends ➡️ Support community colleges and employers ➡️ Shine a light on results With strong stewardship, states can turn Workforce Pell into a powerful engine of opportunity. Without it, the promise may fall short. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eWUHdaMF #WorkforcePell #StateLeadership #HigherEdPolicy #WorkforceDevelopment

There’s a critical alignment problem between higher education and workforce funding. And it’s holding America back. We have federal and state dollars pouring into workforce development, CTE, and higher-ed innovation, yet too often those funds don’t reach the people or programs that need them most. At four-year universities, grant-funded projects sometimes stall because institutions don’t fully leverage the dollars they win, or they lack the operational readiness to deliver what they promised. And at community colleges, the state’s primary funding mechanism for workforce and CTE grants, many are missing out altogether. When I was leading workforce development efforts in West Texas, I became one of the top regional producers for workforce grants not because I had special access, but because I did the work: built relationships with employers, wrote strong proposals, managed compliance, and delivered measurable results. We can fix this. It starts with better alignment, training, and accountability. We MUST help both universities and community colleges understand best practices for managing and implementing state workforce grants and federal dollars for maximum impact. These dollars represent our nation’s investment in its people. It’s time we make sure they count. #WorkforceDevelopment #HigherEdInnovation #GrantManagement #CTE #TexasWorkforce #FutureOfWork #TexasWorkforceCommission #THECB #USDepartmentofEducation

Workforce Pell is here. Passed by Congress this summer in the One Big Beautiful Bill, this new federal funding stream can create pathways to economic mobility for learners if, and only if, we center value. In his latest Forbes article, Education Strategy Group's CEO Matt Gandal describes both the promise and potential pitfalls for Workforce Pell. The highlights: ➡️ For the first time, students from low-income backgrounds can use Pell Grants for short-term training programs, but the success of this policy hinges on value. ➡️ Programs like Virginia's FastForward (https://fastforwardva.org/) have already shown short-term training can lead to sizable wage gains if they are industry-aligned. Workforce Pell must fund credentials that lead to actualized economic mobility. ➡️ For quality, programs must meet 70% completion, 70% job placement, and verified earnings gains, but states and institutions need stronger data capacity to highlight outcomes, especially for noncredit programs. Innovative partnerships, like the one between Ivy Tech Community College and CredLens, are critical. They are building the data infrastructure to track employment and earnings outcomes for non-degree credentials. https://lnkd.in/eZp5VuNT

The recent expansion of Pell eligibility to short-term workforce programs has the potential to be transformative. But success will depend on how states lead. States are on the front lines of ensuring that Workforce Pell dollars flow to programs that deliver real value. This will include:  ➡️ Elevating programs with strong wage and employment outcomes ➡️ Enabling stackability to prevent dead ends ➡️ Supporting stronger employer partnerships to expand job opportunities ➡️ Building data systems to measure results and ensure accountability If we get this right, Workforce Pell can help thousands of Americans climb the ladder of economic mobility each year. Read more and let me know what you think. https://lnkd.in/e7KwewWq

The newly released "Workforce of the Future Challenge Report" from Governor Mike Kehoe, outlines the growing focus on improving existing Career and Technical Education (CTE) delivery systems across Missouri, which includes STEM and emerging technologies education. https://lnkd.in/gX85mezm "In addition to the work group, DESE, in partnership with the University of Central Missouri, issued a CTE Perceptions Survey to Missourians during January and February 2025. A total of 5,650 individuals (2,600 students, 766 parents, 1,124 educators, 311 business leaders, and 849 additional respondents) responded to the survey. This survey revealed strong support for CTE, with 92.3 percent of respondents holding positive views. Many see CTE as a pathway to higher education (90.8 percent) and a way to develop leadership and life skills (82.4 percent and 85.4 percent). Key areas for improvement included the need for increased CTE program access, work-based learning opportunities, and a focus on CTE certification. The survey underlined CTE program expansion as critical, with comments highlighting the demand for skilled trades like welding, building trades, and automotive careers, alongside needs in culinary arts, cosmetology, law enforcement, STEM fields, healthcare, and business programs. Stakeholders also called for better career exploration for middle school students, English language learners, and those with special needs, particularly in rural areas. Educators largely agreed that work-based learning opportunities exist, and business leaders (96 percent) emphasized the need for partnerships with schools. Improvements have occurred in recent years, with more businesses collaborating with CTE programs and offering internships and apprenticeships than in the past. However, many small communities still lack such partnerships, raising the question of how to connect appropriate opportunities with students. Business leaders have a favorable view of CTE skills, with a strong preference for CTE certificates among candidates, though many educators are unaware of the requirements to earn these credentials. There is also a disconnect between parents and educators about the value of industry-recognized credentials, due to a lack of information for parents. Students are generally aware of college credit transfer from CTE programs, but many parents are unsure about these opportunities. Comments indicate a need for clearer communication regarding college credits and innovative integration of CTE into academic frameworks, addressing logistical conflicts for students and aligning CTE more closely with core education." See the Full Report: https://lnkd.in/gX85mezm

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐖𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 When Washington began funding free dual enrollment for high school students, something transformative happened at CWU: Total HS dual enrolled students exploded from 5,142 to 16,493 while the Students of Color grew from 29% to 46% in just 4 years. This wasn’t just program growth—this was a fundamental shift in who has access to college-level coursework while still in high school. 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐭��𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 Before state funding, dual enrollment was limited to families who could afford it. Now we’re serving students who previously couldn’t access these opportunities—and they’re succeeding at higher rates. Students with prior dual enrollment at CWU have an 80% retention rate compared to 71% without it. That 9 percentage point difference means more students staying in school, completing degrees, and entering Washington’s workforce. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐁𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫 Washington faces another large budget deficit and dual enrollment funding is vulnerable. But here’s what’s also at stake: the Washington Business Roundtable projects our state will face a shortage of 600,000 credentialed workers over the next decade, with 75% of job openings requiring postsecondary credentials. Cutting dual enrollment won’t just reverse equity progress—it will make this workforce crisis worse. Washington already has one of the lowest college-going rates in the nation. Dual Enrollment isn’t just a budget line item — its a talent pipeline that produces the credentialed workers our economy desperately needs. #WAleg #HigherEd #HigherEducation #WorkforceDevelopment #DualEnrollment #CWU #WAbudget

New America has provided incisive and often critical analysis of Workforce Pell over the last several years. So it's great news that they're launching a Workforce Pell implementation newsletter, and many folks in higher ed and workforce development will want to read this.

Many of the job training programs available to dislocated workers, and others looking for access to employment, require a secondary school credential. Adult education provides the opportunity for individuals to complete that requirement. Zeroing out adult education does not strengthen the workforce development system. It weakens it.