Recent Highlights

Author

Paul Fain
June 19, 2025

Photo by Mikhail Nilov via Pexels

I’ve been traveling a lot lately. So this week I’m sharing some recent content from Work Shift, a new episode of The Cusp podcast, and my weekly Open Tabs. A full issue will be back in your inbox next week. Thanks for reading. (If this newsletter was forwarded to you, subscribe here.) —PF

Embracing Artificial Intelligence

“There are organizations that believe AI is just a passing fad,” says Tal Goldhamer, a former partner and chief learning officer at Ernst & Young. “They will find out very quickly that that’s not the case.”

Goldhamer shares his take on how to think about AI during the latest episode of The Cusp. Since leaving EY last year, Goldhamer has been advising businesses and colleges on how to get the most out of the technology.

“When I think about higher ed, there are so many ways that AI can improve the vision, the purpose, the mission,” he says. “I’m finding that there is a wide distribution of those that are doing something about it and those that are not.”

Recent Highlights from Work Shift

Manufacturing Was Ripe for an Apprenticeship Boom. Can It Still Happen?

Growth in high-tech manufacturing, labor shortages, and a rising interest in hands-on careers had manufacturing primed for a boom in apprenticeships. Programs are still coming online, as with a new push in Tennessee—but federal spending cuts and the Trump trade war complicate the picture.

N.C. Puts Big Money on Graduating More Community College Students in High-Wage Fields

The state's community college system is launching a new degree completion effort modeled on the highly-successful CUNY ASAP program—but with a workforce twist.

Getting More Workers Into the Dating Pool with Employers

Arkansas is investing big in a skills-first platform that puts it at the forefront of state efforts to tap data to better match residents with jobs.

As Corporate America Retreats on DEI, Skills-Based Hiring is Still Set to Grow

The business case for hiring workers without four-year degrees remains strong, experts say, even as the Trump administration pushes to purge equity from the national conversation.

Open Tabs

Non-Degree Credentials
Just one-third of non-degree credentials are linked to substantial wage gains or career boosts, finds a new analysis from the Burning Glass Institute and the American Enterprise Institute. The report looks at data from BGI’s new Credential Value Index, which includes every certification in the U.S. and 23K commonly reported credentials from 2K providers. The analysis found that 8K of those credentials really move the needle for workers.

Certification Boom
YouScience delivered 1.4M industry-recognized certification exams during the last 12 months—a 20% year-to-year increase. The company, which focuses on college and career readiness, also found a steep drop in the share of 2024 high school graduates who opted for a four-year college, according to a survey it conducted. YouScience said students increasingly are pursuing certifications to try to launch directly into high-demand careers, internships, and apprenticeships.

Trade Schools
President Trump’s recent threat to take $3B from Harvard University and to give it to “trade schools” is a transparent and cynical ploy to pit one segment of education against another, Rachel Lipson and Robert Schwartz write in Inside Higher Ed. The Trump administration has cut funding for community colleges and is mulling other reductions for the sector, they note, calling for elite universities and two-year colleges to stand together to resist “bullying” by Trump.

Semiconductor Training
Natcast plans to invest in semiconductor industry-related training and educational support projects aimed at closing workforce gaps for researchers, engineers, and technicians. The nonprofit Natcast was created by the U.S. Department of Commerce to operate the National Semiconductor Technology Center. It’s seeking proposals from a wide range of workforce solution providers, and anticipates making 10-20 awards, ranging from $500K to $2M.

Agentic AI
Every AI agent needs a job description, according to a recent article from McKinsey and Company. The price of entry for agentic AI is high, and deploying the technology is not a plug-and-play solution. A long-term commitment is required, including a robust infrastructure, interoperable data ecosystems, and deep integration across functions. The technology also demands a full rethinking of accountability, ethics, and governance.

Job Moves
Karen Stout will step down next year as president and CEO of Achieving the Dream, a nonprofit focused on community college transformation. Stout, the former president of Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County Community College, has led the group since 2015.

Nate Humphrey has been hired as executive director of the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Humphrey is director of workforce and regional economies at Jobs for the Future and previously served in workforce roles for the North Carolina and Washington community college systems.

To support our work, donate here. If this newsletter was forwarded to you, subscribe here. —PF