Zakiya Smith Ellis, New Jersey’s Secretary of Higher Education, has played a significant role in shaping federal policy around higher education affordability and outcomes over the past decade. She served as a senior advisor at both the White House and the U.S. Department of Education during the Obama administration, working on high-profile initia...

What does human capital strategy mean? The answer seems to differ, depending on who you ask. Ask local elected officials, and the answer will likely involve their plans for K-12 schools or community colleges. Ask  economic development leaders, and they might discuss their strategy to attract more jobs to their region. Ask an employer, and…

Growing up, Scot McLemore developed an interest in technology, innovation, and inventions, which led him to study Engineering Technology at Purdue University and then on to a 28-year career at Honda Motor Company. Scot was the first in his immediate family to attend college and when met with the challenge of finding his own pathway,…

Serving one of the fastest growing communities of the Washington, D.C. suburbs, Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) has faced the challenge of helping local communities prepare for an influx of new jobs in health care, information technology, and cybersecurity. As the vice president for workforce and economic development, Steve Partridge has...

Originally from Hawaii, Kimo Kippen rose through the ranks of the hospitality industry, beginning as a busboy to a corporate learning executive for the world’s largest hospitality companies. Because of that experience, he also understands that the backbone of every business–no matter how big or small–is its employees. For the past 20 ...

In September 2017, I graduated from The College of Health Care Professions (CHCP) with a bachelor’s degree in Health Informatics. Though I had completed the program online, I drove nearly 200 miles from my home in San Antonio, Texas, to the graduation ceremony in Houston. That might seem like a lengthy drive, but it was…

Companies are finding it difficult to fill open positions, saying they simply can’t find workers with the right qualifications. The half-life of skills continues to shrink, with many technical skills losing their usefulness after just five years. According to the Pew Research Center, more than half of all working adults now say it is necessary&he...

Earlier this month, the University Innovation Alliance announced its next scale project, with a cohort of seven institutions teaming up to close the gap between college and the workforce. This next scale initiative, which received $2.4 million in funding from Strada Education Network, will involve career services professionals developing innovative...