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Forbes
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Workforce Pell Expands Access To Education, Training, And Opportunity
'We just expanded the definition of college,' writes Kathleen deLaski, capturing the spirit behind the new Workforce Pell legislation in President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4. The legislation extends post-secondary Pell Grant financial eligibility to short-term training programs that currently are not eligible to be paid for using federal aid. While the Beautiful Bill Act passed with a mostly party-line vote, Workforce Pell has long had bipartisan legislative support at the federal level in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Additionally, this approach has strong support from many quarters, including working-class voters, broadly defined as those without a four-year college degree. A Progressive Policy Institute/YouGov Survey of working-class voters reports that when given five options to choose what would most help them have a good job, career, and get ahead, the number one response of nearly half (46%) was 'affordable, short-term training programs that combine work and learning,' followed by 'more opportunities for apprenticeships with companies' (23%). Only 9% said a four-year college degree, which came in four out of five. As Lisa Larson, CEO of the Education Design Lab, writes in Community College Daily, 'Workforce Pell has finally become law after years of advocacy, stalled negotiations in Congress and a groundswell of support from educators, employers, and learners.' What Is Workforce Pell? The federal Pell Grant Program, originally known as the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant Program, was established by the Higher Education Amendments of 1972. It provides need-based financial aid to undergraduate students who have not yet earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree. The program was renamed in 1980 to honor Rhode Island's long-time Democratic Senator Claiborne Pell, who sponsored the 1972 legislation. To qualify for Pell financial support, students must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in eligible programs at participating institutions. These programs must lead to a degree or certificate and typically be at least 600 clock hours and 15 weeks in duration. It is currently the largest source of grant aid available to U.S. students. The Congressional Budget Office estimates it will cost nearly $32 billion in fiscal year 2024. Since these grants do not require repayment, they are a crucial tool for expanding access to higher education. Under the new Workforce Pell legislation, the Pell Grant Program will expand to include financial support for short-term, high-quality workforce training programs. These short-term programs typically last less than a year and provide specialized training in fields such as healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing, and skilled trades. Participants earn industry-recognized certifications, credentials, and hands-on skills that are highly valued in today's job market. To qualify for Workforce Pell funding, programs must meet several criteria. For example, programs must be between 150 and 599 clock hours and 8 and 15 weeks. Recognized organizations must accredit them. They also must focus on career-specific skills that lead to credentials that improve employability. This approach reflects a growing recognition that non-degree credentials, which were once seen as secondary, are essential for economic success in today's economy. The U.S. Secretary of Education has a significant role in monitoring the program. For example, the Secretary must ensure that an institution has offered the program for at least one year before receiving eligibility; has a verified completion rate of at least 70%, within 150% of the normal time for completion; and meets an earnings requirement that examines program cost, median earnings, and the federal poverty level. What Happens Next? The law takes effect July 1, 2026, with at least three groups responsible for ensuring the program is ready to be implemented. First, the U.S. Department of Education must develop program regulations. The Department has created a negotiated rulemaking committee to do that. This rulemaking approach involves the Department and representatives from the stakeholder groups affected by the new law. This collaborative effort aims to create from the outset a consensus-driven rule process with those involved in implementing the program. Second, state leaders need to prepare for program implementation. For example, Governors, working with their state workforce boards, will need to determine which workforce programs meet the criteria to be eligible for grants. This includes ensuring programs lead to portable, recognized credentials that can be stacked or sequenced as part of a step ladder approach to other recognized credentials, like an associate degree. Finally, universities and other training providers, including employers, also have responsibilities. For example, a significant part of the law's implementation challenge involves ensuring that programs are accessible, especially to low-income participants. Will enough training providers offer eligible courses? Will employers participate in the program by providing the necessary on-the-job training and internships? Why Does This Matter? Workforce Pell is important to students and employers. For students, it makes available crucial financial support for education and training that may otherwise have been inaccessible. For employers, it creates a larger pool of qualified candidates for jobs, many of whom will now have the hands-on experience and credentials that make them ready to contribute immediately. Next, Workforce Pell creates a broader definition of post-secondary education, which is no longer synonymous with a two- or four-year university degree. Instead, post-secondary education and training programs include vocational programs, certifications, and other specialized education options. This policy shift makes lifelong learning a reality. It also reshapes the relationship between education, training, and employment and creates many education and training pathways to success and opportunity. Finally, Workforce Pell enhances economic mobility. By expanding access to high-quality training programs, individuals, especially those from underserved communities, have the opportunity to gain the skills they need for well-paying jobs. This overcomes one of the most persistent barriers to economic advancement and upward mobility: the high cost and inaccessibility of post-secondary education and training. What's Ahead? Workforce Pell is a landmark policy change with the potential to reshape the U.S. landscape of education, training, and workforce development. By broadening the scope of the Pell Grant Program to include short-term training programs, Workforce Pell will offer many Americans the chance to acquire the skills they need to succeed in today's economy. Workforce Pell is not an isolated effort. It fits into a growing movement to provide more pathways to workplace success and upward mobility for individuals who do not follow the traditional college degree route. This includes efforts like apprenticeships, internships, and other work-based learning experiences, as well as industry-recognized credentials. This new law will help these credentials gain acceptance as valuable assets in today's job market. As employers shift toward a more skills-based approach to hiring, policies like Workforce Pell will ensure that all Americans, regardless of their background or educational history, have the opportunity to succeed. It is a critical step forward in expanding the definition of college and redefining what it means to be prepared for the workforce.
Associated Press
02-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Education Design Lab's XCredit, powered by Credentialate, named finalist in 2025 Learning Impact Awards from 1EdTech
Innovative solution bridging life experience and skills recognition XCredit earns global acclaim as a finalist in 1EdTech's 2025 Learning Impact Awards. 'Our shared learner-centric approach to skills recognition and this nomination validates our commitment to providing impactful solutions for skills recognition and learner empowerment.' — Dan McFadyen, Managing Director, Edalex MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, June 2, 2025 / / -- Edalex , an EdTech company connecting learning, skills and evidence, is proud to announce that Education Design Lab 's XCredit, centrally powered by Edalex's Credentialate platform, has been recognised as a finalist in the 2025 Learning Impact Awards by 1EdTech Consortium. This prestigious international program recognises the impact of innovative technology on learning outcomes and educational practices worldwide. The program is open to all 1EdTech Contributing Members worldwide, and winning solutions exemplify effective, efficient, and engaging learning. 'We are delighted that the Lab's XCredit has been recognised as a Learning Impact Awards finalist,' said Dan McFadyen, Managing Director of Edalex. 'XCredit was developed through a collaborative effort including the Lab, SmartResume, Unicon, Muzzy Lane and ourselves, with XCredit centrally enabled by Edalex's Credentialate platform. Our shared learner-centric approach to skills recognition and this nomination validates our commitment to providing impactful solutions for skills recognition and learner empowerment.' 'Connecting the XCredit ecosystem was an exciting technical and human challenge, and the result is a blueprint for scalable, skills-first credentialing,' said Tara Laughlin, EdD – Director, Skills Validation + Development at Education Design Lab. 'The success of this initiative signals that high-quality, interoperable recognition of life and work experience isn't a future aspiration – it's achievable right now with the right design and the right partnerships.' XCredit is a groundbreaking skills validation and credentialing solution that addresses the critical challenge of recognising skills gained outside of traditional education. This innovative approach empowers non-traditional learners, career changers, and gig workers to gain recognition for their valuable competencies, bridging the gap between their abilities and employer visibility. Learners receive immediate recognition for both full competencies and individual sub-competencies, enabling them to showcase their verified skills to employers in near real-time. Since its launch in July 2024, XCredit has already impacted over 4,500 learners across eight workforce organisations, issuing over 5,000 sub-competency credentials and 700 full competency badges. The program, funded by Walmart and offered at no cost to pilot organisations, demonstrates a significant return on investment by improving skills validation, enhancing learner employability, and strengthening connections between educational institutions, workforce organisations, and employers. 'The Learning Impact Awards highlight the power of collaboration and innovation in transforming education. The recognition of XCredit as a finalist underscores the commitment of all the collaborators to skills transparency, open standards, interoperability, and scalability, paving the way for a more equitable and skills-based future of work,' said McFadyen. This recognition as a Learning Impact Awards finalist adds to Edalex's consistent track record of innovation and impact in the education technology sector. Recent accolades include two Edalex platforms, Credentialate and openRSD, recognised as a finalist at the 2025 Cool Tool EdTech Awards and being selected for a fifth consecutive placement in the HolonIQ ANZ EdTech 50 in 2024. The winner of the 2025 Learning Impact Awards will be announced at an Awards Ceremony on 5 June 2025 during 1EdTech's Learning Impact Summit. The public is invited to cast their vote for the finalists HERE . Online community voting ends on Wednesday, June 4, at noon EDT. Kristine Chompff Edalex +61 409 598 408 email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn YouTube Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Boston Globe
21-02-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
The most anticipated parenting (and parenting-adjacent) books of spring 2025
'Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change' Olga Khazan, who is anxious and neurotic (join the club!), embarks on a quest to change her personality in just one year. The result is a mix of scientific reporting and immersive anecdata illustrating the malleability of the big-five personality traits: extroversion, agreeableness, openness, neuroticism, and conscientiousness. She also writes about personality transformation and new motherhood on her very funny Substack. It's out on Tuesday, March 11. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Raising Calm Kids in a World of Worry: Tools to Ease Anxiety and Overwhelm' Advertisement Speaking of anxiety, family therapists Ashley Graber and Maria Evans offer a blueprint for understanding and managing kids' worries, with an emphasis on regulating your own emotions and identifying the best times to bring up challenging topics. Will definitely peruse before engaging with my 14-year-old about his missing homework for the 298th time. It just came out. Sign up for Parenting Unfiltered. Globe staff #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Subscribe * indicates required E-mail * 'Who Needs College Anymore?: Imagining a Future Where Degrees Won't Matter' Or maybe I should rethink why I'm bugging him about homework at all. Education Design Lab founder Kathleen deLaski, a longtime education reformist, presents a case for equipping kids with non-college pathways and skills to survive in this economy. She presents ideas ranging from apprenticeships to certification programs — and imagines creative ways for colleges to rethink their curricula to meet a new moment. If you've ever wondered where $60,000 per year goes and whether it's all worth it, this book is for you. It's out on Tuesday, Feb. 25. 'The Seven Principles for Raising A Self-Driven Child' Authors Bill Stixrud (a clinical neuropsychologist specializing in childhood anxiety) and Ned Johnson (who runs an educational planning and tutoring service in Washington, D.C.) have encountered streams of high-achieving kids crippled by worry over their academic futures. This book explains how to calmly give them control over their lives and emotions instead of relying on test scores or a college acceptance letter to dictate happiness. It's out on Tuesday, March 25. Advertisement 'Maternal Ambivalence: The Loving Moments & Bitter Truths of Motherhood' What if you resent your kid? What if you feel angry or bored a lot of the time? In a world where curated versions of motherhood persist and undermine, this book from psychotherapist Margo Lowy is a helpful counterpoint that normalizes and unpacks messier emotions that can make so many people feel like not-good-enough parents. It's out on Tuesday, March 11. 'The Power of Parting' That said, not every family relationship is built to last. Simon & Schuster vice president and executive editor Eamon Dolan switches roles to write this book about estrangement from his abusive mom, a process that was liberating. His book offers a roadmap for disentangling and healing from fraught family relationships, something that isn't widely discussed even though roughly 27 percent of Americans are estranged from at least one family member. It's out on Tuesday, April 1. 'The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success' Pulitzer Prize-winner (and twin mom) Susan Dominus examines the trajectories of ultra-successful siblings from a range of backgrounds to determine what they have in common. Turns out intelligence and connectedness only go so far: Healthy sibling relationships matter a lot, too. Maybe don't read this when refereeing a fight between your children (or after reading Dolan's book). It's out on Tuesday, May 6. Advertisement 'Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age' Authentic or algorithm? New York Times internet-pop culture writer Amanda Hess navigates the thorny, isolating online world of pregnancy trackers, chat forums, online parenting communities, mom-fluencers, and more, which serve to optimize — and complicate — modern parenthood. If this doesn't make you contemplate leaving Instagram once and for all, nothing will. It's also out on Tuesday, May 6. 'Cook Once Eat Twice: Time-Saving Recipes to Help You Get Ahead in the Kitchen' Now for something soothing: 'Great British Baking Show' champion Nadiya Hussain shares accessible, batch- and freezer-friendly meals that lend themselves to economical ingredients, advance prep, and non-depressing leftovers. It's out on Tuesday, March 18. Naptime? Handout 'Poems of Parenting' and 'Mama Needs a Minute' Last but not least, some laughs: 'Sesame Street' and 'Ms. Rachel' artist Loryn Brantz's book of cheeky poetry is the perfect baby shower gift. It's out on Tuesday, April 8. Pair it with 'Mama Needs a Minute,' a comic memoir about surviving the triumphs and travails of parenthood from Mom_Life Comics Instagram sensation (and Cape Cod resident) Mary Catherine Starr. It's out on Tuesday, March 11. Happy browsing! Kara Baskin can be reached at
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Forsyth Tech chosen for education study
Forsyth Technical Community College has been selected as one of five institutions nationwide to participate in an initiative to improve community college education operations. Education Design Lab's Reimagining Community College Design Challenge is aimed at transforming community colleges to better serve today's learners, Forsyth Tech said in a press release. This opportunity comes as the college enters the final year of its current strategic plan, Vision 2025. This opportunity will help shape the college's next strategic direction, aligning its goals with the evolving needs of students, employers, and the broader community, said Janet Spriggs, president of Forsyth Tech. "Through this initiative, we will build on the goals achieved over the last five years and position Forsyth Tech as a leader in reimagining how community colleges serve students in a rapidly changing world," she said. Community colleges serve approximately 9 million learners across the country and are gaining national recognition for providing affordable, accessible pathways to economic mobility. With strong employer partnerships and short-term credentials, these institutions equip learners with the skills needed for their careers. Over the next three to five years, Forsyth Tech and its fellow cohort members will work with the Lab to develop and implement strategic plans focused on "future-proof" skills, clear and stackable educational pathways, job-relevant applied learning, and equitable access to support services, the press release said. The other institutions taking part are Rio Salado College in Arizona, St. Paul College in Minnesota, Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio and Lone Star College-Tomball in Texas. The initiative is about ensuring that community colleges continue to serve as engines of economic mobility and workforce development, said Lisa Larson, interim CEO of Education Design Lab. "By embracing bold, human-centered design, we can support colleges in their missions to meet the needs of today's learners and tomorrow's economy," she said.
