Close the skills gap through employer-educator collaboration

"Higher education is under pressure from every direction. Shifts in finance and policy, high tuition costs, and a decline in public trust have forced colleges and universities to rethink how they prepare people for work. At the same time, employers face persistent talent shortages and widening skills gaps."

"These challenges have created momentum for a more practical, outcome-driven model built on deeper collaboration between educators and employers. When these partnerships are designed well, they can strengthen workforce infrastructure. They can also align education with labor market needs and expand career pathways."

"Strong employer-educator partnerships produce several benefits: They identify real employer demand and translate that demand into curriculum and credentials. They also embed work-based learning and use shared data to improve hiring and retention."

"The middle skills gap refers to the mismatch between jobs that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree, and the number of workers with the training, credentials, or experience needed to fill them. A 2025 Georgetown University Center on Education and Workforce study found that the United States faces a projected annual shortage of 712,000 relevant certificates and associates degrees for high-paying middle-skills jobs through at least 2032."

Higher education faces financial and policy shifts, high tuition costs, and declining public trust, while employers experience talent shortages and widening skills gaps. These pressures support a practical, outcome-driven model that relies on deeper collaboration between educators and employers. Well-designed partnerships strengthen workforce infrastructure by identifying real employer demand and translating it into curriculum and credentials. They embed work-based learning and use shared data to improve hiring and retention. A major challenge is the middle skills gap, defined as a mismatch between jobs requiring more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree and the number of workers with the needed training and credentials. A projected shortage of 712,000 relevant certificates and associate degrees through at least 2032 underscores the urgency. Skills training beyond high school is required for many jobs, but fewer workers have access to the training needed to qualify.

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