Category: Workforce

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2026, College Access, College Affordability, Politics, Research/Policy, Workforce

The Workforce Pell Grant—A Cautionary Tale

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist Last July, Congress passed a budget reconciliation bill that included Workforce Pell, which will provide—for the first time—Pell Grant funding to students who enroll in short-term, workforce-oriented training programs and certifications. These grants will be available to students starting July 1, 2026. Programs must be between 150 and 599 clock hours and last between 8 … Continue reading The Workforce Pell Grant—A Cautionary Tale

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2025, K12, Politics, Research/Policy, Workforce

House Slashes Education Funding This Week

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist This morning a new jobs report showed a sluggish economy by way of the lowest addition of jobs in recent memory which is tied to an increase in unemployment rates. This comes during a week where concerning news came out of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies … Continue reading House Slashes Education Funding This Week

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2021, Research/Policy, ROI/College Outcomes, Workforce

A Reconsideration of the Three-Year Degree

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist In this morning’s InsideHigherEd.com, Emma Whitford writes about “A New Push to Create a 3-Year Degree Option.” In it, she quotes work by Penn Research Bob Zemsky and University of Minnesota researcher Lori Carrell on work they are doing on this issue. As Zemsky is quoted, “We did not ask people to commit to doing a three-year … Continue reading A Reconsideration of the Three-Year Degree

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2020, College Access, Research/Policy, ROI/College Outcomes, Workforce

Skills Versus Degrees: The Administration Got This One Right

By Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist, Educational Policy Institute On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order that would allow the federal government to hire by merit rather than by degree. “Degree-based hiring is especially likely to exclude qualified candidates for jobs related to emerging technologies and those with weak connections between educational attainment and the skills or competencies required to perform them. … Continue reading Skills Versus Degrees: The Administration Got This One Right

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2016, Research/Policy, Workforce

The Learning World: A Tribute to Alvin Toffler

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute Alvin Toffler was one of the original futurists, beyond Scotsman Adam Smith, who, a few centuries before, was able to offer, in a tangible way, how economics worked via his “Wealth of Nations.” Toffler was able to view the transfer of culture and society from an industrial revolution to a knowledge society. Toffler passed … Continue reading The Learning World: A Tribute to Alvin Toffler

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