Strada collaborates with students, policymakers, educators, and employers across the U.S. to strengthen the link between education and opportunity.
Learn More
We prioritize policies, practices, and programs that help ensure postsecondary education provides equitable pathways to opportunity.
We advance our mission through research, grantmaking, social impact investments, public policy solutions, Strada-supported nonprofit organizations, and strategic initiatives.
This week, the National Student Clearinghouse reported a 7.5 percent decline in enrollment in community colleges. This surprised many in higher education, as times of economic downturn typically drive enrollment increases in community colleges as people have more time to engage in education and are more motivated to prepare for more stable careers in a down economy. This doesn’t appear to be the case with the economic downturn caused by Covid-19 — at least, not yet.
Last week, Brandon Busteed highlighted the growth of “Employer U”—employers partnering with universities to build in-house learning programs. State Farm, United Airlines, and even the Dallas Cowboys are now joining the ranks of Google, Walmart, IBM, and many others who have created their own "universities" to attract and develop their talent.
States such as Florida are considering proposals to fully fund associate degree and certificate programs at community colleges. Their hearts are in the right place, and their efforts to make post-high school paths to good jobs affordable for everyone should be applauded.
For decades, prominent education and workforce leaders like my friend and colleague Mark Schneider have been beating the drum that the bachelor’s degree is not the only path to a good job. Finally, it appears students and colleges are getting the message: A new report from
The high stakes for students from underrepresented backgrounds.
What do Americans value in their education? We haven’t really known, because too often learners have been absent from the conversation.
The number of job openings in the United States now surpasses the number of people available and qualified to fill them.
Strada Education Network is hosting a series of Employer Forums around the country this year, highlighting successful collaborations where employers, educators, and policymakers are working together to improve the education-to-career ecosystem.
Reality Check with Jeanne Allen
In partnership with Gallup to interview more than 300,000 Americans between the ages of 18-65 about their expectations and experiences with post-high school education.
Career mentoring is more important than ever in helping learners of all ages and stages navigate pathways between education and employment. Everybody needs the support of a mentor, from young adults entering the workforce to adult learners looking to advance professionally. Having a mentor can mean the difference between seeking more education to jumpstart a new career or settling for an at-risk job soon to be automated.
This week, recent college graduates affirm a growing body of research: faculty-student relationships matter. At colleges and universities across the nation, professors play an important role as mentors providing both academic and career advice to their students.
Your opinion matters. Tell us about your shopping experience. No sooner do we pay for coffee or exit an Apple Store, than we are inundated with questionnaires, surveys, or flash polls that solicit our views as consumers.
This article by Carol D’Amico originally appeared on RealClear Education.
Leaders at Strada Education Network present data concerning how education consumers can make informed decisions. This data helps students on their paths to “Completion With a Purpose,” which is Strada’s mission.
Important news for all students when it comes to getting a job: what you can do is more important than the ranking of the university you attended.
This week Congress will vote on a bill to reauthorize federal support for career and technical education (CTE). The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2353) is a bipartisan effort to elevate these programs in our nation’s schools and community colleges and to better align them with in-demand, skilled jobs.
Nearly every other industry relies on consumer insights to improve their outcomes. Yet these insights are surprisingly absent from postsecondary education conversations. But that’s all changing.
During the 2017 SXSWedu Conference, Strada Education’s Carol D’Amico and Gallup’s Brandon Busteed describe survey results that offer insights into consumer experiences in and outcomes from higher education.
College is one of the largest single investments a family will make. According to the College Board, average annual out-of-pocket expenses to attend an in-state public university exceed $14,000, while comparable costs for a private four-year college top $26,000 a year. Multiply those figures by the four to six years it takes the typical student to complete college, and you have an expense that falls somewhere between the cost of a new car and new home.