WorkforceRx

When it comes to concerns about the performance of community college students, much of the conversation focuses on low completion rates and what should be done to improve them. But there's less attention given to why many students who do complete their programs are not earning credentials that are valued by employers. “It's really important that the institutions not only have high completion rates, but that their students have really good experiences in the labor market afterwards,” says Dr. Harry Holzer of Georgetown University, co-author of the report Creating Credentials of Value in Community Colleges with Amy Fagan of the American Institutes for Research. The report shows that top performers among the nation’s 1,000 public community colleges more consistently evaluate their programs to make sure they are keeping up with advances in various occupations and changing employer demands. In this WorkforceRx conversation with Futuro Health CEO, Van Ton-Quinlivan, Holzer reveals other key reasons for better performance, and takes a look at the broader workforce education picture, highlighting the work of sectoral training programs throughout the U.S. “These programs can achieve 30 to 40 percent earnings bumps that last a decade or more, so this approach works really well when it works." Mentioned in this episode: Creating Credentials of Value in Community Colleges

California is in the midst of an ambitious effort to have 70% of working-age adults attain a post-secondary credential by 2030, which, if achieved, would make it the leading state for educational attainment and generate $2.4 trillion in economic gains over time. But today’s guest, Eloy Oakley of the College Futures Foundation, wants the state to go even further. “If we raised attainment -- which right now sits around 56% across the state for working-age Californians -- to 70% across all demographic groups it would create an additional $2 trillion in economic lift and move California to being the third largest economy in the world,” says Oakley, who was formerly chancellor of California’s community college system. But as you’ll learn in this intriguing WorkforceRx conversation with Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan, the case he makes goes beyond achieving substantial economic gains. “We need to see reimagining post-secondary education as an opportunity to ensure that we have a workforce for the future and that people across all backgrounds can thrive in the new economy.” Tune in to hear what reimagining post-secondary education in California would look like, and which demographic group will determine the success of the effort. Mentioned in this episode: Golden Ticket Study from College Futures Foundation and Georgetown University

“The last study of on the job training in the United States I could find was done in 1999, so we need to really get our act together.” That blunt assessment from WorkforceRx guest Dr. Michael Kirst applies to many areas of post-secondary education -- even fast growing ones such as workplace learning -- that he examined as part of a new study co-authored with his Stanford University colleague Victor Chan called Broadening Our Perspective Concerning America's Education Attainment: Growth, Progress, and Data Gaps. On a more positive note, the data that is available tells a story about American education that counters the prevailing view that there’s been a ‘learning recession’ in the U.S. over the past several decades. "When you put the whole system together and look at all of its components, you see not a picture of decline, but a picture of growing years of schooling and education," says Dr. Kirst, a professor emeritus of education and business administration at Stanford. This enlightening conversation with Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan also explores why years of schooling may predict productivity better than test scores, how AI could help students navigate the higher ed landscape and the case for building a K-14 public education system. Mentioned in this episode: Broadening Our Perspective Concerning America's Education Attainment

One in four young people in the U.S. experience a mental health condition or illness, but partly due to a shortage of trained child and adolescent mental health professionals, the majority will not receive the help they need. This leaves the door open for the unregulated offerings of AI platforms, an option that, according to a new study, 60% of middle school and high school students turn to when they feel sad, stressed, or lonely. “The important takeaway is not that every use of AI is harmful, but that for someone who feels isolated or cannot access care, it may become a substitute for professional support,” says Dr. Zainab Okolo, senior vice president of Policy Advocacy and Government Relations at the JED Foundation, which conducted the research. That’s why Dr. Okolo and her colleagues at JED are working with hundreds of schools and other organizations to build a coordinated system of supports for teens and young adults in an effort to protect their emotional health and prevent suicide. These “JED campuses” are trained to not only look for distress or crisis, but to create an environment in which mental health is considered a key marker in student success. As we mark Suicide Prevention Month, join WorkforceRx host and Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan for an exploration of ways to grow and supplement the mental health care workforce and the other resources our young people need. For More Information: JED Foundation

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, registered healthcare apprenticeships are up 43% in the last five years as employers turn to “earn while you learn” models to fill staffing gaps that traditional degree pipelines aren't filling fast enough. On this episode of WorkforceRx, we're going to highlight an institution that's a great example of this trend by speaking with Michael Jones, Director of Workforce Development at University of California San Francisco Health, the second largest employer in the Bay Area. In that role, he’s led initiatives to prepare historically underrepresented communities for healthcare careers in partnership with employers, educators, and other stakeholders. "Business strategy does not have to be separate from community benefit and altruism. I think they're one and the same," he tells Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan. Tune in to learn about Jones’ newest effort, a compressed radiology technologist program built with City College of San Francisco and GE Healthcare aimed at meeting growing demand for imaging as the state’s population ages. You’ll also hear why he thinks career pathways beat salary in recruitment, the different ways USCF Health supports incumbent employees and external community members joining the team, and how to make pathway programs sustainable at scale. UCSF Health