Talent

Designing the postsecondary learning experience on "Education-to-Work" has become the clarion cry of American businesses to ensure inclusive civic engagement and global competitiveness. We must re-envision an “Education-and-Work” cycle that students revisit throughout their careers to retrain and upskill in response to a dynamic economy and diverse society.

Challenges

How can we:

Deepen employer partnerships and civic engagement to address workforce readiness.
Support faculty and staff to meet changing student and employer demands.
Prioritize diversity in hiring so students see themselves reflected in the faculty and staff.
Develop learner pathway profiles to help students communicate their skills.

Here are some of the ways NASH members are meeting the challenges of the Talent Imperative:

Technology Pathways for Incarcerated Students
New Mexico State University System (NMSU)

In 2017, NMSU saw an opportunity to serve the community and ensure that incarcerated people have access to robust educational services that prepare them for both higher education and 21st-century jobs. Classes began in Spring of 2017 at two women’s facilities, with students taking courses to earn certificates in Web Fundamentals, Computer Technology, and Creative Media. Students in the program have achieved 24 certificate completions since 2019, and 3 students have also completed societal re-entry with certificate in hand.

Scaling up RI Reconnect
Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner (RIOPC)

The RI Reconnect program is an initiative that deploys navigators to provide one-on-one coaching and resources to individuals looking to enter or re-matriculate at a RI institution of higher education or enroll in a postsecondary training program from start to finish. Since being launched in 2020, 2,844 students have experienced the strength in educational support in a wide range of outreach initiatives. The NASH RRI will support RIOPC in developing a funding model and community-based implementation plan to expand and scale up this already successful initiative to all Rhode Island postsecondary students—including those resettled as refugees.

Compete LA
University of Louisiana System

The program recognizes that adults who want to return to school have significantly more competing priorities than traditional students and provides solutions including a personal coach, reduced tuition rates, and adult-friendly programs. In its first 36 months, Compete LA successfully completed outreach to a total of 5,699 potential students, with 1,216 students applying and 874 students enrolling in the program. This first cohort of students completed an average of 74.16 credit hours, and 206 students obtained their degree.

The Talent Imperative

Talent

Challenges

Here are some of the ways NASH members are meeting the challenges of the Talent Imperative: