A look inside some of the conversations we had with the Rural Talent Lab
Workforce
Covering higher education in the 2020s means also covering the alternative pathways and credentials that are rapidly emerging.
Also see Work Shift, our project dedicated to reporting and opinion on the intersection of education and work.
Posted inEl Paso
Southwest University to launch teacher preparation program amid El Paso schools’ enrollment decline
New bachelor’s degree programs target nontraditional students as educators debate teacher shortages and Texas preparation quality
Posted inCalifornia
Newsom promised to help Californians build new careers. Now, the money is running out
Gov Gavin Newsom made job training and the creation of a master plan for career education part of his agenda. Now, key workforce initiatives may get no new funding.
Posted inCalifornia
The federal government is offering new job-training grants. California says it’s not ready yet
The federal government is set to expand financial aid for students in short-term job training programs starting July 1, but Californians may have to wait until the fall to benefit because of administrative and regulatory challenges.
Posted inWisconsin
An apprenticeship aiming to ease Wisconsin’s teacher shortage is ‘stalling.’ Will it catch on?
The pilot program was meant to offer an alternative route into the classroom, but program leaders are having trouble enticing school districts to take on more apprentices. And enrollment has ground to a halt.
Posted inColorado
10 years and 16,800 students short: What went wrong with Colorado’s youth apprenticeship program?
CareerWise Colorado has employed far fewer students in youth apprenticeships than leaders once envisioned. The program’s challenges offer valuable lessons as bipartisan enthusiasm for on-the-job-training grows nationwide.
Posted inChicago
The job market is brutal. Here’s how recent Chicago college grads are navigating it
With statewide unemployment at its highest point since 2024 and employers navigating artificial intelligence, global conflicts and tariffs, many recent Chicago college graduates are floundering as they look for jobs.
Posted inThe Dispatch
There’s a shortage of nurses. And there’s a shortage of faculty to train new ones.
The new borrowing limits for graduate school could make both problems worse.
Posted inSan Antonio
San Antonio teachers now get dual-credit credentials tuition free at St. Mary’s University. Here’s how it works.
Seventeen local high school teachers were the first to complete a tuition-free program created to increase access to dual credit courses across San Antonio high schools.
Posted inCalifornia
Training to be a teacher is expensive. These California programs can help
California has a persistent shortage of qualified teachers. New programs offer a solution, though they are still relatively small in scale.