Upward Mobility Initiative – Urban Institute

Overview In September 2024, Urban Institute published the Upward Mobility Data Dashboard which is an outcome of the Upward Mobility Initiative. The initiative addresses the need for communities throughout the […]

Build Better Careers Initiative – CAEL

Overview In July 2024, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) launched a 3-year workforce development initiative with support from Truist Foundation’s Where it Starts Initiative. CAEL is creating pathways to […]

National Applied Artificial Intelligence Consortium (NAAIC)

Overview In August 2024, the National Applied Artificial Intelligence Consortium (NAAIC) announced receipt of a $2.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF ATE).  Consortium implementation […]

ASA Center for Career Navigation at JFF

Overview In July 2024, Jobs for the Future (JFF) with support from a multi-year $25 million grant from American Student Assistance, announced it will create the ASA Center for Career […]

EU Digital Identity Wallets – European Union

Overview The European Union (EU) is creating EU Digital Identity Wallets to meet the challenges of digital identification for citizens, residents, and businesses across Europe.  The Identity Wallets are proposed […]

HBCU Adult Learner Initiative (ALI)

Overview In fall 2021, Lumina Foundation awarded a $2 million grant to the HBCU Adult Learner Initiative (ALI) to identify and eliminate various barriers blocking adult students from the education […]

Kentucky Graduate Profile and Profile Academy

Overview Launched in 2021 by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, the Kentucky Graduate Profile is a collaborative statewide initiative among Kentucky’s public postsecondary institutions. The initiative focuses on enhancing […]

Work Forces Podcasts

Overview Work Forces is a bi-weekly podcast created in 2023 by J. Alssid Associates with a goal to revolutionize thinking about the future of work and learning. The podcasts engage […]

New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities

Overview In December 2021, New Jersey’s community colleges and the New Jersey Business and Industry Association launched the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities—Aligning Education to Build an Innovative Workforce.  […]

Project Unicorn (Data Interoperability in K-12 Education)

Overview Project Unicorn is a national initiative to improve data interoperability within K-12 education. Coordinated by InnovateEDU (Brooklyn based non-profit organization), the initiative works with a coalition of organizations representing […]

Teacher Occupation Apprenticeship Program – Tennessee

Overview In 2022, the Tennessee Department of Education announced a new way to develop K-12 teacher pipelines through an apprenticeship model and was the first state to be approved by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to establish a […]

BuildWithin: Software Platform in Apprenticeships

Overview BuildWithin is a software platform that launched in November 2022 to provide employers with the ability to create, manage, and expand apprenticeship programs in order to accelerate the productivity […]

NOVA Workforce and Professional Development

NOVA Workforce and Professional Development is an initiative of Northern Virginia Community College. The initiative provides continuing education, professional training programs, and pathways to in-demand career fields. The initiative offers […]

State Opportunity Index – Strada Education Foundation

Overview In April 2024, Strada Education Foundation published The State Opportunity Index to help state policymakers and higher education institutions assess how well they are leveraging post-high school education — […]

Artificial Intelligence Incubator Network — AACC

Overview Launched in 2022, the 18-month Artificial Intelligence Incubator Network Initiative is designing and building Artificial Intelligence (AI) Incubators across the U.S.  Managed by the American Association of Community Colleges […]

Reentry 2030

Overview Reentry 2030 is a nationwide initiative launched in April 2022 to scale reentry success for people transitioning from incarceration to their communities. The initiative calls on leaders across the […]

LER Accelerator

Overview The LER Accelerator was launched in 2024 with support from Walmart.  The effort is boosting the adoption of Learning and Employment Records (LERs) in postsecondary education by focusing on […]

Midwest Credential Transparency Alliance (MCTA)

Overview The Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) launched The Midwest Credential Transparency Alliance (MCTA) in January 2021 to work with all 12 Midwest states to help move them along a path […]

Access in Prison Initiative – JSTOR

Overview The JSTOR digital library enables incarcerated people to access scholarly materials and texts online in more than 1,000 U.S. prisons across all 50 U.S. states. Learners use JSTOR resources […]

The Great Admissions Redesign – Lumina Foundation

Overview The Great Admissions Redesign is a grant-funded initiative of Lumina Foundation that responds to the evolving landscape of college admissions. In February 2024, Lumina announced the winners of its […]

Noncredit Research Collaborative

Overview Researchers from four universities (University of Michigan, University of California-Irvine, University of North Carolina – Charlotte, and Rutgers University) are partnering in the Noncredit Research Collaborative launched in early […]

Playbook: Learner Supports (Credential As You Go)

Overview Credential As You Go is an initiative working with many partners toward a nationally recognized transferable incremental credentialing system that increases the number of high-quality, post-high school credentials that […]

Non-Degree Credentials Research Network (NCRN)

Overview The Non-Degree Credentials Research Network (NCRN) is a project funded through a grant from Lumina Foundation (2024-2025) and managed by researchers at the George Washington Institute of Public Policy […]

WIOA Workforce Programs

Overview The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was signed into law on July 22, 2014. The Act is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and […]

STEM Talent Challenge – EDA

Overview The STEM Talent Challenge is an initiative by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce, that aims to build STEM talent training systems […]

Noncredit Mobility Academy

Overview In December 2023, Education Strategy Group, SHEEO (State Higher Education Executive Officers Association), and Opportunity America at the Progressive Policy Institute launched the Noncredit Mobility Academy.  The two-year Academy […]

Central Ohio Talent Network – SkillsFWD

Overview A project of the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio funded by SkillsFWD and announced December 2023, this initiative leverages the SchooLinks college and career readiness platform to match […]

Z-Degree Initiatives

Overview A Z-Degree refers to a degree program, typically at the associate or bachelor’s level, where all the required courses and learning materials are available at zero cost to the […]

Open Data Platform – U.S. Department of Education

Overview The U.S. Department of Education maintains an Open Data Platform (ODP) at data.gov.ed.  The department’s public data profiles are available in a machine-readable, open format and can be searched […]

Credentialing: Policy & Implementation – Florida

Overview In 2021, Florida’s legislature passed HB 1505, which amended section (s.) 1007.25, Florida Statutes (F.S.). The Bill requires public postsecondary institutions to award students a nationally recognized digital badge when […]

Credentialing: Policy & Implementation – Colorado

Overview Colorado passed multiple bills in 2022 to support credentialing strategies and assist disadvantaged students. Stackable Credential Pathways (Senate Bill 22-192) calls for improving access to quality credentials of value […]

Digital Skills Principles – Digital Divide

Overview On October 2, 2023, more than 70 corporate partners (including Fortune 500s, Chambers of Commerce, and small businesses), the National Skills Coalition, and Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships […]

SkillsFWD

Overview SkillsFWD is an initiative to catalyze a more equitable skills-based hiring ecosystem leveraging Learning and Employment Records (LERs).  The initiative is managed by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors with funding support […]

Career Connected High School Grant Program

Overview In August 2023, the U.S. Department of Education launched the Career Connected High School Grant program. The $25 million program is providing grants to consortia of local educational agencies […]

State Funding Models & Short-Term Credentials

Funding models refer to the ways in which higher education institutions acquire revenue to operate. As described by Ithaka S+R, there are significant differences between funding models for public two- and […]

Catalyze Registry

Overview On November 2, 2022, President Biden announced commitments made by more than 350 organizations in 50 states and territories as part of the Infrastructure Talent Pipeline Challenge (nationwide call […]

NewPathways Campaign (K-12) – Getting Smart

Overview The NewPathways campaign, led by Getting Smart, is a roadmap for American schools, where every learner, regardless of zip code, is on a pathway to productive citizenship, high wage […]

Accelerate ED

Overview Accelerate ED focuses on building stronger, smoother, and accelerated pathways between K-12 education, postsecondary education, and careers. The initiative is coordinated by the Education Strategy Group (ESG) and supported […]

Opportunity Populations

Opportunity populations refer to people in America who have had limited access to educational and professional opportunities and who face barriers to employment and career advancement. They may include: opportunity […]

Policy

Policy encompasses laws, regulations, procedures, administrative rules and actions, incentives, and voluntary practices of governments and other institutions. Many entities issue policies germane to the learn-and-work ecosystem: governments—federal, state, regional/local; […]

Degree

A degree is a title given by an institution (usually a college or university) that has been granted the authority by a state, recognized Native American tribe, or the federal […]

Incremental Credentialing Framework

The Incremental Credential Framework was developed through a 2019-2021 planning, research, and testing project in a Lumina Foundation grant to SUNY Empire State College (Credential As You Go, Phase I). […]

Open Syllabus

Overview Open Syllabus is a non-profit research organization that collects and analyzes millions of syllabi (any detailed account of an academic class or class section) to support novel teaching and […]

The LER Ecosystem Report & Ecosystem Map

Overview The Smart Report Ecosystem Map was created by iDatafy in 2022 – launched in January 2023 and updated in 2024. iDatafy originally worked with a team of digital credentialing […]

Adult Learning & Literacy Network (ALL IN)

Overview The Adult Literacy and Learning Impact Network (ALL IN) is a collective impact initiative that was formed in 2022 to address America’s adult literacy and learning issues: About 43 […]

CTE Leadership Collaborative

Overview The CTE Leadership Collaborative launched in 2018 by ECMC Foundation to bring together diverse perspectives and equip postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) leaders with the tools, resources and skills […]

Every Learner Everywhere

Overview Every Learner Everywhere was launched in 2017 with the support of a grant from the Gates Foundation to create a network of partner organizations with expertise in evaluating, implementing, […]

Interstate Passport® (Transfer)

Overview Interstate Passport® is a national program based at the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). The program enables seamless block transfer of lower-division general education attainment based on […]

America Achieves’ Broadband Initiative

Overview America Achieves is a national non-profit organization that incubates, scales, and spins off non-profit initiatives and organizations; advises and shapes large-scale philanthropy and public policy; and helps to drive […]

The Workforce Almanac (Harvard University)

Overview Launched in November 2023 by Harvard University, the Workforce Almanac is an open-source, interactive portal of nearly 17,000 workforce training providers across the United States. The Almanac defines workforce […]

Credential As You Go

Overview The Credential As You Go initiative focuses on building an incremental credentialing system, recognizing the value in many types of quality credentials, including degrees, certificates, industry certifications, licenses, badges, […]

Learning in Public — College Unbound

Overview Many forms of learning traditionally go unseen by colleges. College Unbound’s Learning in Public (LIP) identifies, reflects on, and credits learning that takes place outside a college course. College […]

Catalyzing Transfer Initiative (CTI)

Overview In 2021, ECMC Foundation launched a $4.5 million grant investment, the Catalyzing Transfer Initiative. CTI is a national effort among five high-impact nonprofit organizations that are working to increase […]

Noncredit and Credit Alignment Lab (NCAL)

Overview The Noncredit and Credit Alignment Lab (NCAL) launched in August 2021 to support 14 community college governance units (systems, districts, or colleges) to develop new or improved pathways between […]

Unmudl Skills-to-Jobs Marketplace

Overview The Unmudl Skills-to-JobsTM Marketplace connects learners with new or better jobs, college and continuing education credits, and credentials—from certificates to certifications and degrees. Unmudl.com was released publicly in November […]

Organizations (521)

Initiatives (668)

Topic Briefs (159)