The economy is clearly the top issue on American voters’ minds. As a result, we’ve seen rapid growth in educational programs that emphasize career preparation and that equip students with skills that can lead to well-paying jobs. In 2025, I expect those headwinds to get even stronger.
Here are three trends to watch this year.
The expansion of career-connected learning
Though the country may feel divided in many ways, one place where we’re seeing bipartisan momentum is around expanding career pathways for students. What’s next for this important work?
First, we should see continued growth in Career and Technical Education (CTE), which is proving to deliver valuable experiences for high school students and prepare them for more meaningful postsecondary options. Governors will champion these programs and the Trump Administration will likely seek to expand these opportunities as well. Yet the most ambitious work will be done by leaders who recognize that career-connected learning should be a part of every high school student’s experience. Whether they’re in AP courses, CTE courses, or standard academic courses, students are craving relevance. Done right, pathways help students build momentum toward their future career, see real-world connections in what they’re learning, and feel confident in the choices they make for themselves. Expect to see innovations in everything from new high school courses that more intentionally blend college and career prep to graduation requirements that emphasize career readiness.
Delivering on pathways also requires starting earlier. We shouldn’t wait until high school to engage with young people on their career aspirations. This year, I expect to see growing attention paid to engaging middle school students in career exploration and pathway planning so they are better prepared for the choices they’ll make when they arrive in high school.
Last, there will continue to be energy and investment in expanding work-based learning experiences for students. That will surely include apprenticeships, which are in many ways the gold standard for quality work-based learning. But my hope is that we’ll also see investment in other areas that may be important to scale. Apprenticeships require significant commitments from schools, students and employers; and while we grow those programs, we will need to find additional high-quality options if we’re going to make these experiences universally available.
A focus on quality short-term credentials and workforce training opportunities
The popularity of shorter-term, industry-recognized credentials—among both students and employers—is on the rise. Young people are increasingly demanding a wider variety of routes to a good career, including shorter-term training opportunities that can help them get ahead and that cost less than a four-year degree. Adults looking to upskill so they can move up in their companies or out into other industries are also seeking faster, cheaper training options. They all want to spend less time and money on postsecondary education and see a clear return on the investments that they make. On the flip side, employers are expressing a strong desire to get beyond degrees and credentials to more clearly understand the skills that students are acquiring within particular programs.
I expect to see workforce training programs and shorter-term credentials get a boost in the new Administration. This may be through targeted funding or the long-awaited passage of workforce Pell, which could open up federal financial aid to students in a broader array of postsecondary programs including those with more of a workforce focus.
All of this will put greater pressure on the need to establish a bar for quality. There is a dizzying (and growing) array of short-term credentials offered by both formal and informal education providers across the U.S., but not all of them offer a good return on investment. This will need to be addressed at both the federal and state levels.
Increased urgency to deliver tangible value in higher education
The past few years have been tough for colleges and universities. A growing chorus of voices has raised questions about the value and return on investment that higher education provides, citing studies showing that too many people who enroll in higher education find themselves underemployed, often saddled with student loan debt that is difficult to pay off. At the same time, substantial and ongoing enrollment challenges plus a looming demographic cliff make more institutional mergers and outright closures likely.
Looking forward, I expect to see a shift in how we define success in higher education, moving from a focus solely on enrollment, or even completion, to value and return on investment. While this isn’t easy to define and measure, some states and higher education systems are picking up the leadership mantle and figuring it out. We’re also seeing innovative efforts to inject the economic mobility of learners into the metrics that drive national classifications of colleges and universities, which might begin to shift incentives and shine the spotlight on institutions doing innovative work in this arena.
A win-win
The convergence of education and economic priorities will continue in 2025; and if the education sector—both K-12 and postsecondary—can embrace and lead these innovations, there’s a much greater chance that policymakers and taxpayers will support increased educational investments and students and communities will be better served.