New Career Pathways for a Changing Economy

Creating more equitable pathways to successful careers in today’s economy

Posted March 13, 2025
By News editor

College enrollment in the United States has been declining since 2010 and yet the demand for increasingly skilled workers continues. How can we create more equitable pathways to successful careers in today’s economy and how does the world of higher education need to respond and adapt?

Host: Francesca Purcell, Senior Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Guests:

Bridget Terry Long, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor; and Saris Professor of Education and Economics, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Liya Escalera, Lecturer on Education, Faculty Co-Chair, Higher Education Concentration, HGSE
Jeff Strohl, Research Professor and Director, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce

Key Takeaways

Demand for upskilling will continue to grow in the U.S., raising the need for increasing levels of general and specific education to acquire and keep well-paying jobs.
We need to think about ways to bring the workplace and higher ed closer together. Employers should engage more with potential future employees and invest in training, for example.
Higher ed has to become more flexible. Leaders need to reconsider some underlying assumptions about who college students are and better understand student's responsibilities and commitments outside the classroom.
The growth of AI and other technologies means people need to be prepared to undertake a lifetime of learning.
The humanities have an important role to play in helping students to develop important skills for the workforce including creativity, critical thinking, and the ability to work in teams and collaborate with others.