Millions of Americans find purposeful, fulfilling work without a four-year degree, but the pressure to apply, enroll, and take on debt for college is real. Americans are “almost succumbing … to an idea that they have to do things a specific way: ‘I have to go to college. I don’t know what I want to … Continued
Today, too few Americans have access to the learning opportunities that will help them reach their potential or find a career that is meaningful to them. College is expensive or inflexible, and online courses do not have the structure or support to translate learning into a job. By combining technical training from industry-recognized partners with … Continued
Skills-based hiring — relying on applicants’ aptitudes and experience to determine whether they are a good fit for a job — is gaining popularity since it helps employers move past the antiquated system of evaluating talent based on degrees and toward a culture that treats applicants as individuals with unique potential and ability to contribute. To expand … Continued
Every person has something unique to contribute. Too often, though, barriers across society stifle this potential, limiting individuals’ growth and undermining the economic flourishing that creates more opportunity for all. The Charles Koch Foundation (CKF) partners with educators, innovators, and thought leaders who are working to remove those barriers. Our work is driven by a … Continued
Degree inflation, or employers’ tendency to demand degrees for jobs that previously never required them, eroded U.S. competitiveness, hurt the middle class, and kept people from realizing their unique potential. Employers are finally rethinking that mindset. According to recent news stories and podcasts, this movement will unlock the potential of millions of Americans by spurring innovation that will lead … Continued
Learning happens in the classroom and on the job, but also during certificate programs, skills bootcamps, and military service. More than 70 million Americans have taken advantage of these learning opportunities instead of pursuing a bachelor’s degree. While these experiences are valuable, their benefits can be difficult to communicate to employers. A group of innovators … Continued
How can employers, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders work together to create opportunities for U.S. workers to reach their full potential? Charles Koch Foundation (CKF) Executive Director Ryan Stowers explored that question in a series of recent interviews with business leaders and lifelong learning innovators. Connecting overlooked talent with the employers who need them Since … Continued
In late 2023, Stand Together, a philanthropic community the Charles Koch Foundation (CKF) is part of, partnered with Forbes to highlight the importance of lifelong learning and the value it provides to individuals, employers, and our society. This conversation between CKF’s Ryan Stowers and University of Chicago Medicine’s (UCM) hiring team, Director of HR Services … Continued
SkillsFWD’s mission is to create a more equitable skills-based hiring ecosystem by expanding adoption of learning and employment records (LERs). Supported by the Charles Koch Foundation, Walmart, and several other organizations, SkillsFWD drives LER innovation by supporting entrepreneurs who are making LERs more accessible, interoperable, and scalable. We spoke with Walmart Foundation’s Sean Murphy about … Continued
By Jeremy Horpedahl Sound fiscal policy — government spending, taxation, and public debt — can promote economic opportunity and prosperity. But it also can be a drain. As economist and Nobel Prize winner James Buchanan put it, all societies will wind up somewhere between the extremes of “anarchy and Leviathan.” How, then, do we strike … Continued
