When support to get a good job is present, alumni are much more likely to feel their student loans were worth it.

In the recovering economy, employers will play a central role as Americans look to reskill, upskill, and compete in the workforce. But what do people want and expect from employers’ hiring, advancement, and training practices?

Community colleges endured a more severe drop in enrollment than four-year institutions in fall 2020, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

Looking forward as a year of unprecedented challenges comes to a close, critical questions remain for educational institutions, learners, employers, and workers. Are the individuals interested in education going to enroll? In the new economy that emerges from the old, will skills translate into employment?

Seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans feel stuck at work and unconvinced a good job or opportunities to advance are within their reach.

Over the past five years, after hearing from more than 350,000 Americans through our Strada-Gallup research, we know that beliefs about the value of education and training after high school are closely tied to connections to work. In this unusual semester, what is happening to these connections, and how are these changes shaping opinions about value?

How is COVID-19 affecting college students currently enrolled at American four-year institutions? Nearly two million (13 percent) feel they will have to push back their graduation date, and another two million-plus (15 percent) are unsure whether they will need to delay, bringing the ratio of students who may delay graduation to more than 1 in 4. Current students also say their emotional well-being is their biggest challenge this fall, and online learning has been a struggle. In fact, nearly 1 in 3 report online instruction has made learning “much worse.”

Millions of Americans are aspiring adult learners — individuals without college degrees who are seriously considering enrolling in additional education.

The portion of Americans who say they plan to enroll in an education program in the next six months has hovered near 20 percent since May, and throughout those months they also have expressed a consistent preference for nondegree programs, skills training, and online options.

Five months into the pandemic, Americans are now three times more likely than they were in April to believe COVID-19’s impact will last more than a year.

The COVID-19 crisis continues to touch nearly every aspect of American life, but the latest Strada Public Viewpoint research shows Americans’ interest in online learning will endure beyond the pandemic.

The COVID-19 crisis continues to touch nearly every aspect of American life, but the latest Strada Public Viewpoint research shows Americans’ interest in online learning would be significant with or without the effect of the pandemic.

As Americans consider how COVID-19 has disrupted their work, education, and daily lives, many are looking ahead to how education and training might shape their futures.

COVID-19 is taking the lives of Americans and disrupting the fabric of work, education, and daily living for the entire nation, but the impact is disproportionately affecting people of color.

After weeks of impact to Americans’ emotional and economic well-being because of COVID-19, many are beginning to consider what will come next in their lives.

More than 33 million workers have filed for unemployment since the COVID-19 crisis began, and the unemployment rate has climbed to 14.7 percent. We also know tens of millions more have kept their jobs or small businesses but have had hours, wages, and income reduced.

The COVID-19 crisis has left millions of Americans without work. As workers struggle to adapt, millions will be looking to upskill, change jobs — or even change careers.

When faced with an economic crisis, Americans historically have turned to education as a way to meet the challenge and prepare for the future. But COVID-19 has disrupted our lives and work in unprecedented ways. Will we react differently this time?

The economic impact of COVID-19 is widespread, but the ramifications are felt disproportionately among people of color.

Two-thirds of Americans remain concerned they may lose their jobs. About half are worried COVID-19 will have a negative impact on their finances.

While 83 percent of Americans believe the coronavirus is a real threat, at this point in the pandemic their most widespread worries are about finances and jobs over their personal health.

More than half of Americans report feeling these emotions in the first week of a new Strada Education Network survey, which will track how COVID-19 impacts Americans’ lives, their work, and their needs for education and training.

The high school classes of 2020 and 2021 have endured massive disruption to their education experiences. As enrollment trends show, many of these learners are choosing not to continue their education journeys beyond high school. Of vital interest to Strada Education Network and stakeholders across the country is the sharp decline in postsecondary education enrollment from students attending high-poverty high schools.

From its onset in early 2020, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has upended life across the world, leading to uncertainty around health, work, finances, education, and a host of other issues.

Will Pandemic-Disrupted Learners Return to School?

When the pandemic struck last year, education and work were disrupted for millions. How are those individuals doing now? Have they reconnected with education and training, or do they plan to in the near future? What education options most appeal to them? Are those who lost jobs or income back to work? Strada Education Network’s latest Public Viewpoint research turns its attention to those whose education plans and work lives were upended by the pandemic. Join us at 2 p.m. EDT May 19 for the latest findings and a webinar conversation.

Over the past 15 years, the number of student loan recipients has increased by 51 percent and the debt associated with those loans has more than doubled. More Americans are borrowing more money to go to college.

We asked alumni nationwide who had borrowed money to go to school if their loans were worth it.

When do people believe their student loans were worth it? The amount of the loan, how much money someone makes and how much education they completed doesn’t tell the whole story.

Expert panelists discuss the value of short-term programs, employer investments, and skills-based hiring

In the recovering economy, employers will play a central role as Americans look to reskill, upskill, and compete in the workforce. But what do people want and expect from employers’ hiring, advancement, and training practices? In this research we explore the public’s perceptions on skills-based hiring, preferences for employer-provided education and training benefits, and beliefs about who should fund education and training.

Strada Education Network’s latest Public Viewpoint research highlights widespread belief that when it comes to career, skills and experience should take precedence over formal credentials—and that Americans highly value employers who will support their education and career development.

As the economy recovers, Americans with less education are most likely to be left behind. Employers will play a central role in helping these individuals reskill, upskill, and get back to work. How do Americans feel about hiring practices and the education and training opportunities employers provide? What are employers’ perceptions of their role in the recovery? What barriers are Americans facing that educators and employers can tackle together?

Examining Enrollment, Completion, Purpose, and Value

After weeks of uncertainty, precaution, stay-at-home orders, and economic turbulence, Americans are beginning to plan for the next stage of their lives. For many, that means making decisions about whether to pursue education and training. In the eighth week of Strada’s Public Viewpoint survey centered around Americans’ attitudes during the pandemic, we gathered insights about Americans’ plans for their education and training, which groups are most likely to enroll, and who Americans are consulting for advice on their education plans.

The number of job openings in the United States now surpasses the number of people available and qualified to fill them. Through the Strada-Gallup Education Consumer Survey, we talk to Americans about their desire for more education and skills training and explore what motivates them to return to school.

How individuals who attend and don’t graduate feel about education

Strada CEO and President Bill Hansen explains why it is important to involve education consumers in conversations about improving higher education.

Survey of 340,000 adults informs creation of Strada Education Consumer Value Equation, providing new insight into learners’ needs and priorities

How consumers rate the value of their education pathways

This article by Madeline St. Amour originally appeared in Inside Higher Ed.

The Benefits and Opportunities of Certificates and Certifications

What Adults Without Degrees Say About Pursuing Additional Education and Training

Minnesota, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Wyoming to Use Strada Education Network Data to Strengthen Pathways Between Education and Careers

Massachusetts will be the recipient of financial and technical help to build “data-driven approaches” to linking residents to jobs in growing industries, thanks to a partnership between the National Governors Association and the Strada Education Network.

Relevance and the Value of Higher Education