Public Viewpoint

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.

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.