Recent high school graduates share why their education plans were disrupted, and what types of support could bring them back.

The pandemic has led to a national crisis of widespread disruption to both work and education for millions of adults in the U.S., especially those from historically marginalized groups. Will these disrupted workers and learners pursue education and training in the coming months?

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.

Steep declines in undergraduate enrollment during 2020 and 2021 threaten to widen existing equity gaps in college completion and career opportunities. Re-engaging students who have changed or delayed their plans for postsecondary education will require institutions to respond to the new concerns and priorities that have emerged for these young adults during the pandemic.

Nondegree credentials have been growing rapidly for decades. Questions about their quality and value, however, remain.

Disrupted high school graduates cited stress, anxiety, and uncertainty as having the greatest influence on their decision to delay further education — and they say guidance, affordability, and connections to career would help them re-engage.

Recent high school graduates share why their education plans were disrupted, and what types of support could bring them back

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?

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.

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.

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 learners rate the value of their education pathways

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