Educating a New Generation of Workers

There is a crisis in technical education. The golden road to a career has always been through a college education. However, this “golden road” has developed deep cracks and is badly in need of maintenance. Postsecondary education is rapidly becoming unaffordable, even at public colleges and universities. Tuition has risen at a rate 50% greater than inflation. But there’s a deeper issue. Beyond the out-of-control cost, there is evidence that degrees do not map to the skills needed in today’s job market, and there’s an increasing disconnect—particularly in computer science—between the skills employers want and the skills colleges teach.

Employers are struggling with a related problem: keeping the people who are already on their staff up-to-date with the skills they need. It’s common for experts who spend their waking hours working at the cutting edge of the technology industry to feel like they’re falling behind. The trend has only increased in the era of generative AI. A graduate degree is an option for employees who can afford it, but it doesn’t help employers. After spending a year getting a master’s degree, an employee is unlikely to return to the same employer, let alone the same job.

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