Publications and Commentary

UpSkill America supports employers and workforce organizations to expand and improve high-quality educational and career advancement opportunities for America’s front-line workers.

UpSkill America, an initiative of the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program, supports employers and workforce organizations to expand and improve high-quality educational and career advancement opportunities for America’s front-line workers.

We seek to create a movement of employers, civic organizations, workforce intermediaries, and policymakers working collaboratively to implement education, training, and development strategies that result in better jobs and opportunities for front-line workers, more competitive businesses, and stronger communities.

Employer Support Contributes to Credential Completion
Blog Posts

Employer Support Contributes to Credential Completion

The RAND evaluation used millions of administrative data records over multiple years from Ivy Tech and conducted a regression analysis to examine whether participation in AYD was associated with differences in credential completion for working learners.

group photo of cohort 3 of the Education and Career Mobility fellowship
Blog Posts

Seeing the Grass, Solving for the Weeds

These leaders are returning to their organizations ready to ask the right questions and committed to the “weed-pulling” required to cultivate a stronger workforce.

3 tech workers look at a large screen with data on it
Blog Posts

Missing Demand May Miss the Opportunity: Research Insights for States Building Talent Marketplaces That Work

In December 2025, the United States Department of Education (US ED) announced the Connecting Talent to Opportunity Challenge to support states in building and scaling talent marketplace platforms.

A Clear Path Forward: Catalyzing Success for Working Learners in Texas Nursing Programs
Blog Posts

A Clear Path Forward: Catalyzing Success for Working Learners in Texas Nursing Programs

Forty-five dedicated leaders—representing nursing programs, critical hospital partners, regional workforce boards, and vital funder partners—convened in Austin.

group of headshots of the 2025-2026 fellows
Blog Posts

UpSkill America & Guild Announce Third Cohort of Education and Career Mobility Fellowship

“We are delighted to welcome this new class of Fellows,” said UpSkill America Senior Director Haley Glover. “Supporting these leaders, who are joining a thriving community of alumni, to advance in their work and careers creating real value for their organizations and opportunities for their workforces is so rewarding. This is an incredibly impressive group.”

Close-up photo of hands typing on a laptop keyboard
Publications

Upskilling Playbook: AI, Skill Development, and the Workforce

Leaders must view AI adoption as a development opportunity to redefine how capability is built, focusing on outcomes and consciously reinvesting capacity freed by automation to ensure growth and resilience for both the business and its people.

Workforce Leadership Academies in Action: Lessons from Albuquerque and North Carolina
Publications

Workforce Leadership Academies in Action: Lessons from Albuquerque and North Carolina

This brief highlights two WLA communities: Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the Research Triangle region of North Carolina. It is the first in a series; we will revisit these communities in early 2026 to assess their progress and challenges.

The Case for Validated Skills: What Employers Want and Need
Publications
Durable Skills, Strong Starts: What Employers Really Want from Early- Career Talent
Publications

Durable Skills, Strong Starts: What Employers Really Want from Early- Career Talent

This piece is the first in a series. We will release additional briefs over the coming months that dive deeper into findings.

Seeing Talent Differently: How Education and Career Mobility Fellows are Reshaping Opportunity for Workers Everywhere
Blog Posts

Seeing Talent Differently: How Education and Career Mobility Fellows are Reshaping Opportunity for Workers Everywhere

The fall of each year brings with it leaves changing, cooler temperatures, and “conference season” — the time of year where individuals gather from all over to share ideas, catch up, and make change for the better.

About UpSkill America

UpSkill America, an initiative of the Economic Opportunities Program, supports employers and workforce organizations to expand and improve high-quality educational and career advancement opportunities for America’s front-line workers.

About the Economic Opportunities Program

The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

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