A Guide for Higher Ed
Employer-Friendly Practices: A Guide for Higher Education
A publication by UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute
Across the country, employers are paying for their workers to go to school through tuition assistance, apprenticeship, and cohort programs built with local colleges, and they’re doing so at a time when higher education needs engaged students more than ever. But many of these partnerships deliver less than either side hopes.
We began work by asking dozens of employers what they wanted out of partnerships with higher education, and where they experienced friction. That resulted in our first report in this series, Employer-Friendly Practices: Bridging Higher-Ed Practices and Employer Realities. The employers we interviewed were not distant observers or critics of higher education. They were investing in it directly: paying tuition, dedicating staff time, building internal programs to encourage participation, and staking their own credibility with their workforces on the promise that college is worth it. Their frustrations did not come from indifference. They came from repeated experiences with institutions that were unprepared to deliver on that investment. Most employer partnerships don’t struggle because higher education institutions lack commitment. They are challenged because the institution’s operational systems, coordination, and day-to-day practices weren’t built to support them, and those challenges fall hardest of working learners, who have little room to absorb institutional friction while balancing jobs, families, and coursework.
This resource is designed to help colleges and universities become more employer-friendly and build the kind of institutional capacity that sustains and grows partnerships while simultaneously better serving working learners. It offers role-specific guidance for leaders across the institution, a self-assessment spanning five domains of practice, and a process for turning results into action, grounded in the conviction that institution/employer partnerships can become easier without compromising academic missions.
- Employer-Friendly Practices: Why Now?
- Who This Guide Is For
- Role Guides
- Practice Guide
- Institutional Self- Assessment
- A Process for Implementation
- Engage and Stay Connected
- Resources and References
We are seeking higher education leaders who want to to test these frameworks in their own institutions, share what they are learning, and help us understand where the guidance needs to be sharper, more nuanced, or more honest about the barriers involved. We invite you to connect and share with us through this survey.
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.
Join Our Mailing List
To receive occasional emails about our work — including new publications, commentary, events, fellowships, and more — join our mailing list.
Connect on Social Media
For news and updates every day, connect with us on the social media platform of your choice.
Room for Growth: A Survey of Upskilling Approaches — 2026 Analysis
Employer-Friendly Practices: A Guide for Higher Education
MillerKnoll: Developing Operations Leaders from Within and Beyond — A Case Study in Structured Talent Development
A Typology of State-Supported Work-Connected Learning Programs
The Workforce of the Future Starts with Adult Basic Education
Foundational Skills: Early Insights from Employers and Providers
How Tax Policy Can Help Employers Expand Access to Learning
