Former Governor Dishes on Connecting Work and College
- Author
- Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn
- Published
- Tue 27 May 2025
- Episode Link
- https://www.futureupodcast.com
In this episode, former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift joins Jeff and Michael to explore how to rebuild the broken college-to-career pipeline. Now leading Education at Work, a nonprofit that provides work-based learning opportunities for undergraduates, Swift shares how her organization supports first-generation and Pell-eligible students with paid, career-relevant jobs during college. The conversation also dives into the policy vacuum left by congressional inaction, the role of states in driving innovation, and where bipartisan opportunities still exist in connecting higher education to the workforce. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group and the Gates Foundation.
Publications Mentioned:
Chapters
0:00 - Intro
02:57 - Fixing the College to Career Pipeline
14:48 - Building Soft Skills
17:47 - The Higher Ed Policy Vacuum
24:28 - Federal Policy Enablers for Work-Based Learning
28:06 - State Governments to the Rescue?
30:46 - The Opportunity for Bipartisanship
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