Talent Dividend Work

What makes Jackson one of the best communities for young people?

Jackson, MS Monday, November 19, 2012

Strong partnerships and "a diversity of exchange" help create a great educational community in Jackson, MS.

First-generation students are Trailblazers in Baltimore

Baltimore, MD Monday, November 19, 2012

Institutions of higher learning in Baltimore are finding ways to help first-generation students complete.

How to eat an elephant

Chattanooga, TN Monday, October 22, 2012

One bite at a time: that's the strategy behind Chattanooga's workforce development efforts.

New tool kit for adult college completion

U.S. Dept. of Ed. Monday, October 22, 2012

Nationwide, about two-thirds of adults over 25 years old do not complete a college degree or certificate. Even more never enroll in college in the first place. This is a large part of the skills gap we face in our workforce: unemployment is high, yet many companies feel they cannot find the talent they need to fill available jobs.

So the U.S. Department of Education has released a new Adult College Completion Tool Kit, designed to connect state administrators and local practitioners to the strategies, resources, and technical assistance tools resulting from the Department's work in this crucial area. States can use this information to identify and implement state adult education leadership priorities, supported by federal Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) funds, which encourage and support adult learners transitioning to college.

The tool kit focuses on strategies for improving access, quality of services, and completion. Download it here.

Collaboration across competing MSAs

Tampa, FL Monday, October 22, 2012

When $1 million is at stake, you might expect grandstanding and one-upmanship between neighboring MSAs competing for the Talent Dividend Prize. But in Florida's Tampa Bay region, where three metro areas are in the running -- Bradenton, Lakeland, and Tampa -- that's just not the case.

Counseling toward completion

Chicago, IL Monday, October 22, 2012

Chicago is putting big effort behind the push to raise degree attainment for city and suburban residents with the newly formed Complete The Degree. The nonprofit aims to help 300,000 Chicago residents who have some college but no degree get their education back on track.

Investing in talent to help employers solve problems

Nashville, TN Monday, October 22, 2012

How Nashville is pairing Talent Dividend efforts with existing workforce programs and aligning college curricula with the skills the region's employers need.

Preventing drop-outs during an oil boom

Fargo, ND Monday, October 22, 2012

It can be hard to convince students of the benefit of a college education when an oil boom is pushing wages for low-skill jobs into the six figures. Fargo is targeting students who are pursuing a degree but at risk of dropping out.

Focus and collaboration are key to success

Columbia, SC Monday, September 24, 2012

Columbia is bringing together the business community, educational institutions, and students to improve degree attainment and get students focused on their careers.

CEOs band together to help meet workforce needs

Monday, September 24, 2012

This past academic year, Grand Rapid Community College awarded more credentials – certificates and associate's degrees – than it ever has before. A large part of that is due to an effort spearheaded by Talent 2025, a coalition of 50 CEOs focused on building Grand Rapid's capacity to meet the region's workforce needs by 2025.

Raising the profile of the need for degrees

Indianapolis, IN Monday, September 24, 2012

Indianapolis has identified independent college attainment efforts across the metro area and is using the Talent Dividend Prize to align and unify those efforts toward a common goal.

A shared responsibility for educational attainment

Louisville, KY Monday, September 24, 2012

Louisville's strategy has been to break down what 55,000 degrees really means. On a basic level, it means 40,000 bachelor's degrees and 15,000 associate's degrees. But digging deeper, Louisville is looking at what each sector contributes to the college attainment puzzle.

Collaborating, not competing, to solve common challenges

Youngstown, OH Monday, September 24, 2012

Making the business case for college completion

Tulsa, OK Monday, August 20, 2012

When it comes to getting a college education, citizens of metro Tulsa have myriad resources at their disposal, whether they need help financially, aren't sure how to get back to school after some time away, or want to learn more about fast-track programs and in-demand certificates.

20,000 internships by 2020

Dayton, OH Monday, August 20, 2012

In Dayton, the question is not just how to increase graduation rates. It's also how to keep those degree-holders in Dayton after graduation day.