Skills, Degrees, or Both? Making Sense of the Signals We Send Young People

Young people are navigating mixed and often conflicting messages about whether skills, credentials, or degrees matter most. Britebound's recent research captures this tension: parents' college pathway preference dropped from 74% to 58% since 2019, yet they're less supportive of nondegree credentials than no formal education at all. Young people, who cite parents as their biggest influencer, are caught in the middle.

This session creates space for an honest, values-driven conversation about why leaders across education, workforce, and employers view these pathways differently and what those perspectives mean for learners and families. We will explore tensions, tradeoffs, and open questions about this topic – without advocating for a single best choice or pathway.

After panelists share what has shaped their perspectives and where they feel conflicted, facilitated roundtable discussions will surface the challenges others face in their own work. This conversation will allow participants and panelists alike to identify where more data, better tools, and clearer guidance are needed to effectively support young people making real decisions about their futures – leaving with tangible ideas to implement.