The Work Study Imperative: How Higher Ed Prepares Students for a New Labor Market

Only 3 percent of U.S. learners participate in apprenticeships, even as employer trust in degrees declines and AI disrupts traditional “first jobs.” Workforce Pell, federal reforms, and renewed employer demand create a pivotal moment for scale. This session convenes university leaders, edtech builders, and policy architects to examine the fusion of work and study, the shift to competency-verified hiring, and the creation of durable industry ecosystems. Panelists will address structural barriers and outline a practical roadmap for building apprenticeship pathways that move the labor market.