Lumina Foundation presents conversations with newsmakers and thought leaders in the field of education and training after high school. Hear from people working to attract, retain, and cultivate the talent America needs for the 21st century.
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The demand for short-term credential programs is growing, and state leaders are responding. In 2025, a total of $8.1 billion was spent across 34 states to help students and institutions deliver high-quality, short-term education and training programs. This growing state investment, combined with Workforce Pell, has states contending with new issues: How will states approve programs? How do…
Workforce Pell takes effect on July 1 this year. The expansion of the entitlement program opens access to many more Americans seeking high-quality, short-term training programs that lead to in-demand jobs. The program also brings many new questions and opportunities to our higher education and workforce development systems. Lumina Foundation's Katie Berger and Kermit Kaleba have been working on…
Earlier this year, Lumina Foundation released an updated Stronger Nation report with a new Credentials of Value tool. On this month's episode, Dakota talks with Courtney Brown and Chris Mullen, going behind the scenes on the creation of the tool, digging into data availability, and ultimately, how we can connect data to strategy. Tom Harnisch of SHEEO also joins the show to highlight states that…
In March 2026, Lumina Foundation announced the From Campus to Career initiative —an effort to scale career-connected high-impact practices and strengthen workforce outcomes for students. In this deep dive episode, we talk with experts and practitioners to better understand what makes a practice high-impact, the factors that lead to institutional change, and the importance of authentically engaging…
Reflecting on 2025, this show brings back key conversations that are sure to carry over into 2026. This episode revisits a conversation about American prosperity and Lumina's new goal focused on credentials of value, a discussion about higher education's role in shaping artificial intelligence, and a review of three states working to redesign admissions systems.
High-quality learning beyond high school has the power to transform lives. Better-educated people earn more, are more active in their communities, and even live longer. The question now is how can the higher education system serve more people better? In this interview, Lumina Foundation's Jamie Merisotis offers insight from his decades of experience as an author, policy innovator, and…
Hear insights from a nationwide movement. The live podcast includes real stories from the field illuminating how change happens—and where it's heading.
This summer, the National Student Clearinghouse issued a new report with mixed news. While many states have made progress in re-enrolling people who have some college credit but have yet to earn their credential, the total population of US adults in this group has grown. Now, over 43 million Americans have some college credit but stopped out before they could complete their first credential.…
Twenty-four states allow community and technical colleges to issue bachelors degrees. Proponents argue that these programs are tightly aligned to workforce needs, more affordable, and meet the needs of people who live far or otherwise can't attend a university. Critics are concerned about the quality of education, financing these programs, and competing for enrollment with nearby universities.…
Discover how higher education serves as a catalyst for climate solutions and societal progress in this live taping of Today's Students, Tomorrow's Talent podcast from the 2025 SXSW Podcast Lounge. Leaders in academia, policy, and environmental advocacy will unpack the role learning beyond high school plays in driving innovation, creating climate resilient economies, and preparing the next…
