Today's Students, Tomorrow's Talent
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.
Episodes
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 students know which programs lead to bette...
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 Workforce Pell for ...
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 have made...
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 im...
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.
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...
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. Guests Dr. Debra Bragg, Jim Reed, and ...
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 generation of changemakers. From cutting-ed...
Nearly 9 in 10 Americans that currently do not have a degree believe that earning an academic credential is valuable. And yet, there is waning confidence in higher education across the country, as many people ask if they will get a return on their investment. In this episode, we visit Lupita Trujillo, a mother of three, who shares how these decisions sounded in her household. We also review the latest...
This live session, taped at SXSW 2025, explores the interplay between higher education and artificial intelligence, delving into how academic institutions are responding to the proliferation of AI in the workplace and economy. Leaders from academia, economic development, and industry discuss how universities and colleges are advancing research and equipping students with the skills to lead i...
In this special edition, we have a conversation on how to drive economic growth, strengthen civic life, and equip individuals to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. Experts from workforce, higher education and philanthropy will dive into how learning after high school cultivates a skilled workforce, fosters innovation, and improves quality of life for American communities. This sh...
Community colleges play a critical role in America, but many struggle to tell their own story. This episode dives into how schools are using SEO, branding, and mobile-friendly marketing to reshape perceptions and connect with their communities. Guests from Iowa Lakes, Great Falls, and marketing firm TrendyMinds share insights on innovative strategies—including how a mascot helped one college rebrand. Listen in to hear how com...
In a word, the 2024 FAFSA season was rough. Released late, riddled with errors, and issues with processing led to a chaotic college enrollment season for schools and families. With the 2025 FAFSA now released, we took some time to catch up with James Kvaal, Under Secretary of Education to learn how they went about fixing the form. We also talked with Sam Aleinikoff and Dr. Corey Sheffield of College AIM, an Atlan...
Colleges and universities are facing a demographic shift now dubbed the "enrollment cliff." Concerns over a decline in the number of traditional age students has led some institutions to rethink admissions processes. Lumina Foundation's Melanie Heath joins Rathi Sudhakara from the Washington Student Achievement Council and Jonathan Gagliardi from Northern Arizona University to discuss innovative new practices and...
States across the country have proposed or enacted legislation that hampers or eliminates diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts on college campuses. These efforts range from removing diversity statements from job posting to outright elimination of student support services. Erin Gretzinger and Maggie Hicks from the Chronicle of Higher Education gives us a national overview and Veronica Selzler from Hattaway Commu...
Recently released data on Lumina's Stronger Nation tool shows that the national education attainment rate has reached 54.3 percent. The country has increased in education attainment by 16 percentage points since 2008. Dr. Courtney Brown and Dr. Chris Mullin of Lumina Foundation share the stories, insights, and considerations under these banner numbers.
There is a staffing crisis in healthcare - a crisis that is so bad, that some are calling it a national emergency. To meet today's and tomorrow's labor demand, leaders need to provide clear and supported career pathways to adults already in the workforce. In this episode, Dr. Jill Buban of EdAssist joins us to talk about their work developing new career pathways, and describes what it takes to make a talent-foc...
A new report from NASPA and Uwill sheds light on the growing need and urgency to provide mental health services on college campuses. In this episode, we discuss the findings from this national survey, discuss a state-wide initiative in Texas to improve mental health and wellbeing, and hear from two campus-based practitioners.
Guests include:
Listen in as state and federal policy experts weigh in on the major themes from 2022 and expectations for 2023. Julie Peller from Higher Learning Advocates walks through the major movements at the federal level, and Paola Santana from Lumina Foundation discusses state-level priorities for the upcoming year. Catch up with state leaders from Arkansas, California, Kentucky, and Michigan as they reflect on key ideas from a ...
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