Julie Peller and Jamie Merisotis discuss how using the Pell Grant for short-term programs could build a different kind of bridge—one that links training, education and employment.
“Just like America’s roads and bridges, building the nation’s talent for the future requires strategic investment, careful planning and partnerships. Investing in people by creating high-quality jobs with good wages should be the goal. But to make that a reality, we need to rethink how our current education and workforce training systems operate. Right now, those systems operate independently, and it’s difficult for learners to move between them. We’ve siloed learners, asking them to choose between short-term, job-driven training and long-term education. That can no longer be acceptable; connecting these systems is essential to the nation’s recovery and prosperity.”