At Arizona State University (ASU), workforce development revolves around five core themes. First, as Stephen Covey suggests, 'Begin with the worker in mind.' Second, embrace technology; third, embrace experimentation and learning from failure; fourth, collaborate with top partners across sectors. Finally, recognize that workforce development extends beyond employees, and earning a degree remains a powerful tool for career advancement.

For ASU, the worker starts with the individual learner, either campus immersion (on- campus) or digital immersion (online). As a New American University committed to service, approximately 35% of our 180,000 students are Pell Grant recipients, reflecting their exceptional financial need. As a result, many must work in order to pay their tuition, fees, and other bills while enrolled. These students often miss out on unpaid internships and resume-building opportunities available to wealthier peers. ASU addresses this by integrating work into learning.

ASU launched “Work +” with a bold vision: to transform on-campus student jobs into intentionally designed working and learning experiences. This initiative focuses on equipping students with transferable skills essential for success after graduation through work opportunities they are already engaged in. To scale these efforts, ASU has collaborated with like-minded organizations such as McKinsey & Company, which shares our commitment to workforce development. Building on the success of Work+, ASU has now partnered with 27 institutions across the nation, all committed to reshaping the working learner experience on their campuses to deliver similarly meaningful outcomes.

ASU has historically leveraged technology to help learners achieve outstanding outcomes. It began almost twenty years ago with the creation of EdPlus, one of ASU’s public enterprise units comprising over 700 instructional designers, engineers, thinkers and leaders, devising the most cutting-edge, user-friendly, outcome focused programs in the world. ASU’s most recent organizational evolution to support workforce development came with the creation of the Learning Enterprise five years ago, which leverages every knowledge-based asset at our institution making those assets available to workers via certificates, short courses and other easy to access methods of instruction either directly or through institutional partnerships.

Many of these micro-credentials can bridge to degrees. Enterprise Technology, another division of ASU’s public enterprise, is working with EdPlus to create maps from the learner’s interests to degrees, to programs, and ultimately to careers. As the first university partner for OpenAI, ASU continues to collaborate with top tech firms to generate outstanding outcomes for the workforce. Leveraging Google’s “Grow with Google” curriculum, ASU has developed innovative programs like the Google IT Mastery Certificate stack and the Sustainability Analyst specialization, enabling learners to acquire critical skills for high-demand fields.

When ASU started the Starbucks College Achievement Plan (SCAP), then CEO Howard Schultz and ASU President Michael Crow realized many employees were weary of going back to college, so ASU created Universal Learner Courses that would allow baristas to enroll in an asynchronous college-level course to build confidence. Our learning engineers and faculty validated the courses to ensure completing four of them with a “B” or higher demonstrated the capacity to complete a college degree. We eventually expanded the concept and now offer more than 65 universal learner courses as pathways for workers so that they can get back on track for college completion. To date, SCAP boasts over 12,000 graduates while over 30,000 people are enrolled in ASU’s Universal Learner Courses. ASU partnered with The Rise Fund to create InStride, enabling employers to provide career- aligned, debt-free education to their workforces similar to SCAP.

The economic benefits of completing a college degree are clear. Research conducted by the Center on Education and the Workforce found that there is a $1.1 million difference between lifetime earnings with a bachelor’s degree versus a high school diploma. This statistic underscores the critical role higher education plays in fostering economic mobility and securing financial stability over the long term.

At Arizona State University, we are redefining workforce development by bridging education and opportunity through innovative programs, technology, and partnerships. By equipping learners with the skills and credentials they need, we empower individuals to achieve economic mobility and long-term success. Together, we can ensure that education remains the most powerful tool for shaping a brighter future for all.