Photo: Ebony Richardson

One of Kaelyn Carter’s ongoing challenges these days is working early hours as a landscaper through the cold, often rainy San Francisco Bay Area weather—a world away from the stagnation he remembers feeling when he first arrived in California less than two years ago. Then, Carter had just been released from prison after three years of incarceration.

Carter's new lease on life is courtesy of a state effort led by California Volunteers that works to bridge work and education gaps for low-income, former foster, justice-involved, and unemployed youth.

Call them power skills, durable skills, or 21st century skills, but career development experts say it’s time to acknowledge that proficiency in empathy, critical thinking, and collaboration are required to be successful in most jobs. And some younger employees aren’t cutting it.

Some higher ed advocates contend the best way to equip students with interpersonal and professional skills is to offer meaningful work and learning experiences. This includes undergraduate research, study abroad opportunities, first-year seminars, and community-based service learning.

The U.S. Department of Education released the revised Free Application for Federal Student Aid last December to great fanfare. The new version is supposed to make applying for financial help easier. But for some students, including those whose parents don't have Social Security numbers, ongoing technical issues have kept them from fully completing the application. 

A new temporary workaround is designed to help; still, students and others remain concerned. Three high school seniors in the Chicago area share their frustrations and fears in this interview.