When Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, was running for the Illinois State Senate in 2022, she agreed to meet with a group of incarcerated men interested in public policy. They had many questions, along with a proposal: Hire someone like them as an intern.

The following spring, Ventura became the first state senator in Illinois—and likely the country—to offer a legislative internship behind bars.

The guided pathways model has spread rapidly at community colleges across the country in recent years, reaching at least 400 institutions as they embrace policies intended to keep students on clear paths to graduation or to transfer to four-year colleges.

Two new studies shed light on the guided pathways movement and what iterations of the model may work best.

Non-degree credentials, including certificates, industry certifications, licenses, and apprenticeships, are rapidly becoming a popular and important segment of the higher education landscape.

In this interview, nursing graduate Lemohang Mokhalinyane describes the benefit of enrolling in and completing a non-degree credential of value in her educational journey at Clark State College. The school's president, Jo Blondin, and Barbara Gellman-Danley of the Higher Learning Commission join the conversation with their thoughts on how high-quality credentials can help jobseekers build skills, earnings, and career opportunities.