Photo: Yunuen Bonaparte

The economic churn triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for courses that can help people quickly learn what they need to find work. And some traditional higher education institutions are taking note. 

In Connecticut, Sacred Heart University is launching career-focused programs to give its students vocational credentials that can speed them into their first jobs while expanding the institution’s market to older adults who are hoping to get new ones.

South Bend Mayor James Mueller says lifelong learning will only help people move up the ladders of opportunity. Thanks to a partnership with the Drucker Institute, Mueller's vision is coming to life for the city's residents.

The collaboration with Drucker involves a learning platform called Bendable that holds curated content accessible to anyone in South Bend with a library card. The goal is to help people acquire new knowledge and training through both online courses and in-person learning opportunities.

To keep high school seniors engaged and on track to graduate amid the pandemic, a school district in Indiana got creative. Wayne Township administrators turned to a previously untapped resource: hourly employees still on payroll, but with time on their hands because students had switched to learning virtually.

The strategy is paying off for students and employees alike. Students are getting college and career readiness guidance and other support. Meanwhile, Wayne Township bus driver Erica Woods is now a student case manager—and hoping to earn a teaching credential.