The pandemic is giving new life to the idea of erasing the arbitrary dividing line between high school and college and creating instead a system that more tightly connects to the world of work and careers. 

The concept is called the “Big Blur," and some states and communities are already experimenting with variations of the approach.

The Biden Administration's new Talent Pipeline Challenge is a summer-long initiative to get labor unions, companies, and state and local governments to work together to train workers for millions of new jobs expected to be created by the bipartisan infrastructure law.

The effort focuses on training workers for good jobs in the broadband, construction, and electric vehicle sectors. It also involves partnerships between industry and education providers, with the goal of expanding apprenticeships.

As part of an effort to recruit new talent for in-demand industries, state officials in Arkansas are giving students and job seekers a chance to experience the jobs themselves—through virtual reality. 

The program, which incorporates VR experiences created by an economic development platform called TRANSFR, is the result of a partnership with the Arkansas Office of Skills Development and Arkansas Community Colleges.