Nurses continue to be in high demand as hospitals are still struggling to fill their ranks. But, in Baltimore County, a new partnership could fill that gap.

The effort, the Public Health Pathways Program, will cover tuition for the Community College of Baltimore's certified nursing assistant program. Graduates will then be guaranteed a job at St. Joseph Medical Center, Baltimore County, where they'll continue their education on site. Participants also will receive a monthly stipend of $1,000.

Last week, a group of higher education organizations announced a new effort to provide outreach and coaching services for California residents who are just shy of completing a college degree.

In this interview, Kai Drekmeier of InsideTrack—one of four partners on the project—talks about the group's ambitious plan and the role each partner will play.

"Skills-first" thinking is on rise, with more and more employers coming out in favor of looking at a person’s skills and eagerness to learn instead relying only on specific degrees. 

Four leading workforce experts share their thoughts on the growing skills-first shift and what it means for workers and employers.