Jobs for the Future

10/14/2026

JFF President and CEO Maria Flynn will join WHYY's Studio 2 for a live conversation on the state of America's skilled trades workforce, the challenges facing employers, and the opportunities for young people exploring career pathways beyond traditional four-year degrees.

Catch the conversation today, October 14, at approximately 12:15 p.m. ET on WHYY-FM, YouTube or Facebook Livestream.

10/06/2026

In 2025, JFF and our research partners launched the American Job Quality Study (AJQS). The first report found that only 40% of U.S. workers held quality jobs. This year, the study returns with new insights into the state of job quality in our country, starting with AI at work.

Among AI users, 31% say their AI use has led their employer to ask them to take on more responsibilities. That figure rises to 37% among AI users who say the technology helps them work faster. These findings reflect employees’ own assessments and do not establish whether employers would evaluate AI’s effects in the same way.

The findings are the first from the study’s second year, a partnership between JFF, The Families & Workers Fund, and Gallup. The full year-two report will be released in late October 2026. Read the AI article linked in the comments.

Be among the first to know when the full report launches: https://hubs.la/Q04zjgps0

10/05/2026

What does it take to move from accommodating adult learners to designing postsecondary education around their success?

As we recognize California Working Learner Week, Oct. 5–9, JFF is proud to join CollegeFutures and partners across California in highlighting what institutions are learning as they rethink the experience of working adult learners.

Across California, eight colleges participating in the Unlocking Economic Mobility for Adult Learners initiative are exploring what it takes to move from accommodating adult learners to redesigning the learner experience. This work reflects a broader priority of JFF’s ELEVATE Postsecondary Network.

Their early lessons point to three priorities:
*Reduce the complexity that makes re-engagement, enrollment, advising, and credit for prior learning harder than they need to be.
*Build more flexible, affordable, and connected pathways to credentials and economic opportunity.
*Use data, technology, and AI to strengthen human support and belonging—not replace it.

Follow the link to read our lates piece and to learn what we are seeing across the cohort and why adult learner transformation requires more than adding another program or process >> https://jfflink.org/4zgCenx

Join us: https://jfflink.org/4i4dEQP

Eight California colleges are rethinking how they serve adult learners—simplifying complex systems, strengthening belonging, and creating more flexible pathways to credentials and economic mobility.

10/02/2026

That’s a wrap on !

Two days. Big ideas. New connections. And a shared commitment to reimagining what postsecondary education can be.

Over the past two days in Philadelphia, leaders from across the country came together for the inaugural ELEVATE Postsecondary Network Convening to challenge assumptions, learn from one another, and explore some of the biggest questions shaping the future of postsecondary education.

We’re leaving Philadelphia energized by the ideas shared, the connections made, and what’s possible when leaders come together ready to break boundaries.

But the real work starts now.

The conversations from these two days are meant to move beyond the room—to inspire experimentation, strengthen collaboration, and turn bold ideas into action for learners across the country.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us, shared their experiences, challenged our thinking, and helped make the first ELEVATE convening one to remember.

Learn more about ELEVATE >> https://jfflink.org/4djFwOk

10/01/2026

We’re officially underway in Philadelphia!

Today, leaders from across the country are coming together for the inaugural ELEVATE Postsecondary Network Convening—two days focused on breaking boundaries and reimagining what postsecondary education can look like for today’s learners.

And we’re already digging into some big ideas.

From work-based learning and credentials of value to AI, new degree models, adult learners, and the future of postsecondary education, ELEVATE is bringing together leaders from states, institutions, and across the field to explore the ideas shaping what comes next.

But this convening isn’t just about discussing what’s possible. It’s about learning from one another, challenging assumptions, building connections, and identifying what it will take to turn promising ideas into meaningful change for learners.

Day 1 is just getting started. Stay tuned—we’ll be sharing more ideas, voices, and moments from Philadelphia.

Follow the link to learn more about ELEVATE >> https://jfflink.org/47qyAeO

09/29/2026

As we close out , we’re recognizing the experiences of student parents—and the importance of ensuring their voices help shape the systems designed to support their success.

In North Carolina, JFF is partnering with the North Carolina Student Success Center, Johnston Community College, the Urban Institute, and CCCSE, with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, to help community colleges better understand the experiences of student parents and redesign practices around them.

Through a student parent co-design pilot, students and college leaders are working together to identify what student parents need to succeed—from greater flexibility and family-friendly supports to clearer communication and more holistic advising.

The goal: move beyond simply gathering student feedback and toward treating student parents as partners in creating more learner-centered systems that support students and their families.

Read more in The EDU Ledger about what this work is teaching us about student success, family economic mobility, and the power of designing with student parents >> https://hubs.la/Q04yGzts0

Learn more about our 2Gen work through ELEVATE >> https://hubs.la/Q04yGzf90

09/25/2026

This National Student Parent Month, JFF is celebrating the colleges and student leaders building more supportive pathways to success.

Over the past two years, JFF’s ELEVATE postsecondary network has partnered with Student Success Centers in North Carolina and Wisconsin, as well as the Urban Institute, to support strategic planning for student parents. In both states, student parents are helping colleges create more family-friendly environments—and their voices are driving meaningful change.

In North Carolina, student parents helped interpret survey findings, map their college experiences, identify challenges, and shape priorities. Within weeks, the college launched a club for student parents and a workgroup to explore temporary and drop-in childcare.

In Wisconsin, 12 colleges are using the Family Friendly College Toolkit to assess policies, engage student parents, and strengthen campus and community partnerships.

The lesson is clear: Student voice changes practice when institutions treat students as credible decision partners—and act on what they hear.

Follow the link to learn more about our 2Gen work >>https://hubs.la/Q04yhnf-0

Through 2Gen approaches, colleges can increase access and improve outcomes for student parents and tomorrow’s learners.

09/23/2026

We’re just one week away from the inaugural ELEVATE Postsecondary Network Convening!

Leaders from across the country will join us in Philadelphia to dig into some of the biggest opportunities shaping postsecondary education today—from better serving adult learners and advancing credentials of value to competency-based education, skills-first approaches, and building stronger connections between education and economic advancement.

We’re looking forward to two days of meaningful conversations, new connections, and shared learning as we continue building the ELEVATE community and reimagining what’s possible for postsecondary education.

The ELEVATE convening is by invitation-only. Interested in joining us? Follow the link to fill out the interest form >> https://hubs.la/Q04y8xMS0

Learn more about ELEVATE >> https://hubs.la/Q04y8xZJ0

09/21/2026

What does it really mean to prepare young people for the future of work?

Following her panel at , JFF President and CEO Maria Flynn spoke with EdSurge on how education systems can better prepare students for a labor market being reshaped by AI.

The conversation explores why career exploration should begin earlier, and the importance of helping young people see the full range of pathways available to them—from college to apprenticeships and other earn-and-learn opportunities.

Read the full conversation:

From baseline AI literacy to early career exposure, Jobs for the Future president Maria Flynn shares how education systems can prepare young people for ...

09/17/2026

What makes dual enrollment a pathway—not just a program?

As dual enrollment expands across the country, the policies and data systems behind it can determine whether students gain meaningful access to postsecondary opportunities—and whether those experiences actually move with them.

Join JFF on September 29 from 12:00-1:00pm ET for a Pathways to Prosperity (PtoP)-connected conversation examining the policy infrastructure needed to strengthen high-quality dual enrollment. We’ll unpack what quality dual enrollment entails, a new dashboard tracking 12 state policy conditions, lessons from Iowa and Utah, and recommendations for improving dual enrollment policy and practice.

JFF’s David Altstadt and Megan Soetaert-Rojas will be joined by Alex Perry of Foresight Law + Policy and the College in High School Alliance to connect the research to policy and practice.

For pathways leaders, the question isn’t simply how to expand dual enrollment—it’s how to make sure those opportunities create meaningful momentum toward what comes next.

Follow the link to register >> https://hubs.la/Q04xPSpY0

Learn more about PtoP >> https://hubs.la/Q04xPStr0