Career Education Report

Dr. Jason Altmire and guest Jason Delisle discuss concerns and challenges surrounding the proposed gainful employment rule. Their chat offers insights into the high school earnings test and the use of earnings as an accountability metric in higher education. Delisle's research findings reveal a considerable number of certificate programs at community colleges would fail the high school earnings th...

On July 1, 2023, the new borrower defense to repayment rule goes into effect. Dr. Jason Altmire speaks with Jonathan Helwink , a former senior official at the U.S. Department of Education, about some of the more alarming aspects of the new borrower defense to repayment rule that will impact all higher education institutions. Dr. Altmire and Jonathan discuss the evolution of borrower defense to rep...

In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire talks with Marc Goldwein , the Senior Vice President and Senior Policy Director at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget , about the impact of student debt cancellation, the repayment pause, and the proposed income-driven repayment plan on students and the economy. Dr. Altmire and Marc delve into the equity of the Biden administration's student loan poli...

In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire talks with Julie Peller of Higher Learning Advocates about accountability, ROI in higher education, and the future of the for-profit sector. Julie Peller is the Executive Director of Higher Learning Advocates. She also served as the Deputy Staff Director for the House Committee on Education and Labor. Julie discusses her perspective on the federal role in ensurin...

To effectively reach your target audience, it is crucial to communicate a shared set of values. In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire talks with Rich Thau of Engagious about how the use of dial testing focus groups and in-depth interviews can help create a message that resonates with your audience.   Rich is the President of Engagious, a company that helps trade associations and advocacy groups with...

Dr. Jason Altmire talks with Dr. Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, President of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) , about the role of accrediting organizations in the higher education ecosystem. Dr. Jackson-Hammond explains the reason CHEA does not recognize accrediting organizations that accredit a majority of institutions or programs focused on sub-associate degree programs and whethe...

In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire has a fascinating discussion with Senior Research Scholar Dr. Davis Jenkins about the role of community colleges in providing value and return on investment for students.  Dr. Jenkins is the Senior Research Scholar at the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Columbia University Teachers College . The CCRC works with community colleges to achieve better out...

In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire and veteran journalist Paul Fain explore the importance of the short-term Pell Grant for students, as well as the debate about whether students attending for-profit schools should be eligible for the grant. Both sides of the aisle agree that the short-term Pell Grant is a vital resource for many students, but can they work past their differences to pass legislati...

In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire speaks to Dr. Robert Lerman , a leading expert in apprenticeships, about the challenges of the American apprenticeship system and how to make it more efficient in light of the growing trend of young people foregoing a traditional postsecondary education. Dr. Lerman is an Institute Fellow in the Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population at the Urban Institut...

Employers have chronic difficulties in filling jobs, but millions of Americans are simultaneously unemployed. Professor Joseph Fuller is very familiar with this paradox. In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire talks with Professor Fuller about the strategies that academic institutions and employers must take to address the skills gap today.  Joseph Fuller is the Professor of Management Practice and Gen...

Dr. Terry Hartle , Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs at the American Council on Education , is set to retire in early 2023. Dr. Jason Altmire had the chance to speak with Dr. Hartle about his 50-year career in higher education and what is on the horizon for higher education policy. Dr. Hartle discusses why he does not anticipate the reauthorization of the Higher Educ...

The Biden administration has shaken up the student loan debt system and targeted the for-profit sector. In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire talks with Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) , Chair of the Committee on Education & the Workforce , to discuss how Congress can improve postsecondary education so students and taxpayers will benefit from a better system.  Congresswoman Foxx shares what ov...

Kent Hance has been a politician, university chancellor, and lawyer. He has seen it all, and now he is sharing his stories as the host of The Best Storyteller in Texas podcast. In this episode, Hance talks with Dr. Jason Altmire about his decades of experience as a former chancellor of the Texas Tech University System and U.S. Congressman. The two discuss Kent’s time in politics, including when he...

Arnold Ventures is often the lead funder behind some of the most harshly critical reports of the for-profit sector. While their research has indicated disparities in outcomes among different types of higher education institutions, their main goal is ensuring students receive a quality education. In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire speaks with Kelly McManus , VP of Higher Education at Arnold Venture...

The truck driving industry holds excellent opportunities for veterans transitioning into the workforce. To make this transition easier and address longstanding issues in trucking, the White House formed the Task Force Movement . In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire speaks with two members of the task force, Sarah Amico and Cassie Byard, about the trucking industry's future. They discuss how we can a...

Rich Camacho is a military veteran who wanted to help other veterans find jobs in corporate America. He made significant headway in this sector but noticed a market gap for assisting veterans and tradespeople in finding blue-collar trade jobs. So he teamed up with his wife, Gina Camacho , and her technology background to create BlueRecruit , a recruiting platform that matches tradespeople with hir...

Higher education is ripe for a major shakeup, according to Professor Todd Zywicki . Todd is a professor of law at the George Mason Antonin Scalia Law School and talks with Dr. Jason Altmire about student loan defaults, the strengths of for-profit colleges and weaknesses of other institutions, and the lack of competition in higher education. Todd shares his thoughts on policymakers’ pushback agains...

In the ongoing debate around short-term program outcomes, one issue is often missed – market dynamics. Dr. Michelle Van Noy discusses the issues of labeling low-pay jobs as low-quality programs without factoring in the labor market. Dr. Van Noy is the Director of The Education and Employment Research Center at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations . Dr. Van Noy and Dr. Altmire discu...

Ric Keller could not afford college, but one act of kindness allowed him to earn not one but two degrees. He later became chairman of the Higher Education Subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives. Dr. Jason Altmire talks to Congressman Keller about his new and inspirational book describing his lessons learned about how to achieve your dreams. They also discuss the political opposition to...

America’s aging infrastructure and energy system are in dire need of an upgrade. However, with industries already facing worker shortages, who will do this work? Dr. Jason Altmire talks with Philip Jordan , vice president and principal researcher of BW Research , about which sectors have a shortage of workers and what career schools, trade unions, and others can do to circumvent these shortages. M...

With the Senate being 50/50 right now, the majority is up for grabs come November. In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire discusses key Senate races that will determine who controls the Senate with Matt Moon , deputy executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee . Matt tells us what the election landscape looks like and why he believes Republicans will take the Senate. Matt and Dr...

When it comes to colleges and universities, the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and some schools are their own worst enemies. Larry Ladd knows this all too well with his over 40 years of experience as a financial executive in higher education. In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire talks with Larry about how for-profit institutions quickly respond to the market while non-profits...

The midterm elections are fast approaching, and we’re curious how recent events have influenced this election’s trajectory. In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire talks with Chad Pergram , Congressional Correspondent for Fox News , about the possible shift in the U.S. House of Representatives and how the new session will likely unfold. Chad and Dr. Altmire discuss the animosity and lack of willingness...

Thought leaders in higher education have been concerned about the future of higher education. Dr. Robert Zemsky and Dr. Lori Carrell both agree that to prevent schools from closure, higher education needs to be revitalized. In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire talks with Dr. Robert Zemsky of the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Lori Carrell of the University of Minnesota Rochester about the market...

Michael Stratford is a leading higher education reporter in Washington, D.C. As the senior education writer for Politico , Michael writes at the intersection of education policy & politics. In this episode, Dr. Jason Altmire sits down with Michael to discuss the different dynamics in education policy across the last three administrations and what he sees unfolding in today’s education policy i...