New Report Calls for More 'Pathways' to Career Success, the GI Bill Can Help

A report released today from the Pathways to Prosperity Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education brings to light how America continues to fall short in preparing its young adults for success. One cause of this failure, according to the report, is that too much emphasis is placed on attending and graduating from a four-year college—something only 30 percent of the country’s young adults actually do. Additionally, of the estimated 47 million jobs that are expected to be created between 2010 and 2018, one third will require a bachelor’s degree or higher, and just as many jobs will only require an associate’s degree or “post-secondary occupational credential,” the report notes.

"What I fear is the continuing problem of too many kids dropping by the wayside and the other problem of kids going into debt, and going into college but not completing with a degree or certificate," academic dean and professor at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, Robert Schwartz told the Associated Press. "Almost everybody can cite some kid who marched off to college because it was the only socially legitimate thing to do but had no real interest," he continued.

The solution? More educational pathways to success, the report recommends. A press release from the Harvard Graduation School of Education notes that this means “far more emphasis on career counseling and high-quality career education, as well as apprenticeship programs and community colleges as viable routes to well-paying jobs.”

GI Bill 2.0: Paving Pathways to Success

The updated Post-9/11 GI Bill that President Obama signed into law on January 4^th will make alternative pathways to career success more attainable for servicemembers. Before the revision, the Post-9/11 GI Bill could only be used at “degree-granting institutions of higher learning,” meaning it could be applied to any degree (starting at the associate’s level), but vocational training and certificates were not covered. The changes, which go into effect this fall, lift this restriction to make GI Bill funds available to those who are attending vocational programs, apprenticeship programs, certification programs and on-the-job training. Additionally, those who attend online courses will now be eligible for the monthly housing allowance that those who were attending brick-and-mortar schools under the Post-9/11 GI Bill were already receiving. In short, the changes will make it possible for servicemembers to study what they want, the way they want.

In a December press release about the changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill, chair of the Senate Veteran's Affairs Committee, Senator Parry Murray said, "This new package makes it easier for some veterans to use their benefits to pay for tuition at public and private universities, and others who want to enroll in training programs that will place them directly in the workforce, helping us get our economy back on track.”

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