Institute for the Future of Work

Individual using a tablet and working on a set of robotic arms.

Our research focuses on the future of work, the future of postsecondary education and training, and talent-driven economic development.

Strada Institute for the Future of Work develops and conducts rigorous, field-leading research that provides actionable insights on how to strengthen educational pathways that lead to economic opportunity for individuals and respond to the talent needs of employers.

The Institute guides and grows national discourse on education and employment by investigating important but underdeveloped issues that are critical to individuals, employers, states, and the nation’s economy.

By the numbers

52%

of bachelor’s degree holders are underemployed one year after graduating.

70%

of employers say skill gaps are negatively affecting their performance.

— Springboard for Business

Where we focus

Institute research focuses on four primary topics:

Increasing the labor market value of postsecondary credentials, including aligning education with occupational opportunity, identifying pathways to in-demand jobs, and reducing barriers to employment.
Improving employment outcomes of nontraditional learning and contexts, such as noncredit occupational education, upskilling or reskilling, older learners, and postsecondary education in prison.
Reducing education and employment disparities, such as the gender gap in college enrollment and completion, the declining labor force participation of working-age men, and persistent gaps in educational opportunities by socioeconomic background.
Strengthening state talent planning, including analytic models of talent migration, strategies for increasing labor force participation, and innovative solutions to increase access to majors with high return on investment.

Talent Disrupted

‍A college degree is not always a guarantee of labor market success. Only half of college graduates hold college-level jobs one year after graduating. This report offers actionable recommendations to policymakers, college leaders, and students to improve graduates’ access to college-level jobs.

Robot Ready

In the future, the most valued workers will be those who combine technical skills with uniquely human skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, and communication

How we use our research

Institute research supports large-scale change by informing:

Policy adoption at the state and federal levels.
Implementation of effective practices in states and among employers and postsecondary institutions.
National discourse on the connections between pathways to opportunity for students and education and work.

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Our team

Astrik Tenney

Senior director, grants management

Nichole Torpey-Saboe

Vice president, research

Katherine Valle-Palacios

Senior vice president, public policy

Claire Viall

Vice president, public policy, postsecondary education, and finance

James Ward

Vice president, research

Ruth Watkins

President, postsecondary education

Michelle R. Weise, Ph.D.

Pete Wheelan

Ben Wildavsky

Ardine Williams

Secretary, board of visitors, William & Mary

Jake Williams

Director, research

Related insights

Testimony on reauthorizing WIOA: How better data can improve outcomes for everyone

President and CEO, Stephen Moret, provides a testimony during the “Strengthening WIOA: Improving Outcomes for America’s Workforce” hearing on March 5, 2025.

Talent Disrupted: an interview with Strada CEO Stephen Moret

'Colleges and universities, states, and our country can do more to help prepare students for the critical transition from college to the labor market.’

Talent Disrupted

The report offers a comprehensive picture of how college graduates fare in the job market over their first decade of employment after college.

Robot Ready

In the future, the most valued workers will be those who combine technical skills with uniquely human skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, and communication.

Connect with us

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Strada Institute for the Future of Work?