Employer Alignment
An individual’s talents and educational choices should be aligned to the demands of the labor market they seek to enter.
All students should have access to programs that lead to quality jobs and economic mobility, and employers should assess and advance individuals based on skills and experience, not only degrees.
By the numbers
of bachelor’s degree graduates do not secure employment in a college-level job within a year of graduation.
of bachelor’s degree graduates do not secure employment in a college-level job 10 years after graduation.
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Why employer alignment matters
Graduates' career outcomes reflect the alignment between education and the labor market, yet this alignment often falls short in many areas. Additionally, limitations on targeted education and training programs — because of capacity or resources — worsen this misalignment, disproportionately affecting students who would benefit most. A comprehensive view of talent supply and demand will help leaders invest more confidently in programs that address talent gaps and enhance economic mobility for students.
The Employer Alignment team works closely with the employer community — chambers of commerce, trade associations, CEO-led organizations, and large employers — to advance research, policies, and practices that promote employer alignment and skills-first talent management practices.
Strada Institute for the Future of Work
We conduct rigorous, field-leading research that provides actionable insights on how to strengthen the educational pathways that lead to economic opportunity for individuals and respond to the talent needs of employers. Our research focuses on increasing the labor market value of postsecondary credentials, improving employment outcomes of nontraditional learning pathways, reducing education and employment disparities, and strengthening state talent planning.
Talent Disrupted
This report provides an in-depth analysis of recent college graduates to demonstrate that a college degree is not always a guarantee of labor market success. Using a combination of online career histories of tens of millions of graduates, as well as census microdata for millions of graduates, the report offers a comprehensive picture of how college graduates fare in the job market over their first decade of employment after college.
How we support employer alignment
Strada partners with states, colleges and universities, policymakers, funders, and other nonprofit organizations to increase the alignment of education and employers’ talent needs.
Business-Higher Education Forum
A new report produced with support from Strada, “Forging Partnerships to Align Education and Industry for the Workforce of Tomorrow,” highlights the critical role of business-higher education partnerships in addressing skills gaps, advancing diversity, and building an innovative workforce. Drawing on insights from nearly 400 business leaders and over 200 higher education leaders nationwide, the study offers an in-depth look at the state of collaboration today and actionable recommendation for the future.
National Talent Collaborative
The National Talent Collaborative’s Accelerator Group for Skills Based Pathways to Mid-Wage Jobs will focus on accelerating the achievement of each region's stretch objectives for expanding pathways to mid-wage jobs, and distill and share lessons about effective approaches and scalable solutions for adoption in other regions. identify the key areas in need of intervention.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
The Talent Pipeline Management National Learning Network conducted an evaluation to analyze the progress made over the past 10 years of the initiative’s existence and identify where there are opportunities to better support current and future TPM practitioners.
How we measure progress
An individual’s talents and educational choices should be aligned to the demands of the labor market they seek to enter.
Strada developed the State Opportunity Index to help states develop their capacity to align postsecondary education programs with regional labor market demands. Using an Employer Alignment metric for each state, and the nation, the State Opportunity Index supports a more comprehensive view of talent supply and demand.
The 2024 State Opportunity Index showed that many states are struggling with issues related to labor market demands and talent shortfalls. Most states are only just beginning to measure and improve the alignment of their education and employment systems.
President and CEO, Stephen Moret, provides a testimony during the “Strengthening WIOA: Improving Outcomes for America’s Workforce” hearing on March 5, 2025.
In 2025, Strada’s look and brand image will change to reflect our commitment to working with focus, connection, curiosity, agility, and optimism — qualities that will guide us and undergird all our efforts.
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