The Great Untapped Potential of America's Non-Degree Holders

In a classroom near you today, a high school senior is daydreaming about the life they will start just a few months from now. If enrollment rates from the last 15 years hold, about 40% of these students will find themselves on the campus of a four-year college or university. About one quarter will be enrolled in a two-year degree program.

Our society thinks a lot about students who go on to college. We need to think more about the Americans who will not choose to continue their education after high school. They each have unique aspirations and gifts that will allow them to contribute to their communities, but too often, we do not even ask how these individuals see themselves making an impact: What are their dreams, and how do they plan to realize them? 

This conversation is an especially important one for employers. Unlocking the potential of non-college goers can help organizations flourish, and it could address persistent problems like turnover and low productivity. 

On the flip side, neglecting this discussion will have serious repercussions for individuals and their employers. Almost three-quarters of Americans see their job as tied to their identity. Whether in medicine or manufacturing, self-actualization — the highest goal on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs — is something most people want from work. And if what we do each day informs how good we feel when we go home, it follows that not helping more people live a life of purpose will lead to a host of social ills, from disengagement and depression to addiction.

I know the mindset shift I am talking about starts with parents. As a father with multiple degrees — and I have four children. Based on statistics alone, I cannot expect them all to follow the road I took. In practice, though, this realization is difficult because, like many moms and dads, I have worried they will need a four-year college degree to gain a stable, well-paying job.

So, this graduation season, as so many high school seniors dream about their futures, I issue an open call to both parents and U.S. employers: let us work together to change the future of work. Help families, education innovators, investors, and those of us in the philanthropy space build a culture where we are radically open to all the ways Americans can develop the skills and attitude they need to do purposeful work. 

There is a growing movement of thinkers and doers who can help employers on this journey.

Catalyze, which the Charles Koch Foundation (CKF) supports, offers programs that help learners access educational opportunities that empower them to identify their purpose and then develop skills that align with it. 

HopeWorks Camden is a Catalyze grantee. It partners with employers to provide paid-training opportunities in information technology for people who did not finish high school. These learners are dually enrolled in the Hopeworks program and a paid internship that can lead to stable, full-time employment and a livable wage. Graduates earn, on average, more than $43,000 annually and have an 88% retention rate in their jobs. 

The American Opportunity Index provides dozens of examples of employers who have helped non-degree holders find both a purpose and a paycheck, and employers who want to define what our future culture of work looks like also can engage with organizations like Human Potential Capital. This nonprofit organization, which CKF also supports, brings together employers, educators, entrepreneurs, investors, nonprofits, foundations, and policymakers to identify worthwhile programs that will ensure a more prosperous and fulfilled future for all Americans.

These partnerships will help more Americans find fulfillment in their work, along with a life-sustaining paycheck.

They also will help employers boost their bottom lines. 

From my daily conversations with business leaders and entrepreneurs around the country, I know it is hard to find and keep motivated talent. When turnover rates are high and engagement is low, organizations leave growth on the table. A future of work where more Americans have the chance to turn their dreams into reality will increase innovation, entrepreneurship, and the drive to contribute at work and in our communities. That is a win for everyone, including employers.

Creating that future starts now.