Community colleges across the US are experiencing a surge in enrollment, outpacing four-year universities, as students seek more affordable education options amid rising student loan debt. Preliminary data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows a 4% increase in community-college enrollment this fall, compared with less than 2% at four-year schools.

North Dakota has expanded access to the CareerViewXR virtual reality career exploration platform to all K-12 students as part of a workforce development initiative. The platform offers 360-degree career experiences in various industries, including health care and construction, using VR headsets or other devices.

Monica McDougall, a culinary instructor at Romeo High School in Michigan, uses holiday sales as a practical learning tool, giving students hands-on experience in running a business and understanding the restaurant industry. Student Marisa Magnone contributed to the learning process by designing and testing recipes for the Thanksgiving menu.

Georgia Gwinnett College is set to introduce its first-ever graduate program, a Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education, following approval from the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. The college aims to start classes in spring 2027, pending further accreditation.

Microcredentials are gaining a significant presence in a space once ruled by college degrees and high-school diplomas, as illustrated by the 1.1 million distinct credentials now offered by colleges and nonacademic organizations in the US and the accompanying need for oversight of quality assurance and workplace relevance. Tracking earned credentials is becoming easier with portable documentation, such as Western Governors University's Student Achievement Wallet and the Education Testing Service's Futurenav Compass.

A significant portion of job seekers -- 57% according to LiveCareer -- abandon job applications due to overly long, repetitive or unclear processes. Candidates often face lengthy forms that require them to re-enter information already provided in their resume or complete tasks, like writing cover letters, that may never be reviewed, leaving candidates questioning the value of investing time to work at a company that is inefficient.

Millennials, Gen-Zers and others are seeking education and training to close skills gaps and improve job performance, and many are self-funding these efforts due to insufficient employer support. Fifty-five percent of surveyed workers have paid for their own training, and 72% percent have abandoned the self-improvement efforts because of cost and scheduling, according to a Harris Poll for the University of Phoenix.

Glassdoor's 2026 Worklife Trends Report highlights a significant decline in trust in leadership, with mentions of "misalignment," "disconnect" and "distrust" rising sharply in employee reviews. The report also notes a shift towards smaller, continuous layoffs, termed the "forever layoff," creating ongoing job insecurity. Additionally, career growth is becoming harder for remote workers, and while AI anxiety is high, its real impact remains limited.