Giving Compass' Take:

• The administration is creating an upskilling program that will involve tech innovators, educators, employers, and other stakeholders to help entry-level employees develop skills to move forward in the workforce. 

• What is the private sector's role in advancing the upskilling movement? 

• Read about an upskilling certification program. 

In his 2014 State of the Union address, the President tasked Vice President Biden with leading a review of job training programs, with the aim of making them more job-driven.

As a result of this review, the Administration is kicking off a significant new public-private effort to help hard-working Americans get ahead through an initiative we are calling “upskilling”: working with employers, educators, tech innovators, unions, training providers, cities, states, and non-profits to help turn low-wage and entry-level jobs across the country into stepping stones to the middle class.

Increasing access to high-quality education and training is an important component, and new federal investments in an online skills academy will leverage technology to offer open online courses of study, helping students earn credentials online through participating accredited institutions.

Read the full article about upskilling by Arne Duncan and Jeffrey Zients at The Aspen Institute