Recommendation 1
Revise degree requirements for hiring.
Companies should reform hiring practices to open opportunities for “new collar” workers, focusing on skills and credential-based hiring for positions that do not require a bachelor’s degree. Many low- and middle-income individuals and workers in rural areas have difficulty attaining bachelor’s degrees in today’s higher education systems but possess the necessary skills and experience to fill jobs — particularly when work-based learning and shorter education pathways are available.