There’s an idea floating around higher education circles that just won’t quit. It pops up in panel discussions, sneaks into faculty meetings, and echoes in how we talk about curriculum. Sometimes it’s said directly. Other times it hides between the lines. But the gist is this: education stands above skills.

You can hear it when someone praises “pure” academic inquiry while brushing off career preparation as something lesser. Or when liberal arts are seen as noble pursuits, while anything “practical” is framed as utilitarian or short-term. The implication is that education is for thinkers and skills are for doers, and you need to pick a side.

But that’s not just outdated. It’s misleading. And if we cling to this divide, we risk severing higher education from the very outcomes students are working toward: opportunity, mobility, and meaningful work.

The best education doesn’t ask students to choose between relevance and rigor. It connects the two. It helps them explore ideas, challenge assumptions, and also build the know-how to contribute, adapt, and lead.

Critical Thinking Is a Skill

Let’s be clear. The ability to think critically, write clearly, reason ethically, analyze data, and understand complex systems — those aren’t soft or secondary qualities. They’re skills. Real ones. Durable ones. And they’re in high demand.

They show up all across the university, especially in general education and the humanities. But we don’t always name them that way. And we don’t always help students see how they translate to the workplace. That’s a missed opportunity.

Take a student in a philosophy course. They’re not just memorizing theories. They’re practicing logic, argument construction, and ethical reasoning. That’s the same skillset a product manager uses to make tough tradeoffs or a policymaker needs to weigh competing priorities.

Or look at someone studying history. They’re analyzing sources, evaluating evidence, spotting bias, and building a narrative. That’s exactly what a data analyst, journalist, or strategic consultant does when they make sense of complex information and communicate it clearly.

This isn’t a call to change what we teach. It’s a call to make it more transparent. When students understand how their learning connects to their future, everything shifts. They see the value in the work. They build a language for what they know. And they walk into interviews and new opportunities with confidence, not just credentials.

If Skills Stay Hidden, Students Miss Out

Too often, we hear from graduates who leave college with strong habits of mind but struggle to explain what they actually do. And that’s not on them. It’s on us.

Employers aren’t just looking for degrees. They’re looking for evidence. They want to know what someone brings to the table, how they think, how they solve problems, how they collaborate, and how they contribute to the work at hand.

That’s why WGU created the Achievement Wallet — a digital, student-owned record of what learners know and can do. It gives students the ability to track and share verifiable achievements in real time, from course-level skills to industry certifications and project-based work. It doesn’t just summarize learning. It translates it into currency that matters in the job market.

This is about more than showcasing credentials. It’s about giving students what they actually need: a way to prove their value, tell their story, and connect learning to opportunity. Whether they’re applying for a first job, aiming for a promotion, or exploring a new field, the Achievement Wallet helps them answer the question every employer is asking: What can you do?

Students often tell us, “I didn’t know I had those skills until I saw them listed in my Wallet.” It’s one thing to write a paper. It’s another to realize that paper demonstrates persuasive communication, synthesis, and audience awareness. These are the skills EVERY employer wants.

And this applies to students at every stage. A new graduate can enter the workforce with greater confidence, equipped to show what they know before the ink dries on their diploma. A mid-career learner can highlight transferable skills to reframe their experience in a new industry. No matter the background or goal, when students can make their skills visible, they’re better positioned to pursue what’s next.

When we do this right, students don’t just earn a degree. They graduate with momentum, clarity, and a toolkit that they can use long after their last course is complete.

Specialized Skills Without Broader Learning? Also Not Enough

Let’s flip the lens for a minute. Because this works in the other direction, too.

Short-term credentials, bootcamps, and technical training can absolutely open doors. They help people skill up fast and land jobs. That matters. But those tools and technologies will evolve. Job descriptions will shift. People will want to grow into new roles, not just replicate the same ones.

That’s where broader learning comes in. Education is what helps people stay curious. It teaches them to navigate complexity, wrestle with ambiguity, and connect ideas across contexts. It gives them the foundation to adapt when things change. And they will.

We’ve seen students earn technical certifications but hit a wall when they step into roles that require collaboration across departments, presenting ideas to executives, or responding to fast-moving change. That’s where general education, done well, becomes a differentiator. It builds cognitive agility, not just technical accuracy.

The most resilient professionals aren’t just technically competent. They’re thoughtful. They’re agile. They’re ready for what’s next.

The Future of Learning Doesn’t Force a Choice

The good news? We don’t have to pick sides. The best learning models already combine education and skills. They make the connection visible, practical, and powerful.

At WGU, that’s exactly what we do. We build our programs around competencies — what students know and what they can do. Students earn degrees by demonstrating skills, not just logging seat time. Along the way, they complete real-world projects, earn certifications, and build portfolios that speak directly to employers.

In WGU’s cybersecurity program, students don’t just pass exams. They complete simulations, respond to real-world attack scenarios, and earn industry certifications like CompTIA and CISSP. But they also take ethics, communication, and critical thinking courses. That’s not fluff. It’s foundational. Because defending systems is as much about judgment and risk communication as it is about code.

It’s not about lowering expectations. It’s about raising relevance. The result is learning that’s not only rigorous, but also deeply aligned with purpose, progress, and career opportunity.

Let’s Retire the False Divide

It’s time to stop treating education and skills like separate domains. Thinking deeply is a skill. So is communicating with clarity. So is taking knowledge and applying it in messy, real-life situations.

When we frame skills as lesser or separate, we end up reinforcing an outdated, narrow view of what learning looks like. But when we embrace skills as a core part of education, when we make that connection explicit, we build something much stronger.

We’re not choosing between critical thinking and career readiness. We’re delivering both. That’s what students deserve. That’s what the workforce demands. And that’s what higher education needs to deliver if we want to stay relevant.

So let’s stop pretending this is a battle. It’s not. It’s a collaboration.

Let’s teach the skills that matter. Let’s tell the truth about where they live. Let’s prepare students not just to graduate, but to thrive.

Let’s move forward, together.