Work-Based Pathways That Drive Opportunity
Across the United States, more than 100 million working adults do not hold a postsecondary degree, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. At the same time, employers report roughly 10 million open skilled positions. We do not have a talent shortage. We have a systems design problem — and it is one we can fix.
For too long, we have separated learning from work. Students complete coursework first and search for experience later. Employers look for candidates who already have experience. Too often, both sides are left frustrated.
Work-based pathways and apprenticeships offer a better way forward.
What Is a Work-Based Pathway?
A work-based pathway integrates structured, paid work experience directly into a credential or degree program. Students do not wait until an academic break to gain experience. They earn, learn, and build momentum at the same time.
Registered apprenticeships are paid from day one. U.S. Department of Labor data show that students who complete an apprenticeship earn more than $80,000 annually on average, comparable to the earnings of many college graduates. Yet today, college students outnumber apprentices 28 to 1, according to the same report.
Work-Based Pathways at WGU
At Western Governors University (WGU), we are expanding paid internships, registered apprenticeships, and employer-embedded projects across our schools of education, healthcare, technology, business and beyond. We are also creating clearer pathways to award credit for prior learning and on-the-job training, so students are not repeating what they already know.
This is not about replacing college. It is about strengthening it.
Understanding the Ecosystem
Over the past couple of years designing and scaling work-based pathways, I have learned that no single institution can do this alone. Work-based pathways do not live within a single institution. They operate within an ecosystem.
That ecosystem includes:
Employers who define workforce needs and provide paid positions
Education providers who deliver instruction and assess competencies
Workforce boards and state agencies that align funding
Policymakers who shape regulatory frameworks
Learners entering at different stages of life
One of the most common questions we hear is, “Where do I begin?”
The answer depends on where you sit.
If you are an employer, begin with a role you struggle to fill. Identify the competencies required and design a pathway that builds talent from within.
If you are a university leader, examine where structured experiential learning can be embedded into existing programs without compromising rigor.
If you are a policymaker, consider how funding streams and reporting requirements can be simplified to accelerate adoption.
At WGU, we collaborate with employer partners to design apprenticeship and work-based degree pathways. We work alongside workforce leaders and state agencies to ensure compliance and reporting requirements are met without overwhelming institutions or employers. Clear data, strong partnerships, and shared accountability are essential to scale.
Expanding Beyond the Trades
Apprenticeships have bipartisan support and a strong track record in the skilled trades. But they have not yet achieved scale in professions that require degrees.
That is changing.
Today, we are building pathways in teacher preparation, nursing, allied health, technology, business and beyond. A classroom paraprofessional can earn wages while completing licensure coursework and progress to becoming a fully licensed teacher — without stepping away from the students they already serve. A certified nursing assistant does not have to pause their income to advance. They can build hours, competencies, and credentials in parallel. A high school student in career and technical education can begin earning wages while building credentials that stack toward a degree.
This is not an either-or model between work and college. It is a both-and approach that strengthens both systems.
A Call to Action
If we continue to treat learning and work as separate lanes, we will leave talent untapped and opportunity unevenly distributed.
If we intentionally integrate them, we can create clearer pathways to sustainable, upwardly mobile careers.
Employers can pilot paid apprenticeships aligned to real workforce demand. Colleges can embed structured work into degree pathways. States can align funding and accountability systems to support earn-and-learn models. Students can seek programs that value their experience and reduce time to completion.
Work-based pathways are not a trend. They are a structural shift in how we align talent, education, and economic mobility. The institutions and employers that design for this shift now will define the next decade of workforce success and how we connect talent to opportunity.
The future of the talent economy depends on it.
