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Future of Work

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Future of Work

Every person has gifts and potential. Shifting how our country empowers people in the workplace is key to unlocking them to the benefit of individuals, employers, and society as a whole.

Transforming human potential through work

Stand Together’s vision for a society where every person can realize their potential requires empowering people to discover purposeful careers.

Unfortunately, people are directed to jobs based on one-size-fits-all education and workforce pathways. While a 4-year degree is right for many people, it’s not the only or appropriate path to success for many others. Employers that hire based on degree rather than talent limit the opportunities and miss out on the contributions of millions of Americans. And policymakers who distort incentives in favor of traditional degree programs inhibit innovation and choice.

The Stand Together community aims to improve how businesses identify and support talent and how people think about what it means to find fulfilling work. We’re doing this by partnering with employers to change their hiring practices to focus more on individual aptitudes and mindsets rather than credentials, supporting and growing awareness of alternatives to a traditional college education, and advancing policy reforms that change how postsecondary education and job training are financed.

a collage showing someone measuring and someone typing on a laptop FEATURED STORY Why a college degree shouldn’t hold qualified people back
Real solutions, lasting change

The Stand Together community is partnering with employers, educators, policymakers, and education entrepreneurs to transform human potential through work.

18

States have eliminated or are in the process of removing degree requirements for public-sector jobs.

5K

Companies now have the tools to implement hiring and advancement strategies based on skills and mindset.

1.6M

Working people have been linked to new career opportunities through alternative education and workforce training models.

Featured partners

Stand Together community partners are recognized as among the most innovative and effective organizations in America. Below is a snapshot of our current partnership network focused on the future of work.

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Top stories

Get inspiring stories, ideas, and advice from changemakers who are transforming the future of work.

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The Hulu hit gives a human face to people hurt by restrictive hiring practices

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What exactly is a microcredential — and how can it be used to improve businesses?

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Work matters, with or without a diploma.

© 2024 Stand Together. All rights reserved. Stand Together and the Stand Together logo are trademarks and service marks of Stand Together. Terms like “we,” “our,” and “us,” as well as “Stand Together,” and “the Stand Together community,” are used here for the sake of convenience. While the individuals and organizations to which those terms may refer share and work toward a common vision—including, but not limited to, Stand Together Foundation, Stand Together, Charles Koch Foundation, Stand Together Trust, Stand Together Fellowships, and Americans for Prosperity—each engages only in those activities that are consistent with its nonprofit status.
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