Workforce development is not a department — it’s higher education’s shared mission

Workforce development is not a department — it’s higher education’s shared mission

According to a March 2026 economic news release from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of people not in the labor force but seeking employment remains at 6 million. The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) is currently 1.9 million. However, this population has grown by nearly 27%, up from 1.5 million a year earlier. Workforce development must be embraced as a shared mission across higher education ra…