The U.S. Department of Labor released an article detailing a new international initiative between Europe and the United States to advance apprenticeship systems. The initiative aims to provide students attending postsecondary institutions with more opportunities for accessing job-driven training and a pathway into the workforce. To learn more, click here.

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center and Project on Academic Successes published a national study on the various pathways students at two-year and four-year colleges take to complete a college degree or certificate. The study found that the rate of students who started at a two-year institution and finished at a four-year institution declined in the past year, with women being more likely to complete at a four-year institution than men. To access this study, click here.

The Center for Community College Student Engagement, The University of Texas at Austin, released a report, Expectations Meet Reality: The Underprepared Student and Community Colleges, exploring the experiences of community college students in the areas of assessment, placement, and developmental education. The report critically examines the "broken state" of developmental education and the implications it has on the academic outcomes of underprepared students. As a recommendation to resolve this issue, the report encourages colleges to review their programs, measurement systems, and student data when developing strategies to help underprepared students successfully complete college-level work. To access the report, click here.

The California State University (CSU) conducted a study to investigate how CSU campuses were meeting the needs of students who are homeless/displaced from housing and those who need food assistance. The assessment presents findings that shed light on challenges occurring across institutions of higher education nationwide. Findings indicated that CSU campuses were developing programs to support the needs of displaced and food insecure students; however there was a need for staff, faculty and administrators to better understand this student population, their size, their experiences with services, and their rates of retention. To access this study, click here.