Daily Lumina News 051821

The growth in prison higher education and workforce training opportunities comes on the heels of a sea change this academic year for all students, including those in prison. The murder of George Floyd last summer and the protests that followed prompted higher education leaders to re-examine their criminal justice programs, campus policing practices, and initiatives to recruit and retain students of color.
Some advocates for higher education in prison see this national moment as a possible turning point for expanding the educational opportunities available to current and former inmates.

Megan Green left Marion County, Iowa, to attend college and start her career. When she moved home in 2017 to work for Weiler, her father’s company, it was like returning to an earlier technological era.
Rural communities have long complained about their lack of internet access. Now, the pandemic and President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan are giving them hope for a solution.

Ask any university student, professor, or administrator: No one wants to relive the past academic year.
But probe a bit deeper, and exactly what they don’t want to repeat differs in subtle but important ways. And that means college leaders will be challenged to put together campus plans for the fall that keep students at the center while also embracing the concerns of their institution’s broader community.

Increasingly, employers say they are struggling to find—or develop—workers with the uniquely human skills that make for a great employee. Those qualities include good communication, leadership and problem-solving skills, and an eagerness to retrain and reskill as technology advances.
Through a partnership with the nonprofit Quality Assurance Commons, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education aims to embed career competencies into a student's educational experience. The goal: to bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace by teaching academic concepts through hands-on, practical applications and internships or job shadowing experiences.

Michael Buchanan has held numerous jobs in his 15 years at Levi Strauss & Co., starting as a stock clerk and rising to store manager. At the end of May, he will add a new title to his résumé: data scientist.
Levi Strauss is confronting a challenge faced by companies in a range of industries from finance to retail to technology. Many of their workers lack the necessary skills to address modern business challenges. In response, some retailers are ramping up reskilling efforts, offering boot camps, adding in-house education programs, and more.

It’s a month until high school graduation. And in a year like no other, many high school seniors in Oregon are racing to complete classes and iron out college plans for the fall.
The pandemic has placed extra pressure on all students. But for first-generation students who are trying to navigate college applications, scholarships, and financial aid without the usual support at school, the added stress can be overwhelming.