Higher education has long claimed a central role in advancing economic mobility, but in today’s economy that role is being tested. As regional economies shift and inequities persist, there is a growing opportunity to more intentionally align civic and community engagement efforts with workforce development outcomes.

At this intersection lies a critical opening for civic and community engagement leaders to help shape more inclusive pathways to opportunity. As degree requirements continue to exclude millions of capable workers and AI reshapes job pathways in real time, institutions have an opportunity to expand how they define, recognize, and connect community engaged teaching and learning to economic mobility.

This webinar introduces one emerging approach to that work. In partnership with Opportunity@Work, a national leader in advancing economic mobility for workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs), we will explore how institutions can strengthen their role in regional talent ecosystems through a “College-AND” framework—one that integrates degree pathways with skills-based hiring and advancement strategies.

What participants can expect:

• Insight into the “paper ceiling”—degree requirements that unnecessarily limit access to opportunity—and how this barrier intersects with longstanding inequities that civic and community engagement efforts seek to address
• Strategies for how community engaged institutions can build on existing engagement efforts to more directly shape equitable economic outcomes
• Practical tools and examples, including STARsight, a diagnostic tool that helps institutions “see” the skills footprint of their communities and identify high-potential talent

Designed for Campus Compact members, this conversation invites participants to consider how their institutions can lead at the forefront of this evolving work—strengthening their anchor mission while expanding access to economic opportunity across their regions.