Why institutions that embrace applied learning, portability, and real-world outcomes are building stronger enrollment pipelines—and easier stories to tell.
The shape of higher education continues to shift fast, not just in public perception, but in function. In a world increasingly focused on capabilities, credentials, and outcomes, institutions still organized around time-bound classrooms and degree-first thinking risk becoming unaligned with both learner needs and employer demands.
Today’s market wants skills. But are we still selling seat time?
Learning is increasingly happening outside the traditional classroom and institutions must respond if they want to remain relevant in both mission and market.
From the rise of apprenticeships and skills-based hiring to credit for prior learning (CPL) and competency-based education (CBE), the core message is clear: learning happens everywhere. And the institutions best positioned for the future are the ones embracing that reality.
The old model of the “schooled society”—where only classroom-based, degree-bound education is validated—no longer meets the needs of today’s learners or labor market. A “learning society,” by contrast, values experiences gained on the job, in the community, and across life stages. That shift isn’t just philosophical; it’s economic. Employers are doubling down on skills-based hiring, with nearly 65% of employers now prioritizing competencies over degrees for entry-level roles, according to NACE research cited in Workday’s latest report.
Handshake echoes this, calling internships “your #1 ROI engine for full-time hires,” noting that 80% of employers rank internships as their top source of hires with the highest return on investment. The Washington Post [subscription required] goes even further, citing internships as “the simple answer” to reviving the American Dream without a four-year degree. The Department of Education is leaning in too [subscription required], pushing for more work-based learning aligned with regional economic priorities.
And states like Indiana are rewriting the rules, requiring CPL to be factored into new program design. Why? Because learners are choosing what works. And in a labor market shaken by AI, automation, and accelerated change, “what works” is often what is fast, applied, and stackable—not what is rigid, exclusive, or slow.
Some institutions, like Hudson County Community College are already in motion, partnering with employers to offer hands-on, high school-to-career apprenticeships that are built for the 21st-century learner. These are not “add-ons”—they are central to student and employer success.
So what does this mean for enrollment marketing?
It means paying attention to your product: your business model is your marketing. If your institution builds programs that genuinely reflect today’s learning realities—stackable credentials, applied learning, credit for experience—then marketing becomes less about persuasion and more about amplification. These are “products” that learners want and need. And they are easier to market because they’re more relevant.
This aligns with a concept from Harvard Business School professor, Jim Heskett, the Service Profit Chain: great internal service (to learners) leads to more engaged students, better outcomes, and stronger external reputation. Or in the language of stakeholder capitalism: when your educational model creates value for learners, employers, and communities—not just the institution—you become more competitive (and durable) by design.
Institutions that treat “off-campus learning” as central, not supplemental, will be best positioned to grow enrollment, drive retention, and build meaningful lifelong learning ecosystems.
The world is becoming a classroom. It’s time our models and messages caught up.