The Road to 2025: Building Pathways, Not Programs

When people talk about workforce development, they often focus on individual success stories - the teacher's aide who becomes a software engineer, the retail worker who transitions to data analytics, the service worker who moves into cybersecurity. These stories capture our imagination because they represent the promise of economic mobility. But they can also obscure a harder truth: for every successful career transition, there are thousands of capable professionals who never get the opportunity.

Think of our current education system as a highway built for a different era. We've added lanes over the years - community colleges, online degrees, certification programs - but we're still trying to move modern traffic through an infrastructure designed for a world that no longer exists. The result? Gridlock in our labor market costing workers, institutions, and employers dearly.

The scale of workforce transformation ahead of us is staggering. According to the World Economic Forum, 44% of workers' skills will need to be updated by 2028. The U.S. cybersecurity workforce alone faces a gap of over 3.4 million unfilled positions. These aren't just statistics; they represent millions of Americans seeking pathways to better opportunities.

The market is responding decisively to this need. In 2023, global enrollment in accelerated, digital workforce programs surged by 12%, generating nearly $801 million in revenue. This growth accelerated in 2024, expanding by an additional 5%. This isn't just a trend; it's a clear signal that workers and employers are actively seeking alternatives to traditional education models that can deliver results.

Not all responses to this opportunity have been equal. This year, workforce education providers have faced significant upheaval, with some shuttering operations entirely. These market corrections reveal a critical truth: success in this space requires more than simply offering courses—it demands workforce solutions that are both adaptable and scalable, enabling institutions to meet evolving labor market needs. At Upright, we’ve seen our course-share model gain real traction, tripling enrollment growth from 2023 to 2024. Acting as a workforce extension for colleges, our model adapts to these shifts, allowing institutions to scale efficiently while retiring outdated programs and introducing in-demand skills training as industries evolve.

Looking ahead to 2025, we're preparing to launch our Cybersecurity program, directly addressing one of the most critical workforce gaps in the tech sector. But our vision extends beyond any single program. We remain focused on solving the fundamental challenge in workforce development: creating scalable pathways that work not just for the exceptional few, but for the many. Yet the greatest barrier to workforce transformation isn't technological—it's financial. Despite surging demand for digital skills, most professional education programs fall outside traditional financial aid structures. This means countless capable learners can't access the very training our economy desperately needs. The innovation in education delivery must be matched by innovation in how we fund it.

The stakes couldn't be higher. In an era defined by artificial intelligence and automation, our ability to deliver high-quality, university-backed professional education at scale isn't just an educational challenge—it’s an economic imperative. Expanding initiatives like Pell Grants to include short-term, non-credit programs is one example of how policy could address this gap, aligning support with the realities of how professionals learn and upskill today. Bridging the divide between higher ed and industry has shown what’s possible; now it’s time for policy to ensure these opportunities are accessible to everyone.

The highway to economic opportunity shouldn't be gridlocked by outdated infrastructure. With the support of our investors, university partners, and most importantly, the trust of our learners, we're building new routes to professional success, ones that can handle the demands of tomorrow's economy.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

Onwards,

Benny Boas

CEO & Founder