Center for Professional and Workforce Impact
Supporting You and Your Career Goals
Tufts University and University College have partnered to bring all learners the new Center of Professional and Workforce Impact, built to address persistent workforce challenges around the globe. The Center engages industry partners, governments, and educators across Tufts to help support learners with the challenges that may arise in pursuing professional and workforce development opportunities.
University College is poised to significantly impact our institution by expanding the definition of what it means to be a student at Tufts University by serving learners of all stages and backgrounds. With the establishment of the Center for Professional and Workforce Impact, UC will broaden the scope of Tufts’ contributions to professional and workforce education while also leveraging technology to create a flexible learning environment. I am confident that this strategic plan will not only transform Tufts into a career impact accelerator but also enhance the value of our institution on a local, national, and global level.
Sunil Kumar, President of Tufts University (2024)
What Higher Education Offers Today's Workforce
Adult learners (ages 25+) comprise nearly half of the total students enrolled in higher education in the U.S. To effectively serve these learners, we must respond to what the data reveals about their motivations for pursuing (or continuing to seek) higher education.
Lifelong Learning Opportunities
73% of adults consider themselves lifelong learners, interested in continually expanding their knowledge.
Skill-Building Possibilities
87% of professional learners report participating in work/career learning to maintain or improve their job skills.
Additional Qualifications
57% of professional learners cite earning licensure, certification, or other qualifications as their reason for pursuing higher education.
Professional Growth
39% of professional learners continue their education to earn a raise or a promotion in their current role.
Alternative Credentials
76% of survey respondents say the availability of microcredentials and other alternative credentials would increase their desire to complete their studies.
Bringing You…
Flexibility
- Modality and scheduling options
Meaning Making
- Pursuit of passions and making an impact
Affordability
- Return on your investment and career outcomes
Explore Professional Development With Tufts
For further information or to partner with the Center for Professional and Workforce Impact, please contact our team at workforce@tufts.edu.
- Sources: Pew Research Center, “Lifelong Learning and Technology” report, https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2016/03/22/lifelong-learning-and-technology/. Inside Higher Ed, “Can Microcredentials Bring Stop-Outs Back to College?”, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/retention/2023/11/03/can-microcredentials-bring-learners-back-college. UPCEA, “The Impact of the New Adult Learner – Trends in Higher Education in 2023,” https://upcea.edu/the-impact-of-the-new-adult-learner-trends-in-higher-education-in-2023/. National Center for Education Statistics, "Adult Learning" report, https://hces.edu.gov. Vashae Dixon, "State of the Union: The Graduate, Online, and Adult Learner Markets," EAB Executive Strategy Summit, March 13, 2024.