Workforce Development

Phoenix – October 16, 2026 -- University of Phoenix put three conference sessions on credit for prior learning (CPL), skills recognition and microcredentials in front of higher education leaders at 2026 Convergence: Credential Innovation in Higher Education, held Oct. 13-15 in Washington, D.C.

Marc Booker, PhD., vice provost of Strategy, and Cate Tolnai, director of Microcredentials & Innovation Credential Strategy, represented the university. UPCEA and AACRAO jointly presented the annual conference, which focuses on credentialing, learner mobility and workforce-aligned education.

Booker and Tolnai detail a CPL-to-skills-to-microcredential workflow

The two co-presented "Connecting Value Chains for Mobility: CPL to Skills to Microcredentials." Drawing on University of Phoenix practices and findings, the session outlined a process linking life experiences, education and career pathways through CPL-to-skills-to-microcredential workflows.

Sacramento – October 16, 2026 -- The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) will open its state application portal for the federal Workforce Pell (WFP) Grant on October 21, allowing colleges and career technical education providers to seek state authorization for eligibility starting in the 2026-27 academic year.

CSAC acts as the state gatekeeper under Senate Bill 135

Under Senate Bill 135, CSAC is the designated state agency that decides whether an institution's short-term program meets state and federal requirements. It consults the California Workforce Development Board and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Programs deemed eligible are then submitted to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for final approval. ED notifies institutions of their eligibility, after which students can receive grants through campus financial aid offices.

New Orleans – October 16, 2026 -- The Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine has received preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), clearing the way to recruit its inaugural class, which starts in 2027.

The school describes itself as the only HBCU college of medicine in the Gulf South. It will begin recruiting students in the coming weeks, with applications available through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS).

Partnership of Xavier University of Louisiana and Ochsner Health reached accreditation in two years

Xavier University of Louisiana and Ochsner Health formed the College of Medicine in 2024. It earned candidate status in October 2025 and hosted an LCME survey visit in June 2026. The LCME then determined that the school met the requirements for preliminary accreditation.

Irving, Texas – October 15, 2026 -- Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) has allocated up to $10 million to prepare North Carolina workers for modern manufacturing and industry technician roles. It is the sixth allocation under the company's five-year, $100 million Building the Future Workforce Initiative.

Caterpillar pairs $10 million training fund with a $1 billion North Carolina build-out

The workforce money follows Caterpillar's announcement that it plans to invest approximately $1 billion in North Carolina. The capital will expand manufacturing capacity for its Cat Compact business, which supplies compact equipment to small contractors and growing businesses. The plan includes a new facility in Sanford to increase production of compact track loaders and telehandlers.

Caterpillar's Clayton facility in the state already builds small wheel loaders and supports distribution of backhoe loaders.

Austin – October 15, 2026 -- Interplay Learning has launched Skill Verification, a simulation-based assessment tool with an initial catalog of 20 assessments that lets employers test whether a worker can perform trades-specific tasks before dispatch, contractor authorization, new-hire placement or promotion.

Simulated assessments replace interviews and multiple-choice tests

Employers in skilled trades and industrial roles have limited ways to verify hands-on ability before putting someone on the job, according to Interplay. Traditional assessments can require expensive equipment, dedicated facilities and significant supervisor time. Interviews and multiple-choice tests do not show whether a worker can execute a task.

Skill Verification uses simulations that mirror real equipment and conditions. Supervisors and safety leaders receive objective, step-level evidence of readiness across electrical safety, industrial controls and other areas.

College Park – October 15, 2026 -- The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business will launch a 30-credit, one-year Master of Science in Marketing (MSM) in fall 2027, built around generative and agentic AI.

Curriculum pairs marketing fundamentals with AI tools

The program targets early-career professionals. Coursework covers marketing and brand strategy, consumer insights, and account and client management, with an emphasis on AI applications. Students will also work with emerging customer engagement and campaign management platforms.

Two semesters of experiential work anchor the degree

Over two semesters, students will apply classroom learning through consulting projects, executive presentations and cross-functional team assignments.

Lebanon – October 15, 2026 -- Medical and physical therapy students at Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU) in Oregon are mentoring rural high schoolers twice a month through the MIKE Program, a workforce-pipeline pilot that began in Sweet Home in 2020.

Sweet Home request in 2018 led to the 2020 rural pilot

MIKE is a non-profit that educates and mentors youth on healthy living and health care careers. It started in the Portland area and now serves urban and rural communities across Oregon and Southwest Washington. Sweet Home asked in 2018 for a peer-to-peer program linking its high school with the medical school. The partnership launched two years later as a pilot for rural communities.

Students from the Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine (HCOM) and the College of Health Sciences-Northwest (CHS-Northwest) volunteer as mentors. Physical therapy students have since joined the original medical student cohort.

Providence – October 14, 2026 -- Highbar Physical Therapy has formally introduced three acquired practices as "Highbar Practices," creating a four-brand network that serves patients at 57 locations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Three regional brands join Highbar's network under their existing names

The newly introduced practices are Joint Ventures Physical Therapy in Greater Boston, Peak Physical Therapy in the Greater South Shore, and Physical Therapy U in Southeastern Massachusetts and the South Coast. Highbar Physical Therapy itself operates in Rhode Island and in Southeastern and Central Massachusetts.

Peak joined Highbar in 2024. Joint Ventures Physical Therapy and Physical Therapy U followed in 2025.

Rochester, N.H. – October 14, 2026 -- Laars Heating Systems will host members of the Women in Manufacturing (WiM) Northern New England chapter at its Rochester facility on Oct. 15 for a two-hour networking event and guided plant tour.

Female engineer to lead tour through Laars production floor and laboratory

A female Laars engineer will guide attendees through the company's manufacturing operations and laboratory. Visitors will see how heating equipment is developed and produced, and will learn about career paths available in manufacturing.

Laurie Bridges, human resources manager at Laars, said the event is meant to show attendees the breadth of work in manufacturing and to help women in the industry build connections that last beyond the visit.

Los Gatos – – October 14, 2026 -- Age Safe America has relaunched its Aging in Place Home Safety Advisor program, a 15-module business course and certification track aimed at people who want to build home safety assessment practices for older adults, as 64.6 million Americans are now 65 or older.

Relaunch adds a business course, field kit and portal to the 2015 SHSS credential

The program is built on the Senior Home Safety Specialist (SHSS) certification, which Age Safe America has offered since 2015. The update adds an upgraded online business course, the Advisor Field Kit of editable, client-ready documents and a new Advisor Portal. Graduates earn the Aging in Place Home Safety Advisor certification.