Workforce Development

Chicago – September 24, 2026 -- The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, working with the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), has launched an initiative to embed evidence-based nutrition training into U.S. medical school curricula, citing rising attention from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a catalyst for the effort.

Academy rolls out a microcredential framework to standardize nutrition training

The ACEND Nutrition in Medical Education Microcredential Framework allows accredited nutrition and dietetics programs to convert existing coursework into microlearning units aligned with ACEND curriculum competencies and the HHS Medical Education Nutrition Competency Framework. The tool is designed to give medical schools a structured, program-level path to add nutrition content without building curricula from scratch.

Ketchum, Idaho – September 24, 2026 -- Skilled trades workers reach financial break-even by age 19, nearly seven years faster than bachelor's degree holders who hit that mark at 26, according to new commissioned research from truck-storage manufacturer DECKED. The findings, drawn from an economic trajectory study and a proprietary survey of 500 tradespeople, anchor the company's new Built for Those Who Build campaign, launching with a Builder's Day event on Sept. 30 at DECKED's manufacturing facility in Defiance, Ohio.

Palo Alto, Calif. – September 23, 2026 -- Companies offering AI-specific skills training jumped from 25% to 58% over the past year, but 56% of employees still say they get no time during work hours to build those skills, according to Workera's 2026 State of Skills Intelligence Report.

AI training spending rises sharply across U.S. enterprises

The survey of 1,000 salaried employees at U.S. organizations with 5,000 or more staff found 80% now believe their company is on track for an AI-enabled future, up from 67% in 2025. Employees using AI tools multiple times per week rose from 40% to 68% year-over-year, and companies feeling confident about their competitive AI position climbed from 19% to 30%.

Towson – September 23, 2026 -- A DEWALT survey of 534 WorldSkills competitors across more than 60 countries found that 76% believe technical and vocational skills are increasingly critical to the global economy, yet 51% say too few young people are entering the trades.

Survey exposes gap between perception and enrollment pathways

While 71% of respondents said the public image of skilled trades has improved, 52% reported being steered toward traditional academic paths versus just 14% encouraged into vocational careers. The disconnect starts early: 45% said young people are not exposed to skilled career opportunities soon enough, and 53% felt direct pressure to pursue university over trade training.

Washington – September 22, 2026 -- 1,000 Dreams Fund (1DF) has pledged to scale its MentorHER Initiative into a global, AI-driven mentorship platform reaching 300,000 young people worldwide by January 2030, under a three-year Commitment to Action unveiled at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2026 Annual Meeting.

1DF targets 300,000 young people through a 36-month, three-phase rollout

The commitment was announced during CGI's Leaders Stage session, "Steering AI Innovation towards Impact." The rollout begins with a pilot phase for matching and career-readiness resources, then moves to scaled recruitment through global university partnerships, corporate employee networks, and regional ambassadors. 1DF will report outcomes annually to CGI over the three-year period.

San Francisco – September 22, 2026 -- Handshake, the career network for the AI economy, has launched AI Skills Studio, a free learning hub offering hands-on AI projects to more than one million employers on its platform. The tool was built with partners including Clay, Figma, Gamma, Google, Lovable, Notion, OpenAI, Replit, Salesforce, Southern New Hampshire University, and Vercel.

Job seekers complete AI 'missions' in 10 to 45 minutes using real practitioner tools

AI Skills Studio offers personalized, project-based missions that produce a tangible output, ranging from automated workflows to working software. An AI Skills Instructor guides learners through the process, and early users have built interactive games, data dashboards, personal portfolios, and sales and marketing tools.

San Francisco – September 22, 2026 -- Owl Ventures, the world's largest venture capital firm focused on education and workforce innovation, has named NBA legend Chris Paul as Venture Partner, adding a high-profile figure to a firm managing more than $2.2 billion in committed capital.

Owl Ventures backs over 100 companies reaching 700 million users worldwide

The firm operates three global offices and has made over 100 investments in companies helping people learn, prepare for work, and build skills throughout their careers. Its portfolio companies collectively reach more than 700 million users globally.

Houston – – September 22, 2026 -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) has broken ground on a $6.5 billion manufacturing site in Houston, Texas, that will produce active pharmaceutical ingredients for Foundayo (orforglipron), the company's first synthetic oral GLP-1 medicine for weight management.

Houston site becomes Lilly's fifth domestic API facility since 2020

The plant is one of ten U.S. manufacturing sites Lilly has announced since 2020 and the fifth dedicated to producing active pharmaceutical ingredients domestically. The investment falls under Lilly's broader $50 billion initiative to reshore medicine production in the United States and export American-made drugs globally.

Pittsburgh – September 22, 2026 -- Allegheny Health Network (AHN) will pay up to $110,000 toward student loans for nurse anesthesia students who commit to joining the health system as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), under a new national recruitment program launched in partnership with Boston-based fintech Clasp.

AHN structures payments across three years to lock in early-career commitments

Under the program, AHN will pay up to $20,000 toward eligible loans after 12 months of full-time employment, up to $30,000 after 24 months, and up to $60,000 after 36 months, with payments made directly to loan servicers through the Clasp platform. Employees retain every dollar contributed toward principal, with no claw-back provisions if they leave after milestones are met.

San Juan, Puerto Rico – September 21, 2026 -- Crowley has committed a $40,000 sponsorship to expand a workforce-readiness partnership with Junior Achievement Americas (JAA) that will reach more than 350 students in Puerto Rico, introducing them to maritime, logistics and supply chain careers.

Puerto Rico imports roughly 80% of goods through its ports, driving demand for skilled labor

The Puerto Rico Ports Authority estimates that approximately 80% of the island's imports arrive via its ports, a figure that underscores the economic weight of maritime and logistics employment on the island. The new initiative targets students ages 15 to 19 enrolled in career and technical education programs at public high schools.