Former Governor Dishes on Connecting Work and College

In this episode, former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift joins Jeff and Michael to explore how to rebuild the broken college-to-career pipeline. Now leading Education at Work, a nonprofit that provides work-based learning opportunities for undergraduates, Swift shares how her organization supports first-generation and Pell-eligible students with paid, career-relevant jobs during college. The conversation also dives into the policy vacuum left by congressional inaction, the role of states in driving innovation, and where bipartisan opportunities still exist in connecting higher education to the workforce. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group and the Gates Foundation.Publications Mentioned:Handshake 2025 Annual Report Chapters0:00 - Intro02:57 - Fixing the College to Career Pipeline14:48 - Building Soft Skills17:47 - The Higher Ed Policy Vacuum24:28 - Federal Policy Enablers for Work-Based Learning28:06 - State Governments to the Rescue?30:46 - The Opportunity for Bipartisanship Connect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads   Connect with Jeff Selingo:Sign Up for the Next NewsletterWebsiteX (Twitter)ThreadsLinkedIn Connect with Future U:TwitterYouTubeThreadsInstagramFacebookLinkedIn  Submit a question and if we answer it on air we'll send you Future U. swag!Sign up for Future U. emails to get special updates and behind-the-scenes content.