Millions of low-wage workers in the U.S. are stuck in jobs that offer little stability or opportunity for advancement. These positions often lack critical benefits like health care, paid leave, and the flexibility needed to manage life’s challenges, leaving workers and their families trapped in a cycle of poverty. For many, this is not a temporary situation — these workers came from low-income households and are now supporting their own dependents on the same low wages, repeating the pattern across generations.

Education could be the key to breaking this cycle. A college degree remains one of the most reliable pathways to upward mobility, offering better job prospects and financial stability. Yet millions of workers remain cut off from postsecondary opportunities due to inherited poverty, underfunded education, and limited digital access. Without intervention, future generations will face the same barriers, trapped in low-resilience jobs with growing financial and family responsibilities, but unable to pursue the education needed to escape.

To better understand this overlooked population, WGU Labs analyzed over 20 years of National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and published our findings in a research report.

I drafted an accompanying brief that highlights our unique perspective on the data — and outlines the economic imperative of helping these individuals advance into better-paying, more fulfilling careers.

Additionally, we facilitated a brainstorming session with a diverse group of employers at the inaugural Human Potential Summit to generate practical solutions to fixing the Rising Talent development pipeline. I helped plan and facilitate the session, documented the conversations and solutions ideated, and turned those insights into a white paper, which was featured in a publication from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.