Colleges’ Hero Moment
Under H.R. 1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill), outcomes-based aid raises the stakes for colleges already facing tight budgets and uneven enrollment. This Kinetic Signals installment argues institutions have a hero moment to rewrite their funding story and rebuild public trust. We distill three lessons drawing on more than a decade of performance-based funding (PBF) experience. We outline pragmatic moves—adjusted-earnings pilots, “community impact” credits, deep employer alliances, stackable pathways, and transparent impact reporting.
Governors’ Hero Moment
Workforce Pell elevates Governors as standard-setters for short-term credential aid. Under H.R. 1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill), states–working with workforce boards–will decide which short-term programs qualify for aid. The opportunity: build a quality engine that protects students, speeds approvals, and sets a common standard for outcomes across higher ed. The risks: fragmented data, a provider flood, and politics. This post shares one approach to move quickly without lowering the bar–and to support future outcomes-based funding.
Career Services’ Hero Moment
The federal education landscape is rapidly evolving.
In the first installment of our Education series, we're spotlighting those best positioned to adapt and identifying what it will take to meet the moment and deliver meaningful outcomes. Starting with Career Services offices:
As H.R.1 ties federal student aid to graduate earnings, Career Services offices face their defining moment—facilitating work-based learning pipelines, unifying siloed teams, and leveraging AI to prove ROI. Learn how these often-under-resourced heroes can safeguard federal aid and power student success.
Fewer Dollars, More Choices
We’ve explored how entry-level hiring is collapsing and why healthcare might be the next big bet. This week, we look at the policy infrastructure that could either accelerate these shifts — or get in their way.
The Great Pathway Pivot
Last time, we unpacked the slow-motion crisis in entry-level hiring. Now we turn to the big pivot reshaping the future of workforce pathways: tech is slowing, healthcare is surging, and it’s time to shift our bets.
A Crisis in Entry-Level Hiring
Welcome to Kinetic Signals, a new content series from Kinetic West where we track the turning points reshaping opportunity, equity, and systems change.
This edition takes on one of the most overlooked stories in today’s labor market: entry-level jobs are quietly disappearing–and we’re only beginning to see the ripple effects.