About The Center – Legacy
The Center for the Future of Higher Education and Talent Strategy (CFHETS) is an applied research center that builds on Northeastern University’s heritage of more than a century of leadership in experiential learning and its network of more than 3,300 employer partners.
Drawing on the expertise of Northeastern faculty and affiliated industry-based scholars, CFHETS’ analysis focuses on bringing the voice and perspective of employers into the higher education community, while also serving as a research-based academic voice and resource in the world of corporate learning and talent strategy. The center is also a leader in developing and testing next generation models for employer-university collaboration.
Mission
By studying trends and pioneering and testing next-generation learning models, we seek to improve and optimize the interaction between the postsecondary education system and employers – thus improving outcomes for students, institutions, and the economy and society at large.
Core Research Areas
CFHETS’ work embraces the notion that learning happens everywhere – and that in today’s globalized knowledge economy, the boundaries are increasingly blurring between structured learning that occurs in educational institutions and learning that occurs in the workplace.
The scope of our research stretches beyond topics such as skill demands and student career preparation – to crucially also include the full scope of lifelong and on-the-job learning that is occurring in the market for experienced talent. The center’s analytical lens is also distinguished by a focus on the educational models, business models, and strategic impacts for educational systems and employers.
CFHETS’ research revolves around 5 core thematic areas:
- The future of educational credentials and their value and use in the workplace
- New models of partnership and curricular collaboration between colleges and employers
- Work-based experiential learning
- The evolution of corporate talent strategy – including learning and development, hiring and recruiting, and the emergence of people analytics
- The convergence of skills-based hiring and competency-based education
The center’s research output manifests itself in projects with commercial employers and higher education institutions; published research reports, articles, and public speaking; consulting engagements; and implementation, technology, and policy projects. The center’s research is also integrated with and supports the educational offerings of Northeastern’s College of Professional Studies and its Graduate School of Education.
CFHETS’ interdisciplinary approach and position within one of the nation’s top-ranked and most innovative research universities provides it with an unparalleled array of academic assets to conduct research and develop solutions at the intersection of higher education and talent strategy.
Affiliated Faculty and Administrators
Amanda Welsh, PhD
Professor of the Practice
Northeastern University
Shannon Alpert, EdD, PMP
Associate Teaching Professor
Northeastern University
Eliot Gattegno
Professor of the Practice
Northeastern University
Anne Nanovic
Research Associate
Northeastern University
Ellen Whitman Stoddard, EdD
Lecturer
Northeastern University
Steven Soares, PhD
Lecturer
Northeastern University
Jamie Warner
Lecturer
Northeastern University
In The News
Spring enrollment steady, just not at all institutions.
by Jaime Adame
Inside Higher Ed
March 29, 2023
Microcredentials boom, employers and hiring platforms fumble.
by Susan D’Agostino
Inside Higher Ed
March 28, 2023
Talk of skills-based hiring is everywhere, but the tech isn’t there yet.
by Elyse Ashburn
Workshift
March 27, 2023
Undergrad degree completion falls for first time in a decade.
by Liam Knox
Inside Higher Ed
March 17, 2023
Microcredentials confuse employers, colleges, and learners.
by Susan D’Agostino
Inside Higher Ed
March 3, 2023
Recognizing workforce not just as an expense but an asset.
by Laura Aka
WorkingNation
March 13, 2023
YouTube-iversity
by Susan D’Agostino
Inside Higher Ed
January 25, 2023
