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This blog is part of our Rising Talent series. We define Rising Talent as working adults with limited education and low career resiliency. Our understanding of Rising Talent is based on our analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97), which tracks the life experiences of a nationally representative sample of 8,957 American youth born between 1980 and 1984. The survey commenced in 1997 and includes 20 surveys worth of data for each participant. The NLSY97 dataset includes information on a wide range of topics, including education, employment, family and household dynamics, health conditions, and income.
Engaging in post-secondary education can provide beneficial opportunities for working adults with limited education and low-paying jobs. Federal data and other studies show higher education levels often correlate with higher wages. However, the trajectories of people’s lives are influenced by many factors. To better serve individuals who may benefit from post-secondary education, institutions need to understand the influence of personal, educational, social, economic, and professional circumstances.
At WGU Labs, we recently studied the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) to establish a clearer understanding of the life trajectories of a population of people who hold jobs with little professional growth opportunity and who have limited post-secondary education — a cohort that we and Western Governors University (WGU) call Rising Talent.
By tracing the experiences of Rising Talent and those who deviate from that path, we learned that by mid-life, these individuals often face circumstances set in motion decades earlier. Understanding the diverse circumstances of prospective and current learners can guide institutional leaders in making informed decisions that provide the necessary support to ensure the success of all learners.
Demographics
At the time we evaluated the NLSY97 data, Rising Talent were in their late 30s and early 40s. According to the latest U.S. Census, 13.7% of the population is Black, and 19.5% is Hispanic or LatinX. However, among Rising Talent, Black (24.23%) and Hispanic or LatinX (18.63%) individuals are disproportionately represented, signaling that Rising Talent has faced the many impacts of structural racism in their lives. For example, they may have been more likely to attend an under-funded school, as school districts with larger numbers of students who are Black, Hispanic, or LatinX receive, on average, $5,000 less per student compared to majority-white school districts.
Additionally, more than half of Rising Talent are single (55%) and female (52%), with an average household of four. Combining this demographic information creates the likely profile of an average Rising Talent individual as a woman of color who is a single parent caring for additional household members or living in a multi-generational household, however, we can not be certain based on the existing data set.
Computer Usage
A majority of Rising Talent (67%) uses a computer less than 10 hours a week and 27% report no computer usage.
The NLSY97 data do not offer insight into why this might be the case. However, with 61% of all undergraduate students reporting they took at least one online course and 92% of jobs requiring digital skills, a lack of technology use could hurt Rising Talent as they pursue educational or professional goals.
Previous Education Experiences
One of the ways we defined Rising Talent is by focusing only on people who did not obtain a postsecondary degree. So while some Rising Talent may have enrolled in college, they did not earn a degree. Of note is that one in five Rising Talent earned neither a high school diploma nor its equivalent (GED) by 2021.
Rising Talent may also have had limited exposure to post-secondary education in general, as 87% of their parents did not attend college.
Other Early Life Experiences
Early life experiences may also inform Rising Talent’s current context. Rising Talent reported a higher incidence of past traumas, including encounters with gun violence, experiences of high school bullying, victimization by violent crimes, and hospitalizations, compared to others in the NLSY97 data. Rising Talent also reported higher rates of incarceration. Although the current data cannot directly address this, these differences likely reflect differences across the communities and environments in which different segments resided, with Rising Talent living in particularly under-resourced locations.
The combination of all Rising Talent’s life circumstances leaves few spare resources in terms of time, money, and well-being to pursue education as typically provided in higher education institutions. While it is important to recognize that these analyses are correlational and that drawing causal inferences may be premature, there is an opportunity to use this information as a starting point for designing future interventions and research.
Critical gaps exist in the current postsecondary system in supporting Rising Talent. By addressing core challenges and leveraging insights from successful interventions, institutions can help Rising Talent overcome barriers and achieve greater economic and personal stability. Examples could include providing digital literacy resources, on-campus childcare, or information about financial aid to cover expenses beyond tuition. This research offers a blueprint for designing educational programs that are flexible, supportive, and attuned to the unique needs of this population, ultimately fostering a more equitable and inclusive workforce.
At WGU Labs, we plan to advance this effort in many ways, including our work following the Human Potential Summit, where we were joined by institutional leaders, policymakers, and employers to discuss some of these topics and ideate possible solutions. We’ll share the outcomes of those collaborations and discussions via a white paper. Please check back this fall for more updates.
