July 15, 2026 — With record numbers of college graduates unable to find jobs and employers struggling to find qualified applicants to fill high-demand roles, a paradox exists in higher education — too few workers can find jobs, and too few employers can find workers. The resulting skills gap threatens America’s competitiveness and gives rise to a national debate about whether traditional college is worth it. These topics are explored in a new book: Trade Up: Why the Future Belongs to Skilled Trades and How Career Education is Transforming the Workforce.
Published by Sunbury Press, the book is coauthored by Jason Altmire, CEO of Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU), and Riley Burr, CECU’s Vice President for Policy & Research and Executive Director of the CECU Research Foundation. Drawing on data, workforce trends and real-world experience, they make the case that trade schools and career-focused education are key to closing the skills gap. They offer a hopeful, solutions-oriented roadmap for students, educators, and employers ready to rethink how America prepares its workforce of tomorrow.
More information about Trade Up: Why the Future Belongs to Skilled Trades and How Career Education is Transforming the Workforce is available online, including praise from a diverse group of prominent thought leaders such as Mike Rowe, CEO of mikeroweWORKS Foundation; Suzanne P. Clark, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and Chelle Travis, Executive Director of SkillsUSA.
