Learning & Impact Lab

To better support STARs, SkillUp's Learning and Impact Lab turns real time data into practice, reshaping the marketplace and driving systemic change.

Transforming Learning into Actionable Impact

We strive to be at the forefront of innovation and to deliver measurable results through our tenacious and endless curiosity. 

Our Learning and Impact Lab advances individuals skilled through alternative routes (STARs) through action research, worker journey insights and transformative success stories of workers attaining economic mobility. 

By leveraging our comprehensive platform analytics, STARs feedback and a coalition of partners who serve STARs directly, we improve products and services and drive collective systems change across the workforce ecosystem.

Looking for a partner to test, iterate, and innovate with? Inquire on our partner form.

Test, Learn, Iterate.

Questions We're Currently Researching

Can AI Better Coach STARs Toward Good Career Paths?

What Role Do Durable Skills Play in Youth Career Exploration?

How Do Workers Feel About the Economy and Job Opportunities?

SkillUp Quality Standards

What Makes Our Career Platform Different

Our goal is to make every career and training opportunity on SkillUp valuable for workers. We assess offerings using labor market data, employer needs, and local wage benchmarks, focusing on in-demand jobs, affordable short-term training, and meaningful credentials.

SkillUp’s high-quality standards are built in alignment with some of the most respected voices in workforce and education reform. We draw on and integrate frameworks and data from:

Opportunity@Work, Onet, CareerOneStop, Bureau of Labor Statistics and Lightcast

The gateway labor data and career categories form the foundation of how we define and present high-potential career paths for STARs.

America Succeeds

The durable skills framework helps ensure job seekers know what transferable, human-centered skills they need to succeed across industries.

American Opportunity Index

This informs our filters and highlights employers committed to job quality and advancement.

API Partners

Willow Education, Kuder, American Student Assistance (ASA) and Overgrad use to embed trusted content directly into their own platforms, extending SkillUp’s impact and ensuring quality guidance meets job seekers where they already are

Steven Lee, CEO, SkillUp Coalition

"At SkillUp, we strive to be data-driven, heart-led."

We are thrilled to lead a “worker-first” learning agenda backed by data and action research, which we believe is essential in the field. Our Learning and Impact Lab leverages SkillUp’s unique capabilities to drive innovation and actionable “worker-first” insights for the workforce ecosystem. It utilizes our internal expertise, real-time platform and campaign analytics, qualitative research, and partnerships with leading organizations, positioning us to adapt to the shifting marketplace and drive systemic change.

See Our Latest Research & Innovation

Learning & Impact
Article
Raising the Bar: How SkillUp Builds Trust Through Curated, Quality Career Pathways
Learning & Impact
Article
Remote Work Isn’t a Perk – It’s a Lifeline for Nondegree Workers
Learning & Impact
Article
SkillUp Featured in New National Campaign to Redefine Career Success
Watch our latest virtual webinar

How Three Mission-Driven Platforms Are Transforming Non-Degree Pathways for Youth

Nearly half of high school students say they feel unprepared to make informed career decisions, and millions of youth are disconnected from both work and education. As the job market evolves, young people need better access to career pathways that lead to high-opportunity jobs.

Watch leaders from SkillUp, the Schultz Family Foundation, American Student Assistance (ASA) and Willow Education — organizations that have collectively served over 3 million young people — as they discuss how technology, collaboration, and targeted investment are helping young job seekers build careers with real growth potential.

Monthly Newsletter

Keep a PULSE on SkillUp

Keep a pulse on SkillUp and STARs with our monthly newsletter. Subscribe if you’re looking for data, strategies and inspiration culminating in success stories of people transforming their lives and careers. Here are our most recent releases:

A real-life Impact story from our research

Hear Ron's Journey from Vet Tech to IT

Get to Know Us

About SkillUp

Our staff and coalition partners are contributing time, energy and resources to provide the best upskilling and career resources to workers across the country. 

What we've accomplished thus far is a direct result of our Core Values:

  • Champion Worker-First
  • Empower Impact
  • Embrace Collaboration
  • Exemplify Curiosity
  • Embody Accountability

Embrace Collaboration. Learn Together.