By: Steven Lee, Chief Executive Officer, SkillUp
Published May 20, 2025
Return-to-office mandates are gaining momentum, and nearly 80 percent of CEOs believe employees will be back in the office full-time within three years. This is in stark contrast to 93 percent of remote-capable employees who say they prefer hybrid or fully remote work arrangements. And for the 70 million U.S. workers who don’t possess a four-year degree but are skilled through alternative routes (STARs), remote jobs aren’t just a flexible option — they’re a lifeline.
Remote work is more than a convenience. It’s a doorway to career growth, higher wages and opportunities that simply weren’t available before.
Remote Work Bridges Geographic and Educational Divides
Rural Americans, nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population, have limited job opportunities due to geographic isolation which leads to fewer educational and training institutions, and economic dependence on fewer industries which reduces job diversity. For STARs in these rural regions, access to remote careers is transformative. In a user survey conducted by SkillUp Coalition, a non-profit helping individuals secure high-opportunity employment through non-degree pathways — specifically through its remote jobs catalog, 75 percent of respondents are actively seeking remote work and 20 percent live in rural areas.
But the benefit isn’t just limited to rural workers. For STARs across the country, remote work provides pathways into career fields such as engineering, medical coding, account management, sales and even HR. These roles offer living wages and growth potential, and create access to quality jobs that don’t require a degree — without the need for relocation.
Remote Work Lowers Structural Barriers
STARS often face greater barriers to in-person jobs because of limited access to reliable transportation, caregiving responsibilities or a lack of nearby opportunities that match their skills. Remote work, on the other hand, eliminates or significantly lowers these barriers, allowing these workers to pursue meaningful careers while they maintain stability at home.
The flexibility to balance personal and professional life makes remote work particularly appealing to STARs, especially for women — for whom caregiving is a key factor in employment decisions and the ability to work remotely increases labor force participation — and people of color who are disproportionately affected by these structural barriers. By offering remote positions, employers can access a diverse and often-overlooked talent pool of STARs and address their organizational talent challenges.
Remote Work Benefits Employers, Too
Indeed, the benefits to workers are clear, but remote work also provides significant advantages for employers. Companies that embrace remote roles gain access to a wider, more diverse talent pool. Instead of being restricted to hiring locally, employers can hire skilled workers in lower-cost regions without inflating their budgets. Businesses can save up to $11,000 per year per employee and lower their carbon footprint, helping to meet corporate sustainability goals, thanks to lower office space requirements, eliminated commutes and improved employee retention. Remote work also reduces unscheduled absences, which cost employers between $1,800 and $3,600 per employee.
But most importantly, remote work can help address the persistent talent gap that many employers face. STARs bring valuable skills and experience, but traditional hiring practices often overlook them in favor of candidates with degrees. Employers who adopt skills-based hiring practices and offer remote roles can tap into this talent pool while also increasing the likelihood of a quality hire — hiring based on skills is five times more predictive of performance — and improve retention rates.
Remote Work Builds a Future-Proof Workforce
Despite the CEO survey results, the trend toward remote work is not going away. Again, 93 percent of remote-capable workers prefer hybrid or fully remote structures, and ignoring the preferences of the workforce puts organizations at risk of losing talent.
Companies that prioritize remote work options not only benefit from increased diversity — a Wharton study found that remote job postings attract a 15 percent increase in female applicants and a 33 percent increase in minority applicants — but they also position themselves as leaders in nurturing an inclusive culture. It is a long-term solution that fosters equity and economic mobility. It’s a win-win situation for employers, and they can get started through the following concrete steps:
- Invest in remote work opportunities: Ensure that remote-capable jobs are actually advertised as remote.
- Reevaluate hiring criteria: Tap into the STARs talent pool by adopting a skills-based approach and remove arbitrary degree requirements where possible.
- Champion inclusive work environments: Develop policies that support diverse remote workers, including mentorship programs and flexible schedules.
Remote work isn’t just a perk — it’s a vital tool for creating pathways to success for STARs and building a more inclusive workforce. Employers who embrace remote work will not only access a broader talent pool but also help shape the future of work, creating opportunities for millions of workers skilled through alternative routes.
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About the author: Steve Lee serves as the CEO of the SkillUp Coalition, a non-profit technology platform whose vision is to end income inequality and intergenerational poverty by connecting vulnerable workers to in-demand careers through comprehensive re-skilling pathways. In Steve’s earlier career, he was a corporate lawyer at O’Melveny & Myers LLP prior shifting to the social sector as Managing Director, Economic Security at the Robin Hood Foundation, and later the SkillUp Coalition. Steve is a Mentor at Techstars and MIT Solve; a Senior Advisor at the Jain Family Institute, Making Space, Sparc, and United Way of Greater Philadelphia; and a Board Member at Upsolve, FinTech4Good, and NYN Media. Steve achieved his BA and JD from Duke University, and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Steve lives in New York City with his amazing wife and family, and is an avid sports fan (sadly, of New York teams). Steve also loves Calvin & Hobbes, The Wire, grunge music (and yes, BTS).
About SkillUp Coalition: Founded in July 2020, SkillUp Coalition is an innovative nonprofit that connects workers with the right tools, resources, and support to make confident career shifts, find quality living-wage jobs, and position themselves for promising career growth without the need of a college degree. Through its cutting-edge technology platform and step-by-step career guidance options, SkillUp has connected more than 3.5 million workers to career, training, and job support nationwide. The coalition brings together more than 150 leading organizations, including training and education providers, technology developers, policymakers, employers, and philanthropies.
SkillUp proudly advocates for an affordable, equitable, upskilling ecosystem that ensures every worker has high-opportunity employment. For more information, please visit www.skillup.org or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
